West Sandwich Bar

I find that it’s quite difficult to get a good, quick lunch in Belfast City Centre and I’m normally left wandering around looking for something fresh and tasty to eat. Then my friend Orlaith suggested that we try West Gourmet Sandwich Bar on Castle Street..

First impressions were good – it was rammed full of hungry people wanting to be fed, which is always a good sign.  We managed to grab a table and flicked through the menu.  All the food is laid out like a ‘deli’ style sandwich bar so you could see what you were going to eat before you ordered, which I like (although it did mean that I kept changing my mind – everything looked so tasty!!).  The menu was quite extensive and filled with tasty sandwiches, wraps, toasties or salads to choose from.  They even do all day breakfasts, soup and chips etc.

The friendly waitress came to take our order and after much deliberation I ordered a ‘blackened’ chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal bread while Orlaith went for the Mexican chicken salad. We sat back and watched our meals being prepared and salivated as the plates made their way to our table. The service was incredibly fast which is great when you only have an hour to spare.

My sandwich was huge, a real door-step, which was just what I wanted as I’d had no breakfast. Filled with spiced chicken along with lots of fresh salad and mayo, it was really, really good. You get a side order of nachos and coleslaw which is a nice accompaniment.  I have to mention the wholemeal bread that “West” used for my sandwich: I’m a bit of a bread-afficionado and this was some of the best I’ve ever tasted – deliciously nutty and thick!

Orlaith’s salad was massive – they certainly didn’t skimp on the chicken (nor on the jalapeno peppers and salad leaves, for that matter).

Our verdict

I’ll definitely be going back to the ‘West’ for lunch.

The menu is cheap and is quite wide-ranging (you’ll need a serious number of visits to work through the list).  The average sandwich ranges in cost from between £3.50 and £4.50 depending on the filling, and you get plenty of for your money.

As with any lunch-time alternative, the speed of the service is essential – something that West is extremely good at, without sacrificing friendliness.

Just writing about their sandwiches has made me hungry again – which tells you just how good they are.

Other information

West Gourmet Sandwich Bar
28, Castle St,
Belfast,
County Antrim
BT1 1HB
T: 028 9032 5649
You can also find West Gourmet Sandwich Bar on Google Maps.

Snax n the City, Belfast

Like most people I find myself in a bit of a rut when it comes to what to eat over lunchtime. Most days it ends up with me sitting at my desk eating a horrible pre-packed sandwich!! So, when a colleague suggested “Snax ‘n the city” I jumped at the chance to try something new.

It’s a small enough sandwich bar on Linenhall Street in Belfast that serves most things – from full breakfasts to sandwiches to hot food. It’s normally very busy (which is always a good sign), packed with people on their lunch hour. As it was so cold outside I decided that I needed something filling and warming – and the traditional stew certainly fit the bill. It was fantastic.. a delicious and hearty Irish stew served with two thick slices of fresh wheaten bread. The £4.15 price may seem a little extravagant for a lunch-time meal but this was hardly a light snack – I struggled to finish the stew (although I did force myself – the things I do for our readers!).

My friend Elaine tried the lasagne which came with a fresh salad, coleslaw and two pieces of garlic bread – and at £4.95 that seems like real value for money to me.

While you can eat in we decided to take our lunch back to the office. The food was packed in neat little containers – these were so well designed that even I was able to eat my lunch without making a mess at my desk!

Our Verdict

I am making Snax ‘n the city a regular lunch-time treat – the menu is quite varied and there is plently to choose from so you wont get bored. They also seem to have fairly quick service which, if you have a short lunch-break, is an absolute must.

Make sure you try the stew, it really is delicious.

Snax ‘n the City
19 Linenhall Street,
Belfast,
County Antrim
BT2 8AA
T: 028 9031 9631‎
You can also see Snax ‘n the City on Google Maps.