Players are value for money in Cheetham Hill, Manchester

We were recommended this place by a person who insisted that, of all the fast food burger joints on the famous stretch of Cheetham Hill, Players were the real deal.

Boasting six sites in Greater Manchester!

And they must have been something there for them to boast five other restaurants across Greater Manchester: Manchester City Centre, Fallowfield, Oldham, Rochdale, and Bolton.

This 18-cover restaurant certainly stood out with its distinct, multi-coloured signage, and a trio of icons beneath the logo that highlight the burger, shake and waffle.

In fact, of all the things available on their menu, we were told that if we had to order just two items, it should be the ‘Golden Boot’ milkshake and their best-selling ‘Double Century’ burger.

Players offer a menu that’s mainly been inspired by the beautiful game of football, but a nod to the gentleman’s game of cricket.

Players was specifically recommended to us in Cheetham Hill

In any case, there’s three ‘leagues’ to consider: a ‘Beef Burgers League’ with 10 options, a ‘Chicken Burger League’ with 11, and a ‘Players Wraps League’ offering five choices, in addition to a fish and veggie burger each.

Otherwise, there’s an assortment of wings, grilled chicken, a jumbo platter with two whole chickens and sundry, as well as grilled strips, a chicken box, and a mixed grilled box, with a selection of freshly-made shakes and waffles, as well as a desserts counter.

Golden Boot – Oreos, white kinder bueno, white chocolate sauce; Man of the Match – Ferrero Rocher, strawberries, chocolate sauce

Oh yeah! We came to realise immediately why these shakes were recommended to us the way they were.

Absolutely thick and lusciously creamy, plenty of flavour, with the distinct taste of the strawberry coming through in the Man of the Match, and plenty of the chocolatey goodness in the Golden Boot. Recommended!

Double Century – Beef patty (4oz), fried chicken fillet, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, brioche bun, £6.99

This Double Century, named as such because of the combination of a 4oz beef patty and a fried chicken fillet, was highlighted on the menu, and we can see why.

Not only is this burger alone a measly £6.99, but you can make this into either a regular meal, with chips and a drinks, for an extra £2.25 (with the curly fries upgrade available for £2.75), or go large for an additional 50 pence.

That’s just £9.74 (£10.24 with curly fries) for essentially a double burger meal! Little wonder this is one of Players’ most popular burgers at such an insanely cheap price!

In terms of flavour alone, we immediately recognised after the first bite why this had come so highly recommended.

Truth be told, this burger will give most higher-end versions a run for their money, with the moist peri peri chicken combining with the beef patty to deliver a truly memorable sandwich.

What’s more, it was obvious that their curly fries, which are available as part of a meal for an additional £2.75, were fried at the optimum temperature to ensure a gorgeously crisp finish, while being soft and fluffy on the inside.

Very Peri – Peri peri chicken fillet, cheese, lettuce, red onion, mayo, hot peri peri sauce, £4.99

This Very Peri chicken fillet burger just confirmed that Players have some serious game when it comes to their burgers.

Again, beautifully moist and tender poultry, based in a punchy peri peri sauce, complemented by some heat courtesy of the hot peri peri sauce, and dampened by the mayo and the sweetness of the red onions. Excellent!

Grilled Chicken Wings & Hot ‘n’ Spicy Wings (NB – portion size for review purposes only)

Players offers two variety of wings: normal and the hot ‘n’ spicy. Served with a wide of red onions, lettuce and even some jalapenos, these wings were grilled to perfection.

Turning out moist and well marinated, the normal variety was covered in a mellow peri peri sauce, and the latter in a spicious glaze. You can’t go wrong with these.