Rating:
In a word (or two!):
Multi layered
Cuisine:
American style so think ribs, wings and burgers.
Appeals to:
Cane and Grain is set over three floors with three different themes so appeals to many but if you like beer, bourbon, rum and ribs you will be right at home.
What is Cane and Grain all about?
Cane and Grain takes the best of the Northern Quarter and spreads it over three floors. The brain child of Black Dog chain and Liars Club have come together to merge what they’re good at. A skate bar on the ground floor you will find an impressive range of beers in a relaxed setting. The first floor is home to the ribs joint and a back bar packed with rum and whiskey. The second floor is dedicated to all things tiki so think rum cocktails and trying not to fall down the stairs on the way out….!
The Food and Drink
The first floor of Cane and Grain offers a welcome oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the skate bar downstairs. Accessed by an almost secret door you will find some loveable critters adorning the light fittings.
We started with the Spam Fries and Rib Tips, the former mainly out of curiosity. Matchstick sized slithers of spam fried and seasoned before being served in a spam can. I’ve never been a fan of spam but these were great! Juicy with a crisp coating, I’ll be having them again. The rib tips, literally the tips of ribs removed and served separately, can be quite difficult to eat due to the bits of bone and gristle that you always get with tips but the BBQ sauce had a lovely kick.
The Deep South Burger features a southern fried chicken breast with jack cheese and spiced slaw in a brioche bun. I tend to get a bit bored of brioche buns with the number of burger places in Manchester serving their patties on them but this works really well and the sweetness helped to round the spiced flavours of the slaw and the chicken which, was juicy and tender. The fries were unfortunately overdone slightly and had gone dry in the centre.
The Ribs are served with your choice of sauce which is a really unique idea. My friend chose the rich and sticky flavours of the bourbon which I thought worked well with the crispy onions served on top. Unfortunately my friend has a real issue with onions and their addition wasn’t listed on the menu. The ribs themselves were soft, falling off the bone and the meat tender. It was slightly dry but the flavours made up for it.
Being an American food junkie I was desperate to try the Tater Tots and Truffled Mac And Cheese. The tater tots had a crunchy exterior whilst the potato centre was creamy and soft. The perfect comfort food. The mac and cheese was also good with a beautifully creamy cheese sauce that was light and thinner than the usual for this type of dish. It worked really well.
The cocktail menu is where the first floor bar excels for me and the presentation is just beautiful. Not a fan of bourbon, I chose the Bloomsbury Tale with Tanqueray 10 gin, citrus, tea and ale syrup, rhubarb and clove cordial. Something a bit different but bloody lovely and so elegantly served in a tea cup.
The Verdict
For a quiet meeting place the first floor bar of Cane and Grain is ideal. The food is good but, apart from highlights like the spam fries, it’s not really unique with other places in Manchester doing similar. The bar makes it, go for the bar.
The Details
Cane and Grain, 49-51 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1NA
Twitter: @caneandgrain