Cane and Grain, Manchester

I love Cain and Grain. The sticky sauces, the oozing burgers, and chips piled with everything edible they had to hand in the kitchen. It's a proper carnivores' night out. The staff are always dead chatty, and really try to make your experience memorable for all the right reasons. All of these things generally add up to a pretty fab time had by all. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to try out their new menu. I mentally prepared by having a sausage butty with brown sauce for breakfast at work, in the hope that an early start with the meat goods might somehow stretch my stomach for later*.

* Note, this was a terrible idea, and did not work one bit. 

It was already quite busy when we got there, but we were greeted by the lovely Charlie, who seemed very excited that we were there in an 'official' capacity to put the menu through its paces. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she seemed to know the menu inside out. It seemed only fair that we let her pick everything we ate! I love a surprise. 

BBQ chicken wings: Never used to be a fan you know. Bones, skin, and all that cack. However... The more decent wings I eat, the more I'm loving them. These are little round plump ones, not the greasy type which are more skin than meat. Gorgeous. 

Full rack of pork baby back ribs: The size of these... Who can eat a full rack? They are massive, but worry not, they will box them up for you if you find yourself stuffed too soon.

Bacon cheeseburger - beef patty, cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickles, proper burger sauce on a sesame seed bun: Guilty pleasure...  A Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger. It reminds me of being at college and having one at least three times a week. Had to try it. The bacon is really crispy, and the addition of home made burger sauce adds a nice tanginess. This tastes like real food where I can pick out actual flavours, unlike its BK counterpart.

Sauces (clockwise) - Dr Pepper, Kansas City and Sticky BBQ: All the sauces at Cane and Grain are excellent, but the Dr Pepper one blew our minds! Dip your chips in these.

Beer battered deep fried pickles: I love a pickle. Pretty much anything pickled. Except eggs, that's just perverse. However, there's someone I know who enjoys a deep fried pickle more than most; my pal Vicki. And whaddya know? She was round the corner as we were eating, so was summoned to join us! She approves... High praise indeed.

Hot as fuck fries - jalapenos, hot sauce, cheese and crispy bacon: Sweet Jesus, they really are. It's this kind of stuff that I could bathe in and eat my way out. I didn't, I just ate them in a fairly civilised manner.

Smoked pit beans with pulled pork: These. I think I ate most of them. Sorry.

Drinks: I wish I could remember all the drinks we had. It turns out I didn't even photograph them all. This is what happens when you suggest your server surprises you. I do remember a Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA, and a Kona Big Wave, but the cocktails are beyond me. They have a cracking selection of drinks, and their cocktails have never disappointed yet. If you enjoy a cocktail, I'd recommend that you visit their First Floor Bar too.

I urge you to go to Cane and Grain. I've been quite a few times now, and have never yet been disappointed by anything I've had. If you love your meat, this is definitely the place for you, yet I've also been for just drinks. They're a great all rounder, where you'll aways be made to feel welcome.


Disclaimer: I was invited to sample the new menu by Cane and Grain. We were under no obligation to say nice things or befriend their staff, the last bit is just in our MO.