I tried Smokies from its under-fire Leyland location - this is what it was like
Smokies - the takeaway known for its smash burgers and dirty fries - is fighting to keep its Leyland location.
South Ribble Borough Council say its van is potentially harmful to the Grade II-listed Dunkirk Hall location, and goes against policy for being within walking distance of schools.
The owners have come back fighting, and last week launched a new application to keep the truck at Dunkirk Hall - and we made a Friday night order to see whether it’s any good. Spoiler...it is.
The order
The takeaway is available to order via online platforms, and with a free delivery option, I went with Uber Eats. There were three of us - two adults and a child - and we must have been in a chicken mood, because all of us went for some chicken dishes.
My son had the children’s popcorn chicken meal (popcorn chicken, fries and a Fruit Shoot) for £7, I had the Gravy Baby burger (£12) with some fried onions (£1) and a side portion of red salted fries (£4).
My husband also had the Gravy Baby burger, but with an extra chicken burger (£3.50) and garlic sauce (50p). He also had chicken strips (£7) and Smash Loaded Fries (£12) and a pot of ‘special sauce’ (£1).
The verdict
The food, without a delivery charge, came to £59.50. That sounds quite a lot, but there are a few things to mention here. My husband did order probably an extra meal with those smash loaded fries, and lots of extras. Also, it’s good stuff, and good isn’t cheap.
My son’s meal was probably the most disappointing, if I’m honest. He only got six small popcorn chicken bites, a small amount of chips, and the ketchup we ordered was missing. He enjoyed it though, but was asking for some of my fries at the end. Which was fine, because I had loads on my side order - too many in fact.
While I’m on the subject of chips, even though they had travelled in a sweaty delivery bag from Leyland, were crisp and still hot, and had that lovely but not over-powering red salt. A real treat.
My burger, the gravy baby, was a southern-fried chicken burger in a brioche bun, with a hash brown, American cheese, and a pot of gravy. The only problem was, I didn’t know whether to dip the burger in the gravy pot, or pour it on the chicken. I went for the pouring option, and it was probably a mistake. It made it very difficult and messy to eat -especially with the already delightfully claggy hash brown - but it was completely delicious. An indulgent mess.
Shout out for the gravy here too. I’m not sure if it’s homemade or whisked up from a powder, but there was loads of it, it had a peppery, almost KFC-like quality, and it wasn’t too runny.
I didn’t feel guilty afterwards, like I sometimes do at other burger joints. It didn’t feel dirty, even though it was a mess, if that makes sense? Everything felt (and tasted) fresh, and freshly prepared. Which I have no doubt it was, having seen the boys in action in their truck.
My husband had the same burger, but amplified, and said the strips were tender and delicious - exactly how he’d want them. The loaded chips were indeed loaded - an ample meal in its own right, and maybe it was for £12! There was bits of smashed burger, burger sauce, cheese, caramelised onions and Cajun seasoning. A juicy, mish-mashed feast.
So, yes, it wasn’t the cheapest, but we enjoyed it, and we would definitely order again. If you want a treat that’s not going to disappoint, try Smokies.