Review – Relish

Price: £££

Atmosphere: Pleasant – just enough hustle and bustle

Likelihood of your quiet meal-for-two turning into a Southern soul disco: Fairly low

Better than Henderson’s

Recommended by a fellow lover of all things carbs, I had high expectations on arriving at Eccy Road’s Southern soul food joint. Situated at the end of the road nearest the city centre, and only a short walk from a number of popular student bars, it’s right in the heart of the action.

As ‘purveyors of meat and liquor’, vegetarians, and those attempting to continue January’s Dryathlon all year round, won’t be so thrilled. Having stepped inside, escaping from the howling wind and not even having time to brush the hair from my face, I was hit by the smell of meat marinated in all sorts of saliva-inducing sauces.

It’s lucky that there were only two of us, as the bar area can’t cater for many. It’s definitely the kind of place you would come to have a nice meal, rather than a starting destination for a student bar crawl along Eccy road.

Interesting tribal murals fill any available space on the walls, and the furniture may leave you thinking you’ve stepped into an American diner. They’ve got spongy seats finished with cheap red leather, and quirkier additions such as a jukebox in the corner.

Five minutes later we were seated at our table and the menu certainly didn’t disappoint. Any previous thoughts I had had about choosing a ‘healthy’ option vanished when my eyes saw the word ‘foot-long-dog’. It was decided. I couldn’t help but order the hot dog with a topping of fried onions and cheddar.

Sausage dog

My partner in crime ordered a pulled pork sandwich, and a side of mac and cheese. Burgers, fried chicken, and nachos are abundant and, if that isn’t enough, they even have a sharing platter which includes buttermilk chicken wings, corn on the cob, fried pickles, stuffed jalapeno pickles, Cajun prawns, nachos, and hickory smoked ribs. Get a load of that.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous you can also try their ‘Ultimate Burger Challenge’. Pay £30 for a burger with 16 different fillings (including the bun), a pile of onion rings, a pound of fries, coleslaw, hot wings and a Coke float. If you are able to eat everything in 45 minutes you will receive your money back, a winners T-shirt, certificate and your picture on the Wall of Fame.

Nice pair of buns

But we didn’t fancy that. Once we’d finished our delectable meal, in no more than 5 minutes flat, the meaty flavours having silenced any attempts at conversation, asking for the bill wasn’t as painful as usual. Relish is student-friendly and offers 10% off the bill with your trusty ol’ student card.

So if you’re looking for a meat/carb fix, in a hip environment, with an interesting selection of ‘frosty craft beers’, and somewhere that won’t make an even bigger dent in your overdraft, Relish is definitely the place to go.