James and I always look out for what we consider decadent dining options, which normally involve market stalls or places that serve chicken. I’ve walked by here a number of times and been tempted to go in, so when James and I discovered that our preferred market lunch option was closed, we came here. This venue is one of two in the chain, with the other being located in Milton Keynes.
The menu is quite substantial and the ordering system is a little unclear, although ultimately it’s seat yourself and then go to the counter to order. There is an online ordering system but it doesn’t have the discounted prices available.
The lunch menu and I wanted this, so I ordered at the counter. I accidentally decided that I should also order five chicken wings as that meant I got another five free as it was Wings Wednesday. There are times that I try and be dignified and moderate, but then things go a little awry….
The interior was mostly quite dirty when we entered with only one clean table, although that seemed to be more a lack of staff rather than a lack of effort.
There were a range of sauces in a style similar to Nando’s although I didn’t use these as the food arrived with more than enough sauce already on it.
I went for the £5 chicken and rice box with the Screaming Hot sauce and Korean BBQ, along with five chicken wings with the Screaming Hot sauce and the free five chicken wings which had the Tingly sauce on. Firstly, the Screaming Hot sauce was lacking in any sort of heat which for something advertised as “try it if you dare!” is perhaps rather sub-optimal. The Korean BBQ was a bit too sweet for me and the whole arrangement was also a little salty.
The chicken and rice box were rather swamped by the BBQ sauce and the rice was a bit bland, with the chicken pieces being tender but also lacking in much depth of flavour. The chicken wings were generous in size, as it included the entire wing, and they were all fine although they weren’t particularly impactful in terms of the taste with the chicken seeming to be slightly watery. I preferred the wings where the skin was blackened as it gave it some texture, but everything was cooked appropriately. But, if I had my way, chicken wings would always be crispy.
In terms of value for money, this was very reasonable and the portion size was generous for the price paid, although I accept that I leaned into the offers that they had. I struggled to finish all of the food because of the portion size, so that was a positive that I didn’t leave hungry.
James went for chicken pieces and fries, which fell outside of their lunchtime offer, but he’s far more decadent than me. He enjoyed his, probably rating it all a little higher than me. James also made less mess than me, it took me some time to get the sauce off my fingers although they did provide gloves which would have been far more sensible for me to use. However, James would have commented negatively on that as he has a laddish side, so I didn’t.
The team members here were friendly and personable throughout, and they did eventually get back on top of cleanliness in the venue. It’s all well reviewed online and it was a perfectly agreeable lunch, although I’m not sure that there was anything unique enough here to make me want to visit again. This might be one of those times where the problem is the quality of the meat they’re buying, rather than any particular problems of how they’re cooking it.
They are perhaps a little unfortunate to be so close to a Wingstop who have some dry rub options which can pack some spicy hit, as well being more flavoursome chicken going by my previous experiences. However, it’s all on trend and the restaurant was reasonably busy for a lunch-time, so they look as though they’re doing well. Anyway, I wasn’t blown away by the meal, but it was competent, the team members were helpful and I might return to try some other chicken items on the menu as locations are often best tried twice.