If you’ve stumbled across this article in a bid to find something cool and off the beaten track ahead of an imminent trip to Liverpool then ding ding, you’ve found a winner. Salt Dog Slim’s has long been one of the ultimate places to be in the city if you prefer your watering holes to be grungy, urban and way sicker than yo’ average cocktail bar. Not a regular on your bog standard tourist recommendations but are they not exactly the kind of places you want to sniff out when visiting a new city?
Salt Dog Slim’s is the kind of gaff local’s love and for bloody good reason too. As part of the Graffiti Spirits group, Salt Dog’s is in good company and part of a family of cocktail bars and late night venues that, I think, perfectly epitomise Liverpool’s unrivalled charisma. But hey, I’m biased.
As seems to be customary in this pretty little city of ours, Salt Dog’s lures an interesting spectrum of clientele over its Seel Street threshold but one thing unites them all – a hankering for something just that little bit different. With its graffiti-ed walls, neon lighting, synonymous vintage bath tub table and well-loved leather booths, Salt Dog’s reminds me of something off a Catherine Hardwicke film. You know, proper 90’s Californian grunge. But then that is what it’s all about – muddling a taste of America with a generous lick of Scouse attitude.
I paid them a visit last week to check out a brand new gig they’ve got going on and it goes by the name of Weekend at Salty’s. The deal is available from 1pm-5pm every Saturday and Sunday and includes your choice of a classic Salty’s hot dog or a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup. Now you might think that at £25 per person, it’s a bit steep for a snack and a bev but the deal also includes bottomless Bloody Marys and Espresso Martinis.
Yep, you read that right – bottomless booze – so it’s not so bad when you think about it and bloody delicious they were. The Espresso Martini was the star of the show for us on the beverage side of things but if you’re a Bloody Mary fan then Salt Dog’s have got that down too. With a homemade tomato base, bespoke measures of hot sauce and a pickled onion crisp garnish rim, even the most might of hangovers would be no match.
In terms of the food, it was the grilled cheese and hot tomato soup combo that stole our hungry hearts. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the classic hot dog with its dried onions and it’s generous drizzles of red and yellow sauce was positively mouth-watering but there really isn’t anything more cosy than a toasty with some hot soup for dipping.
Okay so a gastronomic innovation it’s not and sure, hot dogs and grilled cheese ain’t gonna be getting a Michelin star any time soon but it’s good, honest grub and the perfect way to spend a chilly afternoon in the city. More bar-like than eatery-esque in nature, I’d recommend turning up handy if you want to bag a table and after bottomless Bloody Marys, you’re definitely going to need somewhere to perch.
For more information go to www.saltdogslims.com or give them a follow @SaltDogSlims.
