Filthy Cow

Filthy Cow is the new baby on the block when it comes to the  big filthy burgers that Manchester City Centre has taken to their hearts, as it's only been open for three months, but in that time it is becoming extremely popular, and the owner is seeing the success and popularity rate continuing to soar!

Why, you ask? Because the food is $#!@ing amazing, and for Manchester City Centre it's very reasonably prices considering the quality of food you get!

Sorry, I'm getting a bit over excited! Let me pull back a little first.

Filthy Cow sits down one of the side-streets near the town hall, and as you step inside, you see the décor is the popular industrial and brutalist style that is popular with the hipster crowd in modern city restaurants lately, but the brick walls and raw plaster walls, graffiti, chains and metalwork really seems to work for Filthy Cow because it goes with the filthy raw naughty feel of the place, which takes its fabulously pervy meaty double-entendres as far as possible. I like it.

The staff are friendly and professional, and I was greeted by who I believe was the owner as I walked in, who welcomed me and asked if I'd been before. It's always nice to be acknowledged when you enter a restaurant.

The menu is refreshingly simple, with half a dozen burgers, a few sides, drinks, and some ice creams and shakes provided by the fabulous Ginger's Comfort Emporium over in Affleck's. There's something nice about a simpler menu like this, as you know that they are focussing on their core dishes being as good as possible, and easy to take in.

I ordered a Filthy Cheese burger without lettuce, some fries, and a Coke. This came to just £10.50, which for freshly made-to-order food in a modern and new restaurant bang smack in the middle of the city centre is remarkably good value, especially compared to some similar offerings over in the Northern Quarter.

Food is presented in a classic American no-frills style with a wrapped burger and fries, and napkins bearing the filthy plea of "rub your greasy fingers all over me!". It was nice to see that the stickers on the burger clarify the burger type and any special requirements (like me not wanting lettuce), as it saves that pain when you're in a group of unwrapping burgers and lifting the lid to work out who has what burger. I was also informed that the burger would be a bit pink in the middle... GOOD! That's my preference! Too many places provide brown "well-done" burgers which are alright, but nothing special compared to a good medium rare burger or steak.

They say you eat with your eyes, and unwrapping that burger certainly played on that. I see why the filthy cow idea is in play now, as this was food porn of the highest degree, and I hadn't even tasted it yet!

I did that cursory thing of trying a fry or two first, pretending to myself that I wasn't going to just shove my face into that juicy burger straight away. The fries were excellent! I must admit that at first glance I thought, "oh these are bog standard chips", but no, they were hot, crisp and tasty, and seasoned in a delicious rosemary salt, which really gave them some tasty flavour!

Now... that burger... as I sunk my teeth into the soft juicy meat, I coudln't help but close my eyes and let out a little quiet whimper at how absolutely stunning this burger was. Soft, tender, PERFECTLY pink and unbelievably juicy... I am not afraid to say that this is one of the best burgers I have ever had in my life, and it wasn't even seven quid! The brioche bun beautifully soaked up some of those tasty meat juices and the fabulously melting cheese, the culmination of all the elements coming together to form what a burger SHOULD be but so often isn't anymore.

No it's not a gigantic tall stacked burger slathered in all sorts of sauces and toppings and flags and with a knife in it and sparklers and a rocket and all the other gimmicks a lot of modern burger places go for now, but it does burgers as they SHOULD be... simple, tasty, well made, and pure comfort food... pure filth! FILTH!

I highly recommend this place to anyone in the city centre who fancies a really good filthy lunch at a surprisingly decent price.

Well done Filthy Cow, I had my doubts given the big burger joint trend in Manchester right now, but you truly wowed me, and I will without the slightest bit of doubt be visiting you whenever I get chance when I'm in the city centre! I can't stop telling my friends, colleagues and family about you, and showing them those illicit photos of the food on my phone! Bravo!

Filthy Cow
10 Tib Lane
Manchester
M2 4JB
www.filthyfood.co.uk
(0161) 839 5498