Eating Out in Blackburn and Darwen

Chiquito Mexican Restaurant

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Restaurant | "Convenient Chiquito"

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This restaurant in Blackburn is part of the huge chain of Mexican restaurants up and down the country. Like all of the others, it offers reasonable Mexican style food at OK prices and in a fairly nice atmosphere.It is located on Lower Audley, just outside the town centre and opposite the cinema and behind the ice arena. Thanks to this location, it makes a popular and wise choice for a pre cinema bite or a break after a heavy day's shopping. The restaurant couldn't be easier to get to as it is on the main road and there is plenty of parking nearby.The restaurant itself has outdoor seating, but I wouldn't recommend it as a particularly pleasant place to sit given it's locale on a...Read More

This restaurant in Blackburn is part of the huge chain of Mexican restaurants up and down the country. Like all of the others, it offers reasonable Mexican style food at OK prices and in a fairly nice atmosphere.

It is located on Lower Audley, just outside the town centre and opposite the cinema and behind the ice arena. Thanks to this location, it makes a popular and wise choice for a pre cinema bite or a break after a heavy day's shopping. The restaurant couldn't be easier to get to as it is on the main road and there is plenty of parking nearby.

The restaurant itself has outdoor seating, but I wouldn't recommend it as a particularly pleasant place to sit given it's locale on a busy main road through Blackburn. There is a set of traffic lights right outside the restaurant as well meaning that there is a never ending supply of motorists to gawp at you if you're sat out there! Inside the restaurant is large but still fairly cosy. The edges are lined with booths that seat up to four whilst the middle is filled with large tables, mainly used for parties. The theme is dark wood with lots of Mexican paraphernalia adorning the walls, including Pinatas a plenty. There is always Mexican music playing as well to get you in the mood and it is usually upbeat too, which is nice.

The service is friendly and helpful. You are welcomed at the door and shown to your seat (which you can select yourself as long as it isn't too busy). The waitress we had last time was exceptionally good, explaining the brand new menu to us and giving us some advice on her favourite dishes, which is a nice touch.

The food itself is ok, but not great. It is as you would expect, mass produced and whilst it is fairly tasty, there is no flare or passion involved in making it. We had Cajun chicken and a shredded pork wrap, both of which were generous portions and accompanied by chips and coleslaw. The puddings are lovely - full of calories though. There are always seasonal options as well as the staples like chocolate fudge cake with ice cream.

I always find that the best time to go is late afternoon, when they have the early bird menu on, which offers far better value for money. You can choose two courses for £7.95 or three for £9.95 as long as you go into the restaurant before 6pm to start eating. After then, you are looking at probably double the price for a three course meal.

Overall I would recommend the restaurant because it is convenient, fun and offers good service although I would tell you not to expect the food to set your world alight! Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 25, 2011

Chiquito Mexican Restaurant
Lower Audley Street
Blackburn, Lancashire
01254 666 270

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Spice Lounge

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Restaurant | "Spice-tacular? Not quite."

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Spice Lounge is one of many Indian restaurants in the Blackburn with Darwen area and, with so much competition, it has tried hard to set itself apart from the crowd. Located just outside the town centre in the countryside, it has wonderful views from a former public house.The restaurant has plenty of parking in two separate car parks, which is just as well because it is far enough out of the town centre to require driving (or paying for a fairly hefty taxi bill). This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, because the surroundings are wonderful and a trip here really makes you feel like you are escaping it all.Like I said there is a lot of competition for Indian restaurants in t...Read More

Spice Lounge is one of many Indian restaurants in the Blackburn with Darwen area and, with so much competition, it has tried hard to set itself apart from the crowd. Located just outside the town centre in the countryside, it has wonderful views from a former public house.

The restaurant has plenty of parking in two separate car parks, which is just as well because it is far enough out of the town centre to require driving (or paying for a fairly hefty taxi bill). This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, because the surroundings are wonderful and a trip here really makes you feel like you are escaping it all.

Like I said there is a lot of competition for Indian restaurants in these parts and the way that Spice Lounge has chosen to stand out is by offering a level of luxury that none of the others have. The restaurant owners have spared no expense in presentation with the traditional against the modern and they have balanced it well. The welcome area is full of huge leather sofas and plasma TV screen, which play Asian music videos to set the scene. There are tributes to India in the form of huge gold effect statues and ornate paintings on the walls.

The staff are all well presented in smart uniforms and they offer a relaxed yet professional service that is in keeping with the tone of the restaurant.

To the food then. It is good, but not quite as good as the image of the restaurant will have you believe. The choice is excellent and there are all the usual suspects, including Biryani, Tikka Masala and Korma, as well as a selection of chef's specialities. On the few occasions that we have visited, we have opted for some of the specialities including a fish curry and a chilli garlic chicken number the last time we went. The food is tasty enough, but it doesn't quite pack that flavourful punch that you hope it will. It's a shame really because you really do want to enjoy the food as much as the surroundings, but the two don't quite match up.

Overall I'd still recommend Spice Lounge, because it offers an experience that you don't usually get in this area, but next time I might ask them to put a bit more spice in my meal - I'm absolutely sure they'd be obliging. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 24, 2011

Spice Lounge
Wilpshire Road, Rishton
Blackburn, Lancashire

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Changs Chinese

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Restaurant | "A Buffet But You Stay Sat Down? Excellent!"

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Changs Gourmet Restaurant, formerly known as The Welcome Inn, is located on Darwen Street, in the centre of Blackburn. It is one of those wonderful places that offers great food at very reasonably prices and is very quirky with it.Located on the main street through the town centre, there is no dedicated car park, however there are a few spaces directly outside the restaurant that permit free parking after 6pm. You should have no problem getting a space here as it is rarely busy after the shops have closed.On entering the restaurant, you are hit in the face almost with the stereotypical Chinese decorating inside: the walls are adorned with those pictures that have the moving wat...Read More

Changs Gourmet Restaurant, formerly known as The Welcome Inn, is located on Darwen Street, in the centre of Blackburn. It is one of those wonderful places that offers great food at very reasonably prices and is very quirky with it.

Located on the main street through the town centre, there is no dedicated car park, however there are a few spaces directly outside the restaurant that permit free parking after 6pm. You should have no problem getting a space here as it is rarely busy after the shops have closed.

On entering the restaurant, you are hit in the face almost with the stereotypical Chinese decorating inside: the walls are adorned with those pictures that have the moving waterfalls and the like; there are paper Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling; and there is even one of those little gold cats waving cheerily at you from the bar. The restaurant isn’t sophisticated by any means, and the walls look like they could do with a new coat of paint, but it is fairly cosy and comfortable.

There are a number of different tables, making it suitable for a couple dining alone or for bigger groups. There are a couple of large round tables that seat twelve people and have little spinning discs in the middle (I can never remember what the proper name for them is) so you can sample a bit of everything quite easily.

The restaurant actually describes itself as an ‘eat as much as you like buffet banquet’. Banquet is the key word in this sentence, as that is the word that elevates this restaurant from a regular cheap buffet to a nice place to go and have a meal. You have all the benefits of being able to pick and choose what you like with a buffet style restaurant, but with the added benefit of the food being served to your table.

When you sit down, you’ll be presented with the a la carte menu and also the buffet menu, however I’ve never understood why anyone would choose from the a la carte menu when you see the price for the buffet. From Monday to Thursday the three course banquet is £10.90 per person and at weekends is £13.90 per person. There are early bird offers and lunch time offers for the same number of courses, priced at £9.50 and £5.50 respectively.

For this price you get a choice from six soups, followed by as many starters as you like from the choice of over 15 and then your choice of main courses from a selection of around 25 accompanied by rice, noodles or chips. You also get free prawn crackers. For an extra £2 per person you can add a course of crispy duck with pancakes.

The way it works is that you select a soup and your starters when you place you order first. You can have as many or as little as you like. If you can’t choose, then just asked them to bring you a mixed platter. Once you’ve finished, the staff will ask you if you want any more starters – and you’re free to have as many as you want – if not, they’ll take your main course order. I like the way they do this as it means you have ten minutes or so to digest your food between courses and you don’t overindulge too quickly like you do with a traditional buffet.

So I’ve proved that it is a bargain, but what is the food like? Well, delicious, in a word. I always start with the chicken and sweet corn soup, which is lovely and thick and has plenty of chicken in. The other half usually goes for the hot and sour soup, which is quite spicy and packed full of meat and vegetables. We don’t usually go for the duck course as we really enjoy the starters and usually order second helpings of those! The salt and pepper mushrooms are absolutely divine; large sliced of mushrooms deep fried and covered in a stir fried mixture of fresh chilli, garlic, salt and spring onions. The prawn toast is good as well, with huge prawns under the sesame seed coating. The other half loves the barbecue spare ribs, which you can get with or without sauce, as there is plenty of meat on them and it just falls off the bone.

One thing I would warn you of when you are ordering second servings of anything is that they bring large portions of it. Often we just fancy one more curry samosas or another spring roll, but they’ll bring a whole plateful. I have tried and tried again to get a small portion, but they just don’t seem to understand! This also applies with the main courses. By this stage we are usually quite full so we tend to order two main courses with just one side dish and we always ask for small portions. I think they must only have one size of serving plate though, because they always nod when you ask, but bring a huge portion out anyway!

The main courses are just as good as the starters. Our favourite is the imaginatively named ‘crispy chicken in a spicy fruity sauce’. The sauce is lovely and there is plenty of chicken in the portion. I’ve also had the lemon chicken, which was a surprise hit with its subtly zingy sauce. Another good one is the Char Sui pork with Chinese mushrooms, which has a lovely garlicky sauce and is full of huge juicy mushrooms. The accompanying noodles are cooked to perfection, although the egg fried rice can be a little bland. This is the only criticism of the food that I have really, but it is easily remedied by a generous helping of some tasty sauce or another.

The service is about the only thing about Changs that is perhaps not quite up to scratch. There is nothing wrong with it per se, but the staff speak very little English, which can be a bit difficult if you are saying anything other than ‘sweet and sour chicken with fried rice please’. However, this is only a small problem and easily forgotten against the excellent food and very reasonable prices.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 24, 2010

Changs Chinese
Darwen St, Blackburn
Lancashire, England
+44 1254 67 39 86

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Akash Indian Restaurant

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Restaurant | "Cracking Curry!"

The Owner of the Restaurant on New Years Eve! Photo - Akash Indian Restaurant, Darwen, England

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Darwen has its very own equivalent of Manchester’s curry mile on Blackburn Road. It’s not as long (I don’t think) and the Indian takeaways and restaurants aren’t quite back to back, but for a town that has a population of only 31,000 it certainly has its fair share. It is here that you’ll find the Akash Indian Restaurant and Takeaway. I have been going to the Akash for years; it’s where my parents introduced us to the spicy world of Indian food; it’s where I celebrated my 18th and 21st birthdays; and it’s become somewhat of an institution to my family and all for good reason.The restaurant has undergone many a face-lift over the years, but has maintained its image as a comfortable place to...Read More

Darwen has its very own equivalent of Manchester’s curry mile on Blackburn Road. It’s not as long (I don’t think) and the Indian takeaways and restaurants aren’t quite back to back, but for a town that has a population of only 31,000 it certainly has its fair share. It is here that you’ll find the Akash Indian Restaurant and Takeaway. I have been going to the Akash for years; it’s where my parents introduced us to the spicy world of Indian food; it’s where I celebrated my 18th and 21st birthdays; and it’s become somewhat of an institution to my family and all for good reason.

The restaurant has undergone many a face-lift over the years, but has maintained its image as a comfortable place to dine. The layout is perfect for large groups and couples to dine together harmoniously – there are little booths scattered around the edge of the restaurant that make for a lovely romantic meal, whilst the main floor can accommodate huge groups quite comfortably. There is also a large waiting area next to the even larger bar, which makes it a comfortable place to gather before heading to your table.

The staff are efficient and very friendly, they always have a smile and are happy to help in any way they can. Even at busy periods (and it does get busy) they have time for every customer individually and they are happy to help you choose what to eat.

The food of course is the most important part of a restaurant and the Akash doesn’t let itself down here. I have to say it’s the best I’ve ever eaten and it forms the benchmark for all other Indian restaurants that I visit. I started life as a young whipper-snapper eating only chicken Korma and the Akash’s version is wonderfully creamy and has a nice hint of coconut. It is of course a very mild dish and is full of sauce which makes it perfect for dipping one of their deliciously fresh and garlicky naan breads into. My choice dish now is the lamb Biryani, which is a complete dish that comes with rice and a vegetable curry sauce and is topped with an omelette. The Biryani is very flavoursome and doesn’t need the addition of the sauce as it is so moist. However that is not to say that the sauce isn’t welcome – it is indeed delicious in its own right.

Other members of my family prefer the Rogan Josh which is a rather more dry curry and full of onions and tomatoes and, again, tastes very fresh and delicious. For those who prefer a bit more spice, the Madras is an excellent choice. At the Akash it is nice and spicy, but not so hot that it burns your taste buds. For those even more daring, the Akash has the old favourite the Vindaloo and the even hotter Phal, which doesn’t appear on the menu but is available on request. All of the curries are made to order and the chefs have no problem adding more or less spice to any dish, depending on your own personal taste.

If you like a starter, the Akash has the full compliment of typical Indian starters and it does them all well. The popular onion bhaji is crispy and light and not at all stodgy like some I’ve had. The meat samosas are full of tasty mince and not padded out at all with vegetables. My personal favourite are the mushroom bhaji puris, which are a mix of mushrooms, onions and spices in a mild tomato sauce that are served on a puri bread – a deep fried pancake like thing that is delicious.

If you aren’t sure what you like and fancy trying a bit of everything, the best option for you is the Sunday buffet. For a very reasonable £10.95 per person (or around £5.95) for children, you can sample a selection of dishes. The buffet is served to your table: you are served with a plate of starters (that you can request more of) and then each of the main and side dishes is brought to your table so that you can serve yourself. Each week, there are three of each different starter, main dish and side dish and the menu changes on a weekly basis. Each menu has a selection of different meats and levels of spice so there is something for everyone and the side dishes always include a form of rice, a form of naan bread and a vegetable dish.

In fact the only thing that the Akash doesn’t do well is desserts, but then in fairness, I’ve yet to find an Indian restaurant that does. The staple fare is offered here – fruit (which is tinned) served with ice cream or coffee. There is also a rather colourful menu that features a mouth watering display of desserts, but don’t get too excited as these are all frozen desserts and not nearly as exciting as they look.

Looking now at the practicalities of the Akash, it is as I said suitable for parties of all sizes and there is ample parking at the back of the restaurant in its own car park. The restaurant is located on the main road through Darwen and so is very easy to get to and it’s only a five-minute walk from the central bus station. The restaurant is easily accessed by wheelchair users and is all on one level.

In terms of prices, it is about standard. The cheapest option is to go for the afternoon buffet on a Sunday. For the a la carte menu, the prices for main dishes are around £10 (with rice or chips included) and the starters are between £3 and £5. Drinks are the usual price. Overall, for a two-course meal for two with coffees and a bottle of wine, expect to pay around £50. The food in my opinion is well worth this amount.

If you are in the area (which I must admit, people seldom are!) I would highly recommend a trip to the Akash – it is comfortable, serves good food, offers good service and isn’t bad price-wise.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 17, 2010

Akash Indian Restaurant
196-200 Duckworth Street
Darwen BB1 3PX
+44 1254 760076

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La Salsa Tapas Restaurant

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Restaurant | "La Salsa Tapas"

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La Salsa in Darwen is the newest of three tapas restaurants (with the others being found in Bolton and Horwich), which offers excellent food in authentic surroundings. There are many different offers available and the restaurant offers a welcome change to the mind boggling number of Indian restaurants in this small town.The restaurant works on an eat as much as you like format, but rather than being a buffet, the dishes are cooked to order and served at your table. There are various prices depending on what time of day and week you visit. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 3pm until 11pm on Mondays to Thursdays and from 12pm until 11pm on Fridays to Sundays. If you go for the e...Read More

La Salsa in Darwen is the newest of three tapas restaurants (with the others being found in Bolton and Horwich), which offers excellent food in authentic surroundings. There are many different offers available and the restaurant offers a welcome change to the mind boggling number of Indian restaurants in this small town.

The restaurant works on an eat as much as you like format, but rather than being a buffet, the dishes are cooked to order and served at your table. There are various prices depending on what time of day and week you visit. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 3pm until 11pm on Mondays to Thursdays and from 12pm until 11pm on Fridays to Sundays. If you go for the early dinner option (before 6pm weekdays and before 7pm on weekends) the price is £10.95 per person. If you go at any other time, the price is £12.95 per person weekdays and £14.95 at weekends. Whichever option you go for, I can safely say that you are definitely getting good value for money.

The restaurant itself is small, so I would definitely recommend booking in advance if you are going at busy times, although there is an upstairs dining room that is opened at busier times to accomodate larger parties. The main restaurant downstairs is small and has a number of dark wooden tables that are adorned with candles. This adds to the atmosphere in my opinion, but the candles are the only form of light so it can be difficult to see at times - especially when you are trying to read the menu. The tables are all quite closely packed together, but somehow it doesn't seem to be a problem and you still feel quite cosy and private. Oddly enough for a Spanish restaurant, the walls are covered in paintings of scenes from Italy and France, namely Venice and Paris!

The service is welcoming and attentive and the waiters are happy to explain what each dish is if you ask. They are also very efficient considering the wide variety of dishes available and will always check that you have everything you have ordered just to make sure. The kitchen is also open plan, which is always a good sign in my opinion and the banging and crashing that comes from the area all adds to the atmosphere.

Even without all these things, you couldn't fail to love La Salsa for the food alone. The choice, like I said, is excellent and all of the dishes are made with the best ingredients. When you sit down, your waiter will explain that they recommend you choose four dishes per person to start and then order more afterwards. When you first look at the menu, you want everything and it is difficult to narrow it down from the 44 available! The dishes are split into sections: Acompanamientos (breads and olives), Vegetarian, Charcuterie (smoked meats and cheeses), Pollo (chicken), Carne (Meat), Pescados y Mariscos (Fish) and Ensaladas (Salads). The dishes vary in size, although all are served in the same size small oven pots, some are more filling than others. My favourites are the garlic mushrooms, which are huge and packed full of flavour and the Chorizo Frito al Vino, which is pieces of chorizo cooked in red wine. There are so many others that I also like, but my review would go on for ever if I listed them all. The fish dishes are particularly worthy of a note because the ingredients are the finest, from huge king prawns to tender squid rings - all included in the same price. There is not shortage of choice for vegetarians, with over 18 of the 44 dishes marked with a green V to indicate suitability. I can particularly recommend the tasty stuffed peppers and the traditional Spanish omelette. Even younger diners and fussy eaters will find plenty to enjoy with roasted potatoes in garlic mayonnaise, meatballs and chicken skewers, amongst others, to choose from.

There are a selection of desserts to choose from, although not many and by the time you've eaten your fill of the tapas, you'll not have much room for one. The desserts aren't included in the price and will set you back around £4 each. The Tiramisu and the chocolate fudge cake are good though if you have the room. Drinks are also not included, but are the standard prices you would expect from a restaurant. They have an extensive choice, including Sol beer served with a lime wedge and a fairly comprehensive wine menu.

Overall, I'd bank on about £20 per head for food and drinks, less if you are going midweek and even less if you're taking advantage of the early diner menu. For the quality of service and amazing food, this is exceptionally good value for money.

The only negative thing I have to say about La Salsa (and it's only a little gripe) is that there is nowhere to sit and wait if you are meeting other people - there are no seats at the small bar. However the owners have realised this and will guide you straight to your table to wait with a drink and a menu anyway, so not too much of a problem.

So if you are in the area, you should definitely try out La Salsa for great food, a nice atmosphere and not a bad price! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 24, 2011

La Salsa Tapas Restaurant
11 Railway Road
Darwen
01254 777 744

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