Style Points: 3/5
Price: ££
Overall: 4/5

My favourite alcoholic drink ever is an Amaretto Sour. It is the perfect blend of sweet and sour and so dangerous because you don’t even realise they are alcoholic the liquor is so sweet! Imagine my dismay in trying to order an Amaretto Sour in the UK and found they put egg white in it. This is not how we do it in the States.

So imagine my elation when I walked into the launch for Pecking Order and was handing an Amaretto Sour with no egg white in sight. It had the cherry and the orange slice just like life intended. I knew from that first sip that I was going to like this place.

Amaretto Sour

Once the amazement of the drink wore off and I had time to check out the surroundings of the restaurant I was impressed. I didn’t expect much of a new restaurant opening in Stanmore. I mean it’s the end of the Jubilee line and not an area I tend to frequent. But Pecking Order have managed to create a rustic yet trendy vibe from their restaurant. There crates with hay tucked above the door and plenty of chicken artwork. The tables look like re-purposed wood and the chairs are metal. It gives the space a classic simplicity and yet it's also funky in its own way too. Certainly not going to make you feel out of place in your jeans!

Restaurant interior

'For the love of the Bird'

Would I Want Seconds?

Launch parties are tricky because they allow you an opportunity to try a little of a lot of dishes which is great for getting the feel of a menu - but it also means that you don’t know the portion sizes or what sides a dish might be served with. However when I sat down and had a look at the menu and was pretty excited that I was going to try a few things and not be too limited!

The first dish I tried was a Mini Bun (£6) which was just a bite-sized version of their classic burger. You know how they say everything is better in miniature - well this was pretty impressive. I feel like with most sliders you get the patty size is tiny and the bun seems to just take over. However with these Mini Buns the patty was more like a flattened meatball, nice a thick in addition to being juicy. It really was a mini burger with all the goodness you’d hope for!

Serving up mini buns

Mains and side dishes

Mini bun

The next dish to make the rounds was the Chicken Wings (£5.50 for 6 pieces). I’m generally not a fan of eating chicken off the bone and these are one of the tiniest bits! However, although I probably wouldn’t order them myself they had all the hallmarks of some good wings: bit spicy, plenty of sauce. The only thing that was missing was Ranch dressing or I could have been at home eating these.

The Rotisserie Chicken (£5-16 depending on size) was juicy and flavourful. So often chicken can go dry but that was not the case here. I only had a little bit of the chicken as I didn’t want to be greedy, but I probably could have eaten the whole plate given the chance. The Crinkle Cut Fries (£3.50) were good as well - crinkle cut happen to be my favourite of all fried potatoes. The Sweet Potato Fries (£4) were good too but without a dipping sauce I didn’t really care much for them. I’m sure with something to dip them in they would have been perfect.

And then I finally got to try the one item on the menu I zeroed in on and couldn’t wait to try. They offer Mac N Cheese Truffle Bites (£4.50) which is essentially a ball of mac and cheese breaded and deep fried. I know I like fried foods probably more than the average person but this just sounded like something I’d love. My only criticism is that I’d like the Mac and Cheese a bit creamier…but considering I pretty much always want my mac and cheese to be like what they serve at Panera (or Bread Co for those in the know) I’m aware that I’m on the extreme side of creaminess. Really though these cheese bites had a great taste and I cannot wait to go back and get them again!

Additionally, they have popcorn chicken and even a mac and cheeseburger on the menu. I only wish I had gotten to try a couple more dishes!

Chicken wings

Rotisserie chicken

Mac 'n' Cheese truffles

Pecking order menu

Could I Afford Seconds?

The prices at Pecking Order are very reasonable. For a full meal with a main and side would be around £12 and the cocktails are about £7. So for two people having a full meal including a drink and sharing a starter it would be just under £50.

Usually, as long as we spend about £50 or less on a large meal for two I are fairly pleased. However being in Stanmore means it’s not exactly convenient for me, however obviously this isn’t a concern for those who live closer though. I think it’s definitely worth the trip though as it’s really good quality food for the price point.

Overall:

I nearly gave Pecking Order a 5/5 to and to be honest I think the only reason I’m a little hesitant to do so is that I haven’t had a proper meal there yet.

I loved the drinks, I loved the food and all the staff were so eager to help (even if one poor guy was having a rough night with a few spills - open night nerves I’m sure). Stanmore is not my area but I’ve told my husband that I will be bringing him to the Pecking Order because I want to firstly have a full order of those Mac and Cheese Balls and secondly get to enjoy a full meal in it’s proper setting.

Pecking Order to me is the perfect example of a middle ground restaurant that’s not so fancy and stuffy that you can’t even pronounce what’s on the menu but not so casual that you wouldn’t feel like you’ve had a nice meal. And of course since everything I tried was delicious why wouldn’t I go back?

Hay crates

Website: www.peckingorder.co.uk
Address: 12 Buckingham Parade, The Broadway, Stanmore, HA7 4EB
Closest Tube Station: Stanmore