Having a vegan American style diner so close to where I live is going to become both a blessing (to my stomach) and a curse (to my waistline)! Grumpy Panda Coffee Bar and Diner opened in Gateshead in the North East of England in July 2017, and it's definitely a treat!
I'll be honest in saying that I've only had the pleasure of visiting the diner twice, but I definitely intend to change that. I first visited with my friend and both our Mums in August last year. My friend and her mum are lifelong vegetarians, but both are totally open to veganism and my friend is almost totally vegan now (yay!). On the other hand, my own mum is a total omnivore, but again she is open to vegan food. I can't quite remember what we all ate that day, but I do remember the diner was quite busy so service did take a while, although I can 100% say we all enjoyed our meals!
For this visit, I went with my omni boyfriend, who promised to take me out to a restaurant of my choice this week. I like to think he feels bad because we eat at Nando's quite regularly, although in reality it's because I did a favour for him and he owed me :D This visit, I decided last minute to book a table, just in case they were busy as we were going on a Saturday lunchtime. Luckily for me, the lovely staff member I spoke to advised me they had plenty of space free, although she still reserved a nice little corner table for us.
Upon arriving, we were greeted by the staff and pointed in the direction of our table. Menu's are on the table, and once you're ready to order you simply go up to the counter and place your order and pay. We opted for the "Mac 'n' Stack Burger" with fries and coleslaw, the "Frikin Chikin Sandwich" with fries and coleslaw, along with the "Cheezstake fries" because we were feeling piggy, clearly! Along with one can of pepsi this all came to £20 exactly, which isn't that much for the feast we enjoyed! I also asked the waitress if any of the food has nuts in (as I suffer from a serious nut allergy) and she happily confirmed that none of the food on the menu has nuts in, although occasionally some of the cakes they offer on the counter may have nuts in, though the Chocolate and Vanilla one available on the day of my visit was suitable for me too!
My "Frikin Chikin" sandwich was made up of cauliflower wings, mayo and pickles, with a side of chips and coleslaw. My oh my, the cauliflower wings we so good!!! I've never had cauliflower wings before, and now they are firmly on my list of things to make at home. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the coleslaw, but where that wasn't my cup of tea (so British of me), the chips were gorgeous. I'm not too sure what spice they used on them, I'd guess paprika, but they were perfectly crisp and just to my liking.
My boyfriends "Mac 'n' stack burger" was a burger topped with "Mac and cheese" along with burger sauce. This got his omni approval and my approval! The mac and cheese was glorious and I'll definitely be back to try it some more! Our side of "Cheezstake fries" also hit the spot, with the "stake" being really impressing. Fun fact - they actually make all their own "meats" and "cheeses" onsite which just adds to how impressive they are!
All in all, I would highly recommend the Grumpy Panda diner and the food we had. I will definitely be back in the future to sample some more of the options from the menu, as well as the cakes they have on the counter each day. The ambience in the restaurant is really laid back and the decor inside really makes you feel like you're in an American diner. The location is also super useful, being a short walk away from Gateshead town centre and the Gateshead metro stop. Really, there's no excuse not to go if you're travelling through the North East of England!
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