Food: The Blues Kitchen, Shoreditch

One of the best things about living in Bethnal Green is *not* having to get on a tube at the weekend. It’s so nice to be able to roll out of bed, take a short walk and have the pick of some of the best independent stores, restaurants and bars in the whole of London. Last weekend we found ourselves in The Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch and we loved it so much, we decided to go back this weekend (with camera) so we could review it.

The Blues Kitchen serves classic American food with a Blues / Cajun / Southern American Twist. By day it’s a really cool place to sit, eat and relax with friends and gorge on amazing food, by night it’s parrrrrttttttty time with live music, DJ’s and dancing. The venue is huge, the decor is cool and most of the tables seem to be spacious, comfortable booths.

Drinks

The milkshakes are epic, I had the Oreo and my man had the chocolate. Both were huge and delicious, a little filling, but fabulous! Too good to miss out on! My boyfriend also had an Ale which he loved, it was imported by Portland, OR. It tasted fresh, smooth, a little fruity and really easy to drink.

Mains 

I had the cheeseburger (without the cheese – seriously, I really did!!) and I requested it well done. It was beautifully browned on the outside and juicy on the inside, just the way I like it. The brioche bun with filled with fresh tomatoes and pickles. It was served with delicious fresh slaw and fries. It was one of the best burgers I have had in ages, great quality meat, perfectly cooked and the bread and pickles were the perfect accompaniment.

My boyfriend had the Rib and Pulled Pork Combo, it was meaty, juicy and delicious! The meat fell off the rib and melted in the mouth. The pulled pork was moist, succulent and full of smoky, BBQ’ed flavour. Served with fresh slaw, pickles and fries. It was such an massive portion he had to leave most of his fries. Incredible!!

Sides 

As mentioned, our mains came with slaw and fries, so we didn’t really need to order any sides, but I had a hankering for onion rings and my boyfriend wanted to sample the mac and cheese. The onion rings were cooked in batter and had a bit of a cajun twist, I’m often disappointed by onion rings, but these were delicious and exactly what I wanted. The Mac and Cheese had a grilled cheese top with a bit of a crunch and the inside was filled with gooey, cheesy joy.

Deserts

When you see the words ‘Oreo Donuts’ on a menu, it doesn’t matter how full you are, you have to order them. Especially when they are served with a hot salted caramel sauce. Think fluffy donut balls, with soft Oreos on the inside. Somehow they are moist and juicy without leaving your mouth coated with oil. Incredible. We also ordered the hot chocolate brownie which is served with vanilla pod ice cream, the hotness of the brownie is like a hug (to quote our waiter) with the cool of the ice cream. It was fresh, gooey and perfectly chocolatey. One of the best brownies I have ever tasted and the Oreo Donuts are a desert dream!

Service

It’s not just the food I love at The Blues Kitchen, the service is amazing too. I have been twice now and both times our servers have been super friendly and helpful, they genuinely love the food at The Blues Kitchen and it’s obvious they have tried every single dish on the menu. Our server this weekend, Liam, was chatty, knowledgable and genuinely really excited to be serving the food to his customers. He couldn’t have been more helpful and he even sent us home with our leftover deserts, he knew they were too good to waste and they tasted just as good later that night!

The Blues Kitchen is my current favourite restaurant in the whole of East London, their food is so tasty and it’s such a nice place to spend the afternoon. I can’t say enough good things about it, it’s basically a party in your mouth. I’ll be back soon!

PS. They have another restaurant in Camden, so if Shoreditch isn’t your area, I’m sure the Camden branch will be an equally awesome experience.