Bun & Slice (Burgers & Pizza) – Manchester

Bun & Slice is the newest gourmet burger joint in north Manchester offering a wide variety of flavours and meats to choose from.

And even if you think burgers just aren’t your thing, they’ve got “special” pizzas to choose from instead.

With a simple black and yellow colour scheme, the shop is a relatively small one that’s based on the periphery of Cheetham Hill, which is more a less on the outskirts of the city centre.

With black seating made comfortable by yellow cushions, there’s a large message on an equally bright yellow wall that reads: “Nobody is born a winner. Nobody is born a loser. We are just born hungry!”

Limited seating of around 14 means that Bun & Slice also caters for collections and delivery. The menu itself is succinct and ensures that “all meats served is [sic] 100% Halal certified”.

Ohh Yh – straight oreo; Black Magic – chocolate brownie, marshmallow; Why So Salty – salted caramel & pretzel – £4.00 each

You can’t get much better if you’re a chocoholic than Black Magic’s combo of chocolate brownie and marshmallow. Having said that though, this did garner mixed reviews. As such, while one Lioness loved it, describing it as “a brownie explosion” that was “smooth and rich”, she did note the absence of the marshmallow. Her colleague, however, disagreed calling it “too chocolatey”, with the third somewhere in the middle. But, if you’re after a rich brownie shake, this is the one.

As for the Why So Salty shake, then if you enjoy salted caramel, this’ll hit the spot. Having the perfect balance of sweet and salty, courtesy of the novel additon of pretzel, this was nice and creamy, with a smooth texture.

The Ohh Yh shake was, indeed, straight-up Oreo. And though we would have ventured out a little in terms of flavours, ‘The Nutter’ shake was sadly out of stock on the day. Having said that, an Oreo-licious shake is always a crowd pleaser.

As is well known, the key to the success of any shake lies with its texture and consistency. Despite these being slightly thinner in comparison to others out there, sometimes that’s a good thing when pairing it with a heavy meal.

It has to be said from the outset that the smell and aroma of the burgers was irresistible…

Beef 101 – beef, salad, onion, BS sauce & American cheese served in a brioche bun, £5.99

It was obvious from first impressions that this uniquely named Beef 101 had an amazing homemade touch to it.

With the beef being cooked so well, not only was the texture of the meat just perfect, but you could actually taste the juicy flavours of the mince.

What’s more, the combination of the fresh lettuce leaves, tomato, rings of onion and pickle, drizzled with plenty of the BS sauce, contributed towards its classic beef burger taste.

If you’re looking for a juicy, classic, homemade-style beef burger, this is it!

Thicc – stacked grilled chicken, beef, & steak, salad, grilled onions, peppers, BS sauce & triple cheese served in a pretzel roll, £9.99; Curly Fries £1.49

If you’re looking for a bit of everything, then this, with its mixture of chicken, beef and steak, is the real deal.

A harmony of flavours coupled with the tastes of the meats coming through so distinctly meant that this beat our expectations.

The grilled steak stood out for us, being beautifully soft and tender, and enhanced by the sweetness of the grilled onions and peppers.

But what really lifted this burger to epic proportions was the addition of three cheeses, one to each layer, which, when paired with the BS sauce, helped bring this juicy sandwich together into a coherent whole.

Yes, this is a proper hands-on burger, so be prepared to approach this on an empty stomach.

Curly fries were a sure winner too. Seasoned well and not under cooked, these were crispy, yet soft on the inside – just how they should be.

They also had a lovely sprinkle of seasoning/salt which made them such a stand out side.

Dirty Bird – panko crumbed fried chicken, salad, pickles, jalapeno, bacon, BS sauce, egg, Monterey Jack cheese served in a brioche bun, £6.49; Jalapeno Bites £2.99

A gorgeously crispy chicken panko fillet, which turned out tender and soft on the inside, is what defined this Dirty Bird burger.

In this, however, there were two elements that made it what it was: the egg and the Halal ‘bacon’, or Turkey rasher.

While the former delivered a soft earthiness, the latter, being expertly cooked, provided a crispy texture and a touch of smokiness.

Add to all that, the light kick of the BS sauce, along with the heat of the jalapeños, the tanginess of the gherkins, and a slice of melted cheese, and this was one of the best chicken burgers we’ve had.

Definitely not one to miss out on!

These Jalapeno Bites were definitely a fave for us all.

The creamy nuggets of soft cheese blended perfectly with the kick of spice materialising from the centre.

Whether you like your jalapenos or not, this is just a mouthwatering must. A great starter too!

Fifty Fifty (10″ £10.00, 14″ £13.00)- pizza tomato sauce, cheese, chicken, portobello mushroom, onions & peppers.

For the pizza, we opted for the Fifty Fifty, which allowed us to choose any two pizzas with the chef combining them into one.

We opted for the Magic Chicken, requesting the poultry to be made spicy, and the High Steakes.

What we can say from the outset is that this definitely wasn’t your traditional takeaway kind. Instead, this had the hallmarks of a premium pizza.

The Magic Chicken was perfectly seasoned and perfectly spiced. The other toppings included mushrooms, onions and peppers, which added to the overall flavour and texture.

As for the High Steakes, then this too didn’t disappoint. The combination of the soft and tender steak pieces and portobello mushrooms was amazing. The onions and peppers helped complement the flavour of the meat. If there was a criticism, then it might be that the steaks could have been smaller in size. That’s a minor quibble though, because this is worth getting alone it was that good.

In addition, the crust was cheese-stuffed and tasted great, making this an impressive combo.

Sweet Potato £3.09

The sweet potato fries we’re brilliantly executed, being thin and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the in. Can’t go wrong with a crispy sweet side alongside a meal.