Food & Drink

The Indian drive-thru that knocks McDonald’s out of the park with price AND quality

It's a first-of-its-kind.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 6th May 2023

Everyone knows where they stand with a McDonald’s drive-thru. 

Fries that are either cold and droopy or so hot they singe chip-shaped lines into the roof of your mouth. Burgers with inexplicably sweet buns and a single gherkin lurking off-centre. Milkshakes so thick the veins pop out on your head when you try to suck them through the straw. 

It’s a classic, but in recent years other brands have started to join the drive-thru brigade and blown your ‘I’m-hungry-but-I-don’t-want-to-leave-my-car’ options wide open. 

You can now get everything from coffee and doughnuts to healthy fast food to freshly-baked cakes, all without leaving the comfort of your vehicles or changing out of your pyjama bottoms.

The latest to join the fray is Chaiiwala, serving Indian-inspired fast food from a former petrol station forecourt.

First founded on the streets of New Delhi in the 1920s, Chaiwala first began life as a small tea stall (hence the name) but today has 50 sites in the UK and even more abroad.

At its new drive-thru in Bolton, there are burgers, chips, wraps and sundaes, just like a Maccies, but these ones all feature an Indian twist.

The Chaiiwala drive-thru
The Chaiiwala drive-thru. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside Chaiiwala’s samosa burger. Credit: The Manc Group

The prices are comparable, too – you’re not looking at paying more than £3.25 for a burger here, whereas those golden arches are charging £4.59 for a Big Mac these days.

So it’s hard not to lose your head when you pull up to the familiar drive-thru system (which we did in a Tesla, because a posh drive-thru deserves a posh car).

We ordered a decent selection of Chaiiwala’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ drive-thru menu, including a portion of Gunpowder Masala Chips (£3.25), served wrapped in a newspaper-style paper cone, slathered with a tangy and sweet sauce and spring onions.

Chaiiwala cheese naan. Credit: The Manc Group
At Chaiiwala’s drive-thru in Bolton. Credit: The Manc Group
Lotus Biscoff wrap. Credit: The Manc Group

Chaiiwala’s crispy Punjabi samosas come stuffed with potato and chickpea, and then those samosas come stuffed into a bread bun and loaded with slaw, onions, tomato, and tamarind sauce. I can’t imagine ever choosing a McChicken Sandwich again after this samosa burger (£3.25).

We also grabbed a cheese naan (£2.50), that gives one of the most satisfying cheese pulls you’ll ever see when you tear it open to stuff your chips inside, and a Lotus Biscoff roti wrap (£2.75).

There’s plenty more to come back for, like a butter chicken roll, and a cheese and jalapeno pasty, and pani puri, and samosa chat, and a chaii frappe.

You can eat it parked up outside Chaiiwala’s drive-thru, where your view is of… a McDonald’s.

And what a smug feeling it is to tuck into your freshly-made, reasonably-priced samosa burger, looking at the queue across the road of disgruntled soggy-chips eaters.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Food & Drink

Bar Shrimp announces opening date as Higher Ground team gear up for new project

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Bar Shrimp announces opening date as Higher Ground team gear up for new project

Bar Shrimp, a new seafood and cocktail bar in Manchester from the team behind Higher Ground, has officially got itself an opening date.

The hotly-anticipated newcomer will be serving cocktails, beers, and British seafood and snacks from its spot on New York Street.

As well as confirming an October launch date, the team have also shared a glimpse of the menu Mancs can expect from next month.

Bar Shrimp will be offering an Oyster Happy Hour every weekday, as well as caviar with house-cut crisps, devilled eggs, and Sussex smokie fritters.

Expect shellfish over ice, Cornish crab cocktail, bar snack classics and even beef burgers.

It comes from the same team behind Higher Ground and Flawd, headed up again by hospitality dream team Joseph Otway, Daniel Craig Martin and Richard Cossins.

And they’ve partnered with Stockport-based MasterSounds, to install a state-of-the-art custom-designed sound system with music director Lukas Stankunas curating the music programming on a weekly basis.

They say the venue will be a ‘dynamic space where the music and energy evolves throughout the evening’.

Team behind award-winning Higher Ground to open new seafood bar, Bar Shrimp, in Manchester
The team behind award-winning Higher Ground are opening a new seafood bar, Bar Shrimp, in Manchester

Inside, it’ll be decorated with plush-red banquettes, floor-to-ceiling drapes, and table service throughout.

Matt Pazos, Bruntwood SciTech Retail Commercial Manager, said of the announcement: “Bar Shrimp promises to be another big success for the team and we can’t wait to welcome them to Faulkner House.

“This exciting new concept, bringing together the team’s exceptional knowledge and experience of food and hospitality combined with their passion for music, will further complement the thriving community in this part of Manchester city centre.”

Walk-ins will be welcomed for drinks but reservations are encouraged for dining.

Reservations for Bar Shrimp have gone live today ahead of its official launch on Wednesday 22 October – sign up HERE.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Food & Drink

A long-standing Italian restaurant in Trafford has sadly announced its imminent closure

Danny Jones Danny Jones Little Italy Timperley closing permanently

Another day, another bit of unfortunate hospitality news, as long-standing Greater Manchester restaurant, Little Italy in Timperley, has announced it is closing permanently very soon.

The Trafford favourite, which has been serving locals for nearly 20 years, has informed regular diners that it will sadly be closing its doors for good, with Little Italy’s final service set for later this month.

Having earned plenty of praise in its time, including being one of the few spots in and around the Altrincham area to have won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015, before the borough saw its foodie boom begin.

But fast forward a decade, and the Timperley institution is yet another culinary casualty to be confirmed of late, with Little Italy sharing a tear-jerking statement online.

Sharing the tragic news on social media this Friday (5 Sep), the restaurant wrote: “To all our lovely customers, it is with a heavy heart that we share some news with you all. After over 18 years of serving you all in Timperley, we will be closing our doors later this month.

“This has not been an easy decision. Unfortunately, rising costs and a significant increase in rental [costs] have made it impossible to continue in a sustainable way. As much as we love what we do, the reality is that it has become too difficult to maintain under these circumstances.

“Over the coming weeks, we will continue to cook with love and serve with the same passion as always. We would love to see you all and share one more meal, and raise a glass together.”

Safe to say that the post has been met with an outpouring of condolences and support from natives nearby and those who have travelled to enjoy their food.

Little Italy went on to add that they will detail more about their final week of business as soon as possible.

They can’t be accused of not keeping up with times and not trying to promote via social media either, as they small family-run team – headed up by Sam Cauchi, who bought the site back in 2008 – have always given things a go besides the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.

Being one of many saddened customers to respond underneath the announcement, we couldn’t possibly sum up things better than local Vanessa Nice, who said: “Look at all these amazing comments – you certainly made your mark as a home from home for the residents of Timperley.

“The end of an era will always be sad, but sometimes life and families have to move on.”

As for Cauchi and co., they signed off by simply adding: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, kindness and friendship over the years. Timperley has been our home, and you have all been our family.

“Love from all the team at Little Italy.”

It goes without saying that we’re gutted for the gang and our thoughts are with everyone involved at this difficult time. For now, we can only say thank you to the countless Greater Manchester locations that continue to fall foul in the face of the rising pressures industry-wide. Case and point…

Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Little Italy Timperley (via Facebook)

More Food & Drink

Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure

Bury

Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure

Niwa Yakitori is serving a matcha afternoon tea

Eats

There’s a tiny Japanese restaurant inside a Manchester cafe serving matcha afternoon tea

Bada Bing now sponsoring FC United of Manchester

Eats

Manchester sandwich specialists Bada Bing strike up new sponsorship deal with local football team

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches