I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of Limeyards ‘All Day California Kitchen’ restaurant prior to being invited along to their Blue Monday event to sample their new menu. Their Leeds venue at the White Rose Centre is their first and only Northern based restaurant, the other two being just outside London. Its kitchen serves up USA Western Coast inspired food, and I was more than ready to get stuck in.
After some time taken to deliberate from a menu where everything sounded delicious, we opted for the Coca-Cola glazed Rack of Ribs with Spicy House Slaw, Avocado & Pico De Gallo Nachos, Half a yard of Spicy Chicken Soft Tortilla Tacos, and the Sweet Corn Tamale Cake.
Whilst waiting for our food I enjoyed a ‘Koko Mojo’ cocktail consisting of Coconut rum, lime, mint, passionfruit and soda, which turned out to be a delicious aperitif! My pregnant sister, who was my eating companion this evening, opted for the ‘Elderflower and Lime Spritz ‘, which she described as refreshing.
The restaurant was very busy. Fifty minutes later our food eventually arrived, but thankfully it was worth the wait. All four dishes were excellent. The Rack of Ribs was succulent and sweet, having been cooked ‘low n’ slow’ for several hours. The Spicy Chicken Tacos were indeed as described, served on a cool wooden rack. The Sweet Corn Tamale Cake made a great contrast – it was light and fresh, made from Quinoa and Polenta, and served with a Mexican Tomato and Onion Salsa (Pico De Gallo), Lettuce and extra Sweet Corn. Finally, the homemade crispy Nachos came with more of the fantastic Salsa, Spring Onion, Sour Cream, Guacamole and melted Cheese. The portions of food were just right for the two of us.
California is on my long lists of places still to visit, and if this cuisine is anything to go by, with its clear influence of neighbouring Mexico, I need to get myself over there on the next available flight!
Limeyards deco screamed of a sun-kissed Californian coast, with images of west coast surfers and beaches covering the walls, a giant deckchair photo booth that we were encouraged to make use of, and with a general surf shack feel to the place. This made for its laid-back ambience, and made us forget just how cold it was outside on this ‘Blue’ January Monday evening!
Happy Hour is a daily occurrence from 5-7pm, with selected cocktails 2-4-1, and a selection of craft beers, including one of my favourites, the Hawaiian beer ‘The Big Wave’. They also do a Kids Menu, Weekend Brunch Menu, and an exciting looking Breakfast Menu with various types of Egg dishes, Banana Bread, Granola and much more. The food is reasonably priced with an average cost of £6 for appetisers and £10 for a main dish. They also do an excellent value Lunch and Early Evening set menu (Monday – Friday 12-7pm), with two courses for £9.95 or three courses priced at £11.95. From our experiences, this really is value for money.
Nestled in between the chain restaurants at the White Rose centre’s outside eating area, Limeyard certainly stands out. It’s the perfect place for food sharing, if you are one to share your food that is, and I will definitely make another visit next time I visit the White Rose Centre. My sister was planning her return visit with her husband before we had even left!
For more information on Limeyards full menu and offers, go to their website limeyardrestaurants.com
