The Wild West Diner is an impressive looking new restaurant that has appeared in The Sands Venue on the Promenade in Blackpool. It's really enticing as it's clear money has been spent on the theming, giving it the right feel for Blackpool. It looks impressive and fun, and the menu looks quite good too!

When you walk in, the theming is superb, all wooden beams, mock Western facades, and photos of the Old West, as the song "I'm Just A Country Girl" plays. High hopes! A server in a plaid shirt asks us to sit wherever we like.





The menu is what you'd expect from a Western themed restaurant, big breakfasts, ribs, chicken, burgers, steaks etc. As we were deciding what to have, the waiter came over to ask us for our drinks order, so we just went for a couple of Diet Cokes. This waiter seemed quite stone faced and didn't seem very happy or interested. When he brought the drinks he asked for our food order, but we weren't ready. He came back another 2 times before we were ready... giving us the sense that he just wanted to get us in and out. We opted for appetizers of breaded garlic mushrooms and cheese and bacon potato skins, and mains of the smoked chilli dog and the Wild West Beef Cheeseburger. The waiter asked if he should bring the starters at the same time as the main... this was a really weird thing to ask, but we just said ok, we didn't mind.

At this point we both realised that the cola tasted as if it was either diluted, running out of syrup, or a cheap copy of Coke, it was also going flat. We didn't complain though, it was just a glass of pop.

The food turned up in a strange order, the first being one of our starters and the other one's main, then the others a few minutes later, again with no smile or anything from the waiter. The garlic mushrooms were tasty, if not pre-frozen, and the potato skins had lots of bacon, but were sadly quite dry.



Then we moved onto the mains. The chips were plain frozen chips, and cooked well, but also a bit dry. A bit of seasoning would've pepped them up a bit, but as they weren't seasoned we just used salt and pepper. My partner said his hot dog was tasty, but the chilli on top was luke warm, and not very spicy. My burger was an 8oz monster, but a real solid block of meat which again was pretty bland, lacking seasoning. It had cheese and a bit of limp lettuce but it was in a nice bun. It was also extremely greasy! After biting into it, I was able to hold it over my plate and squeeze it, to then have liquid fat pour out onto the plate. I couldn't finish it. The music stopped being country at this point, veering into dull modern songs I've never heard of. Shame.




At this point I popped to the toilet, where the theming continued, which is a nice touch. However after I washed my hands I noticed that although it was 6pm on a thursday, the cleaning rota said it hadn't been checked since 10am the day before! Not really what you want to see of the levels of cleanliness, especially when you know your customers will see this rota!


When I returned, my partner said that the waiter had asked if we were finished, and cleared our plates, but he didn't ask if everything had been ok (he also didn't ask this during the meal) or if we wanted the bill or desserts, so we were left sat at the table wondering what we were meant to do. The waiter was just stood at the bar chatting with another member of staff. Did he want us to get his attention or go over to him to progress the meal? 

Eventually he came over and picked up our glasses, "shall I get you your bill?" he asked, but I interjected, "uh... do you do desserts?", he genuinely looked surprised, "we do... Did you want something?", "well is there a menu or anything?", "yeah I'll get it", he then went to get the menu (not taking the glasses with him, oddly), so we had a quick look. The desserts didn't really look that interesting, they didn't even have a description, they were just a footnote in a small box at the bottom of the back of the menu. 

So we didn't bother. We got the bill paid and left. The waiter didn't smile once.

It's a real shame, because visually the place looked great, it's had money spent on it, from the antler chandeliers down to the brushed leather booths, but as was displayed on this visit, it seems to be all show and no substance, with the food being mediocre and the customer service being abysmal. 

Wanted to like it, but we won't be going back here again. Poor show.



Wild West Diner
The Sands Venue
Promenade
Blackpool

Wild West Diner

by on 13:49
The Wild West Diner is an impressive looking new restaurant that has appeared in The Sands Venue on the Promenade in Blackpool. It's ...
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I only ever drove past The Blundell Arms. It's very near where I live, so I drive past it a lot! It just looked like another pub, and not very popular, as I never saw anyone parked outside. But in recent times I noticed A-boards outside mentioning food, so after a long time of realising this, I decided to look online, and lo and behold, it's not just a pub that has "food available", but a full on food-centric pub! Hoorah!


When I drove there, I realised that the reason it looked so quiet and lacking in cars is because there's actually a sizeable car park BEHIND it, and that in turn is the entrance people tend to use to access it.

When I walked in, I was very pleasantly surprised, this pub was not only very expansive in side (perhaps not in terms of headroom in some of the older parts!) but was wonderfully traditional, with beautiful rustic beams running throughout, and many nods to its past as a court house, showing the old stone placard, and a window showing the traditional wattle and daub construction.





The other thing I noticed is that this was a very bright space. The winter sunshine truly cascades through the windows, giving a wonderfully comfortable feeling. This place had a 'good' feeling as soon as I entered. 

I was greeted by a friendly staff member who took me to a table nestled amongst the rustic beams, where I was given the menus, and had chance to also peruse the lunch menu. The lunch menu was really good value, and I'd happily order from it, but in this instance I noticed on the main menu, amongst all the delicious traditional and classic pub food offerings, and "chef's inspired dishes"  was a gourmet burger. So I opted for that!





I took the time waiting to have a look round at the rest of the place, which is where Ashleigh, the staff member, told me about the building's previous uses, and how pleasant the place looks at night with all the lights lighting up the corners of this old building. 

When my burger arrived, I was quite pleased. The presentation was simple but that's all it needed to be, as it was a big burger, and a pot of triple-cooked chips. The chips were great, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The burger was tasty, but I wouldn't call it 'gourmet', as it was quite a standard burger, but grilled fully through rather than pink (due to health and safety demands usually), so it wasn't juicy, but was still tasty, regardless. The bacon on the burger was a bit fatty though, I had to pull strands of it off, but that's merely my personal preference. For the price, it was a good burger, and a tasty lunch. I'd certainly order it again.



All in all, I was pleased I came to The Blundell Arms! I didn't realise it was such a lovely building, and didn't realise they had such a large offering to eat, so I'll definitely be back to try some more of the menu, especially the dessert menu... there were a few things on there I very much liked the look of, but as the burger was so filling, I didn't quite have the room. Maybe next time I'll go for the lunch menu instead of my eyes being bigger than my belly!

Next time, Blundell.... NEXT TIME!!!


The Blundell Arms
Chorley Old Road
Horwich
Bolton
Greater Manchester
BL6 6PY
(01204) 841 194

The Blundell Arms

by on 16:40
I only ever drove past The Blundell Arms . It's very near where I live, so I drive past it a lot! It just looked like another pub, an...
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New Yorker opened fairly recently on Portland Street in Manchester City centre, and thanks to the style of the building it's part of, it looks straight from New York City itself. Originally seeming to be named New Yorker Diner, it doesn't have a diner vibe, so instead is now presenting itself as American Street Food, serving burgers, waffles and chicken, gourmet burgers, and some other American sides too, as well as milkshakes and Belgian Waffles.


It doesn't have a huge range, but what it has it does well. As you descend the steps into the diner itself, it's got that industrial look that most of the Northern Quarter is doing at the moment, complete with bare brick walls, wood cladding, and filament bulbs. Definitely not the Ed's Easy Diner style 50's American diner. Also, it's not a full service restaurant, but in fact a counter-service place with a dining area.




The menu is simple but appetising, with some really tasty offerings and at a price that is very reasonable for Manchester City Centre, especially with some of the lunch deals available. I went to the counter and ordered the "American Boy" burger with fries and a Cherry Coke. The friendly staff member gave me a flashing/buzzing box similar to what you get when waiting for seating at big chain restaurants on a saturday night, and said it would buzz/flash when my meal was ready for me to collect. Handy.



The food was ready, and what I got was very tasty indeed. The burger, although not pink, was cooked through, but still juicy, and the trimmings were perfect, although the 'Brooklyn Sauce' built up spice pretty quickly for me, so I'd probably skip that next time. The fries were really good! Properly hot and crisp, and seasoned perfectly meaning the sachets of salt I picked up were never touched!

New Yorker is a simple affair, offering good simple food when you want it, at a good price. I'd go again :)


New Yorker
48 Portland Street
Manchester
M1 4QU
(0161) 228 3860
www.newyorkerdiner.co.uk

New Yorker

by on 14:16
New Yorker opened fairly recently on Portland Street in Manchester City centre, and thanks to the style of the building it's part of...
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Leaf on Portland Street hasn't been open long. It can't have been, because a tea room I haven't heard of? Really? Leaf also is really passionate about tea, which is something I like to see. Tea shops that don't just serve tea but are BIG on tea are welcome in a world of artisan coffee blend shops!



This is self evident when you first walk in. The space is huge compared to what you'd expect given the shop front, and due to the nature of the building has a very spacious New York Loft feel to it, complete with iron girder columns. As you walk in, there's a large display on the wall showing tea blends of all varieties and tastes, with jars of loose leaves for you to smell and read about. For a tea lover like me, this is very much a kid-in-a-candy-store moment!

I'm approached by a member of staff who I later found out was called Carrie (or Cassie? I'm so sorry I forgot!!), but who was superb, telling me about the tea blends, suggestions on ones to try based on my tastes, and enthusing about their ethos, telling me about upcoming free tea tasting sessions. A friendly and enthusiastic knowledgeable member of staff greeting you as you enter is always a damn good sign in my book!





I had a wander around to take some photos. The space is really huge, and Carrie told me that there was also a large basement area that was event space too. I took my seat and read the menu. It was nice to see a good array of teas in the menu too, as well as some delicious looking lunch and snack options. I was a touch late for breakfast, but the staff were accommodating enough to still allow me to have some granary toast and marmalade.

After discussing with Carrie about tea blends, I decided to go for a flavoured black tea, and went for Wild Cherry. This was brought over to me in a modern glass teapot baring the old adage of "Where There's Tea There's Hope" (I quite agree!) . The tea was delicious, but as it was also a black tea, I thought I'd try a little milk.

I went to the counter and asked Carrie for milk. At first she simply looked at me and didn't react, so I thought she hadn't heard me. Then I realised as her eyes widened that she was in fact trying to compute what I'd asked for without recoiling in terror. "With wild cherry?" she asked, aghast. She turned to another member of staff behind the bar and asked "can I have some milk... for this gentleman's Wild Cherry Tea...", informatively. The other member of staff bent backwards, "really?!" she asked in astonishment. I didn't take even the slightest bit of offence or insult at this, because this was clearly two people who enjoyed their tea, and knew their tea well! We laughed, and said how with it being black tea it could still work, similar had worked with various chai teas and lattes, so I gave it a try.



It was alright, but eh... better without the milk. The staff were right. I'll remember that next time. TRUST THE STAFF! This impressed me actually. It's nice to see somewhere with as much enthusiasm for tea as a lot of places have for coffee.

The toast and marmalade was tasty, and I was now thoroughly warmed up from the cold December air of Manchester. Carrie told me that as the tea shop was under offices, their heating pipes ran down through the tea shop, keeping it perpetually toasty warm. Handy! 



Before I left I  had a look at some Christmas gift sets they were selling, as well as a framed receipt, which on closer inspection I saw was their very first sale, their first transaction. That's a nice thing to commemorate and display, and shows a pride in what they're doing.

In short, Leaf is spacious, modern, pleasantly furnished and decorated and fairly priced for both food and drinks, as well as being run by a friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff.

Well done Leaf, I'll be back soon!



LEAF
113-115 Portland Street
Manchester
M1 6DW
(0161) 883 1138
www.thisisleaf.co.uk

Leaf

by on 11:30
Leaf on Portland Street hasn't been open long. It can't have been, because a tea room I haven't heard of? Really? Leaf also i...
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Pie is life. Pie is love. I've never seen anywhere take their love of pie quite so seriously as this place. There are photos of pies, photos of things related to pies, pie related jokes, and even pies on the toilet doors and on photos in the toilets! Remember Pie-Face from The Beano? Everything in his life was pie focused and pie related and shaped. Welcome to Pieminister, in Manchester.



We visited on a cold Thursday afternoon in November, but as you walk into the small shop front in the heart of the Northern Quarter, there's a fantastic warm atmosphere, both in the steamed up windows from the warmth of the food and the people, but also in the cosy seating, everyone sat together chatting, relaxing, laughing, and munching on pies!

I've wanted to try Pieminister for a long time. Their pie menu on their website sounds amazing, and I wanted to try some as soon as I read it!

I visited with my partner, and we were quickly seated on a table by the stairs, and right by a cabinet showing all of the lovely pies available, behind which the staff were busying away in a small galley kitchen-cum-bar area. Even before we ordered, it was great watching all of the meals being assembled with good hearty portions and good quality stuff!



Looking at the menu, it's what you'd expect, but happily so. They do pies. Good pies. Lots of pies. That's what they do. Pies. There's also Festive Pies at this time of year, a few pie-similar light meals, and a superb array of traditional sides to go with pies. Pies pies pies!

So from the menu I chose the Free Ranger with minted mushy peas and gravy, whereas my partner opted for the epically named MOTHERSHIP, which is a pie (he chose Fungi Chicken) with creamy mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, minted mushy peas, crispy shallots, and gravy. It's enough to make a grown Northern man weep manly tears of joy!





Although there was a little bit of a wait (as it was very busy), the atmosphere was relaxed, warm, and comfortable, so it wasn't really much of an issue, especially when you'll have to simply believe me when I say it was worth the wait!!

Our pies arrived in those classic camping style metal bowls. The bottom layer was the creamy mash, with the pie sat on top of it, then the minted mushy peas dolloped lovingly on top of that. The meals go upwards, which given that my partner's meal also had crispy shallots and cheddar cheese, gives you the idea of why it was named 'The Mothership', our gravy was served in traditional chrome gravy boats on the side. I must admit I tried some of my partner's crispy shallots and I am DEFINITELY ordering those next time!!

The quality of the food was outstanding. The mash was perfectly creamy and traditional, the pies themselves succulent and tender, and perfectly seasoned, with just the right firmness to the pastry, wheras the minted mushy peas were good old fashioned nostalgia. All of these combined (along with a bottle of Fentimans Dandelion and Burdock) delivered the perfect homely, nostalgic, comforting dinner that perfectly accompanied a freezing cold November afternoon in Manchester.

Forgive the lighting, we were sat under a neon red sign!


The service was friendly, efficient and professional. We were met with smiles and helpful attitudes whenever we needed to ask staff something, right up to paying and leaving.

Pieminister, keep doing what you're doing, you're doing it so very very right, and I thoroughly look forward to returning again soon, by myself, with my partner, with my friends, and with my parents and family. I can't imagine anyone leaving your restaurant without a smile on their faces!



Pieminister
53 Church Street
Manchester 
M4 1PD
(0161) 819 1279
www.pieminister.co.uk


Pieminister Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Pieminister

by on 23:00
Pie is life. Pie is love. I've never seen anywhere take their love of pie quite so seriously as this place. There are photos of pies, ...
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