TV21 Northern Quarter Broadcast A New Food Menu

The American style bar and diner with added Manc-ish swag is back with a new menu.

“If you believe calories exist in the world you might want to stay clear of this one.”

We were invited to The Northern Quarter this afternoon to sample some of the filthy food on offer. If you’ve never been here before you will be instantly plunged into a very retro 1980’s feel with movie pictures on the wall and the “back to the future” styled decor. The soundtrack for the culinary experience involved Oasis, The Stone Roses and The Cure which gave everything a Mancunian feel. We were told Friday and Saturday nights have a real Madchester vibe. Pretty cool times indeed (but that’s another story).

The new menu, from the cover, looked great and was simple to choose from. The picture of Forrest Gump on the front was a great touch (if you didn’t know, it wasn’t a documentary). Anyway, onto the food. First up were nachos at £3.95 for a single portion (sharing £7). They looked the part and tasted just as expected. The salsa Mexicana and cheese sauce was delicious, a perfect bar snack or starter for any of your mains. But you all know the crack with nachos, they’re probably the simplest snack on planet earth to make and Forrest Gump himself could master them. The meat board is a real pleasure to eat (£2.75 for each meat selected) and the chorizo and the serrano ham was fresh, well prepared and looked fantastic. For all the sharing carnivores out there.

Now let’s talk burgers. They are all made from scratch and look decent; it’s the names that make them somewhat desirable. Highlights include GOOD BURGER, MOTHER CLUCKER, BLAZING SADDLES and the BIG KAHUNA which is errrrm big (you can go even bigger for an extra £1 includes shoe string fries & slaw). If you believe calories exist in the world you might want to stay clear of this one. Even if they are the “original Americana/Tex-Mex eatery in Manchester” there are miles and miles better burger joints in the city and this statement or tagline just makes them look even more pathetic. Even the bun is terrible, flaky, Lidle tackle. It’s a surprise that they’re all very popular with customers and for £7 or less you can’t grumble. Probably because 99% of the custom are students.

Next up was a big plate of barbeque ribs. These rascals were, actually, truly delightful at £9.95. The pork would melt in anyone’s mouth and what started as a tasting session soon ended with the whole plate being devoured. The bourbon BBQ sauce was good. Very good, in fact. 

The top button on our jeans seemed to be getting a tad tighter. Other signature dishes include sizzling fajitas (£8.25 for the shredded chicken) with salsa, salad and tortilla wraps (is your tummy rumbling yet?) and the wild boar and venison chilli dish (11.50 with fries or rice). This would be tasty, lean and low in fat meaning a guilt-free delicious meal. A win-win situation.

It wasn’t long before the enchiladas were plonked in front of us. They have been very popular so far so we were intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. Again, well worth the money at £7.50. Topped with the verde sauce which adds a great element to the dish as a whole.

For those of you still reading and not already scoffing some food at the bar, the PUD-DELICIOUS desserts are without doubt worth a mention. Brownies, NY vanilla cheesecake and blueberry pancakes to kick anybody’s sweet tooth out. Treat yourself, you can always share if the “meat sweats” are kicking in. These are a complete bargain at £3.50.

We all left a graveyard on our plates and our bellies were fit for bursting. Go in, sit near a fire exit and order the ribs.

LOCATION

10 Thomas Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1DH

CONTACT

0161 832 2769

www.tv21manchester.com