Picture the scene: the weekend has arrived, it’s already raining in Manchester and you’re skint; but your mates want to go out and you’ve never been good with FOMO.
We’ve all been there, but one of the best parts about this amazing city and its working-class roots is that there’s always somewhere for the average Joe to grab a bite to eat on the cheap.
And for our money, it doesn’t get much more budget-friendly than Bunny Jackson’s.
Located on Jack Rosenthal Street just off First Street, Bunny Jackson’s, Bunny J’s, Bunny’s—whatever you wanna call it, quite possibly offers the cheapest item on any menu anywhere in town: the 20p wing.
Tequila wings to knock your socks offA fiery but affordable feast Credit: Bunny Jackson’s (via Instagram)
Those delicious bloody wings
This is what the late-night favourite has built its reputation on over the years: as many cheap and delicious chicken wings as you think you could possibly devour at pennies a pop.
Believe it or not, back in the old days it used to be just 10p for a plain chicken wing, but then came Covid and all the rest of it. After all, these lot still have to make money.
Nevertheless, this neon-lit, polaroid and graffiti-filled dive bar is still undoubtedly the best wing spot in Manchester, not to mention the perfect place to enjoy all your favourite rock and pop-punk bangers.
The current menu is still littered with affordable flavours from classic BBQ and buffalo, to Jack Daniel’s smoked honey and mustard or the Sailor Jerry spiced sesame wings — all of which you get for 45p or under. Yes, you read that right. Unreal, isn’t it?
Then comes the seasonal specials like the chip-shop curry sauce one we tried a couple of months back or, our personal favourite, the lip-smacking honey and garlic that has effectively become a mainstay it’s now so popular amongst punters. They always adding new ones so keep an eye out.
Chip Shop CurryHoney and GarlicGarlic and ParmesanCredit: Bunny Jackson’s
And, of course, we can’t forget about their legendary ‘Hotter Than the Sun’ wing, which is seriously no joke. We pride ourselves on being able to handle our heat but this thing is ridiculous. That’s why a glass of milk stands pride of place on the menu at £2.
Beers and full bellies on a budget
What’s more insane is that this is the most expensive chicken wing on the menu at the hefty price tag of—wait for it—55p. Again, not a typo.
When you can order 10 flaming hot wings and still only pay just over a fiver. It’s easy to see why people order bucket loads of all different flavours like it’s their last meal on earth.
In all seriousness, even if you fancy a healthy portion of cauliflower wings (£4), animal fries that are so dirty we always struggle to finish the whole thing (also £4), or a big juice burger with more fries on the side than you really need for less than a tenner, it’s pretty hard to break the bank at Bunny Jackson’s.
‘The Mother Clucker’ lives up to its nameWings, filthy animal fries, fried pickles and a double cheeseburger. What more could you ask for?Credit: Bunny Jackson’s
The food doesn’t stop there either. There’s grilled cheese and soup, onion rings, fried pickles and chicken dippers for those who don’t do bones; we might as well just give you the menu at this point.
They like a party at Bunny J’s
Even the booze selection is reasonably priced, with pints and plenty more from £5 – pretty much the going rate these days – and a happy hour from 10-11pm when you can get a pint, a glass of wine, a can or seltzer or a cheeky shot for just £3.
Beyond just the food and drink, there’s pool and beer pong tables as well as live music on the regular. They were one of the many venues included in this year’s Neighbourhood line-up.
The self-styled dive bar’s reputation is so strong that just a few months ago, Mancs busy eating Bunny’s barely batted an eye when Olivia Rodrigo decided to pop and do a surprise gig.
Literally sold out the 02 Apollo the same night. As you do.
In fact, the Bunny’s brand has gotten so big now that back in May 2021 they opened up their underground sister site Junior Jackson’s on Oldham Street in Northern Quarter, serving up plenty of beer, shots, sliders, hot dogs and lots of loud music – also until 3am.
As if that wasn’t enough, the success of both venues left them with little choice other than to open up a third location this summer, the Wing Wagon, taking their trademark chicken on the road to feed the Manc masses.
You can find it parked just off the back of First Street a stone’s through from the OG site itself.
The door to Junior’s basementThe party spirit of Bunny’s is just as big in Northern QuarterThe Wing WagonCredit: Bunny Jackson’s
Ran by absolute legends
At a time when we’re all trying to scrimp and save wherever we can, it’s still important that people still have a place to go eat some solid scran and have a belter of a night out.
We refuse to let the misery surrounding the impending winter rule us – we still on plan having a good time wherever we can and we hope you can too.
One of the parts we love about Bunny’s the most is the people that run it: they’re some of the friendliest staff you’ll find behind any bar in Britain, let alone in Manchester.
Credit: Bunny Jackson’s
If it often looks like they’re having a better time than you, they probably are. With the tunes blaring, beer flowing and shots always on the cards, why wouldn’t they?
Whether you want some wings, a pint, a group photo to remember the night you don’t remember or buy a shirt that reads ‘I LOVE BJs’, they do it all with an effortless charm that only their close-knit and ever so slightly tipsy brigade can pull of.
So don’t let endless doom-scrolling through stuff about the economy spoil it for you: get yourself a pint, have a dance and much on a stupid amount of wings for practically pennies.
We love you, Bunny’s and we thank you for your service, tough times or not. Never change.
Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen open second city centre site
Danny Jones
Affordable Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen has just finished launching its second site in town, doubling its city centre presence with the official opening on Thursday, 4 September.
Maricarmen launched on Great Ancoats Street back in June 2023 and quickly became a firm Manc favourite, famous for their £3.50 dishes
When it comes to their small plate approach, they serve up some of the best tapas in Manchester, and even the shopfront seats at their popular roadside location are regularly full regardless of passing traffic.
However, if there’s ever been one gripe we’ve had with the place, it’s that the outdoor area isn’t the most peaceful, even if it is a stunning suntrap on a warm day – that’s where the new restaurant comes in.
Ancoats…… vs NQNew but familiar (Credit: Supplied/The Manc Eats)
We’ve been semi-regular visitors of Maricarmen ever since it started out life as a pop-up just around from Cutting Room Square, and they’ve gained speed and reputation ever since.
Known not only for authentic, value-for-money tapas, but welcoming plenty of punters for a simple drink as one of the best places for a sangria in central Manchester, they’ve managed to stay relatively just not just when the weather is bright but throughout most seasons.
While the Ancoats restaurant is known for the aforementioned roving ‘El Tableo’ style of service inspired by southern Spain, the newest location will be slightly different, revealing not only lighter colours and Alicante beach influences with a focus on alfresco eating, but lots of new specials.
Created by Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez, who previously owned a tapas restaurant in Madrid, La Porcineria, which was sadly curtailed by Covid.
On the bright side, Manchester has been the greatest beneficiary of their fresh start, and we can’t wait to see what venue number two delivers.
Co-founder, Diaz, said of the new opening: “Maricarmen is about compassion, hard work, strength, reinvention, opening our minds & hearts and connecting with people. It’s more than just food, for us, it is the beautiful moment when we see our customers and our coworkers smile because they are here.”
She went on to add, “To us, Manchester signifies the ability to reinvent and grow. The people here support you without expecting anything in return. It’s really beautiful. I have never felt this before in my life. […] We’ve built up such a loyal customer base of locals – many have become dear friends.
“And to be in a position to open a second site within two years and share our love of good food and great times with Manchester’s Northern Quarter is quite unbelievable.”
There really is a Costa Blanca beach house vibe to this bright, new yellow-accented corner of NQ and having tried some of their dishes, we can’t wait to get stuck in.
Be sure to follow them on socials too, not only for more announcements and updates but because it’ll give you an even better flavour of the vibes over there.
Popular Manchester cafe and bakery Gooey brilliantly responds to ‘2/10’ TikTok review
Daisy Jackson
Gooey, easily one of Manchester’s busiest bakeries and brunch spots, has clapped back at a negative review on TikTok with a refreshingly honest statement.
The local business shot to fame initially with its chunky, gooey cookies, but has since expanded from its hatch to have its very own cafe, famed for its enormous French toasts and its sandwiches made with baked-in-house Shokupan bread.
Generally, Gooey gets an incredibly good rap, with queues that speak for themselves stretching from its doors down High Street.
But one TikToker has shared a less favourable video review of the business, slamming it as ‘one of the most disappointing food experiences I’ve ever had in my life’.
The reviewer in question specialises in finding places you could eat comfortably as a solo diner, and ranked Gooey an overall 8/10 – but slated the food at a 2/10.
And now Gooey has shared their side of things, defending themselves against the reviewer’s claims that the food is ‘expensive’ and ‘tastes like it could have been made at Greggs’.
“Not everyone is going to like what you do and that is absolutely fair enough,” they wrote in a statement.
Gooey continued: “We’re not usually in the business of responding to negative reviews.
Gooey clapped back at the review that said its sandwiches were ‘too expensive’
“What has made us respond to this review is how often I’m seeing local businesses like ours targeted on costs.”
The cafe then justified the £10.90 cost for a bacon and egg sandwich, pointing out the bacon is cured in-house and cut thick every day by hand; the bread is also baked in-house daily; even the ketchup and brown sauce are made from scratch.
“With all that said, yes, we do have to charge more than you would pay for a bacon butty at Greggs.
“Listen, I understand this criticism. I used to get a bacon and egg butty before college for £1.95 from my local butty shop.
“We cannot do that here. We are paying Manchester City Centre rent. We employ a team of chefs, bakers, front of house, and more.
“And we are trying to make the best version of a bacon sandwich that we could.”
Chunky cookies at GooeyThe Gooey French toast that the review claimed was ‘too sweet’
As for the complaints that the French toast is ‘too sweet’, Gooey clapped back: “Yes, our French Toast is sweet. It’s filled with dulce de leche and topped with maple syrup.
“We personally love it and it’s our most popular item but if you don’t like sweet things, you might not like it!”
Finally, in defence of rising prices across the hospitality industry, they signed off with this brilliant piece of insight.
“Every single independent cafe, restaurant and bar across this country is charging more than they would like to be doing for their dishes.
“In 99.99% of cases, this is not greed, or us being thick, or trying to rip people off. It is simply the only way to survive with the costs we are facing.
“Even then, many of us are struggling to make it work.”
Anyone fancy meeting at Gooey for a bacon sandwich later then?
Danny Jones -
8th October 2022 
