Best jacket potato I've had in the UK. Friendly customer service. The prices were very reasonable.read more

How can this not be a five star review…read more.... I have walked past this place so many times and have somehow never eaten here......maybe because I am mainly carb-afobic (is that even a real thing) but the other day having done body pump at 7AM...yes you heard right...I thought why not have a jacket potato based treat! I went for cheese and beans on my spud and was even asked if I want the cheese or beans on first! Love that. I went cheese on second if you are interested. The potato was light and fluffy and packed FULL of toppings.....to the point where I tried to take a good photo and it just looked like a mass of beans so I left it....you will have to use your imaginations there! If you want a potato in its most perfect form give this place a go! £3.50 for a lunch that is filling, not outrageously unhealthy and served by some super friendly local people :)

As if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared!…read more Mr Bens Potatoes is one of a handful of jacket potato stands serving Brummies out and about in the city centre. Sitting at the top end of Newhall St, and pointing the way to the Jewellery Quarter Mr Bens does a decent range of grub. If it's a jacket spud you're definitely after use the location to your advantage and try this place first. Situated primarily in 'office country' the queues at Mr Bens can be a bit smaller than his competitors, which tend to cater for the shoppers too. The thing I like most about these potatoes is the canny pricing. They make it impossible for you not to fill your spud to bursting point. One filling costs £2.30, whereas you only pay 50p more for 2 fillings. *** A city centre potato and 2 fillings for less than a city centre pint! *** There's plenty of fillings to choose from, but make sure you have the chicken curry regardless of your second choice. It's gorgeous and goes with absolutely anything! I take my bowler hat off to them...

So simple but so very, very tasty, Mr. Ben's jacket spud wagon is a popular diversion for many of…read morethe Newall Street/Colmore Row crowd, and for many from even further afield! There's a good selection of both hot and cold fillings available, as well as drinks to wash down your meal. A winning formula of good, honest food served with a genuine smile and side order of friendly banter makes this one of my favourite places to grab something hot and filling during a lunch break.

DDC's just awesome. The original and best weekly street food event in Brum. Mercifully now 2 days a…read moreweek (Friday and Saturday) to allow more opportunity to enjoy some of the vendors amazing grub. It's set out the back of Spotlight & Mama Roux's under a large canopy. There's normally 5 or 6 vendors, and it's generally a good mix of different cuisines - always one burger joint (the best being Flying Cows and Meat Shack, now OPM have their own digs), normally something Asian (either Thai, bao or Vietnamese), sometimes Mexican, BBQ (Andy's Low n Slow is there regularly) desserts (crepes, pancakes and so on), wood-fired pizzas and loads of other stuff. Drinks are inside Spotlight, full bar with craft beers, cocktails and everything else you'd want. Always a great vibe with good music in very 'Digbeth' surrounds. Well worth your time of a weekend!

It's a place I got dragged to, yet I ended up enjoying myself more than expected. I highly…read morerecommend.

I LOVE a burger. And not just any old burger... With the Streetfood revolution happening in…read moreBirmingham, I have become a burger snob. It's not good enough to just chuck any old beef onto a griddle and serve it in a sesame bun anymore. A great burger has locally sourced, fresh ingredients and has been thought about from start to finish. THAT's why Flying Cows gets a big ole' thumbs up from me. As one of the volunteers at the JQNF who arrange 24 Carrots, I love seeing new traders at our market. When I spotted Flying Cows on the list of people coming down - I was both intrigued and excited. Although they have appeared at super popular streetfood events across Birmingham, I hadn't come across them before. I decided to take a gamble last night and give them a try for my dinner. From the moment I walked over to Dan, I knew it was the right choice. After I had placed my order (beef burger with stilton - £4), Dan explained that it would take around 5 minutes to cook. This wasn't a problem as we filled the time talking about how he got started in the burger business and what was different about his food. Honestly, if you ever get a chance to chat to him - do! He's a lovely chap. My burger looked amazing! Unfortunately I ate it before I thought about getting a picture, however, it was meaty, cheesy and just fantastic. The bun was soft, the meat tasted and looked fresh and the cheese was the perfect accompaniment. It was one of the best burgers I have had in Birmingham (and I've tried most of the greats). Dan is relatively new on the scene, but he will be a big name before long. Check him out now (and have a natter) before he gets to the point where there are queues forming around the block!

Unlike the previous reviewer Im not a fan of burgers at all and a burger from a street vendor is…read moresomething Id normally avoid like the plague...BUT... there are burgers and then there are The Flying Cows Burgers..... there is just no comparison these are stunning... we had them at the Hare and Hounds Kings Heath Street Food Sunday Festival..... and it was very hard to stop at just one.....by boyfriend had two !!.... amazing.....

The seasonal markets at The Bond in Digbeth are one of my favourite events in Birmingham, I think…read moreI've been to all but one of them in the last couple of years. The Bond is an events and conferencing space which backs on to the canal on Fazeley Street. The markets are held each season and they are packed with street food traders, sweet and savoury bakers, arts and crafts stalls, vintage clothes stalls and various bars, including one in an old routemaster bus. There is a £2 charge to get in, with 50p off if you have an Independent Birmingham card. Some markets are bigger than others, sadly today's Summer market wasn't one of the big ones (probably as Brum Yum Yum is also on today in Kings Heath). There was still a really good choice of food and drink on offer, but as usual I was drawn to the wonderful Buddha Belly who do the best Thai food I've had outside Thailand. I had a selection of their dishes including spicy veggie noodles with crispy chicken and Thai green curry all of which were delicious. There are always so many wonderful cakes on offer, this time I opted for a beautiful lemon drizzle cake from Peel and Stone. As always it was a lovely afternoon despite the showers and I'm already looking forward to the Autumn market later in the year.

I am ashamed to say that this was the first seasonal market I had managed to get to. As the name…read moresuggests, there are 4 of these markets a year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) held at the Bond Co in Digbeth. There is a small fee for entry (£1.50 for Winter) and there are Street food traders, crafts and locally produced food stalls, music being played out over the course of the day and a beer bus (to keep you hydrated as you wander round). Firstly, the Bond is a great venue for an event of this nature. With indoor and covered spaces, even if the weather isn't on your side (which, thankfully, it was on Saturday) you can still grab some delicious food and eat it without being soaked in a Birmingham style downpour. The choice of streetfood was fantastic. From the award winning "Rootz" (Caribbean) and "Buddha Belly" (Thai) to "Meat Shack" (burgers) and the "Bournville waffle company" (to name a few), there really is something for everyone. Inside the covered area you could grab beautiful pies, cheeses and cakes from top Brum bakery "Peel & Stone". We had enjoyed a hearty breakfast before our trip, so didn't partake of anything too substantial on the day but did pick up some delicious bread pudding from "Peel & Stone" to enjoy later. Inside the venue, the selection of handmade arts and crafts was fantastic. We found ourselves drawn to "Working Clasp" (lasercut jewellery), "Sparrow & Wolf" (fabulous notebooks and cards) and "Broquet" (who offer bespoke beer buckets as presents). I also managed to get some lovely presents for people from other stalls, meaning a lot of my Christmas shopping was done in one fell swoop. The beer bus is a fantastic addition to this venue. A kitted out red double decker, this "bar on wheels" was serving a lot of different ales as well as hot mulled cider. The guys from the market had even installed a snow machine at the entrance, meaning you got a little extra festive cheer as you entered the market. I could have spent a good day here. As it happened, I DID spent a fair amount of money in the hour we dropped by, but that was down to the amazing traders and the selection of goods they had on offer (as well as my lack of willpower). I came away with craft beers, greetings cards, jewellery and cake. Next time I am planning to spend a whole afternoon here. I recommend you get down too!

Birmingham open market is an absolute lifesaver! We've been shopping here for over five years and…read morethe quality, variety and price far outweigh any convenience of shopping at a supermarket. From standard fruit and veg to more exotic Caribbean and Asian foodstuffs the open market has something for everyone, and usually something to didn't know you wanted. The produce is fairly seasonal so when something is in season it is cheap as hell like 3 butternut squash for a pound or bunches of asparagus for 50p. The frozen food stall at the back is well worth checking out for your freezer-stocking bargains and the stall at the front with eggs and cheese is a must. Seriously, you'll hear the egg man shouting from mills away!

Great Quality produce and great prices. Shop around for the best deals, but on average we save…read morebetween 50p to £1 on each item - meaning a £10+ a week saving on our shopping (compared to supermarkets). The traders are friendly and will normally do you a deal if you need a large amount of a particular type of fruit or veg. Well worth a trip! Remember to take your canvas bags!

Don't even think of going to McDonald's while Kim's shiny yellow van is parked just a few yards…read moreaway. This chap does the best burgers and baguettes you've ever come across (£2.50 for a chicken fillet burger - cooked fresh, loads of salad and mayo, and it's huge!) and he's a really nice chap too. Kim has been trading in this spot for at least ten years and has amassed a good loyal following in that time - he's been there for longer but I first stumbled across his emporium of goodness when I first moved to the area in 2003 and loved it ever since.

Ahhhh... The great outdoors. Is there anything nicer than having the sun out and delicious smell of…read morefood floating in the air? Cue the CBD Food Festival! Located on Victoria Square, this centre of town foodie shindig is a must on the calendar every year for me. The local traders come in droves to show off their wares (from high street and michelin starred) and sampling starts from as little as a couple of quid for a taster dish. There is everything from Caribbean, Indian, British, Classic and Contemporary on offer at this once a year event. And that's just the food! There is also a great choice of beers and spirits on offer from local bars to tempt you into a tipple with your meal of choice. As well as foodie and drink offerings, a wide variety of entertainment is on offer throughout the festival. Think cooking demonstrations, live music and general tomfoolery from the stands. If you want a taste of what Birmingham is really about, I implore you to have a wander around the food festival. It's only on 2 days a year and if you walk away without trying at least a little something then you're a stronger person than I!

Last year's inaugural CBD Food Festival was a great success so it is bought back in 2012. Run on 2…read moredays, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th July in Victoria Square, it showcases the best culinary talents the Colmore Business District can offer. There are lots of restaurants with stalls that sell taster portions of their food so it's a unique opportunity to try food from the best restaurants that otherwise may be unaffordable. On top of this, some of the city's star chefs, including Michelin starred Glyn Purnell. Even more interesting are the cooking displays from the chefs including one of my favourites, David Colcombe from Opus plus some cocktail demos from city favourites Jekyll & Hyde. Like last year, the CBD Food Festival is on at the same time as the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival so the stage will also be set for some live music and this year there will also be performances from Birmingham Hippodrome.

Everyone in my family kept talking about trying this so I tried it at the airport. The wrap was a…read morelittle spicy for my liking, but my chai was perfect.

Found this cute cozy chai shop while walking around. It is brightly lit and decorated very well…read more Their menu also includes coffee and actual foods not only tea. I came with quite a few people and they ordered: Karak chai- 3/5 Pink chai- 5/5 Chai latte- 4/5 Karak coffee- 2/5 The pink chai would have to be my favorite and the Karak coffee being my least fav because the coffee tasted burnt. I'm almost certain that it was not an espresso and just an instant coffee mix. Would I return? Probably but not for the coffee. The ambience in here is amazing and welcoming. I would recommend stopping by during these cold winter days.

Seeing as the market is the biggest German market outside of Germany I wasn't as impressed as I…read moreexpected to be. There were duplicates of lots of the food/drink huts and I expected a wider range of huts selling goods like toys and decorations. It felt very sparse compared to what I'd seen in previous year's photos. We checked the map to make sure we hadn't missed a section but I'm guessing they maybe took a hit post-covid because it just didn't hit the mark for us. Beautiful to walk around at night but very expensive, especially for the food options.

The smell of mulled wine and sausage cooking on the streets of the city centre can only mean one…read morething......the Christmas market is back! This is a yearly addition to the city centre with stalls selling festive treats ranging from chocolate and tasty treats through to toys and ornaments. The real thing people go here for however is the food and even more importantly the drink. This is the one time of the year that Birmingham city council lets allows people to drink on the street (in designated areas) and people 100% take advantage of this! The bars and stalls are always full with people enjoying a range of mulled drinks and beers. I am a big fan of this market and even though it can be a little pricy at times its a welcome addition to November/December in the city. Go get yourself an oversize glass of festive cheer and welcome the Christmas market back to Brum!