Bacon Dog & fries - BigDog @BigDogBrum [by @NLi10]

While in the centre of Birmingham (UK) on the way to an Oktoberfest event I decided I needed a quick lunch, and popped into the fairly new BigDog.  This is in Paradise Forum under the carcass of the old library and not somewhere I'd usually be passing while hungry so I figured I'd give it a go.  I expected a hotdog van style experience as it's in the same vicinity as eat4less (which has a less nice colloquial name due to the cheapness of the food and the speed at which it leaves the body).

What happened was a slightly different experience.  Forgive the lack of pictures as I wasn't planning to do this as a review. There are more on their twitter page. I was in a hurry so chose something near the top of the menu (a hotdog wrapped in bacon called the BaconDog I think) and added fries so I wouldn't be hungry.  I turned down the drink which confused the server and was surprised it was over £5.  It took longer than I expected for the food to come & this is what arrived.

First up this is a lot more food than I'd pictured and was a pleasant surprise.  Those aren't fries.  They are chips, freshly fried and had cut and really some of the nicest chips I've had in a long time.  The sausage is similarly freshly cooked - no sitting on a rotating heat source here.  The meat is German market quality - and it turns out I could have chosen other kinds like beef too! The sauces seemed a little unnecessary as they are on the table but I did say yes to all the trimmings. The bacon was a decent sized sheet and wrapped securely around and not just shoved on top.

All in all - this wasn't a snack, it was a meal.  And a good one at that.  I went from thinking it was slow and expensive to thinking it was a decent deal and speedy considering it seems to have been made from scratch.  Even the confusion over the drink was explained by a more detailed reading of the menu - £5 gets you a meal deal so with the bacon I'd turned down a less than 50p drink.

Looking like a 'splash and dash' diner I think hurts BigDog a little.  Once you know it's quality and appreciate the experience it's a lot easier to understand the position it occupies.  It's an American style diner which should be as busy as Nando's opposite is, but I think it needs a few more pictures of the quality goods in the windows and a bit more 'special offer' about the meal deals to entice people into the store.

It's barely more expensive than a meal deal at many of the fast-food giants and a darn sight more tasty.  Will go back, and if they have veggie options I'd even take my partner.  Well recommended.