As a rule, any restaurant that you walk into which has kitchen roll on the tables as standard, is…read morelikely to show you a good time. Smokies has two venues, one in Darwen and one in Chorley. As Chorley is nearer to me, we decided to try this one. I like that when you walk in, it already has a warm atmosphere, created by varying lighting, high ceilings, and lots of wood in the decor and furniture. In fact later in the evening, one of the owners would tell me that she loves upcycling, and the wood from the bar came from a Scottish distillery, and the tables throughout were made from old casks from the same distillery, simply sanded and oiled, and that what I thought was a table number on our table was in fact one of the original barrel numbers! I love a bit of provenance! I was surprised to find that the restaurant goes further back into another room, and even has another floor with even more seating for diners! As we entered we were welcomed warmly by who I assume is one of the owners (mentioned above). She checked for our booking and pointed us to our table. Another member of staff brought our menus and explained about the specials menu, and specials on the chalkboards throughout the restaurant. The menu is a vegan's nightmare and a carnivore's wet dream! Delicious meaty starters and mains, a section dedicated to meat from the smoker, and even a couple of sharing platters all described in a way to make your mouth water before you get chance to order. This is a proper southern States style bbq joint, their mantra is "real food, real smoke, real slow", and despite that very much being accurate given their quality offerings, the prices are incredibly decent. We decided on the "couples platter" which was beef brisket, pulled pork, half a rack of ribs, chicken wings, home-made sausage, fries, coleslaw and beans... and it was just £20! In fact including the starter and drinks, the whole bill came to less than £35! CRAZY! So before our platter main, we ordered some nachos as a starter. You know what nachos as a starter tends to look like if you go somewhere like Chiquito etc... about 6 doritos with a blob of melted coagulation-dried cheese and some jalapenos on top. We... weren't expecting what we got from Smokies! We got a huge tray full of nachos, covered in nacho cheese sauce, freshly made guacamole, pineapple salsa, (you also get jalapenos, but we asked for them without) with side pots of guacamole and sour cream. It made me swear when it arrived. They were miles beyond the usual doritos-nachos starter you usually get. They were fresh, with perfect crunch, the salsa was fruity and fresh, the cheese was excellent, and it was incredibly moreish. We found ourselves even mopping up the tiny bits at the end with our fingers... thank god for that kitchen roll and wet wipes! Our main platter arrives just after a side portion of fries each. I ordered plain with pitmaster's salt, and my partner ordered cheeseburger fries from the specials menu, which was the same fries but with bits of burger meat, cheese, and chipotle relish! They came with really lovely fresh coleslaw, and what he says as some of the best beans he's ever had... beans with brisket mixed in! HEAVEN! The fries themselves were hot, crisp, and perfectly seasoned. Absolutely perfect. Then just as they arrived, we were brought out our platter! The owner I mentioned earlier then came over to us and explained to us fully about our platter, what meats were what, how the meats were prepared, down to information about the pink smoke ring on the brisket. It's really nice to see that amount of passion and enthusiasm go into food! This platter was excellent. The sausage was flavourful with a spice which didn't get you at first, but which snuck up behind you and slapped you in the fact afterwards! The chicken wings were so tender that you could suck the meat off the bones. The pulled pork was absolutely perfect, and the brisket was so tender that I swear it literally melted in my mouth. This is the best brisket I've had! Even the pickled cucumber provided was pickled by them in brine using the flavours from the smoker, and was described as a 'palate cleanser' as it was fresh and tangy. Really good! I could imagine it on a burger quite easily! There were also their own blend of sauces on each table comprising of a sweet BBQ sauce, American style mustard, and Louisiana style hot sauce. I imagine they were lovely, but as the meat itself was so amazing as it was provided, I really didn't get chance to try them as they weren't needed! Maybe next time! At the point I was about to try the ribs when the chef/pit-master came into the dining area, and was even introduced to us. When we talked to him about the quality of our meal, his enthusiasm and passion for the real deal of southern BBQ was evident, from how he does it and his smokers, to the difference between competition cooking and regular cooking. It was genuinely fascinating to hear, and as I said, a real

The best shakes in town! Mostly American style food, with burgers, shakes and chips. Very cheap…read more(burgers/ chicken sandwiches are about 4£, shakes about 3£) and many options. Even for vegetarians! This place is great for a quick lunch, although our food took at least 25 minutes to come out. Not sure if it was a weird day or it usually takes a while to cook food. Atmosphere is clean and relaxed. Love the cleanliness and simplicity of the place. Very cute idea for a restaurant. PS! ! You can get a shake to go! A must try

Two Mancunians lunching in Liverpool chicken restaurant - almost simultaneously the verdict from…read moreboth of us was 'it's no yard and coop!' I had chicken and avocado wrap which had caramelised onions and salad in it, but it was pretty tasteless to be honest. Kev had the piri piri wrap, which could have also come as a burger, but the piri part of the wrap wasn't inside the wrap, rather poured on top making it difficult to eat with fingers. Spicy rice was also a bit tasteless but the jalapeño poppet great! So all in all, only OK I'm afraid!

Championed by those in the know, this is the best place to get chicken in town. Conveniently…read moresituated opposite Hannah's Bar, it comes in useful when those mid-afternoon drinks have turned into 'oh god I'm drunk and it's 10pm and if I don't eat something I'll be sick either now or tomorrow'. Not particularly somewhere I tend to go to when sober, it still does chicken as good as you can get outside of KFC. Also, if you're leaving town after a night out, its not as far away as Kebab King Gemini or Pizza Prince Shiraz. There's limited seating and for some reason every time I'm in there a local weirdo tries to either sit next to me or hold a shouted conversation across the room. Still, the food is good and cheap and it's handy for the transition of evening to night.

Whilst it's not totally clear just what the name of this Hardman Street takeaway actually…read moredescribes, it's safe to assume that it is probably talking about its food and its chicken in particular (one could speculate as to what else it could be talking about, but it's probably best not to). Thankfully for us the chicken is indeed hot and very tender, with its chicken pieces running KFC very close in terms of southern-fried perfection. Hot 'N' Tender also offers the usual pizzas, burgers and chips and its student-friendly deals are imperative in its position so close to other takeaways and a Subway, resulting in pleasant experience for every person who dines there.

Delicious! Everything is well cooked and was delivered quickly. I will be ordering from them…read moreagain in the future.

Just finished my meal three hours a go…read more I found out about this place a couple of weeks a go. With the rest of the family off to a work related Christmas do, I found myself alone with numerous option for tea. Since I wasn't feeling it for the local chippy any more, I settled my craving for chicken. I did not let the threat of slipping on the icy pavements and cracking my head open deter me from my goal, with it being a rather short distance from my home. Stepping inside, I was immediately greeted by the cashier. She was polite, patiently talking me through what sauce and seasoning for the fries I would like. I decided on the six chicken tenders combo meal, which comes with fries and a can. I went for their original peri peri sauce for my tenders and peri salt for the fries, also opting for a regular side of onion rings for the hell of it. My wait time wasn't that long, probably five or seven minutes, I wasn't paying much attention. I bring my food straight home and unpack to get a good look. A rather good potion of fries along with the tenders: four good sized strips of chicken in a crispy coating, other two were tiny. Not that I minded because it was still a big amount of meat for me. Everything tasted amazing. The only thing I wasn't enjoying too well was the onion rings. They were cheap ones, but to be honest, it's been a while since I was last impressed by onion rings so i'll let that slide. The bill, was a tiny bit on the pricey side. But compared to KFC, it does seem to be more value for money. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed what I got and will most likely visit this place again.

These guys are great, They have only been open about 6 months and I have visited a few times in…read morethis time. Food is cooked over a charcoal grill and boy can you taste and smell it not to mention the fact they cook it in front of you. Meat is locally sourced and all the food tastes great. On this occasion I went for a mixed grill, 2 lamb chops, a kofta kebab, and 4 boned chicken wings, served with rice, a side salad and warmed bread. Prices are very reasonable I paid about £15 for the meal and boy did it fill me up. In addition to that the staff are great, very polite and well organised. The only negative things I have to say are that the salad was badly dressed very acidic and not much balance to the dressing. I would also prefer a better beer choice but that's just me being pedantic.

This is a great Turkish spot and I think it's unfair to judge it as 'just' a kebab house. The food…read morewe had was spot on. We shared a couple of starters. The grilled halloumi did what it said on the tin and was yummy and squidgy. We also ordered the spinach with yogurt dip which was really tasty and had a lovely texture. The mains were also good. Don's chicken thighs were copious but slightly over cooked and a bit on the bland side. But the Adana Kebab was perfect and very tasty. The stuffed aubergine was also a good veggie option. Everything came with white rice and salad. The portions were enormous. Two of us boxed up our leftovers to take home. The guys working there are friendly and the service was spot on. Definitely would come here again for a meal!

It took a few visits for me to stop hating Mojo. It just seemed like the kind of cretin-populated…read morewarehouse of smug bar staff and expensive tipple that the city centre is already straining under the weight of. Admittedly, there's still a fair bit of truth in that description (some of the punters are, of course, pricks and the drinks won't get you much change of a note), but there's an underlying warmth to the place that isn't immediately apparent on maiden voyages. Surrounded by seats and flanked by the bar, the dance floor that pretty much comprises Mojo's entirety is that size for a reason- the music. All the greatest tunes from a span of decades are belted out here, accompanied by screens helpfully declaring the song's title to an enraptured crowd. As for the staff, yeah sure they dance around as they fix you up with liquor (something that should be banned everywhere on the planet) but they are surprisingly eager to make you as joyous as they are. Despite my lack of cleavage, one barman spent a few minutes giving me a rundown of the beers and recommending the finest ales on offer. As a man, having a man barman who is a man actually going out of his way to help you and not just skipping on to the nearest girl, is so rare as to be miraculous. God bless you, sir.

Mojo is tucked away on a side street in the city centre. The outside gives no clue to what lies…read moreinside so we decided to go and take a peek. The bar in Mojo runs across the width of the whole club. It does not stock your normal beers like Bud and Corona but offers alternatives which are just as good, if not better, and are also cheaper. They have a huge selection of tempting cocktails available and also wine, spirits and alcopops. The staff in Mojo are friendly and give your night out a personal touch by actually remembering what you're drinking when you come back to the bar and asking if you want the "same again?". There is a large stage at one end of Mojo, on which I have seen a few bands play. The sound system is excellent and does the bands justice. The backdrop to the stage is an awesome Warhol-esque multicolour Elvis wallpaper. If I had the money I would wallpaper my entire house in that. This is an excellent little club and I continue to go back there for its welcoming atmosphere and personal touches.

The Bun and Bones Club has cherry Coke in a can, which alone is a very good sign…read more The menu is pretty full on, with even the most basic burger coming with two patties and five toppings (you choose from a wide selection, similar to Five Guys). It's also very good value, with that burger priced at £5 and chilli cheese fries and trailer trash fries, meals in themselves, at £4. They also do wings which I shall go back to try. The trailer trash fries involve pulled pork and are really delicious - that's about as good as pulled pork as I've had in Manchester, I think better than Red's or Cocka Doodle Moo down the road in Hazel Grove. My burger involved some good quality bacon, a fried patty of mac and cheese. I would have liked some ketchup but couldn't see it around and feared insulting the staff by adding to their masterpiece! The burger meat isn't quite as good as Filthy Cow, but good nonetheless. Some of the other creations get pretty wild Almost Famous-style, including a donut burger (or is that Solita?). I really liked the set up of the restaurant which had red booths, country music playing and drinks served in plastic red cups. As is obvious from the review it takes a lot of the best of the other burger restaurants in Greater Manchester and puts them together in a winning combo. I am close enough to walk to this place, which is both good and bad for my health (especially as they do takeaway). No doubt I will be back.

An awesome burger joint that does some great quality stuff without making your burger a puzzle on…read morehow to hold the flipping thing that many places fail on. If you check their social media they post a special on Facebook every Friday/Saturday and they're typically on par if not better than the usual line up on the menu. Not tried their fries in a while but the chicken wings are pretty good but definitely 2nd place to the Burger.

A café inspired by a cartoon character is bound to be a tacky affair, surely. But, no! Popeye's is…read moreaffectionately goofy, of course, but also incredibly sweet and cosy in equal measures. With a warm welcome too! The Popeye theme extends to the name, several cute framed pictures dotted around and a small collection of characters resting on the front counter. Cutesy it is, and perfectly understated; no sense of overkill or trying-too-hard. - This is just how the themed café should be! There was a real buzz about the place with locals popping in and out. Huge chalkboards hung above the counter detailing the day's offerings, instantly having me wishing that it was lunch time and I was hungry. But, alas, it was tea for me, as we'd eaten and had a tight schedule. The coffees looked delicious as did the fresh ice cream milkshakes and baked goods. Staff were friendly and they managed to serve our large group with patience and ease. I want to come back just for lunch!