All your sausage, bacon, egg and beans needs covered
Fry me to the moon and let me play among the beans. Said nobody ever. What people do say though, is “I’m hanging and I could do with a fry-up. Where can I get one?” To those people, we say this: you can get them here, friend. Of course the glories of the full English are limited to hangover treatment, a full English fry-up is for everyone, whether you’ve had a big one the night before or not.
As always, we’ve gone for a far-reaching selection of fry-ups. High and low. Controversial and not so much, some a bit posher, some less so. All will have varying levels of grease, price levels and levels of outrage on Twitter as to why they’ve been included on the list. Bookmark this article as a reference so you don’t get caught out next time you’re craving a fry. Without further ado, unleash the breakfasts.
Read on for a few of our favourite full English breakfasts in Manchester.
Albert’s Schloss
Yes, we know what you’re thinking, smart arses, that’s not a full English, that’s a full German. Excellent. Hilarious. The Cook Haus breakfast whilst not being quintessentially English, is nonetheless filling and packing enough fried goods to warrant inclusion. Yorkshire white sausage, smoked streaky bacon, Hallowdene farm egg and all your favourite breakfast veg including mushrooms, tomato and potato in hash brown form. Have a cup of tea with it and let it heal you.
27 Peter St, Manchester M2 5QR
Bus Stop Cafe
A cafe with menu items named after bus ticket options? Sign us up. You’ll be opting for the mega rider no doubt. One Cumberland ring sausage or two pork, two bacon, hash brown, grilled tomato, beans, mushrooms, toast and two eggs, fried or poached. Added items can be added for a quid. There's the option for more sausage too, notably additional 8oz or 4oz Cumberland sausage rings.
200 Stretford Rd, Urmston, Manchester M41 9NA
Egginton’s
If you’re in the Sale area on the hunt for some fry action, you can count on Egginton’s to hit the spot. Alongside quite an intriguing mains and sides menu (lemonade and soy chicken anyone?) sits bulletproof breakfast options which include, Noah's Ark style, two of each of the standard fare as well as toast and a medium drink.
1A Ashton Ln, Sale M33 6WT
Essy’s
“We think like scientists, organise like accountants, plate like artists and cook like grandmas", so goes the strapline at Essy’s. Founded in the 90s, Essy’s has been dishing out a wholesome mixture of British classics and rotisserie grill bits for over 30 years. Fill up on fried eggs, bacon, sausage and beans, the latter coming in a little cup with a sprig of parsley in it.
31-33 King St W, Manchester M3 2PW
Folk
One of the nicer places to eat a fry up, is Folk. With a terrace that catches the rays, a perfect spot for Didsbury people watching, feast on crispy bacon, black pudding, upmarket beans and a splodge of avocado to offset the potato tots. Get yourself a silky flat white and set yourself up for the day properly.
169-171 Burton Rd, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2LN
Gorilla
One that immediately comes to mind when thinking of breakfast in Manchester. Gorilla has long been a solid, dependable spot for fry-ups over the years. Central to Gorilla’s full English appeal is the often overlooked gift of serving breakfast until 4pm. Truly god’s work. The Gorilla full English (royale if you want to supersize it) comes with smoked back bacon, leek and sage sausages, hash brown, homemade beans, mushroom hash, roasted tomato, fried egg and toast with garlic butter. There’s a vegan version too.
54-56 Whitworth St, Manchester M1 5WW
Katsouris Deli
If you’re the sort of fry-up enthusiast that likes to be up and at ‘em, sitting among the city’s unsung high-vis heroes as the early birds come and go, go for a full English at Katsouris. Straight to the point, solid fare in a Gothic building. The Big Kat breakfast is cheap, cheerful and filling with two eggs, three bacon, two sausage, mushroom, tomato, baked beans and toast.
113 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BQ
Koffee Pot
Serious breakfast. No messing around. Egg and bacon wallpaper on the walls, proper fried breakfast scran on your plate. Regular frequenters know the deal and are referred to as "potheads". The strapline goes: “Creating and curing hangovers since 1978”. May as well be a UNESCO-certified breakfast heritage site. The KP Full English ticks traditional boxes whilst the Irish Fry and Big Yin introduce potato cake, soda bread, square sausage and haggis respectively. Very popular, worth queueing.
84-86 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
Metro Cafe
Get off the tram in Chorlton and head straight into Metro Cafe. Majid will sort you out. Proper wholesome hearty cooking in classic greasy spoon surrounds. Full English available all day with the all-important crunch of fried bread and a welcome separation of tomato and beans in ramekins so you can decide how much of each you want where. There’s also beautiful homecooked Persian food if you’re looking to mix it up.
20 High St, Manchester M4 1QB
Moose Coffee
Whilst the menu at Moose is largely US-inspired breakfast items with a lot of pancake action going on, you can still eat a pretty hefty full English equivalent in there, all day long. Lone Star plates up a selection that includes minute steak, gourmet chipolatas, homemade fresh Moose potato hash with two fried eggs on top and a griddled tomato. Fill your boots.
20 York St, Manchester M2 2BB
Pen & Pencil
A mainstay of our monthly deals article, it’s always worth pointing out that you can get 50% off on a Monday at Pen & Pencil. That means a potential half-price fry-up from the brunch menu. With the P&P breakfast, you’re getting bacon, sausage patties, beans, flat cap mushrooms, grilled tomato, poached eggs, homemade hash brown and grilled sourdough. Pencil in a visit.
Fourways House, 57 Hilton St, Manchester M1 2EJ
Pot Kettle Black
Another fry with a view, munch on a sausage and gaze at the arguably under-utilised surroundings of Barton Arcade. Something definitely worth your attention at PKB is sausage. They’re doing them Olde-English style, alongside streaky smoked bacon, poached egg, PKB beans and your choice of toast. Avocado an option too. Sink a coffee with it and choose from a choice of toast made from bread baked freshly in-house.
Barton Arcade, Manchester M3 2BW
Oxford Road Café
The good stuff. Greasy spoon vibes but also a bit of care, notably the indication on the menu that the ORC breakfast (a large is also available) is gluten-free. You can also add a bagel if you’re that way inclined. We’re talking sausage, bacon, free-range egg, Heinz beans and Bury black pudding. Also can’t not mention there’s also an item on the menu called the breakfast power wrap. Excellent name.
19 Ashley Rd, Altrincham WA14 2DP
Rowntree’s Café
A breakfast institution, Rowntree’s in the Arndale is a monument to better times, of hangovers cured and bellies filled. Open daily 8 until 8 (11.30am to 5.30pm on a Sunday) you’re guaranteed a solid, hard-working wholesome fry-up. The works, literally all of the items I’ve painstakingly listed in all of the above entries. Notably cheaper though. That’s the real pull here. That and the vibe. Long live Rowntree’s.
Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre, 20 High St, Manchester M4 1QB
Shirley’s Sandwich Bar
Proper. No messing around. Minimal if any internet presence. High-vis and hard hat HQ. If it’s good enough for the lads on the tools then it’s good enough for us. It’s also round the corner from our office and has soothed many a hangover. Ask for Shirley (definitely don’t do that). Just be cool, order from a range of large or small traditional fry-ups, wait politely and then hoover it up like your life depends on it. Very generous with the beans. Various iterations of a breakfast barm available also. A lot for a fiver.
48-50 Brazennose St, Manchester M2 5EB
Trof
Last but not least. It’s technically brunch because it starts at 10am but it’s still a full English (Royal option available). All your favourite cast members are there. Special Trof sausage too (not a euphemism) with slow-roasted tomato and Bury black pudding as standard. What’s interesting is you can potentially customise an absolute monster of a breakfast here with brunch extras for one or two quid. Notably chorizo hash.
8 Thomas St, Greater, Manchester M4 1EU
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Cover image: Koffee Pot
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