Peak Sandwiches sits in Hoole, just outside Chester, and from the outside alone you can tell it’s doing something right. Inside, it’s loud, but in a good way. Music up, people talking over each other, the kind of energy that comes from a place in full flow.
Looking at the menu, I was happy to order pretty much anything. You know when you’re so hungry you don’t know what to get? Well, that’s where I was at, so I asked what their favourite was.
They recommended the buffalo chicken.
I mean, how can you go wrong with that?
Easy decision.
Peak Sandwiches Interior
it was a really busy lunch sesh
To go with it, I ordered a mango, pineapple and mint smoothie and took a seat on one of the wooden benches. Two things stood out straight away. One was the view, which happened to look directly out onto the bins. The other was the wait.
The drink took a while. Long enough that I turned around to check it hadn’t been forgotten.
It had.
But it made sense. This was peak lunch rush. A steady line of people coming in, ordering, waiting and leaving. No let-up.
Mango, Pineapple and Mint Smoothie
When the smoothie eventually arrived, it was full to the brim with green goodness. One more drop, or one nudge of the table, and it would have gone everywhere.
But it didn’t quite land.
I loved that they used fresh mint, but it was almost all I could taste. Pineapple should have been able to fight its corner, and even the softer mango should have been somewhere in there.
It was also far too thick. The paper straw didn’t stand a chance.
I asked if they could thin it out, but even after that, it still didn’t really come together.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
The sandwich did though, and thank goodness because this was the whole reason I came here.
This was the kind of sandwich that’s just easy to eat. No fighting with it. A bit messy. Consistent, solid flavours the whole way through.
It was stuffed with buttermilk chicken and crunchy lime slaw, all held together in soft, fresh bread that made it very easy to get through. The chicken was tender, the coating had enough crunch to hold up, and the sauce brought a mild heat with a little sweetness.
It was meant to have jalapeños but I didn’t get any and It didn’t really matter as I was starving.
Triple Cooked Chips
Just as I finished, two guys sat down next to me and ordered.
Their order arrived and it was a full plate of triple-fried chips covered in toppings that immediately made me stop and stare.
With food regret setting in, I asked if I could take a photo so I’d know what to get next time.
And to my surprise, they told me to try one.
Fair play, that’s proper friendly and really kind too.
They were excellent. Crisp, properly cooked, and covered in the kind of toppings that make you immediately question whether you ordered the right thing in the first place.
By the time I left, they’d sold out of almost every sandwich.
Suddenly the noise, the queue and the wait all made sense.
Peak Sandwiches is worth heading out of Chester for.
