It’s coming close to 4am on a Friday or Saturday night, you’re on your way home from a big night out and all is quiet…
All takeaways and shops are now closed but you’re hungry and in no state to cook when you get home. From your taxi window you spot a light on , it’s the Baris Kebab House.
Baris kebabs have been saving hungry people for more than three decades thanks to its delicious food and late opening hours. Generations of families, in the North of Liverpool, will recall stories of asking the taxi to stop on the way back from town, or better still, ordering a late night delivery.
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In more than 30 years there hasn’t been fancy advertising or marketing of the Baris and it simply relies on word of mouth. With somewhat of a late night cult following, its reputation definitely precedes it.
To see what all the fuss is about, we took a trip to the takeaway to try some of its most popular dishes. Like many takeaways, the menu is varied, but if you’re looking for a traditional Baris experience, ordering the kebab is a must.
With that in mind, I ordered a chicken kebab £8.50, with all the salad, a side of chips £1.90 and a garlic cheesy bread £4.50. Kebabs can be served on a choice of hot pitta or wrap and a range of meats.
The chicken was perfectly seasoned and cooked on a traditional grill, making for a slightly smokey barbecued taste. It was a little bit crispy on the areas that had been on the hottest parts of the grill but still succulent on the inside which is just how I like it.
For me it was cooked to perfection, however, I'm sure that if you preferred your meat more or less cooked, this could be asked for. The winning ingredient has to be the homemade chilli sauce.
The family recipe won't be found in a bottle, and instead is served up from a bain marie pot with a ladle. It's thick and curry-like, rather than usual watery sauce. It's filled with large chunks of chilli and red pepper.
It reminded me of a spicy version of discontinued Nandos red pepper dip... for those of you who remember. The chips were fairly standard but they were upgraded by the addition of the homemade chilli sauce.
The garlic bread had a thin crispy crust but was packed with flavour and not overpowered by the cheese, which can be a problem with some garlic breads.
Other menu highlights include 9, 12 and 14 inch pizzas with a range of toppings such as donner meat, pepperoni, salami, spicy beef, vegetables, peppers and seafood. Fried chicken, burgers and traditional chip shop dinners including fish, sausage and chicken are also on the menu.
However, the pride of the place is definitely the vast kebab menu, all of which are served in a hot pitta or wrap, with a choice of fresh salad and sauce. A “king size” Baris special kebab is stuffed with lamb shish, donner, kofte and extra chicken.
Baris Kebab House is open seven days a week from 3pm. From Sunday to Thursday it’s open until 3am and on Friday and Saturday it's open until 4am.
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