Eats

Moose Coffee – The North American ‘comfort diner’ that’s been a Manchester fixture for more than a decade

Known for its fluffy North American pancakes and Canadian-style breakfasts, Moose Coffee always has queues out the door - and it's not hard to see why

Georgina Pellant - 8th February 2024

With Shrove Tuesday just around the corner, we’ve already got pancakes on the brain – and there’s one particular spot in the city centre that always ticks the boxes for us.

First opened in Manchester in 2013, Moose Coffee is a long-time city centre favourite. A sort of North American greasy spoon, this all-day breakfast spot is beloved amongst local foodies and always seems to have a queue stretching out of the door.

Inside you’ll find Canadian favourites like homemade grilled potato hash topped with eggs and streaky bacon, alongside sweet French toast and fried chicken waffles drenched in maple syrup.

It’s all amazing, but today we want to focus a little attention on the pancakes – because they really are worth shouting about.

Think large homemade pancakes mixed with chopped smoked sausage and streaky bacon and topped with fried eggs and served with butter and Canadian maple syrup, alongside stacks with a choice of toppings and fillings ranging from blueberries to chocolate and hazelnut spread, ice cream, bacon and maple syrup and more.

The menu at Moose Coffee is heavily inspired by the founders’ travels in American and Canada, and owners cite iconic New York breakfast spots like Pershing Deli at the south end of Grand Central Station and Comfort Diner on 45th Street as key influences.

As a result, there’s a long list of Moose Benedicts alongside classics like savoury, smooth and buttery comfort food Grits and fried hash.

But for those who like their brunch extra sweet, there’s also a host of fluffy pancake stacks slathered in the likes of homemade salted caramel, peanut butter and chocolate, plus classics like maple syrup and bacon.

In fact, the original site on York Street has proven so successful that in 2017 the team opened a second in the city centre – moving into Piccadilly Approach right in the path of thousands of commuters.

Having first begun life in Liverpool in 2006, the group now also boasts sites in Leeds and has worked to secure something of a grip on the north west’s breakfast crowd.

Using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, all fruit and veg is sourced locally in Manchester with bread baked daily over in Stockport courtesy of The Dutch Bakery.

Meat, meanwhile, is sourced from responsible farmers in the Lake District and Waterloo.

Moose Coffee’s pancake stacks are honestly the size of a decent Victoria sponge – which is just how it should be.

Featured image: The Manc Group