We all love going out for food, especially as students who sometimes just cannot be bothered to cook, yet a student budget means this luxury isn’t always possible. But fear not! With our collection of £1 food joints and the finest student deals, Manchester’s finest food isn’t out of reach.
First up on our whistle stop tour is Southside Tequila and Tacos in Withington. This edgy little bar opened up at the start of the first lockdown, and is now a Withington staple, with its signature offer of £1 tacos all-day everyday.
A musical theme deems each taco a name after from a famous rapper, whilst album posters ranging from the Libertines to Snoop Dogg cover tacked to the ceiling act as the perfect conversation starter if on a taco-based date.
Having tried the Easy E, the Notorious B.I.G , the Lil’ Pump, the Red Man and the A$AP rocky (essentially all of the tacos on offer) I can say that my personal favourites were the Easy E (pork Pibil, guacamole and Manchego) and the Too Short (tuna mayo, mango salsa, and cheddar). Tuna and mango may seem like a questionable combination, but the contrast of creamy cheese with sweet sharp mango worked incredibly. The Too Short tacos (revealed to be Rick’s, the owner of Southside’s, favourite) were that good I ended up ordering three. Beyond tacos there are a handful of sides for around £4 each thing, including Mexican loaded corn on the cob(vegan options available), tortillas and guac.
The Joint prides itself on the fact it offers over 150 different variations of tequila, including OCHO, Don Julio, and Patron, making it one of the widest selections in the country. Rick’s aim is to steer people away from the perception that tequila must come in a bottle with a little red sombrero, to be followed with salt and lime.
The Tequila 101 section on Southside’s website lists all sorts of information on the tequila’s origins, and varying characteristics. All of their cocktails are solely tequila-based, with straws made from the highly sustainable Agave plant from which tequila is derived. Upon recommendation, we tried the Tommy’s Margarita, which takes its influence from the world-famous Tommy’s Joint in San Francisco, with plenty of agave and lime to cut through the Reposado.
At around 9:00pm the lights are dimmed as happy hour begins – from 9-11pm two for one cocktails (at around the £7.50 mark) are an absolute bargain for a good quality drink.
Be sure to pop into this Withington gem, and keep up-to-date with Southside’s social media pages for upcoming tequila based events.
