I was in Glasgow and heading off to a real ale festival, and thought I'd better grab some food…read morefirst in preparation, so I decided to pop in here and check it out, maybe have a pint while I decided where to go to eat.
I opted for the taster plank - 1 third of a pint of three different ales, served in a plank with the beer names written on. That in itself is a great touch, a few places don't identify which beer is which.
I had a Casear Augustus from Williams Brothers, a Fake Lager from Brewdog and a Witless IV from Red Willow Brewery - as you can see, there's a great range to choose from and the staff were really helpful and knowledgeable about them all.
While I was looking around and supping my drinks (the Witless was the pick of the bunch, fact fans!) I noticed the menu. I knew that The Raven were offering food, but wasn't too sure what. Looking at the menu, it looked pretty nifty so I figured I'd just eat here, and I was glad I did!
The food is BBQ based - low and slow smoked pork, burgers, ribs, that sort of thing. There's been an explosion of this kind of food in Glasgow recently, I perhaps lay the blame at the feet of Adam Richman and Man vs. Food (my dream job too, it has to be said) but I'm not complaining!
I opted for a pulled pork burrito with a side of spicy cheesy fries, and at £9 for the two, it was a steal. They arrived quickly, the fries in a basket and the burrito served on a platter. I was given cutlery before the food arrived, and what looked like a carrying case full of sauces, salt, pepper, kitchen roll and a great sight, a wet wipe! A great thing to have when eating what is esssentially finger food!
There wasn't a long wait at all for the food; The burrito was lovely, really filled to the brim and fresh - but the spicy cheesy fries were stunning. Covered in jalapenos, cheese and a smoky, spicy BBQ sauce, they were quickly devoured. I could honestly have had a second helping of those on their own.
A great first impression here, not just for the great food, but for the really helpful and friendly staff, and the attention to detail that the whole place shows. It's somewhere that I can see me returning to time and time again.