Julia and I have eaten our way across the north and north-east in 2022.
We have conquered an extensive list of street food trucks, tried our hand at some unusual dishes – including a battered burger, chicken and cheese rolls, and a battered Mars bar – and even found ourselves tucking into some of the best scran we have tried to date.
This has all been thanks to our ongoing Drive-Thru Diners series, which sees the pair of us visit an eclectic mix of food and drink businesses to put several of their dishes to the test.
To wrap up 2022, we have collated the best and worst rated installments of the past year.
The Larder
The Larder in Huntly was sampled by us in the not-so-distant past, in November. I can say with confidence that some of the menu items we opted for were up there with the best I have tried in 2022.
On the menu was a caramelised onion, mustard, and cheese sausage roll, a macaroni and bacon pie, and a Matilda cake – the gooiest and richest chocolate cake you’ll have the pleasure of trying in the north-east.
We rated them 16/20, 15.5/20, and 17.5/20 respectively, but it was the white chocolate, strawberry, and tablet cheesecake that blew us away above all. For the first time in our series, the treat took home the top score of 20/20.
Big Mannys’ Pizza
Big Mannys’ Pizza has been one of the fastest-growing businesses in Aberdeen this year. After I tried their scran for the first time with Julia in this installment back in August, I immediately understood why.
Of course, we had to opt for an 18-inch pizza – something that the business has become well-known for. It had two separate toppings, one named Above and Beyond (a vegan option) and the other called the New Yorker.
We rated them 19.5/20 and 18.5/20. If you’re a pizza fan, trust me when I say you’re sure to think highly of the scran from Big Mannys’.
The Feed Baron
The Feed Baron was one of the first businesses we paid a visit to after launching Drive-Thru Diners.
We ranked the Westhill food truck’s ‘Bigger Rab’ burger – a special menu item that paid homage to Scots poet Rabbie Burns in the run-up to Burns Night in January – 18/20, while its triple-cooked chips scored 17.5/20 and its chicken wings 14.5/20.
To this day, Julia swears by the street food business if she’s yearning for an indulgent, mouth-watering burger.
Lows Traditional Fish and Chips
After hearing word that the Lows Traditional Fish and Chips site in Westhill earned a spot in the Top 40 of the Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year 2023 list in October, we knew it was finally time to feature it in the series.
As many as five items were ordered – yes, we left feeling incredibly full, but satisfied.
The small haddock supper was awarded 16/20. It was a substantial size and the fish batter was stellar.
As for the remaining dishes, which included a king rib, battered vegan sausage, burger in batter, and macaroni pie, they scored 15.5/20, 15/20, 15/20, and 12.5/20.
The Flying Wok
Neither of us knew what to expect as we made our way to The Flying Wok, a Thai food truck located in Bridge of Don. It was recommended to us by a reader, Jenna, so we were putting our trust in her.
She and The Flying Wok itself didn’t let us down.
We ordered a portion of battered sweeter chicken and chicken in soy and garlic, which racked up a score of 17/20. Our other dish, spicy chicken red curry and chicken with fresh chilli and garlic, racked up 16/20.
All in all, a fantastic find that we would encourage all Thai food lovers to try out.
Richmond Street Deli
Richmond Street Deli has been a hot spot for foodies in Aberdeen for a number of years.
Out of all its inviting menu items, The Katsu is arguably the most popular featuring thick strips of chicken, broccoli, and a cashew and cranberry salad. It definitely came out on top during our taste test as Julia and I ranked it 16.5/20.
We also sampled The Club, a sandwich oozing with chicken mayo, bacon, lettuce, ham, tomato, mature cheddar, and sweet chilli, as well as the dirty fries. They were rated 15/20 and 14.5/20.
Harry Gow
Harry Gow is praised by many that reside in regions across the north. The pair of us were familiar with the brand but had never stepped foot inside one of its bakeries.
During a recent visit to Inverness, we ordered four items from its Kingsmill Road branch – a steak pie, sausage roll, dream ring, and fern cake.
As expected, each and every item scored highly. The steak pie took the trophy and was awarded a combined total of 17/20. The sausage roll and fern cake just fell short, both receiving 16.5.
Sky Cafe
Our installment that focused on Inverurie eatery Sky Cafe makes me smile to this day.
Some of the food and drink we tried may have fallen a little flat, including the Vietnamese baguette, but our £25 munchie box was a treat.
It comprised two burgers, barbecue boneless chicken, sweet chilli crispy shredded chicken, curly fries, onion rings, and mozzarella dippers.
However, it was our Mint Aero freakshake that took home the crown this time around after being rated 17.5/20.
Skoff
Skoff was the gift that kept on giving this season as we headed over to the Dyce food truck to try its special festive wrap. Oh boy, what a treat it was – and definitely worthy of 16/20.
The McSkoff burger, chorizo breakfast burger, and hot chocolate were ordered, too. We thought the grub in particular was of great caliber.
You can catch the business at its resident pitch on Wellheads Crescent, as well as at a line-up of events across the north-east and further afield. Visit the Skoff Facebook page for more information.
Bagpipe Bistro
Julia and I were really looking forward to visiting Bagpipe Bistro in Inverness. We had heard so many great things, and it’s fair to say the food truck has an impressive social media following.
The owners were an absolute pleasure to chat with. As for the dishes, some knocked it out of the park, while others left a sour taste.
The Italian cheeseburger was one of the best burgers I’ve ordered to date, while the Bagpipe chicken wrap was incredibly tasty. They scored 17.5/20 and 15/20.
Our piri piri chips and Bagpipe Philly cheesesteak burger were rated 11.5/20 and 8.5/20.
Noks Thai Kitchen
A second Thai food truck that Julia and I were happy we visited was Noks Thai Kitchen in Dyce, which opened around four years ago.
It was another reader-recommended business. This time, by Jade Allan from Aberdeen.
Four dishes were ordered, one of which was making Julia rather anxious – the jungle curry with noodles. Despite this, we gave it a combined score of 16/20 and couldn’t stop complimenting its flavour.
If you’re planning on stopping by in the near future, I would urge you to bag yourself a portion of the chicken and cheese rolls. This dish was one of my favourites from 2022.
Adrianna’s Grill
Adrianna’s Grill has rebranded since the pair of us stopped by and is now known as Yak & Yeti Grill, so be sure to look out for it if you’re passing the Inverurie Retail Park.
Two dishes wowed us when we visited in September, including the dirty dog and the Scottish breakfast bap. They racked up scores of 17/20 and 16/20.
While the menu items weren’t out of this world, we can appreciate why regulars love their grub so much. It’s hearty, wholesome, and there’s plenty of it in a portion.
Golden Grill
When you spot the words ‘monster box’ on a menu, you are only human if your interest is piqued. This was the case when we decided to feature Golden Grill in a Drive-Thru Diners installment back in April.
The Bridge of Don street food van sells Greek cuisine – something I was particularly excited about given that I haven’t sampled much in my time.
All three dishes had an average score of 14.8/20, with the top scorer being the Gyros monster box at 15.5/20. Two Greek pita bread, onions, tomatoes, tzatziki (a yoghurt based cucumber and garlic sauce), pork gyros, chips and paprika are included.
The Dolphin Chipper
After hearing through the grapevine that Aberdeen’s The Dolphin Chipper served up a variety of battered items that neither of us had sampled before, we took to the road to try them out for ourselves at the Chapel Street branch (one of three).
A battered Mars bar, macaroni bites, and a battered Lorne sausage in a bap were among the order, with the battered Lorne sausage scoring 15.5/20.
The dishes were filling and some were tasty. However, I don’t know if I’d be rushing back – we’re all guilty of being picky when it comes to chippers, after all.
Thai Basil
There wasn’t just one dish that came out on top at Thai Basil, located in Altens. There were two, including the spring rolls and beef satay – 16/20 was their score.
Everything is freshly made to order at the Thai food truck, according to the business’ menu, and it certainly tasted that way after putting some of the menu items to the test.
The spring rolls were flaky and crispy on the outside and packed with fresh, tasty vegetables, while we adored the creamy sauce in the beef satay.
The prawn pad Thai and red Thai chicken curry didn’t impress as much and both left with a 12.5/20.
Yilmaz Snack Bar
Did Julia and I give the fare at Yilmaz Snack Bar a thumbs up, or were we left disappointed (and hungry)? Well, we certainly gave it a thumbs up.
Three items were sampled during our taste test at the food truck in July, one of which trumped the others scoring 14.5/20 – the mixed kebab.
It included everything from chicken, steak, and doner to Turkish sausage, all perched on top of a thin wrap. It was worthy of the winning spot.
The Pitstop
Since Julia and I headed over to unique roadside eatery The Pitstop (on the A96) in January, I have stopped by more times than I’d like to admit with friends and family.
People travel from far and wide to see what the cafe, now under new ownership, has to offer. Being that I live so close by, it would be rude to not make the most of it.
Out of all the dishes Julia and I dived into, the cooked breakfast came out on top and scored 16/20. If you’re feeling peckish, this is the menu item you need to order.
MrBeast Burger
MrBeast Burger officially launched in Aberdeen in April, dishing out its grub from the Village Hotel in Kingswells.
News broke of the franchise opening a delivery site in the area just several weeks before the pair of us drove over, and people went crazy for it on social media.
Neither of us was overly happy with the dishes we ordered, particularly due to how much they are hyped up. However, our Beast Style burger did receive an impressive score of 16/20.
If you’re going to order from MrBeast Burger in the future, order this (and avoid the cookies and fries).
Chilli Flames
Chilli Flames is an Afro-Portuguese flame-grilled chicken restaurant with a menu offering grilled marinated chicken, burgers, rice boxes, and pitta wraps.
The dishes sound more than enticing, so we decided to feature the chain as part of the series back in May. We visited the branch on Aberdeen’s Bridge Street.
A combined score of 12/20 was given to Chilli Flames’ loaded Mexi fries. This was the highest scorer with the other dishes, including the flama wings, flamin panini, and flama kofta, receiving 9/20, 9.5/20, and 10.5/20.
Marmaris
For Julia, during her years as a student, Marmaris was her go-to takeaway to visit after a night out in Aberdeen. Let’s face it, we all have one…
The Turkish pizza and kebab house serves up a diverse menu of pizzas, burgers, kebabs, and wraps, among other things. I was excited to try it out.
The sucuk kebab was our favourite item of the day. Racking up a score of 14.5/20, it looked the part, featured a mouth-watering spicy sausage, and there was plenty to go around for the two of us.
The main thing for us was that some of the ingredients in our dishes didn’t taste the freshest. I’m still to stop by again.
DejaVu Sandwich Bar
Perhaps we visited on a bad day. Nevertheless, Julia and I didn’t have a great experience at DejaVu Sandwich Bar, located on Rose Street in Aberdeen.
The items we opted for included the katsu chicken melt panini, honey chilli chicken wrap, Jack Daniel’s sesame chicken flatbread, and veggie club sandwich.
The latter scored the highest with 12/20. It boasted a number of different flavours and textures, all of which married really well together. The pair of us agreed.
Snack Express
Our cream and toffee-filled donut finger by Byron Bakery came out on top at Garthdee food truck Snack Express, racking up a score of 16/20. The treat was an absolute joy to tuck into during the Drive-Thru Diners installment.
As for the dishes we tried from the Snack Express menu itself, each one fell flat.
Our bacon cheeseburger scored 7.5/20, our jumbo hot dog scored 10/20, and our sausage and cheese melt scored 6/20.
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