Fat Pat’s 

Manchester is home to some absolute gems and I have recently been super impressed with their food scene. They have some proper gems that serve up food that cannot be found outside of the city, even in London (the halal version anyway). So, am I surprised with Fat Pat’s popping up on the scene? Most definitely not! It suits the foodie scene of Manchester perfectly. What’s made it super popular with the foodie community I feel are two things: the rustic charming location and the delicious food. The location is epic – I mean the process of picking up your food is an experience in and of itself. As mentioned earlier, it is located in a tiny narrow alley near Chinatown. On one side you’ll see a row of big bins (strangely with zero bad odour) and on the middle of other side you’ll see this bubbly turquoise coloured hole in the wall spot: Fat Pat’s. And it is a literal hole in the wall. A small window that has a buzzer for you to buzz to let them know you’re here to pick up your food. A gentleman will come down and hand you your order. And that’s it, you enjoy. It’s such a unique experience in an era full of pink flowery walls and sit down boujie spots. Refreshing! 

The process of ordering 

You need to order before heading out there. Order online here. You’re able to order 7 days in advance and if you want to order for the day, the day’s schedule goes live at 12 for lunchtime and 6 for dinner. Be quick because they sell out rapidly. The first day we tried ordering, we lost the order because we took ages picking a drink. Once you’ve secured your order, turn up the aforementioned window and enjoy your sandwich.

The menu 

The menu is straightforward. Essentially, three sandwiches: Philly cheesesteak, hot honey fried chicken and an eggplant one. Nothing unnecessary on the menu, just doing exactly what they advertise (a nice change that). The standout sub that everyone is talking about though is of course the Philly cheesesteak, but we’ve also heard some rave reviews about the hot honey fried chicken one. All their subs come in an 8 inch milk roll that they bake fresh every morning. The Philly cheesesteak is made up of house cut ribeye, ‘new bay’ seasoning, sauce montréal, caramelised onions, cheese whiz, crispy shallots and chives. The hot honey fried chicken is made up of 2 crispy chicken cutlets, house nashville spice blend, hot honey, banana pickles, buttermilk ranch, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, oregano and tangy hot sauce. The Philly cheesesteak is currently £12 and hot honey chicken one is £11.