Alabama’s All American Eatery
Creative Tourist
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A more San Francisco take on American food in Manchester – introducing Alabama’s All American Eatery.
Alabama’s All American Eatery, despite having a name that firmly plants its stake in US territory, is actually at the more chilled-out end of Manchester’s ongoing homage to the Americana trend. While Infamous Diner, Cane & Grain and Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn have all baseball-batted neon, meat and nostalgia into every conceivable corner, Alabama’s takes a more San Francisco approach; its walls are a gentle blue, its booths mustard-coloured, and the long bar around the kitchen is a sprightlier take on the one in Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. The menu, too, is more restrained, with a better number of veggie (and vegan!) options than most and dotted with appealing things like Benny’s Crab Cakes, a ham hock omelette and Philly cheese steak.
The food is executed well; the classic eggs Florentine flavoured with just the right amount of salty tang, and the fish cakes proving melt-in-the-mouth. The buttermilk pancakes are pleasingly moreish, with the wild berries given just the right level of sweetness if you’re after something that won’t give you the sugar shakes ten minutes later. Shame that the orange juice isn’t freshly squeezed – and that a coffee with soya milk tastes like Nesquik (the normal coffee was fine) – but otherwise Alabama’s is a delightful, convivial place. Thumbs up.
