We’re not strangers to The North East, thanks to Geordie Bird (His Nibs’ mum) living here and we always try to scout out somewhere new to eat when we’re up. Having my Mummy Bird with us (who hasn’t visited the area before) we definitely wanted to explore new territory, so that she could see just how diverse this part of the country is and what great venues it has to eat at.
Last year we’d got Dodgin’s Yard on our radar but ran out of time, so this visit we made a special effort to book a table for dinner. Dodgin’s Yard is located smack-bang on the quayside at North Shields; so close, in fact, that a chap was casting his rod out in the hope of catching his supper – not 50 yards from where we were seated!
The interior is sea/marine themed (as you’d expect) and has a mix of wooden and tiled flooring, cage lights and calming colours on the walls. There is a definite chilled vibe and we relaxed even more as we sipped our drinks. There were already folks in dining, despite us having booked an earlyish table, so clearly the locals like Dodgin’s Yard too - if all the staff are like the charming young chap who was in when we visited, I can see why.
As well as the regular menu there was a specials board, so Mummy had the Dressed Crab for her main (£10.95) and I opted for the Lobster Surf n Ribeye Turf (£27.95) that came with a trio of Langoustines, Mushrooms, and Dressed Salad. Fledge and her Daddy both chose from the Fish and Meat Board section of the menu: she had Lemon, Chilli and Garlic Butter Prawns with Chips and Garlic Mayo, and The Man had 5 hour slow-cooked Beef Brisket with Chips and Peppercorn Sauce; both were priced at £14.95.
Many venues are constrained by the footprint of the building that houses them and Dodgin’s Yard doesn’t have room for a kitchen downstairs so a lazy waiter ferries meals from upstairs and the serving team bring them out to customers. It’s clearly a pretty efficient system that works well here because there weren’t any hold-ups either with getting hot food out or clearing used plates away back to the kitchen.
Mummy Bird was thrilled with her Dressed Crab, and having pilfered a bit for myself, it was easy to see why! The brown meat had been mixed in with the white to create a delicately two-toned dish that looked very pretty nestled in its bowl, garnished as it was with a wedge of fresh Lemon and a sprig of fresh Parsley. Taste-wise, it was excellent as well. The sweet, delicate white meat hit the palate first and the earthier brown meat added a lovely depth of flavour further back in the mouth. When something is as tasty as this marine morsel, you don’t need a host of fancy-pants accompaniments; all that came out with this ample Crab platter was some fresh brown bread slices and a side salad. All of it got scoffed though; testament to its tastiness!!
His Nibs’ Beef Brisket came in a metal oval bowl and was piping hot, its aroma wafting over our table and making us all salivate! Needless to say, the meat just melted in The Mans’ mouth, releasing all of its juiciness over his tongue and the sweet, smoky BBQ sauce lingering on his taste buds. The Peppercorn sauce came in a separate jug that the chips got frequently dunked into, and I will confess to stealing a bit to put on my Ribeye – perks of the job, and all that!
Normally I have my steaks rare, but with Ribeye I go for Medium/Rare to allow the fat to render down a bit and release its succulence into the Steak, which it did fantastically well here; the meat was tender, juicy and very, very flavoursome. I loved the contrast of the Ribeye’s depth of flavour against the much more subtle, sweeter taste of the Lobster and Langoustines. Earthy, whole button Mushrooms complimented both elements of my dish, tying them in nicely together. There was a light dressing on the ample salad that was clean and fresh on the palate; again this suited the dish perfectly, complimenting rather than dominating the flavour profile.
Fledge can be a bit of a fussy bugger (even when she’s chosen the blooming meal for herself!), so you know a meal is hitting the spot when it’s disappearing into her mouth and she’s fairly quiet at the table. When questioned, she said that her (very large, by the way!) King Prawns were “bloody magnificent” in their taste and texture and that the Lemon, Chilli and Garlic Butter sauce was exceptionally moreish. Cherry Tomatoes and Spring Onions gave a bit of body to the sauce, enabling it to be scooped up on her fork or the chips to be dabbed into it.
The food had been superb; delicious enough that you wanted to scoff it down greedily, and of sufficient quality that you took enough time to savour it properly, too! On the back of this meal, I’d quite happily visit Dodgin’s Yard again another time to sample the breakfast menu (served 10am until Noon).
Dodgin’s Yard at North Shields is open seven days a week: Monday-Saturday 10am until 11pm, Sunday from 10am until 9pm. There are plenty of deals to get your teeth into, if you’ll pardon the pun: Midweek Mixed Meats from Noon-8pm, where you can have any two meats or fish, any pair of sides and a single sauce, with a couple of drinks for £30; Steak Night is on Thursday, and between 5-8pm meat-lovers can have two 8oz steaks, two sauces and two sides, a bottle of house wine (or two pints of beer) for £38.95; or perhaps Fizz Friday is the deal for you with any two meats or fish, a sauce and two glasses of Prosecco for £30 between Noon and 6pm.
Whether you take advantage of one of these fab deals or just nip down for an impromptu dinner or brekkie, you won’t be disappointed at Dodgin’s Yard. Hot Wings happily given to this great North Shields eatery.
