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Chickeez is the latest addition to Regent Street’s thriving food scene. This fast food establishment offers everything from burgers, pizza, kebabs and even craft beer, with the aim to have you completely covered, no matter what you are looking for.

The venue is small but has enough seating for an informal dining area. It’s a colourful place, with artwork that is brought to life with neon lights, giving it fun ‘Saturday night with the mates’ vibes.

The Burgers

We started off with two of their burgers. The first being their classic “beef superstar burger”, a smash burger made from two 2 oz smashed patties (Angus beef), American cheese, lettuce, pickle, ketchup, mustard, and caramelised onion.

This is a fairly standard example of a smash burger but the thinness of the patties added an extra level of crispiness that works really well with the softness of the toasted potato bun. It was also refreshing to have a burger that wasn’t in a brioche bun for a change, which seems to be all the rage at the moment.

The smash burger isn’t going to jump out when compared to other smashed burgers in Cambridge but what makes it really shine is the cost, with the burger coming to a mere £10.49. If you consider that a near identical double burger at neighbouring smash burger joints hover around £10.99-12.99 mark. That makes it one of the best value double smash burgers in central Cambridge.

Next, was their Korean burger. I am a big fan of Korean food, so I was excited to sample their take on the dish. The chicken was smaller than a lot of other Korean burgers I have had in the past but it tasted good. The chicken was not overly crispy but was satisfyingly juicy, with a sweetness that managed to shine through the bun. It served me well enough but I found it to be a rather ordinary example of the classic dish that failed to excite me.

Wings & Tenders

The smokey BBQ wings and marinated chicken tenders were excellent. Both were soft and slavered in sauce, making them incredibly easy to devour. I couldn’t pick a favourite between the two as they offered two different experiences but they were some of the strongest dishes of the evening.

Pizza

As part of my journey for the best pizza in Cambridge, I grabbed myself a small pizza to try. All the pizzas at Chickeez are made from Italian San Marzano sauce, mozzarella cheese, and made fresh to order. Pictured above is the Butter Chicken Pizza, made with homemade curry sauce, mozzarella cheese, tandoori chicken, red onion, mixed pepper, green chilli, jalapeno, and a drizzle of yoghurt mint. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I warmly welcome anyone who tries to incorporate curry into a dish. I found the base slightly dry but the curry sauce saved it in texture and flavour.

Is it good enough to reach my pizza league table? Sadly not.

Shawarma

One of Chickeez’s signature dishes is the “butter chicken shawarma”. This is a kebab served in a breaded bap with Chickeez’s chicken shawarma tossed in tikka sauce, with onion, fresh coriander, and a drizzle of fresh cream.

This was an absolute beast! The generous portion of creamy makhani sauce soaked up beautifully in the thick white bread. I was amazed that the bread held together as I  honestly thought it was going to collapse under the weight of its contents but it kept its structural integrity through the entire thing. Bravo!

The chicken was nice and tender with the mixed salad adding some crunchiness to the bite. The Butter Chicken Shawarma would be my personal recommendation for anyone thinking of visiting Chickeez 👍

Loaded Fries

I was starting to flag after eating this all by myself but it was the loaded fries that truly finished me off. This is essentially a box of fries with a concoction of goodies loaded on top, with meat, cheese, and veg all in one, making it a balanced meal in its own right and perfect for eating on the go.

Chickeez has 7 different options, from hot fried chicken, sweet chilli, falafel, tikka, parmesan, and BBQ lamb.

Pictured above is the “Chicken parmesan loaded fries”. The parmesan gave it a rich tangy flavour but due to the dryness of the cheese it did deny me that super gooey pull you get when you stick your fork in the box 🤣 That didn’t take anything away from the flavour and is a great choice for anyone who likes punchy flavour, like I do.

Drinks

I was delighted to find local Harston-based brewery Brew Board being served in a can, as well as an appearance from The Cambridge Juice Company. It’s great to see local businesses supporting each other while also giving Chickeez an edge on other takeaways close by that may not offer alcohol.

Desserts

We finished off with some dessert that came with a small pot of vanilla ice cream. One was a waffle served with Nutella and strawberries and the other the Black Forest, a Chickeez brownie with raspberry and chocolate shavings.

Conclusion

Chickeez is a great addition to Regent Street. The price point is a similar price range to Wendy’s or Five Guys but has a significantly better range of dishes and slightly better quality. Having beers and locally made juice is a real winner for me and the restaurant is a vibrant and fun place to be. Whether or not they will be able to stand out from the fierce competition in the area however, is another story.

Let us know what you think in the Cambridge Foodies community.