For me, garage visits involve nothing more than topping up my fuel. But Dunecht Garage near Westhill offers visitors much more.
This is because the garage is home to a street food van that is open daily.
It not only serves people refuelling their motors but also those who have driven to the location specifically for some hearty food.
Dunecht isn’t exactly near my patch, being from Turriff, but I welcome any excuse to venture into unknown territory when it comes to food and drink.
Press & Journal reader, Laura, recommended that Julia and I pay Dunecht Diner a visit for a Drive-Thru Diners installment.
Dunecht Diner: What is it and what’s on offer?
Dunecht Diner is open from 9am to 2.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 3pm on Sundays.
A range of breakfast and main dishes are available for customers, along with hot and cold drinks, and mini classic doughnuts.
One aspect that I liked about the business is that its burgers, hot dogs, and wraps are named after car brands on the menu. A quirky touch.
For example, the veggie burger is referred to as The Hybrid, while those after a breaded chicken burger should look out for the dish named Discovery Sport.
The menu is minimal, but surely this means those operating the van know how to perfect each item?
You can either order your dishes at the street food vendor or via JustEat. Or to find out more you can email diner@dunecht.com, call 07712 633465, or check out the Dunecht Diner Facebook page.
The order:
The verdict: Vogue Wurst hot dog
Hot dogs are a simple menu item. However, they can either be simple and effective or simple and fall flat.
Our hot dog from Dunecht Diner was a Frankfurter in a brioche bun topped with curry sauce.
The sausage itself was long, but we found the bread-to-meat ratio was essentially lacking. In one mouthful, I would go as far as to say it was 80% bun. The sausage couldn’t be fully appreciated because of this, but it had a nice smokiness to it.
The sauce added a nice tanginess to the hot dog. However, we would recommend adding some fried onions to yours if you stop by the van in the future.
Presentation
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 2.5/5
Taste
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The verdict: Popcorn chicken
Julia and I are only human and we couldn’t help but compare the taste of the Dunecht Diner popcorn chicken to that of the same dish by famous fast food chain KFC. After all, they are a staple menu item for many of the brand’s fans.
The dish comprised 18 bite-sized pieces of chicken that had been coated in a golden brown batter that contained mild salt and pepper seasoning.
The outside was deliciously crispy, but the chicken could have been juicier. These would have tasted incredible with a side of a spicy or smoky sauce – for example, honey sriracha, Thai sweet chilli, etc.
Presentation
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The verdict: Range Rover burger
Everything about the van’s Range Rover burger sounded great.
It is a combination of rump steak patty, mature cheddar, smoked bacon, lettuce, and tomato all sandwiched between a brioche bun. Brioche buns are a favourite of Julia’s when it comes to burgers, so she was looking forward to this.
As expected the bun was a winner, as was the cheese which was creamy in texture and slightly sharp in flavour. The salad ingredients were great, too.
The patty was a bit of a letdown as it lacked seasoning and proved a tad on the gristly side. However, it was a hefty size so – regardless of our experience – is good value for money.
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The verdict: Velar ‘O’ fish
The Velar ‘O’ fish was hands down the most intriguing item on the business’ menu. You can’t blame us for being as excited as we were to try it as the dish is basically a spruced-up fish finger bap. Who doesn’t love them?
Again, and unsurprisingly, the bun was great and boasted a nice sweetness to it which paired superbly with the six succulent fish fingers. However, the fish fingers were, frozen and not sourced locally. I would have scored this a five on taste if they had been.
The tartare sauce was bursting with flavour. Rich, tangy, and smooth, it rounded everything off perfectly and secured the Velar ‘O’ fish as our favourite dish of the day.
Dunecht Diner customers, be sure to give this one a go.
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 3.5/5
Taste
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 4.5/5
The Velar ‘O’ fish came out on top at Dunecht Diner, racking up a score of 15.5/20.
Can you think of any local venues or dishes you would like the Drive-Thru Diners to try?
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