Friendly staff, loud pop music, but mediocre food. The classic burger patties were far too thin and plain tasting. The classic fries were seasoned but again nothing special, there was hardly any sweet potato fries in the basket. Go here for the hipness, not the food. read more

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Living in Portland I thought let's see how the guys in Manchester do a proper sandwich. So looking around on Yelp I noticed this place and I have walked by from the hotel a couple of times without noticing there are some restaurants. The old railway building. Thanks yelp for making me aware. They have a lunch special with a selection of burgers and a chicken sandwich for £10 (at the time of this review 07/2023). That includes a side of fries. I noticed every restaurant that you walk In the host will ask you about any allergies or intolerances. If you let them know you're they will let you know what to avoid. Or if they do not know they will send you a manager who knows. There must have been a huge problem with allergies and it is a great way to avoid it. It is, in the beginning, a bit annoying until you realize it is actually a good thing (I wonder if Mcdonald's to the same - I'll might have to try that). So I ordered the chicken burger with a breaded fried chicken breast some black pepper mayo sauce some salad, Onions, and a slap of avocado. WOW - the nicely tasting breaded chicken was fried to perfection and it was a really big piece without drying out. Good job! the "burner" was definitely the combination of chicken and that avocado spread mixed in With the black Peppercorn mayonnaise - an almost perfect bite. The bun was not too big to get in the way of tasting what's important all other ingredients have been fresh and am tasty the fries also fried to a crisp state without being burned. Hands down a surprisingly great burger. Oh, I will be back - the service was five starts as well quick, knowledgeable, and friendly! read more

Weird service. When you are done eating and your server knows that why can't you just give us the bill? Food was alright. Like it was good but it was crazy yummy read more

Service was very slow and we only ordered a burger and fries. Waited about 30 minutes for our food. Had to ask for ketchup 3 times, and had to request our check. Never got any refill on drink. Food was mediocre. read more

Food was overpriced and okay. Spent about £45 for 2 burgers and 2 sides of fries. The classic fries were bland. Burgers were small but had some flavor. Service wasn't the best. Our waitress watched us sit there (done eating) for 30 minutes before giving us a check. Only checked on us 3 times throughout the hour we were there. Ambiance is okay. Dim lighting but tables are spaced out. read more

Fantastic meal and excellent staff. Popped in for a quick bite, very pleased. Hip decor. Interesting menu. Friendly staff. Managers present and helpful with allergy concerns. She brought out a book that had all the allergens gridded out, so finding safe items was nice and easy. Almost accidentally walked into a bad menu choice, but the manager came out a SECOND time when there was a concern between prepped items (something I didn't notice in the menu book). Delicious burgers and fries...and there was a promo for half off some items so double win! read more

Love the fries!! Ultimate comfort food. Phoenix fries is a must! The burger was very satisfying. They made the best medium-rare meat paddy. read more

Almost Famous - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

This place was a nice cool place to eat in the center of the city. It was awesome that there was some greenery out front to seat to remembrance of the fantastic meal that you just treat your stomach and for your stomach to thank you for filling it with greatness. Three words, bacon bacon mayo. Yup that is the real deal secret sauce boss! The Liberty Chicken Burger is a hot and the avalado is a nice touch. As always love to pair this will a nice draft but to no fault of this fine establishment there is a CO2 shortage so drafts were out but the bottle selection is nice. This went well with a Pacific Craft with some bacon bacon mayo fries with that bacon hail/rain (bless your food with bacon). If you are in the area come by and then sit out front on the green and take it all in followed by maybe a movie at the theater. TYS always!!! read more

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A lot of people say that Almost Famous has lost it's way and that burger-wise it can't compete with some of the newer editions to the Manchester meat scene however I have to disagree! I've always loved AF although normally I venture to the NQ location, so when I was hovering around Great Northern the other day I knew I had to get my fix. I got the Down & Out burger which I'd never tried before and yep I have a new favourite. It was amazing! Craft beer friends stop reading now... I washed that down with a pint of San Miguel, lovely! Writing this review has made me realize I have a burger problem, because I am now considering getting in my car and making the 20 minute drive to Almost Famous for lunch. It's only 8am #burgershame read more

Almost Famous - Down & Out - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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They have a promotion for orders made between 12-5pm on weekdays. £12 including burger fries and beer/spirits. Had a river phoenix burger with mixed fries and corona. Burger was great! Corona is a corona. read more

Friday, 4:30pm, WE GOT A SEAT STRAIGHT AWAY! After attempting to visit 3 times previously with queues out the door and wait times of a ridiculous amount, I was SO happy to be FINALLY eating at this place. The next bit threw me a bit - a woman took us to a table, asked if we'd eaten there before (no) and then explained we should look through the menu and when decided, go and order everything from the bar including drinks. It's efficient but very bar like which I didn't expect! You even go and get your own cutlery, sauce and... kitchen towel for napkins?! Opting for "no bun please", I was told at the bar I could opt for my burger to be served on a salad bowl instead - YES PLEASE! Burgers and chips are separate - I asked for the triple burger and the baconnaise loaded chips with the extra spicy all over. TASTY! Again, I think the overall hype and reviews about this place left me a little underwhelmed again from the taste of the food. Don't get me wrong, they do a VERY good burger but the chips and baconnaise was disappointing as they arrived quite cold... However, there's a huge Gorilla - fantastic photo opportunities! I've yet to try the cocktails but I saw a fair few being made whilst waiting at the bar and they looked fab. read more

Almost Famous - If you don't want the bun, you can get your burger on a salad! It's called Tyga Stylee! GF friendly! - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

Nearly 18 months since my first review and many different burgers from many different places later, AF needed an update. For me, the food is just not five star worthy any more, even considering their new menu. The service has always been above average and the venue/atmosphere you take it as it is - bold, brash, loud and in your face - as that's the persona the brand has built for itself. As has been noted by other reviewers, the burger within the bun is now almost an afterthought, with the myriad of toppings, most of them full of flavour and texture in their own right, all competing to be noticed. Meanwhile, the poor beef patties are vainly trying to get your attention whilst the gastro mob attacks you. I still like AF and I completely understand that they have a heck of a lot more dirty burger competition for attention these days, but there are a significant number of diners who'd appreciate the option to 'go simple' every now and again, and not have to pick off Monster Munch, Cheerios or some other foreign invader on our bacon double cheeseburger. read more

Almost Famous - John Bender - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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OK, its time - I've been quite a few times now, and think I'm ready to do this behemoth of burgers justice. That's not because I wasn't sure (I was, from the very first bite), but because the hype, and the expectations were so very high... So, lets get started... I first went to almost famous when it opened the burger shack outside of the AMC on Deansgate - from the get-go I was hooked. The dirty burger was so very,very messy, but that was immediately part of the charm. When I found out that they would be opening in the AMC I was really pleased - here's why, and it's really simple... The burgers are the messiest, tastiest creations that humanity has ever put down. Only a genius would put Chorizo on a burger, and only a maniac would think that it also needed steak and blue cheese (the Butter Blood and Blue). There's a trend for barbeque at the moment - how do Almost Famous deal with that? Stick a load of pulled pork on an already huge double cheese burger (the brilliantly named Triple Nom). Ever thought about putting crisps on a burger? No? Well they have - there's a burger with Monster Munch (The Animal) and one with Frazzles... You don't get a neat plate to eat these off, and you shouldn't feel that you have to use a knife and fork (you'll be the odd one out if you do!) - what you do get is a little plastic tray, and a roll of kitchen roll. The whole thing is pleasantly uncivilised! Lets talk sides - the standard fries, the winning fries, are a great mix of regular potato and sweet potato,and they taste great! You can ramp up the potato goodness with bacon rain, and baconaise too - why wouldn't you do that?! There's also the Pig 'n' Waffle; waffle fries, pulled pork, sauce and chilli - a whole meal in their own right. Finally to top off, there's a full bar, and a choice of cocktails of their own devising - I've not had any of these, but I hear good things... You can't book, and at busy times you should expect to wait, but you can give them a number, and they'll call when you're good to go. And when you do go, you feel like you're in the same mad mind that came up with the menu - from the graffiti to the giant gorilla - it all adds to the experience. Get yourself to almost famous, you'll never go back! read more

Almost Famous - The Triple Nom... - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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I'm not massively too sure what's happened to AF over the past year really... There used to be a time when the concept used to be exciting and fresh, where queuing up at the smaller branch for hours made you eager in anticipation and when being greeted at the Warehouse and being told you had to come back in 2 hours for a table made you say "sure, why not!" But my past 2 visits it's all just been a bit tiring and lacking in wow. The burgers don't seem to be as good as they used to be and now it really does just just seem to be a stack em high mentality. Personally I prefer the burgers and offering at Filthy Cow and when down in London a few weeks ago - I realised just how much I missed MeatMarket's burgers - now they're amazing. From what was once a clever concept, it now all seems a bit paint by numbers. I'd definitely be keen to see what this group has up it's sleeves next as they've always been very forward thinking. read more

We popped along to Almost Famous after the One Watson Street launch for a late dinner. I had heard so much about AF and couldn't believe that on my nearly two years in Manhester I hadn't paid it a visit! Impressively we didn't have to wait for a table, and were shown to our table by the friendliest waiter. In fact every member of staff who spoke to us couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful, carefully explains the parts of the menu that didn't really make much sense. My dining partner doesn't have the biggest appetitive, so when he was told all burgers come as double pattys his face fell (thankfully he took the rest home with him later). We both ordered the I'm cracked baby - burgers with cheese, chorizo, shoestring fries, hot sauce, salt and vinegar crisps (?!?), blue cheese sauce and jalapeño mustard. We decided to split a portion of the the wining fries - mixed skin on regular and sweet potato fries. The patties themselves unfortunately are nothing special, not compared with delicious patties from somewhere like solita. The toppings all actually worked on the burger, although I couldn't help but feel like I was eating a posh McDonalds. The fries were really tasty, however they were served to us pretty cold which is a big let down for me. Fries are kind of my thing. All in, AF is cool, loud, and inventive in its flavour combinations, but maybe more attention should be paid to the simple things like the meat and having pipping hot fries. read more

Almost Famous - The I'm cracked baby and coleslaw - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

This was my first time visiting the Great Northern branch of the growing chain, and the food didn't disappoint! Having had a massively indulgent 5 or 6 days, I wanted to round it off with a reliably awesome burger so naturally had a look at AF. I normally visit the NQ restaurant as it's much closer for me, but felt the need for a bit of a walk, and also had my eye on the Great Northern only Butter Blood and Bleu burger - it did NOT disappoint! 2 juicy, meaty burgers sandwiching some tasty chorizo, smothered in cheese, fried onion, pepper sauce and blue cheese sauce, and topped with strips of beautifully pink flatiron steak - I thought if died and gone to burger heaven! I had the goodfella fries to accompany it, nice to see a bacon free option All expertly polished off with minimal fuss or spillage, I then wanted ice cream! I opted for the choccywoccyhoohaa sundae, which included a gorgeous warm, gooey chocolate sauce, brownie pieces and chopped nuts. Delicious! Service was efficient and friendly, the restaurant looked fab, and the food arrived quickly. These guys definitely know their stuff! read more

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When Almost Famous in the NQ burned down a few years back safe to say I was gutted. But then this much bigger AF opened within the Great Northern Warehouse and I've been a fan of this place just as much as the old one. I've had countless visits to this AF and I've always had a great experience. The burgers are always juicy, freshly cooked and served to you quickly after ordering at the bar. They are huge portions and I've never been able to manage to finish off any fries by myself (I usually get the bacon bacon fries - mixed fries and sweet potato fries covers in baconaise and crispy bacon bits) The atmosphere in here on a Saturday night is always great. Very busy, quite loud but still the type of atmosphere where you can hold good conversation and not be drowned out by the music. We were asked to wait about 30 minutes for a table, but I didn't mind. There was plenty of space at the upstairs bar and all the more time for some of their fab cocktails! I tried the Cherry Bomb, Candy Floss Collins and the one that tastes like Sherbert. I was pretty merry by the time I sat down to eat. There's a vast amount of places in Manchester now where you can get a good burger - but AF will always be a favourite. read more

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Best burger in Manchester by far. Very casual environment with quirky menu and interior design (Huge gorilla in the centre of the restaurant/pub). The bacon bacon in the menu is a must (French fries both salted and sweet covered in melted cheese with bacon bits sprinkled on top of what is already a heartful healthy ingredients) hmmmmm. Just came back for a quick fries and the customer service stinks. read more

Almost Famous - Gorilla chillin - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

I've been to Almost Famous five times in the two and a bit years I've lived in Manchester, which isn't very many but I think it's time to write a review. I won't say much about the concept as it's been discussed to death, though I will say that I think a lot of people (myself included) find their brand a bit tired and annoying, so for those who haven't been I would suggest looking past that and just giving the food a try. The food, then, is pretty good. I've taken a few people here and they all but one enjoyed it, although the friend who did not enjoy it has since revealed that she is just not a big fan of 'junk food' so I guess it was never going to float her boat. Everyone else has really enjoyed it, with the friends I went with most recently going as far as to declare 'I think this place was made for me!' On my most recent visit I had the I'm Cracked Baby burger and we shared Bacon Bacon Fries and Phoenix Fries between four. The fries are big, and covered in stuff, and filling. I'm not saying it would be impossible to eat a burger and a fries to yourself but you won't be short on food if you share. The burger was really delicious. It is totally overloaded with toppings so I would avoid if that's not what you're into. On this particular burger though the toppings all tasted good together: cheese, chorizo, garlic salt shoestring fries, salt and vinegar crisps, Cholula, blue cheese sauce, and jalapeño mustard. Admittedly I wasn't able to pick out each individual sauce in every bite, but the combination made every bite delicious. To drink I had a Famous Frickin Swizzle which was pretty good. I'll surely be back. read more

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Guess whose back! back again! AF's back tell a.... ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AAAAAALLL OF THEM BECAUSE AF's back boys n girls How I've missed you, how I've yearned for you, gone like a thing that's gone away, far away, I lost sleep at night, I wept, I tried elsewhere, it never felt right. I don't care that you're bigger now, size isn't doesn't have to be a bad thing, yes your kitchen sticks out like a belly too full of burger delights, yes you have cows on walls, and a giant gorilla in the middle looking like a doctor waiting for you to cough but it's what you put in my face that I care about. I care about what you put in my face, there was trepadation had you lost that sparkle, that zing, that feeling of love that you could just taste! in your burgers. The trepadation is gone, they'll be no more tears on my pillow (about AF) the good times are here again. The Menu is almost entirely different, though the triple nom is still there which was always my go to burger, winning and bacon bacon fries are still keeping teh corner strong, HOWEVER I didn't go with the triple nom I felt I needed to see what the rest of the menu offered, so I went with the Baddaboom... holy moly, parmesan on a burger should be illegal on a burger it's so good! Pig n Waffle fries, there's more pulled pork on them then fries!!! IT'S AMAZING!!! They still take your mobile number while waiting for a table so that you can wander off, but there's not much need with the bar so much larger you can just grab some drinks there, and may I just say I love the text you get when the tables ready. "Hey Kids, This is your Mom, dinner is ready, play time's over, pack away your toys and please come sit down as soon as possible." AF you know you have my heart, and my wallet... please don't burn down again that would really suck. read more

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I've always loved a good AF burger and our most recent trip did not disappoint ! I would always recommend the river Phoenix burger (heaven) and bacon bacon fries. We also had BBQ and hot wings to keep us going after a busy day ! You do have to wait but it's worth it just to get one of their burgers in your face ! If you haven't tried almost famous yet, get yourself down ASAP! read more

Almost Famous - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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First time here I use to visit the nq one regular but then moved away from the area. So came back and thought I would try this one. It was a good atmosphere but it's not got the sane charm as the original in all honesty it felt a bit like tgi Fridays but I can honestly say the food is better. My favourite dish is the baconaise fries there the business. The burger I had was the john bender and was was ok fairly average nothing to climb to rooftop and shout about. I found the pricing was fairly reasonable and the food came quickly the customer service was spot on and all the staff had a smile in there face One last word I want to adopt your guerrilla if he ever needs rehoming give me a shout. read more

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Almost Famous delivers well on almost every front, the American style burgers and fries are tasty filling and there's enough variety in the menu for everyone, the staff are friendly and polite. I wont' say much about the look and feel of the place as it's pretty standard fare for the American burger model, which I guess part of my only gripe with Almost Famous. They have started paying for being one of the early adopters of the new wave of American style burger joints. I can't help feeling they need to shake up the model in some way. If the worst thing you can say about a place is that they don't have the range of beer I'd like then there really isn't much of an issue is there? Well there is when these kind of places especially in Manchester are becoming a dime a dozen. It doesn't detract from everything Almost Famous does right, and they do a lot right, but sadly it does mean that comparison is naturally drawn with similiar places which might do it a bit better. That place there has a bigger beer selection, that other one has event nights etc. It's definitely a restaurant I'd head to if I was nearby and felt the urge for a burger or meeting before the cinema, or the bowling alley, but I wouldn't be venturing far afield to return especially when there might be something pretty similiar just around the corner. read more

Almost Famous - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

We always wanted to visit Almost Famous in the Northern Quarter but never got a chance, Then it moved to the Great Northern Building near Deansgate after the one in the NQ burnt down. So we both had a friday off and decided to go for lunch. We turned up around 1pm and it was already busy and was a little worried we wasn't going to get in! All our friends have been and have said they have had to wait ages for a table so plan what time you're gonna go or expect a long wait due to its popularity! We was greeted by a bubbly host who took us to our table told us about the menus and how to order. We looked at the small menus which has a choice of several almost famous burgers with all different filings in them, they range from £7-9 depending on what burger you're gonna choose, i had the triple nom and my partner had the river phoenix and had two sides of winning fries, there are also other options on what fries you want, which was £2-6each, we also had two San Miguel's and it all came to £28. You have to go up to the bar in the middle to order you're food and thought the bar staff were a little pretentious and playing with there i phones whist serving but you have to expect this a little from the clientele of the funky and cool customers who eat here. A waitress bought our burger and fries and some kitchen towel which is needed!!! I have to honestly say that these burgers, yes we did share, was the best burger I've ever tasted in my whole life! Yes all the reviews are true this is the best burger you're gonna taste! Its a very fun happening place with a super fun atmosphere! Just plan when you're gonna go or expect to wait a while for a table as this place dosnt take reservations. Cant wait to go back!!!! read more

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This place is amazing! The atmosphere is great, he lighting is cool, the seats are comfortable and well, the food.. Well that speaks for itself! I've been around 5 times now and absolutely love it in here! Where else would I get my pig n waffle fries and my famous burger! And you've got to try the milkshakes, they're amazing too! The only downfall to me is the wait, it's pretty long.. But definitely worth it in the end! There's parking just above (or below, it confuses me in there!) it's a bit pricey but it's much safer than parking in the city on a side street somewhere.. And they also have a twitter where they post pictures of new stuff, I saw a cocktail on their over the Christmas period and just had to go and try it, and I'm so glad I did! I secretly took a note of all the ingredients to attempt to make my own, but hey! I'm no barman, it sucked! But yeah, definitely try this place and be sure to get the pig n waffle fries, you won't regret it! read more

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This burger joint is pretty cool. They offer various types of burgers... Some creative, some weird, and some sounds delicious. It was interesting to see a dish ode to the Us with Cheerios and Poptarts. I was tempted to get it but I ended up with a burger with Doritos, grilled onion, cheese topped with deep fried mac n cheese. The burger was cooked and flavoured well. Would have preferred the burger being cooked medium. The fried we ordered was a mix of regular fried and sweet potato. I wanted milk shake, but unfortunately they ran out of it. The staff were nice and pretty attentive. It's a good place to go with family and friends if you're craving a burger. read more

Almost Famous - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

Visiting as part of the Yap on Yelp series, I was excited to return to Almost Famous and get my hands on something juicy. Being a table of 7, we were worried that there would be a massive wait upon arrival, yet we were ushered straight through to the rear of the restaurant and a large table. Result! The menu rarely changes, with a one new burger and fries combination roughly once a month, but why change something that keeps the punters coming? Wanting to try something slightly different, I actually went for the steak sandwich, sharing some of the infamous pig & waffle fries with Michael B. and a portion of suicide wings for the middle of the table. I did ask for no mustard mayo on the sandwich, but instead it came without the peppercorn sauce - a disappointment but, as it was simply to do with personal taste, I thought I would give it a go. The steak itself was delicious and the perfect pink for me, though the bread hardly stood a chance against the juice of the steak and the sauce together. Just get cracking on the kitchen roll and get stuck in! The suicide wings were okay, though lost their temperature heat quite quickly, and pig & waffle fries devoured. Bottles of the sauces were also available on the table, a new addition since I last came, which can never be a bad thing for that extra added flavour. Not wanting to drink a cocktail, I started to see some of the issues people have with other drinks here as the range isn't vast. I ended up with a Kopparberg, which was fine, though definitely not my usual first choice. Interested to see where they go next with this franchise, perhaps the return of the beach club on the square outside this branch? Here's hoping. read more

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Can't beat an Almost Famous burger! Went a few weeks ago. Actually went a bit before that, but the wait was 1.5 hours so we went somewhere else. This time the wait for 45 minutes but we decided to wait. Although its not as "unique" as when it was in NQ, its still a bit different with a giant gorilla in the restaurant and a sign saying they sell unicorn meat now. Just before our table was ready, we got a 2nd round of drinks. We then sat down on our table. After making a note of the number, we went to bar to order. While we were at the bar, our drinks disappeared. The drinks were about half full (or possibly a bit less). Anyway, I wondered what to do. Maybe we should have taken drinks with us. I decided to tweet about it. Within a couple minutes, I got a reply and told to speak to someone (given a couple names) and they would sort it. We got replacement drinks for free and also a couple shots - although they were whisky based and I don't particularly like whisky - but it was free! The actual food was, as always, delicious. read more

This place is the best burger in town..it edges out Solita for me! I'm somewhat of a AF veteran. I was a regular in the NQ location and a regular now. Don't listen to any pretentious waffle, this place is just a burger joint...but damn is it an awesome one. I really recommend whacking some Pho King Amazing sauce on anything possible. Look out for specials announced on Thursdays via Twitter and indulge in some greasy joy. I do miss Trailer Trash Fries though. ... read more

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I had wanted to try this burger place since I knew of it's existence. Meeting up to grab a bite before heading to the gig Clutch the ten of us marched in. The décor excited me, with candy cane dangling about and the walls painted with dark steam boat Willie's aka Micky mouse. Grabbing a seat I hastily picked up the menu. This colourful menu contains various coated chicken wings and Mac cheese balls for a fiver, hotdogs , couple of veggie burgers and a nice selection of meat patties. Each burger costs at least £9.50+ , two of the lads were here for the Xmas burger which looked like a massive tower in the pic crowned with pigs and blankets. If you want fries with that you will need to buy these extra for £3+. So for mains I had the steak burger with blue cheese and peppercorn sauce and marmite fries..To slug this down a boozey shake for £7. Food took awhile to arrive but they were busy. To my right I witnessed the open kitchen dish out our order on the side..I got excited. Burgers served ..And my heart sank.my burger was tasty by all means but it was literally just a burger..Not even. Side salad. The infamous Xmas burger was a let down.. Nowhere near the tower of awesomeness that it advertised.. Overall I think this place is expensive for what it is..It cost £47 for two burger, two fries and 4 drinks. I think it being Manchester you can easily go to somewhere like Solita and get more for your money. I personally won't bother coming back . read more

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I suppose I may as well jump on the Bandwagon and give 5 stars to Almost Famous,it seems like the right thing to do, what with it being the best place to get a burger and everything... Before going to the new venue the only thing I was really worried about was just that,The Venue. I was never worried about what the food was going to be like,although no Suicide burger on the menu makes me sad : ( The new venue is ok,not as good as good as the old one for me,but that's because I liked the smaller cramped space that they occupied in the NQ. Anyway it was the food I was going for and not the space in which it was served. As always the food was superb,upon eating my Butter Blood and Bleu all thoughts of the missing Suicide (And to a lesser extent the Smokey and the Bandit) were gone. It was SO F**CKING nice!! Possibly one of the nicest that they have done. The winning fries as always were top notch and the bottle of Anchor Porter went down a real treat,more so that the cocktail I had (My fault,I chose badly).. It really is good that Almost Famous is back,let's face it,when the fire occurred it left a bloody big foodie gap in Manc,and the only way to fill it was for AFB to come back bigger and better... And it has! read more

Almost Famous - Bacon bacon fries... - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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Since the first review we couldn't resist another trip, the food really is like nothing else you can get anywhere in Manchester. This time we again were seated straight away (1pm on a Wed lunch) and this time the food came out promptly and was perfect first time. Get down there immediately, if not sooner, and take all your friends. read more

What's not to love about this Buffalo Beach Club, which is filled with a juicy burger with gerkin, cheese sauce, buffalo fried chicken, bacon and suicide sauce. It has all kinds of meat. The menu doesn't specify there is a hot sauce so I had it in a side pot in case it was too hot. Yet, the suicide sauce to me is not that hot, it just tastes like sriracha hot sauce. So if you can handle this heat then defo have it on the burger as it brings it to another dimension. As for Jonny Drama, there is so much drama in this burger full of flavours of peppercorn sauce with a flat iron steak melt. A worthy burger to try! You may want to bring some wet wipes and not wear a white shirt. read more

Almost Famous - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

Best burger in town, Great staff, very knowledgable on the menu and super friendly You have to go with the fries and cheese, a must! read more

The name Almost Famous reminds me of the film, you know that film with Kate Hudson in it. On this occasion we went there as part of the Yap on Yelp series that JQ has initiated. We started yapping at Brewdog (no pun intended) and then headed over to Almost Famous for one of their burgers. I've not yet been to America and I do not know what the burger joints across the pond look like. But since I have seen Pulp Fiction very many times, I expect every American burger joint to be like Jack Rabbit Slims. It is a bit ironic isn't it, when you expect life itself to be larger than life. Anyway, back to the real world, I was not that bowled over by Almost Famous. It just felt like a big, noisy and busy food court. We ordered beers too drink and I went for one of their very discriminatorily named chicken 'not burger' "sandwich". This was, fried chicken in a bun, which, for me, was a burger (I checked the Merriam and Webster definition of burger) and the customer is always right, right? Again, this level of pretentiousness is a bit unnecessary, I believe. The chicken 'not burger' "sandwich" tasted well and all the sauces that went with it complemented it very well too, but the patty (if I may call it that) was a little burnt, just a tiny bit. This wouldn't matter anywhere else, but at a place where they are so particular about the food that a chicken burger is a chicken 'not burger' "sandwich" this is a bit disappointing. Along with my chicken 'not burger' "sandwich" I got a portion of true romance fries and a portion of suicide wings to share with Josh M. The fries were crispy and the baconnaise was good. The suicide wings were doused in some combination of tabascoesque thing with a bit of tang and something else. Frankly I don't see the point in something so hot (taste, not temperature) that you don't get to enjoy the other flavours that go with it. The staff who served us on the day were fantastic. They were polite and friendly, which is a redeeming factor for Almost Famous. Given that there are so many other places where one can get a decent burger instead of a 'not burger "sandwich" and given that for vegetarians there is hardly anything, I don't think I will go that far just to eat a 'not burger' "sandwich". I can get a better burger at Knott or Handmade Burger, which are only a stone's throw away. For me, Almost Famous will remain a series of almosts, and so i will almost go there the next time, almost. read more

Almost Famous - True romance fries and suicide wings - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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This was my second trip to an incarnation of almost famous (the first was at lucky, lust, liquor and burn a while back) and we ventured in absolutely ravenous and unsure if we'd get a table. The friendly hostess gave us an estimate of 40 minutes wait, which I thought was alright for a Saturday night in Manchester, so we ventured upstairs to have a couple of drinks while we waited. The upstairs mezzanine bar is pretty spacious with plenty of space, the bar was busy but service was prompt and we found a perch by a very welcome air conditioning vent. It's almost painfully hipster in here but a good soundtrack of 90s hip hop and a few drinks alleviated that. After an hour or so our table was ready, again service was prompt - they don't mess about here, obviously to allow for a quick turnaround of tables. Orders taken, money paid up front (means for no messing about afterwards) and food delivered. I went for the Butter Blood and Bleu burger, two beautifully cooked burgers topped with chorizo, steak and blue cheese alongside some True Romance fries - an unhealthy combination of fries, bacon rain, cheese, suicide hot sauce and more. We shared some wings between the table which were truly amazing. One of our party was missing his fries, there had been some miscommunication when the orders were taken (probably due to the volume in there) but this was resolved almost instantaneously. Food was devoured rapidly by all of us. Well, as rapidly as you can with their GIANT portions! For 6 of us the bill was just shy of £80 which I thought was pretty damn reasonable considering the location and reputation of this joint. There is no pretense about the food, it's pure messy overindulgence - no napkins, just rolls and rolls of kitchen towel to mop up your meaty chops after you've stuffed your face. The 'uber-cool' vibe of the place is evident throughout, graffiti murals and exposed metalwork everywhere - but well worth a trip if you've never experienced an almost famous food coma! read more

Almost Famous - Mezzanine bar - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

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I only recently visited Almost Famous, having wanted to since it's salad days in the Northern Quarter. We had tried to get in once before, but were rather unimpressed with being told we would have to wait 90 minutes for a table. While large wait times are to be expected with popular restaurants that don't take bookings, we were not offered a call when our table was ready, as I have been offered at other places. This time however, I have to say I was impressed. We arrived around 13:00 on a Monday, so it was nowhere near as busy as it is on an evening. We were immediately greeted and sat at a table. Orders are made at the bar, paying up front, which is understandable given the style of the place. This place is not really for vegetarians and is almost famous for it's burgers largely. This is the kind of place Elvis would have had a field day. Though the portions are not as big as I have had elsewhere, the content was good. I opted for the Triple Nom, which consisted of two beef patties, with cheese and pulled pork, served in a brioche bun. Overall, the burger was cooked to perfection and delicious, though the pulled pork fell a little short of the mark. Being a large fan on Old Fashioned cocktails, I decided to wash this down with a Butterkissed Old Fashioned. This was amazing and came with miniature bucket of popcorn on top as garnish. It's the little things, you know? The service was attentive, though paying up front, did mean that leaving a tip would have ben awkward. In summary, I will be going again and was impressed, even if it didn't live quite up to it's hype. read more

Almost Famous - Butterkissed Old Fashioned and Cherry Bomb - New American Near Me - Manchester, LAN

When I knew I was coming to Manchester for one night only, I did my fair share of research and got recommendations from a lovely bunch of Mancunian Yelpers. Top of the list to go to was Almost Famous. So lovely Michael B. and Emily B. saw it to take pity on a lonely visitor and take me out to give it a try. After several pubs and several pints, we ended up here After perusing the cocktail list and the food list, I made my decision. I got a pint of lager. It was unfortunate, but the cocktails (while interesting sounding) all sounded really sweet, and that was confirmed by the bartender, so I just couldn't get one. (Sweet cocktails are just not my thing.) I decided to get the Butter, Blood and Bleu burger because I love chillies and I love blue cheese. So I also ended up ordering the suicide wings because hot wings. (Although neither Michael nor Emily were brave enough to try one!) We also split some of the Phoenix fries and Ballpark fries so we could get a selection and try things. Annoyingly, they were out of a few things we tried to order (Cream soda and one of the shots), so it put a slight damper on things. The burgers came out quickly. So that was good, because I needed food at this time. The burger was massive and messy, which is often what you want in a burger. And it was tasty. However, I think, for me, there were just too many toppings. It was hard to discern everything that was supposed to be on there (chorizo was there apparently, but I couldn't find it). Maybe that was my fault, but I think if I go back, I need to go for something a bit plainer so I can actually taste the burger (which is the best part in my opinion). However, the suicide wings were fantastic! Just the level of spice I like in hot wings and a nice blue cheese dip to go in. I was so glad I ordered them on a whim. Probably some of the best hot wings I've had since moving to the UK. The atmosphere is laid back and hipster. The decorations look like a grafitti artist threw up on the walls, but it really worked for the place. And you can't beat the plethora of eighties and nineties music playing over the speakers. It's a massive venue as well, so I imagine getting seating isn't too difficult. I can imagine coming back here if I'm ever back in Manchester, if just to get more of the wings. And maybe the buffalo chicken burger for more buffalo. Because you can never have too much buffalo in your life. read more

I'm starting to notice a theme with the Manchester restaurants I've been to recently. Having just moved here, and spending time with fellow food lovers, the list of places to visit is much longer than I can reasonably contend with in a short period of time. As such, anticipation grows for each restaurant the longer I leave it on the list, and sadly, more often than not, they end up lingering around 3 stars rather than meeting my lofty expectations. Almost Famous was one I was sure would deliver, but sadly, I think even 3 stars is verging on generous (after writing this and reminding myself how angry I was leaving, they've since been relegated to 2 stars). It was good, don't get me wrong, but that was about all I can say. I think the problem with Almost Famous is it's a victim of its own success. Granted I don't know what the original Northern Quarter venue was like (and I'll certainly pop up there now that I believe it's reopened for round 2, but the menu is like a vomit of over-excited child spew if asked what they'd put on their favourite burger. Monster munch, frazzles, waffle fries etc... The focus needs to return to the burger, because under the excessive mound of sloppy toppings, the burger itself was pretty poor. Overcooked, dry and chewy - not what I was expecting. I opted for the Triple Nom - double cheeseburger, pulled pork, coleslaw. The burger was as I mentioned, the pulled pork (I'm confident) was chopped rather than pulled. Pedantic yes, but there's a reason pulled pork is desirable. Anyone can cook pork that needs chopped. My other half opted for the chicken burger. I don't believe in Chicken Burgers. They're imposters in a carnivore's repertoire, but this is the one and only time I wish I'd ordered the chicken burger. It looked delicious. Needless to say, she didn't take a breath to offer me a bite! Now, milk shakes are where excessive toppings are more than welcome in my book. Both the Yankee Candle and the Cloud Monkey were delicious, and the perfect accompaniment to an overcooked burger. I would say they went a bit crazy with the nutmeg in the Yankee Candle though. And to the sides - redneck wings in a swimming pool of BBQ sauce. Potential to be good, but ruined by excessive sauciness. Winning Fries - a combination of regular fries (tasted like frozen, if not actually) and sweet potato fries. I think I counted about 5 sweet potato among a basket of regular fries. Another disappointment. To top it all off, the food is ordered at the bar. It seems like a completely pointless decision on the point of Almost Famous. The process sucks, unlike typical self-ordering restaurants like Nandos. It's like queueing at a busy bar on a Saturday night, fighting against casual drinkers to try and order your meal, all whilst the serving staff are standing around chatting because there's no food to serve because everyone's stuck trying to order at the bar. Not my most articulate review, but it annoys me how much people rave about this place. It's excessive in all the wrong ways, and fails to make a little effort where it really counts for a burger place. Juicy burgers where you can taste the meat, delicious hand cut fries, and friendly/homely service. Sort that out and I'll be back. Until then, it's Five Guys for me! OK, but not even close to living up to the hype. read more

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, (well a few years ago), in a land far, far away, (let's call it Manchester), there was a bounteous kingdom called Ennkew and it was filled with all manner of funky and quirky places to shop, eat and drink. One place within the kingdom's boundaries was different, special even. It was the stuff of legend, spoken about in revered tones over late night cocktails. It was a magical place of wonder and imagination. Hidden away in an ordinary building behind an ordinary door guarded by an ordinary seven-headed fire breathing hell beast, (I may be lying about this), its secret location known to a select few and only shared with the brave and curious. Passers by would wonder why there was a line of hungry looking people randomly queuing in the street and others would mock the stupidity of people waiting in the persistent Manc drizzle for upwards of an hour on a Saturday night. For the loyal and patient the rewards were immense. Once you got over the somewhat pretentious hipster vibe, the noise and the cost of a drink and realised that the attitude was all part of the experience, you were transported into the realms of extreme pleasure with the first bite of one of the best burgers you could ever imagine. That little piece of paradise was called Almost Famous and Mr Z and I were AFB junkies always craving our next bacon smothered cow fix. One fateful afternoon everything changed. AF, the place of dreams, caught fire and closed down. No more could we munch on the Double D, be amused and intrigued by the weekly special or enjoy the secret menu burgers. We mourned the loss and to numb the pain we searched elsewhere, trying burgers in Berlin, (fabulous but too far away for a regular visit) and suffering poor substitutes and pricy copies in Manchester and none of them quite filled the gaping chasm that AF had left. Ok so we could have gone to Luck Lust Liquor & Burn or the beach hut at Great Northern or even made the trip to Liverpool but it wasn't AF NQ and we sadly accepted the demise. Rumours of a new site spread. They became truths and the dawn of a new AF drew ever closer. Finally on a cold wet and windy January night we braved the elements to visit the re imagining of AF. As we pushed open the door and I breathed in the familiar aroma of cooking cow I knew we were home. Our names and mobile number were added to the list and we eagerly awaited the text whilst sipping cocktails at the upstairs bar. Sadly my favourite mix of snap and tickle had fallen victim to the move along with some others but we tried 2 new concoctions, Cherry Bomb - tastes like cherryade with a sparkler and San Fran Float - chocolate, beer, cola and ice cream, odd but strangely addictive. Our text arrived, we took our seats and the deliberations began. Again some of our favourites had been replaced but their successors sounded amazing. I had trouble deciding between the River Phoenix, the chilli chilli chilli cheeseburger and the baddaboom. I chose the latter and Mr Z the butter blood and bleu. We added winning fries and a bottle of Anchor Porter each along with a bottle of phoking amazing (yes it is) sauce for dipping our fries. This weeks special was a tribute to the late James Avery of Fresh Prince fame and was aptly named the Uncle Philly Cheesesteak. Our food arrived quite quickly and was piping hot (teething troubles over it seems) served in the plastic baskets we know and love and with the first mouthful my bovine cravings were instantly satiated. Part of me wanted to scarf down the burger in a few bites in a glorious, gluttonous orgy of greed but the refined part of me (yes I do have one) slowly savoured every morsel. My taste buds were in ecstasy. Hot beefy moist and juicy burger perfection mingled with salty crispy smokey bacon. Oozing cheese offset by mustardy onions. Super spicy red chilli slices mellowed by marinara sauce. The garlic butter, parmesan and chorizo were a little lost in the full on flavour explosion but I couldn't complain, actually I couldn't do much more than let out little moans of pleasure as I chewed. I shall let Mr Z describe his burger in his review but all I will say is that the piece of steak he generously shared with me was divine. So AF is back with a vengeance, although slightly lacking in the NQ ambiance, it's huge, loud, fun and funky and the food is truly fantastic. Welcome back AF, may your sprinkler system never fail! read more

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