Where to eat near Bramall Lane
The Pinch and friends pick our favourite places to eat within a mile of Bramall Lane, S24SU.
You fill up my senses
Like a gallon of Magnet
Like a packet of Woodbines
Like a good pinch of snuff
Like a night out in Sheffield
Like a greasy chip butty
Like Sheffield United
Come thrill me again
The Greasy Chip Butty song captures fandom in a sonorous symphony of football, carbs, butter, salt, and beer (I wrote about that for Vittles.)
As thousands of fans flock to Bramall Lane on a matchday, the Kop roar (and recently the Lionesses’ roar too) fills up one sense. But being a fan means riding a full-blooded challenge on every bodily perception: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and……. taste.
Food is part of the ritual of football, from a half-time pie to a greasy chip butty. And surrounding Bramall Lane is a constellation of culinary coordinates that go beyond the beige boundaries of typical football fayre, offering up a galaxy of post and pre-match eating options.
In this article, our editor Sam Parry, alongside Karl Sheehan, Joel Beighton and Sam Newman, have attempted to draw the map of the best places to eat near Bramall Lane. It’s not exhaustive, but between them, they have picked their favourite pre or post-match eateries, taking that large stock of matchday food memories and simmering them down into a glossy reduction, and drizzling it over the pixels of whatever device you’re reading this on.
The rules are simple:
Within walking distance (up to one mile) of Bramall Lane
Must serve food
Where to eat near Bramall Lane
Kurdistan (London Road)
Sam Parry
I’m hesitant to write this paragraph because, for a long time, Kurdistan has felt like a pre-match secret. There are never extensive queues, the prices are ridiculously cheap, and the food is quietly superb. There’s chicken and lamb koftes, chicken and lamb tikka, whole roast rotisserie chicken and chips and a rainbow of glorious countertop salad. And if you eat in, they’ll hand you a bowl of sunshine-yellow lentil soup.
All that said, there’s one dish that, once ordered, can be consumed in the exact amount of time it takes to walk to the Kop. It used to cost £2.50, although they’ve raised prices recently to *checks notes* £3.00. That investment returns you a soft, bubbling, freshly cooked naan wrapped around spiced shawarma chicken, a flourish of crisp leaves, pickles, chillis and sauces ranging from sesame-heavy hummus to red-chilli heat. If I picked one dish on this list to eat before every game at Bramall Lane, the Chicken Shawarma wrap at Kurdistan might just be it.
Noodle Inn (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
There are two things which keep bringing me back to Noodle Inn, and the first is their Char Siu Bao. Bao buns have gone a bit mainstream recently, and many of these newcomers get it terribly wrong, serving a dry sandwich-shaped piece of dough with a splash of hipster-friendly filling thrown in the middle. Char Siu Bao at Noodle Inn is what a bao bun should be. Served in a bamboo basket with steam still rising from the top are three cloud-shaped buns filled with the most delicious sweet sticky BBQ pork. The second great allure of Noodle Inn is their big plate noodle dishes. My personal favourite is the Three Roasties. These dishes combine quality and quantity so that you'll never have to worry about what you’re doing for lunch the following day.
Man Fry Day (Shoreham Street)
Sam Parry
To plagiarise John Egan: If you go to a match in Sheffield you have to eat chips. And if you don't eat chips you may as well not go to Sheffield at all.
Man Fry Day is an institution, and is up there with one of Sheffield’s great punning chippys (see also, Codrophenia and New Cod On the block). It’s cheap, it’s on Shoreham Street, and even though it closes at 2:00 pm on Saturdays, the ability to thrill by frying is more astute than the hours it keeps. For me, the three best orders are: a) Fish, chips and curry sauce/mushy peas, b) Chicken Curry and Chips, c) Fish rissole (I’m a huge rissole advocate) and chips. There is no chip butty on my order, and that’s solely down to the indigestion-inducing qualities of double carbs on matchday.
Potato Oven (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
It might seem like a slightly left-field choice to include a jacket potato for its desserts, but please hear me out. The beauty of this place is that you can pretend to yourself that you’re going for a healthy dinner with protein-rich fillings and a generous portion of fresh salad, but really there’s only one reason why you’re here. To re-live everything that you loved about school dinners. Cornflake tarts, flapjack and jam sponge are served swimming in a sea of custard, even the furniture kind of resembles a school canteen. It’s inexpensive, unpretentious and reassuringly familiar food that holds its own against the more grandiose selections on this list.
Middle Eastern Shwarma (London Road)
Joel Beighton
I’m one of those people who judge a Sunday Roast by how well the veg is cooked. To me, if you can’t cook carrots properly, then it doesn’t matter if the Yorkshire Pudding is excellent. I apply this barometer to all meals, even kebabs. One establishment which meets my quality assurance criteria is Middle Eastern Shawarma.
Conveniently situated across from one of my favourite post-match watering holes, The Cremorne, it offers the bargain £5 shawarma wrap meal. Choose from chicken, lamb or mix both, all served up on a freshly baked flatbread made on site.
For me, I get my kicks from a good range of salads. They have the usual stuff; shredded lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber and chilli peppers, but the real stars of the show are the pickled red cabbage and thinly sliced red onion and parsley combo. They’re no afterthought, cutting through and complementing either the fatty protein. And neither is the choice of sauces: fresh garlic yoghurt, tahini or chilli.
Top your wrap meal off with a box of chips (also good) and a soft drink, and take your seat amongst a crowd of people who know this is probably the best money they’ve spent in a while. Though, perhaps not all enthusing about the salad, like me.
Béres (Ecclesall Road)
Sam Parry
Béres is an institution I associate more with our blue and white neighbours. I have no evidence but geography to back up this hunch, and no interest in learning the truth of it. I spent part of my childhood a short walk from the Beres shop Hillsborough, and another part not so far from the big stores on Herries road. You go to Béres for one thing.
The Béres pork sandwich is not your slow-cooked, hand-pulled, brioche-bunned, barbecue-sauce affair. What I like about that American-style sandwich is the transcendent over-the-top ratio of sugar and salt from meat to bread. It’s a delicious but stupid thing. It’s shouldn’t work, but it does. Béres’ pork sandwich is the opposite.
Huge legs of Yorkshire pork, boned and cured, rolled and roasted. They are packed into insulated boxes and sent to shops around the city, where they become supple slices of savoury roast pork that share a homemade breadcake with shards of shiny crackling and savoury stuffing. A light smear of sharp and sweet apple sauce, and a dipping in caramelised dripping, and you’ve got a perfect, perfect thing.
Two Doors Down (Chesterfield Road)
Karl Sheehan
Situated ‘two doors down’ from Create Coffee at the bottom of Chesterfield Road is a place which produces some of the best sandwiches Sheffield has ever seen. I am always reassured when I see a small menu, preferring the expertise of someone who chooses to perfect a speciality rather than a Jack of all trades. There are seven sandwiches on offer, and in the interest of thoroughness, I have tried all of them, most of them more than once. The bread is freshly baked on the premises every morning, sixty subs on Thursdays and Fridays and one hundred at the weekend; they always sell out. Asking me to pick my favourite sandwich is like asking me to pick my favourite retro away kit, but with a gun to my head, I’m choosing The Spicy Cuts. Three types of meat combined with three types of chilli are six great ingredients that I now find hard to imagine living in a world without. If you decide to eat at just one place from this list then I’d suggest you make it this one!
Pepe’s (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
Pepe’s chicken has been a staple food in my diet since they opened on London Road. It is firmly established as my place of choice for some pre-match snap. Far from being a poor man’s Nando’s, they boast a versatile offering which will never let you down, it’s the Ben Osbourn of eateries. I generally flit between the chicken XL burger (hot flavour, extra fillet and added cheese) or the marginally healthier chick’n’rice box. These are washed down with large cups of Sprite (don’t let them palm you off with a can) and the beautiful sauce that they give you to dip your chips in.
Burger van (Bramall Lane)
Sam Newman
The burger van on Bramall Lane, across from the ground, is genuinely not far from perfect. I mean, you physically couldn’t get closer to the ground if you tried. The queue isn’t usually too long unless you get there less than half an hour before the game. But the food is good quality and not too greasy, and the price isn’t half bad either. With a burger and a hotdog being your only two options, there isn’t much variety, but I suppose the simplicity works for a Yorkshireman like me. And although biting into the burgers will result in you looking like scarface with the amount of powder on the buns. It’s a 10/10 burger van, and a religious pre-match tradition.
Wild Rice and Yum Yum (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
The first of two takeaway-only selections is Wild Rice. This is one of those rare takeaways that serves restaurant quality food. I have found that a person’s go-to Chinese takeaway order is quite a personal thing, but if you’re open-minded enough, then I’d recommend the crispy shredded duck, the Singapore fried rice and either the sweet and sour pork or crispy shredded chicken. This should also take you over their generously low ‘free prawn cracker threshold’.
A close second is Yum Yum where I once found myself queuing behind Duncan from Blue. I know this because the man behind the counter asked, “are you Duncan from Blue?” to which Duncan replied, “Yes”. Nothing more was said on the matter, but this surely counts as a celebrity endorsement of their noodle boxes which are consistently good. All the food is cooked to order in front of you, which is always reassuring. They are known for their ‘love box’, which is essentially a £7.00 meal deal, but I prefer the chicken satay noodles.
The Broadfield (Abbeydale Road)
Sam Parry
The Broadfield’s menu is littered with the sort of ingredients that favours serving in heaps. Homemade sausages, maple-glazed ham, and Chips so big they stack like Jenga pieces. And the pies; the pies! Something moist and meaty (or veggie!) surrounded by pastry with enough crisp and that welcome chew. They are homemade and served with hand-cut chips and mushy peas. There’s always a fresh take on fillings, with classic flavours you would expect and others you would not. Uniting them all, are high-quality ingredients, cooked simply, honestly and served, as you’d hope, with no eye for thrift. Perfect winter’s post-match meal.
Butta La Pasta (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
I first sampled their food when they ran a pop-up in a church in Meersbrook, and now they have their own place at the top of London Road. I love the simplicity of Italian food. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and Cacio e Pepe are my two favourite pasta dishes, and each has less than four ingredients. The difference that the quality of these ingredients can have on the end product is make or break. The team behind Butta La Pasta actually grow their own produce, and this not only highlights their passion for quality but their commitment to incredible dishes. Their menu changes weekly, with the new week’s offerings being announced on their Facebook page: it’s all amazing.
Bragazzis (Abbeydale Road)
Karl Sheehan
At the centre of Abbeydale road is an Italian cafe with coffee so good that, in some ways, it spawned a whole road of businesses for people to shop in while they enjoyed it. The people here have a real passion for everything they do. Bragazzis trades directly with suppliers from Italy, and as well as their fantastic coffee, they stock a wide range of high-quality Italian produce. They also have a sandwich and cake selection that is so authentically Italian that it makes you feel like you’re playing the starring role in a new Sopranos reboot.
PrithiRaj (Ecclesall Road)
Sam Parry
News presenter Dan Walker is a regular at Prithiraj, and whilst he looks to have been wrong about that bloke who tended the memorial in Endcliffe Park, he’s right about this. The Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant on Ecclesall road has been a post-match staple amongst my pals for at least ten years, and unlike my other picks, there isn’t simply one defining dish. Instead, PrithiRaj gets the nod for consistently hitting the mark every time I visit.
There’s an addictive quality to the knowingly underspiced Butter Chicken. I like heat. I love hot food. I’d normally go for chillis. But this is coconutty, sugary, creamy, sweet dessert of a main is outrageously moreish. If you’re sharing a few dishes, it pairs exquisitely with the Rezalla of minced lamb that’s cosying up to a gang of chilli and peppers and onions. But forget my dish picks. I’ve never been to this place and heard anyone complain, or teeter on the edge of ambivalence. It’s great. The staff are friendly. You’ll go home full.
Caribbean Spice (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
Tucked behind the bus stop that a Blades fan famously fell through when celebrating our promotion to the Premier League is Caribbean Spice. I’ll never forget walking past on a sunny day when we were due to play the tractor boys and hearing the proprietor, King Kev, belting out “same old Ipswich, always cheating” to anyone passing. He has an infectious personality that brightens your day and makes everyone feel welcome (apart from Ipswich fans, apparently). I’d recommend the Brown Stew Chicken, and don't forget to add a couple of fried dumplings on the side. His Guinness punch is also the stuff of legend.
Wasabi Sabi (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
Wasabi Sabi has been a Sheffield institution for over 19 years, unfortunately, they are closing in seven months, so my advice would be to hurry. If you haven’t been here on a work night out then your employer doesn’t deserve you. It is as much a performance art display as it is a dining experience. The highlight of this performance is the challenge of catching a piece of fried egg in your mouth, of which I currently hold an unbeaten record. This is a place well suited to special occasions and with this, in mind, I would recommend going for the top menu (known as the Sumo Set) and making the most of it while you can.
The Stag (Psalter Lane)
Sam Parry
It’s technically called ‘The Stag’s Head’, but it will always be ‘The Stag’ to me. Okay, so most people go for the beer (Thornbridge Pub). But the food is perfect pub fayre too. The pies are excellent. They also have an outdoor pizza oven, which, when it’s stoked up, fires out decent takes on the classics. But there’s a menu hack here well worth taking advantage of. The Stag makes great chips, superb in fact. It’s not inadvisable to dive into fish and chips at £13.50; they are delicious. But the fish finger butty with tartare sauce is a monster. Freshly fried slips of fish lay on a big thick, buttered bloomer. And…served with chips…at £7.50… #menuhacks.
Lykke (New Era Square)
Karl Sheehan
The New Era Square development is a great new addition to the area and has brought with it several new places to eat. Lykke serves a Danish-inspired menu and also has the added bonus of serving draft beer to be enjoyed on their terrace. The highlight of their food offering has to be the Belgian waffles, where the Nutella to waffle ratio is beyond generous.
Oisoi (New Era Square)
Karl Sheehan
Situated on the opposite side of the street in New Era Square is Oisoi. Now this is a classy place. The menu and general aesthetic are akin to somewhere you’d find tucked away in a 5-star hotel, but instead, it’s situated a mere three-minute walk from the John Street stand. It’s a great shout if you’re looking to celebrate a birthday/anniversary or just looking for somewhere that will impress your mates on Instagram. Their cocktail menu is pretty impressive, and everything they serve is beautifully presented.
Treatz (London Road)
Karl Sheehan
It seems hard to imagine now, but not too long ago, there wasn’t a single dessert place on London Road. Now we’re spoilt for choice. I’m pretty fickle with my dessert parlour allegiances, and for a long time, La Creme was at the top of my list, but my current favourite is Treatz. Anywhere that allows you to add extra Nutella to an already chocolate-covered dessert definitely deserves my hard-earned. They also open until midnight every day of the week, so it’s a decent alternative to the pub if you ever fancy giving your liver a different challenge.
That’s it. I’m sure there are incredible places that we’ve missed. Let us know your favourites, and we’ll attempt to test them out over the season ahead when we revisit and revise the list in 2023.
Plenty to choose from there, these guys probably can’t get to the match after eating this lot beforehand hand! However, no one mention where to have your gallon of Magnet 😂
What a wonderful gastronomic treat! And this is one piece for which I’m sure none of you minded the extensive research involved!
Blades fans (and even Ipswich fans on occasion) obviously have some glorious tastebud-tickling places to eat – thank you all so much for the delicious data. *starts to plan list of visits*