A Return Visit To Dodgins Yard In North Shields
Published On Thursday 25 Jul 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Located on the Fish Quay at North Shields is a place called Dodgin’s Yard. We’ve visited here before as a Flock whilst on holiday, and really liked its laid-back vibe. As soon as The Man and I walked in we were greeted warmly, and the memory of how friendly it was came flooding back. Lady Luck was shining down on us and it 2-4-£12 on cocktails still, so we ordered a couple of classic Mojito’s pretty sharpish!
You have to admit, it’s swish when you boast your own fishing trawler - The Stella Maris – to bring in the sea’s treasures every day, but this is exactly what the Dodgin’s Yard team can say. No surprise, then, that fish and seafood feature heavily on the menu; but don’t panic if you’re a carnivore, there’s plenty of meaty treats on there too. Ignoring the breakfast section of the menu (no prizes for guessing why!) we discussed whether we were eating our own dishes or opting for a sharing board.
Having had a good gander at the offerings, we chose to have ‘The Skipper’s Four’: priced at £44.95, this comprises of four meats (including Fish, Seafood and Chicken) from a choice of nine dishes, three sides form eight options, and two sauces – of which there are also eight to select from.
We chose to have the 5-hour, slow-cooked Beef Brisket in a rich BBQ sauce, Lebanese Lamb Kofta served with grilled Flatbread and Minted Yoghurt, Thai Fishcakes with a Sweet Chilli Sauce, and the Lemon, Chilli and Garlic King Prawns pan-fried in Garlic Butter with Chilli, Spring onion, Cherry Tomatoes. Our sides were Sweet Potato Fries, Yard ‘Slaw, and Battered Onion Rings, and the pair of sauces we fancied were Garlic Mayonnaise and Sesame Sriracha; we figured that, with the sauces that the meals already came with, we’d have a good selection to go at. Our lovely server (who’d got a smile as wide as the River Tyne itself) zipped the order through to Chef Kyle and we settled back, drinks in hand, to reacquaint ourselves with the venue.
A pelican stands watch in the window and, paired with the various rope knots that hang at the bar, there is more than a passing nod to the heritage of the area. I personally loved the LED boat/trawler that I was sat diagonally opposite: perhaps it was the Stella Maris herself? Boat cabin-style lights on our side of the venue cast an amber glow that harmonised prettily with the fading light of the day, and a spider-like pendants’ bulbs illuminated the other side. We weren’t alone in the restaurant; as well as us there was a couple of family groups and a large group of friends celebrating a milestone birthday for one of their party.
It wasn’t long before all our food was being placed carefully on the table, and there was plenty of it, so we easily filled the table-for-four, despite there only being the two of us! Quality ingredients don’t need faffing about with and the dishes were relatively simple, garnished with herbs and/or salad leaves.
The Beef Brisket was beautifully soft in the mouth and its rich flesh was complimented by the smoky, gently tangy notes of the thick BBQ sauce that coated its strands. This was a lovely example of comfort food; plentiful and flavoursome and that gorgeous softness that cocoons the mouth as you chew it. Another dish this would partner well with is a classic Mac-n-Cheese; Pulled pork often tops this, so I don’t see why BBQ Beef Brisket wouldn’t work too?
Fish Cakes are always great; they’re easy to make and to cook, and can be made with pretty much any fish you like. The trick to making a belter of a fishcake is to get the ratio of fish:potato right: too little spud and your fishcake can be a bit dry and too flaky when cooking, too much and you lose the flavour of the fish and it gets a bit claggy in the mouth. Anyhow, the one at Dodgin’s Yard was bob-on and of a very generous size. His Nibs and I dunked some of the Sweet Potato Fries into the accompanying Sweet Chilli Sauce, savouring those alongside the deliciously spiced morsel.
Coleslaw is one of those things that you either love or hate, intrinsically, though there are so many interpretations out there now that I’d urge you to at least try a mouthful of one, should you get the chance. Personally, I like a fairly creamy one, but I don’t want it to taste of Mayo too much, either – I know, I don’t want much do I?! I also like a chunkier version, so I was very happy with the one served up by Chef Kyle; it ticked both boxes and was nicely seasoned to boot.
His Nibs is the resident expert in our flock when it comes to Onion Rings, and as he bit into the first one a smile crept over his face. The batter was nice and crisp, eliciting a pleasing crunch when bitten into, and the Onion inside was softened but not soggy. I know it’s only a side dish, but Onion Rings go with a multitude of meals so it’s a big deal that a Chef gets them right. We dunked these fried beauties into the spicy Sesame Sriracha, and the zinginess cut through the batter’s richness brilliantly.
You get a good portion of King prawns at Dodgin’s Yard, too, and they were cooked perfectly to retain all of their juiciness and delicate flavour. It’s so easy to overwhelm these shellfish; they have quite a soft, sweet taste and I’m happy to report that Chef didn’t use overly much Chilli in this dish. Don’t get me wrong, you certainly got that tell-tale warmth on your tongue, but it was nicely balanced with the Garlic and citrus. There was a pleasing textural element from the Spring Onions and Cherry Tomatoes: they’d been softened but still had a bite to them.
If you want something really filling, the Lebanese Kofta will hit the sweet spot for you. Finely minced Lamb had been mixed with finely chopped Onion and Herbs, then seasoned well, shaped into a sausage and grilled to give it that mouth-watering smokiness. This deep, rich flavour was balanced by the fresh, gentle sharpness of Natural Yoghurt and given a bit of bounce from Mint. In truth, nothing other than the warmed Flatbread it came with was needed, and it soon got demolished in our usual gluttonous style!
Throughout our time, our server had regularly checked that we were enjoying our food and making sure that our glasses didn’t run dry. We had booked our table mid-way through the evening (7.30pm) and there had been folks in before us and people arriving after, so Dodgin’s Yard is clearly popular in the area. If this venue was closer to us, we’d definitely be regular visitors: Hot Wings happily given here again.
As well as the regular menu, Dodgin’s also offer Sunday Roasts (Noon-6pm) and breakfasts every day from 10am, and they host a steak night, too. They’re open Mon-Saturday 10am-11.30pm, and Sunday 10am-10pm.
To book a table ring 0191 259 1992 or visit the website www.dodginsyard.com and hit the ‘book a table’ button; you can also view the menus on here as well.
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