The Northern Quarter has always been the place to go if you want independent venues and a hipster vibe. With the introduction of some bigger chains in the last few years, I genuinely think that dynamic has changed and the evolving Ancoats area has meant that people have much more choice when looking for a great place to go that is further afield. Wolf at the Door is now open and boy, if the old school Northern Quarter vibe was your thing you need to read on.
You enter through a sticker emblazoned door and shuttered windows to a bustling bar with greenery hanging from the ceiling. Perch in the window, which is perfect if you are there solo, or take a pew at one of the lower tables to spend some quality time with friends.
The menu is ridiculously simple and competitively priced. Bao, tacos and loaded fries. Prices start from just £1 for two and to be honest, the biggest challenge is not picking everything on the menu. I mean at that price, there isn’t a lot stopping you.
There’s a lovely cocktail menu but they will make you what you want and I could have drank several of their margaritas. Strong and zesty with a delicate salt rim, just the way I like them and so many people get them wrong.
We ordered 4 different bao and they arrived together so they are perfect for sharing. The 2 anglicised versions were my favourite, go figure. The Bacon Cheese Bao-ger has all the flavours of a decent burger, yet sandwich in a softly light and fluffy bao. I thought it would be heavy and that the burger element would be sliced up chunks of burger, but it was a lot lighter and more like a seasoned minced beef mix. The Ham, Egg and Chips was exceptional and I would have happily eaten a plate full of them. Chunks of meaty ham, creamy egg and slices of potato inside that gorgeous bao. Writing this post is making my hungry.
Up next there was Pina Colada Prawn and Buffalo Chicken with BJ’s Blue Cheese. I am the queen of a sweet and fruity cocktail so I was really excited to see what they did with a pina colada bao but I was a little disappointed. The large, plump battered prawn was lovely but the sauce a little too lime heavy for my taste. I couldn’t really taste the Bunny Jackson’s blue cheese sauce but then the buffalo chicken is so tart and sour that it probably outshines it a little. I did enjoy it though, I am a fan of the wings at Bunny’s so it was never going to be a bad thing.
The Loaded Fries are a thing of beauty and are the absolute best ‘picky food’ if you are out drinking with your mates. Tasty hot fries topped with cheese, pickled red onion and nacho chips were gone in seconds, which is impressive considering how much we ordered.
Onto the tacos and you can expect 2 per order on a soft corn tortilla. The tortillas are slightly sour, which works perfectly with the rich and creamy toppings. The Nacho option is vegetarian with cheese, salsa and vegetables. Just delicious, there’s not really any other way to describe it. The Cauliflower Shawarma has chunks of firm cauliflower drizzled with a tart and fresh dressing that really doesn’t feel vegan. I still find that I’m expecting vegan food to lack something for me but this certainly doesn’t. Last we tried the Pork Pibil with rich pulled pork, the lovely red onions from the loaded fries and a drizzle of creamy sauce. I’m almost sad that they arrive in 2s as I would happily order 1 of everything on the menu. If you’re dining alone, 2 of each is a little much but they are such a bargain, it is hard to say no to!
I finished the night with The Pusher. A cocktail of Plantation 5 rum, Giffard banana du brasil, Horchata oat orgeat, fresh lime and a pinch of salt, served with a shot of Plantation 3 rum. It is fruity, strong and delicious. The shot really brings it together to create a boozy delight that is firmly in my favourites list alongside that ham, egg and chips bao.
Wolf at the Door really evokes old school Northern Quarter to me and it was bustling when we visited on a Tuesday night. It was a lovely thing to see and I can see if being one of those places that I gravitate towards when recommending places to meet before events or to catch up with friends over simple food and good drinks. Maybe I’ll see you there.
