To think we would be better off at McDonald's!

[Hmum0fthree]

Its coming up to my birthday so arranged to go for a day of shopping with DH and DC at the Trafford centre, thought I'd have a look in advance at the restaurants and book.

The prices are so high £20+ for a burger? Which fair enough eating out you expect but all of the reviews are awful! Iv looked at 4 restaurants and all of them have disappointed customers!

We are looking at £100+ with drinks and dessert for what looks like McDonald's standard food!

How does everyone find nice places to eat now? Seems like everything's gone down hill since covid but prices have gone up 😩

Five guys gives me awful indigestion (I have a hunch it’s because their fries are lovely (but very salty) and I eat too many).

Not the point though - does it have to be burgers, or could a burger be an option amongst other options? Las Igananas does burgers but also does some lovely other options like Moqueca as well as your fajitas, flavoured whole chicken and chips, etc. and 2 for 1 cocktails if you need a drink

Surely you can find somewhere nicer than the chains you're looking at, probably for less money?

5 guys is ok imo but for the cost i wished i had went to mcdonalds

Have you been to Maccies in the last 12 months OP? It's dire. Everything takes ages and half your order is missing. And it tastes like crap. I'm probably looking back nostalgically to my youth, but I'm sure there was actually a time when maccies was at least fast. Now it just looks like cheap frozen food that got dropped on the floor and someone stepped on it. The chips are always undercooked and the nuggets are sad and flavourless. Even the chicken selects were shit last time I went. And now you need to wait for ever to get your food.

I'm not a snob by any means, but I can't stand maccies anymore. Do yourself a favour and go Greggs. At least its fast.

[quote Hmum0fthree]@lampygirl I was thinking everyone was talking about TGI's! I do like five guys but wanting something lesa fast food! [/quote]
I actually think you can't beak TGI's if you're wanting steak though. It's a good place for a birthday dinner if you're wanting that imo. They do a kids menu & a junior menu for kids with bigger appetites so the kids could order off them to keep the costs down?

Five guys is much nicer than macdonalds, anyone suggesting otherwise is a monster

Free Mayo! Macdonalds doesn't even have it?

Shake shack is terrible though

Isn't there an honest burger / hache / byron nearby

That was meant to read beat not beak 🤭

@ForTheHorde

Five guys gives me awful indigestion (I have a hunch it’s because their fries are lovely (but very salty) and I eat too many).

Not the point though - does it have to be burgers, or could a burger be an option amongst other options? Las Igananas does burgers but also does some lovely other options like Moqueca as well as your fajitas, flavoured whole chicken and chips, etc. and 2 for 1 cocktails if you need a drink

They cook everything in peanut oil. Is it anything to do with that?

Five guys - fab burgers, fresh chips, good quality

Wagamama - incredible (went today in the Trafford centre!) as always. Not really good desserts.

TGI - expensive for what it is, never good service imo

Pizza express - classic, know what you're getting, always good service / good food

Archie's - avoid like the plague. Terrible service and food

Coast to coast - again, avoid. Food is rubbish and very expensive!

Yo sushi in selfridges - love it, fresh sushi and nice staff.

Be prepared to queue anywhere, we've not got a table without queueing in the Trafford centre for ages! If you're happy to go to different places, Wagamamas for food is a good idea then haute dolci (dessert bar) is just along from there.

The good thing is The Trafford Centre is so huge, you can find something that caters to your budget and liking i'm sure... and if that's McDonalds then go to McDonalds!

I'd go Bill's, Nandos or San Carlo then Haute Dolce for dessert.

I like Tampopo in TC. Noodles, curries, rice. Tasty and not super ££

@Yogurtpotofdoom Oh, could be! I didn’t know that but it’s the only burger place I can think of that makes me feel like. I’ll keep an eye on other places that use peanut oil and see if there’s a pattern - thanks!

Do they have wagamamas?

Or the Shere Khan express?

g.co/kgs/xsF7by

Has managed an average of 2.0 out of 5 after 154 reviews, that is improbably bad - surely worth it just for the experience

Food at the Trafford centre is just chain stuff, mass produced. You may as well go to the spoons or McDonald's there.

@BigSandyBalls2015

TGIs is shocking everywhere IMO, no idea how they haven’t all closed down.

I disagree, we love the burgers there!

If there's an m&s you could just get a fancy picnic?

I have eaten at McDonald's twice recently with kids and it was absolutely disgusting both times. Dry burgers I couldn't finish quarter pounder either time. I'm not a snob about McDonald's I know it's good quality British beef but I genuinely felt ill. My 9 year old said the burger was horrible!

Wagamamas is also great.

Love tampopo. Have been to the one in TC and good service.

Las Iguanos or Wagamamas would be my picks.

There are so many good places to eat out in Manchester, Trafford centre is full of mediocre fast food chains that will be ping food. There are though within short distances some great places to eat on a Sunday

Or yeah you could go down to the corn exchange after shopping. There's some great places there.

For chicken burgers, GBK is always a hit with us, it never disappoints.