Dine Birmingham | Restaurant & Bar Reviews | Guide • Digbeth Dining Club | Street food

Digbeth Dining Club | Street food | Digbeth

Having commented on a previous review or two I was asked if I would like to provide a review for a restaurant in Birmingham. I had a few ideas, but for my first piece, I chose one of the latest foodie projects in the city - Digbeth Dining Club (DDC), in Spotlight Bar.

[by Gary Weir]

The Digbeth Dining Club aims to bring the street food concept to the Birmingham area. Each Friday, two or three stalls showcase the best of local and invited street food vendors. The week I went, The Meat Shack (Burgers) and Hungry Toad (curry) were on show.

atmosphere

“Held in an industrial unit underneath a railway arch in Digbeth, the look from outside is not the most inviting…”

Don’t expect an illuminated sign to let you know you are there. You open a door, enter to the right and suddenly you’re in a very welcoming space. Spotlight is large and open, with comfortable seating and a bar to the left.

Straight in front is an outside area where the food stalls are operating. The vibe is very laid back with mellow music early on (children are allowed until 9pm), followed by guest DJ’s showcasing a different style of music each week.

food

The food is street food - no quenelles or jus smears, it is all about the
taste. This week I had the chance to try The Meat Shack’s burgers. Anyone who likes burgers and is on Twitter or Facebook will have heard about these burgers. They are made with 28-day-aged Hereford Beef, locally sourced buns cooked that afternoon, homemade coleslaw and dressings.

These are premium burgers. Described as ‘filthy’, they definitely ooze and drip down your hands and even arm as you eat them. If you are lucky, you can get them cooked medium-rare and truly appreciate the flavours involved.

The first burger I tried was a candied bacon one (£6). Bun, coleslaw, chilli, burger, pickles and candied streaky bacon. The flavours combined to make it one hell of a taste explosion.

“This is not fine dining, this is sucking your fingers, wiping your mouth and serviettes are a necessity.”

One was not enough, so after a break we tried a Mo Shack Burger (£5.50). This was similar, but without the chilli and bacon. My best mate who joined me thought this was the highlight, as it showed the burger off better - fewer flavours buzzing around your mouth.

drinks

Drinks were a couple of pints of Tiger beer (£3.95). It is lager… what more can I say? They also do a range of interesting bottled beers/ciders (£5), which includes Innis and Gunn cask rum beer.

overall

Street food does seem to be the buzz thing at the moment, and the DDC are doing it very, very well. They are both showcasing local players, and bringing in guests from further afield. I love the concept and will be going back several times.