Digbeth Dining Club and Meatshack
06 Feb 2013
Filthy, dirty, dripping - usually adjectives with negative associations to food. That is unless you're cresting the current Streetfood trend. I won't bore you with the Streetfood gospel, no doubt you've heard all about it, this apparently new way of dining is sweeping the nation. Or at least London. But wait. Birmingham is now on the Streetfood charabanc with the Digbeth Dining Club's rota of mobile caterers. Late last year among the atmospheric inner-city train arches of Digbeth at the back of the Spotlight bar, there were intrepid Streetfood vendors doing their thing every Friday evening. Burgers, pizzas, stews, wraps, toasties, baps, buns, cakes, burritos, tacos, hotdogs, that is the canon of Streetfood. Some of the offerings are more successful and tasty than others, and some done with more dedication and care than others. Quite frankly there are some vendors who I think are having laugh. If the new Streetfood is about tasty inventive gourmet handmade food at reasonable prices then they fail on every account. But there is one vendor that always delivers on those promises. The prince of Digbeth Dining Club - The Meatshack.
The Meatshack's burgers are the best in a 100 mile radius. Paul Collis has really studied what makes a good burger. His style of smashed mustard fried patty and semi-steamed bun really makes for a juicy, filthy, dirty but also outrageously tasty burger. The patty is a secret mix of aged local Hereford beef (ask for it pink) and the buns are the finest soft brioche. But he doesn't stop there, there are wonderful specials that change constantly. His candied bacon variations are awesome but personally I think the black pudding variation his best yet, or maybe it was the special special suckling pig burger (pictured). Now if only I can get fries with that...
The Digbeth Dining Club had a winter break and will be back on the 1st March 2013. I will be there, as always, at the front of The Meatshack's queue.
Digbeth Dining Club
Spot*light, Unit 2 (opp. Air Nightclub), Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, B9 4AG