Quench have been at it again trying out different restaurants in the Cardiff area. Next on the agenda was Meat at 156, located on City road, again another hot spot for us students. As meat lovers, we were very excited about going here and we had our suspicions that tomato soup wouldnÔÇÖt be what we found on the menu. Upon arriving, we met with 2 of the owners, Adam and Fahad and we got to know a little bit about them and how they got started.

First of all, there are 3 owners in total; Adam, Fasih and Fahad, who started Meat at 156 roughly 8 months ago, in March. Fahad already had a business called Manhattan Bites that he started in Pakistan, so he knew how to run a successful business – what works and what doesnÔÇÖt. Adam worked for Mitchells & Butlers for many years, picking up his experience in the kitchen making him the man for the job as head chef. Fasih is the number cruncher of the whole operation. Me, personally, IÔÇÖm more of a burger muncher but every business has to have its maths whizz. These guys grouped together with a goal in mind: to create a gourmet burger menu that is edible for the masses. With 2 of the owners being Muslim, they wanted to create a Halal menu with a wide audience range.

Back in March, Adam, Fahad and Fasih did just that and opened Meat at 156, serving a concoction of incredible Halal burgers. They are very proud of the meat that they use as itÔÇÖs always fresh, meaning the succulent taste that you pay for isnÔÇÖt diluted in the freezer (trust me you can taste the difference). Not only this but they tell us theyÔÇÖre on great terms with the farmer that they get their meat from and itÔÇÖs all incredibly authentic. Getting their meat directly from the farmer also means that they cut out the big retail middlemen, and they are able to serve delicious burgers all for student prices. An amazing meal and a drink for under a tenner is the student dream making it a great place if you want a quick and cheap meal. Now youÔÇÖve heard about the place, letÔÇÖs get down to the good stuff: what we ate.

When we arrived, soaking wet from a standard rainy evening in Cardiff, smiles were quickly brought to our faces as we were greeted by very friendly staff and then shown to a table. Now, to be honest, it would probably be easier to tell you what we didnÔÇÖt eat, rather than what we did! There was absolutely no part of our table that wasnÔÇÖt covered in delicious food. We asked to try a variety of different things and Adam and Fahad didnÔÇÖt hold back. They brought out 3 of their best selling gourmet burgers (the Signature, the Southern Crunch and the Texan), a massive plate of barbeque fries, every variation of chicken wing that they had to offer (BBQ, Piri Piri and garlic fusion), Cajun onion strings (which were amazing), house coleslaw and an Oreo cookie crumble milkshake. Meat at 156? Completed it mate. As well as this, they offer succulent steaks for reasonable prices for you to enjoy, what they call ÔÇ£the steak experienceÔÇØ. But as burger lovers, and with no desire to use any cutlery, we wanted to give their famous burgers a try.

The Signature burger was a very filling beef burger with classic American cheese and smothered in house sauce. So if youÔÇÖre a sucker for your classic burgers, then this is definitely the one for you. Next to fill our stomachs was the Southern Crunch. We opted to have the chicken option for this burger and it didnÔÇÖt disappoint. The chicken was covered in generous portions of fried jalapenos and onion strings in a mouth-watering coating, really giving an inviting tang to the meal. If you like your spice, this burger, along with the Piri Piri chicken wings, is a great meal for you. Last, but definitely not least to grace our stomachs, was the incredible Texan burger. The amazing beef burger topped with lots of cheese and an amazing hickory BBQ sauce added an awesome sweetness to the burger. Without a doubt for any first timers going, I would recommend this burger to each and every one of you, it was certainly our favourite. All burgers come as either beef, chicken or vegetarian, so veggies donÔÇÖt worry too much; you can still enjoy this great menu. Alongside this, everything on the menu is completely Halal, so not many people have an excuse not to go and enjoy a tasty treat. Even if ÔÇ£goingÔÇØ sounds like too much effort, Meat at 156 are available on Deliveroo, Uber eats, Hungry House and Just Eat! So whip that phone out and get the Texan burger, you wonÔÇÖt regret it.

 

By William Moyse