In the midst of the bustling tourist district of Cambridge, among the overpriced clothing shops and expensive restaurants aimed at emptying the pockets of students and visitors alike, lies a great value down-to-earth restaurant hiding in plain sight.
Located at a single door, down a basement stairs, in a cocktail bar on Trinity Street, Lazy Boys has recently opened, offering great value BBQ food such as wings, burgers, tenders and a selection of side dishes. It is easily missed if you don’t know it’s there, so make sure to watch the video above to guide you.
Lazy Boys is a huge contrast to anything else you will see in the area, with historic buildings and fancy restaurants left, right, and centre, Lazy Boys is hidden in a dark atmospheric basement known as 2648. This made photos hard but offered something not seen anywhere else close by. I could see this being absolutely buzzing on a Saturday night full of people drinking cocktails and listening to great music.
If you are coming from out of town then it’s an awkward place to get to, with no parking options available close by. The closest is the Grand Arcade but there is a guided bus stop around the corner near the round church.
The menu was not huge but had some diverse choices, with Korean and Vietnamese style chicken wings, Italian style burgers, and some great side choices. Prices are really competitive for this side of town, with chicken wings being the same price as a pint of beer in The Pint Shop around the corner.
Speaking of beer, there is nothing craft but there are some good options available. Erdinger and Budvar being the two stand out choices. There is also Red Stripe. I am a huge Czech beer fan, so I decided to go for a Budvar. 🇨🇿
As 2648 is a cocktail bar, there is also a selection of cocktails available. The menu had a list of ten in total with two of these being signature drinks. I did not get a chance to try these myself and unfortunately there was no price on the menu.
We started off with some chicken wings called ‘You Dirty Stop Out’. These are wings in a spicy garlic sauce, parmesan, and honey. These…were…immense! I could have eaten these non-stop all night. They were juicy, sweet, with a mild kick. The skin was crispy, the honey gave it a sticky texture which got everywhere. It was messy in all the right ways.
My burger was called ‘These Nuts’, a chicken burger in a satay sauce, with pickled carrots, and chilli jam.
All the burgers on the menu (other than the vegetarian option) are made from chicken thighs and are served in a brioche bun made by a local bakery from Trumpington. If you are looking for beef, this is not a restaurant for you. The bun was very light which was great as it didn’t make the burger too heavy. The chilli jam really made the burger succulent and sweet.
The tenders are called ‘With Love From Vietnam’ a selection of chicken strips in a Vietnamese dressing, chilli, and coriander. The chicken strips were generous and very tender.
I ordered a blue cheese sauce. This comes to £1 on the menu and looks fairly ordinary on first appearances but nothing could be further from the truth. It was thick with a bold flavour. Exactly how blue cheese should be. I highly recommend it!
The ‘mac & cheese’ was one of the highlights of the evening. This was covered in chicken crumbs on the top of the pot for that added crunch, the soft gooey mac and cheese lays below adding a wonderful contrast of texture on the bite. It was nearly impossible to get to the soft underbelly of the pasta and cheese without getting the chicken crumbs everywhere. If anyone has found a way to do this without making an embarrassing mess then please let me know!
I was very happy with my experience at Lazy Boys. Due to its very central location and great value, I really feel like this could be a real winner for students and tourists looking for better value in the bustling tourist traps. It is also worth a visit from Cambridge locals and foodies in its own right. All the food is quite messy but that is no bad thing, it’s all part of the fun. This is mostly due to the generous portions of sauce that come with the food.
Thanks for reading!
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