I’m Evie (he/she) and I love to have my opinion heard about all things food! Kicking off in this issue, my column is going to focus on vegetarian-friendly places to eat in Glasgow and will be a good guide to eating in the city as a student.
We all know the feeling: you’ve just stumbled out of the club, you’re drunk, and you’re starving. Normally what ensues is a dirty, greasy, and sometimes bank-breaking meal which at the time you believe to be the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life, but in the morning you think “did I really eat that – and enjoy it?!”. Here, I go through several of the late-night spots in Glasgow in my ongoing mission for the perfect chips, cheese, and curry sauce.
Firstly, we have the classic spot of Caspian Kebabs on Sauchiehall Street. I’m in a state of constant conflict about this place – I think my overall issue with it is that it is just extremely average. Prices are fairly standard and there is a student discount available (if you’re not too drunk to remember). The food is fairly average, but my biggest complaint is that their chips are fries, not chip-shop style chips. Unfortunately, this is a recurring issue. In terms of ambience and service, there is not a lot to offer, as one of the busiest spots on this list.
Morello Takeaway, on both Great Western Road and Woodlands Road, is a bit of a dark horse and I would even go as far as to say that it would be my chip shop of choice in the West End. Unfortunately, their chips are also fries, but I would still place it above Caspians. The service is really friendly – something which is often lacking in such establishments – and one of the guys that works there now recognises my partner and I and is always pleased to see us. Which is lovely, if a bit embarrassing. The prices are fair and there is also a student discount here.
I could hardly write a list of chip shops in Glasgow as a Glasgow Uni student without talking about 727. Few chip shops achieve the reputation and cultural status of 727, but is it deserving of this? I would argue that its location near to Murano is a large contributor to its status – the food is by no means bad, but it is not the best. One thing you can always count on is a generous amount of cheese and chip-shop style chips – not to be taken for granted in this business. I think it’s a bit pricey, but I would give it extra points for being next to a Michelin Star restaurant, because that is just too good to be true.
And now to descend in the rankings, one place I would not recommend to my worst enemy is Lord of Fries on Sauchiehall Street. The only positive thing I can say about this place is that their chips were proper chip-shop chips – but they tasted stale and were cold, so what is the point? They were over-salted and I paid £6 for a ‘medium’, which was one of the most measly portions of chips I’ve ever paid that much for. The picked onions were also in the same box as the chips, which was bizarre, but I can’t say that it detracted from my experience because there was nothing to detract from. If you’re on Sauchiehall Street there is no reason to subject yourself to this – there are plenty of other good, bad and in-between options. Truly the lowest of the low.
Finally, Spicy Grill is lesser known, but it is my local and so holds a special place in my heart. Across the road from Record Factory, it is not a chip shop per say – it is more of an Indian takeaway, but nonetheless worth a mention. The chips, cheese, and curry sauce were not what I was expecting – instead of the usual luminous chip shop curry sauce, it was more authentic Indian-style curry sauce. This was a refreshing vision and made the experience memorable, but it fell short in some respects. I would say that the chips (fries) were not crispy enough, and on the occasions when I have sampled their garlic sauce, it can only be described as watery. My recommendation would be the peshwari naan, which gives your post-pint eats a bit of diversity.
While I am yet to find the perfect chip shop that satisfies all of my requirements, I live in hope – and you should too. Nobody wants to wake up with regret over what they drank (never mind ate) the night before, so I invite suggestions for where I should try next. Until then, I bid you all luck in the perpetual hunt for the best chip shop in Glasgow.
Evie McCabe
(Vegetarian Eats as a UofG Student is a monthly column by Evie McCabe, exclusive to qmunicatemagazine.co.uk. Stay tuned for more instalments!)
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