Rolling up to the Trafford Palazzo, joining the likes of Sea Life and Nerf ActionXperience, is Archie’s Atomic, the famous burger chain’s first experiential venue.
Boasting a 750+ capacity space, Archie’s Atomic is vying for group days out and private events to fill up its brand-new roller-skating rink, arcade and classic diner. Stepping into the space, the familiar Archie’s pink coats every inch of the interior, and you feel like you have entered the cavern of the Archie’s overlords, as garish branding slaps you in the face from every direction. One wall is even adorned with merch, for those who will take this experience home with them, cementing the fact that this is more than simply a very pink burger joint.
To whet our appetites, we of course made a beeline for the arcade, kitted out with all the classics, such as the claw machines, motor racing and point scoring games, but elevated with Archie’s original Cube-like ‘The Vault’, providing gamers with a 4D style option to play within. The games are a dependable bit of fun, and averaging at around £1 to play, are a pretty standardly priced addition of nostalgic fun. However, there is a catch, in that the games will only be accessible via a preloaded card, with a minimum spend set at £10, instantly ramping up the budget.
Moving on to the skating rink itself, the costs do not falter here either; with a single hour of skating costing £15 per person – a price that does not change whether you bring your own skates, or use theirs. There are various packages on offer for larger groups, so if skating is your thing and you want to make an event of your visit, these may be suited to what you’re after. But for a skating novice, just looking to give it a bold go, this may be a steep price to pay for an hour of fun. While the prospect of popping on a pair of wheels and breaking a bone seemed so appealing, it felt like time for food, so that is where my attention was drawn.
Archies Atomic is unique to the regular joints, with a dedicated milkshake bar serving up shakes and ice cream, alongside other sweet treats, so of course we had to put these to the test. Sampling a Pink Shake and a Moonwalker, we were presented with two decked-out, close-to-soft-serve texture shakes of very high standards. The Pink Shake had a mild, not too sweet strawberry flavour, topped with freeze-dried berries, finishing off the most Barbie-girl drink a girl could order. The Moonwalker was similarly creamy and was blended with Malteaser, for a subtle but moreish flavour.
To offset the decadence of Archies’ shakes, we moved on to the stars of the show: the burgers. With sides of mac ‘n’ cheese bites, and BBQ cheesy bacon fries, we had the Nashville chicken burger and the Royale with Cheese. The mac ‘n’ cheese bites, were crispy on the outside, and expectedly gooey in the middle, but could have done with a punchier cheese flavour, and definitely lost their value as they cooled down. Meanwhile, the fries were generously loaded with both cheese and BBQ sauces and finished with crisp turkey-bacon crumbs, making for a hearty sweet yet salty treat.
Taking centre stage were the two burgers, with the Nashville packing a spicy punch with its satisfyingly crunchy chicken. With flavours inspired by Southern America, yet meeting the heat of sriracha mayo, this burger was a tongue-tingling sensation, sure to please any spicy food fiend.
The Royale with Cheese was Archies’ take on a classic cheeseburger, comprised of two smash patties, salad and plenty of melted American cheese. While a perfectly put-together burger in theory, this was actually difficult to eat, purely from a structural standpoint, as the weight of the fillings collapsed into a mess in my hands. So, if cheeseburgers tickle your fancy, big hands and a bib may be in order.
Unfortunately, as with every other Archie’s, the food follows suit with the skating and arcade in that it is not cheap. While the quality and portion sizes are irrefutably great, burgers start from £7.49, and prices only go up from there, with side dishes and their famous shakes racking up the bill. As a menu, it gets brownie points for inclusivity, with all of their items being halal and a handful of tasty sounding veggie options, but Archie’s will never be hailed an affordable student spot.
The concept of activity-based dining is certainly fun, and if you’re looking for a fun day out, particularly one that strays from the typically alcohol-orientated student festivities, then Archie’s Atomic is undeniably that, if you have the money to spend.
Archie’s Atomic is open 10am-10pm every day.
