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.
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. Credit: The Manc GroupInside 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 GroupAt Chaiiwala’s drive-thru in Bolton. Credit: The Manc GroupLotus 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.
The UK’s best kebab is coming to Manchester as legendary shawarma bar announces Deansgate site
Clementine Hall
A brand-new shawarma bar is set to open its doors in Manchester this summer.
If you’re ever across the Pennines over in sunny Leeds, then you will have most likely heard of SQEW – a modern Lebanese-inspired eatery that has established itself as a cult-favourite amongst locals.
And it’s not just those Yorkshire folk who think it’s great, SQEW has recently been scooping up the accolades including most recently, Deliveroo’s Best Kebab of 2025.
The rumour mill has been turning for quite some time now but luckily for us they are in fact true, SQEW will be bringing its bold, elevated take on the kebab to 75 Deansgate, taking over the former Rola Wala site.
Images: The Manc Group
From humble beginnings to national recognition, SQEW was founded in 2015 by passionate chef and founder Mitch Renshaw, who wanted to give the often-overlooked kebab the love it truly deserves.
What began as a single idea serving slow-cooked meats and house-made sauces quickly boomed into a local sensation, eventually landing a permanent home in 2021 on Leeds’ Boar Lane.
Customers can expect a menu rooted in Lebanese flavours with a modern twist, all served with good old fashioned northern hospitality.
Image: The Manc Group
Speaking about the expansion, Mitch Renshaw, Owner and Founder of SQEW, said: “Were absolutely thrilled to announce our move over the pennies. We’ve been searching for the perfect site since 2023, and when we came across 75 Deansgate we jumped at it. We have a few surprises up our sleeves for Manchester and can’t wait to reveal more.
Having spent the last few weeks in Manchester, I’m brimming ear to ear, the people, the culture, the operators, we just can’t wait to be part of it.”
The new site will feature an all-day shawarma bar concept with seating, takeaway, and delivery options – so you can get your SQEW fix however way you want it.
We’ll keep you updated with more details in the coming weeks, but you keep an eye on SQEW’s socials for more sneak peeks.
Bundobust and Madre announce bold new Indo-Mexican collaboration
Clementine Hall
Two of Manchester’s best-loved casual dining spots are joining forces for a limited-edition collaboration.
Bundobust and Madre will be teaming up this summer to create a menu inspired by two world-famous street food cultures – India, and Mexico.
The Indo-Mexican menu will feature dishes like ‘Naanchos’, and plenty of other Desi-flavoured Mexican dishes.
It’ll be mashing up iconic ingredients, techniques, and flavours, with a menu of brand new spice-packed dishes and cocktails combining Desi and Mexican influence.
So, what can we expect?
Mexican street food classics chimichanga and quesadillas get the Desi treatment, while Bundobust’s Indian street food favourites like chaat get a little Latino heat.
All paired with spicy summer-time cocktails, as a homage to Mexican drinking culture, plus the return of Bundobust Brewery’s new golden Cerveza, SANJA Mexican Lager.
We can’t think of a better place to spend our summer evenings to be quite honest.
On the menu there are crunchy Indo-Mexican ‘naanchos’, topped with salsa verde, crema, tamarind, onion, coriander, and a punchy pickle masala.
Madre and Bundobust are teaming upNaanchos, from the Bundobust x Madre menu
There’ll also be a ‘Tikkadilla’ – a corn tortilla packed with oyster mushrooms, red tikka sauce and Oaxaca cheese, with a side of desi birria sauce for dipping.
That’s alongside masala chimichanga, birria-ani, and corn chaat.
Then you can wash that down with a cashew colada, an avocado lassi, spicy mango margs and loads more.
The Indo-Mexican menu will be available at all Bundobust and Madre locations from Monday 14 July until Sunday 17 August 2025.
Daisy Jackson -
6th May 2023 
