Shakedown 2.0 (American, Desserts) – Manchester

If any of you remember us visiting this gem last year, you’ll recall that we were left thoroughly impressed rating them a solid 4/5.

Well, we’re back to review their second venue, which, unlike the first that was described as “probably the smallest dessert shop in the North” and located down a side road in the heart of Withington, is situated a few minutes walk away on Wilmslow Road.

Shakedown 2.0, as its been affectionately named, isn’t just a larger sit-in diner, but has also introduced a whole new menu that includes burgers and sides.

While still loving the black and yellow neon colour theme they’ve stuck to, this upgraded branch has room for more of those LED wall signages so perfect for your Insta-shots.

Their burgers can be upgraded to either: 1) Fizz Me – any fries, sauce and soft drink (add £3.00), or a 2) Shake Me – any fries, sauce and regular shake, (add £5.00).

They even do a Mega Deal for £29.00 that includes: two burgers, two fries, two sauces, two shakes and a dessert waffle.

Beefed Up – Double beef patty, melted cheese and dress me sauce, £6.50 (NB. – does not include any of the sides)

We started with their top pick, the Beefed Up burger – made of two thin, smashed beef patties whose thickness was spot on being neither too dense nor overly filling.

The quality of this sandwich was apparent from the very first bite, with the juicy goodness of the melt-in-the-mouth beef catching and holding our attention right until our last mouthful.

Covered in this gorgeously melted cheese and covered in plenty of ranch dressing ‘dress me sauce’, this burger was an example of less-is-more, with the few ingredients complementing each other very well.

Being presented in foil meant that the fresh buns were wrinkly soft in appearance, which, although some may find distracting, we found only made this rustic looking burger look all the more appetising.

American Fried – Battered chicken fillet, lettuce, nice & spicy sauce, £6.00 (NB. – does not include any of the sides)

The American Fried is Shakedown’s version of a chicken burger, with the tender fillet coated in a freshly-made, crispy batter.

Paired nicely with onions, lettuce and cheese sauce, while the quality of the burger was exceptionally good, we did feel that the chicken could have done with something extra.

Perhaps it was the tasty side of chicken nuggets we opted for, but had the seasoning on this been used as an additional flavour profile, it would have given this burger a good kick of spice.

Nevertheless, it was another well executed burger, with enough going on to make this a good alternative.

Stack Me! – Beef patty, fried chicken fillet, cheese & dress me sauce, £7.00 (NB. – does not include any of the sides)

If you find yourself stuck in choosing between the beef or the chicken, then go for the Stack Me! which gives you the best of both worlds.

Despite the crispy chicken fillet being larger in size, the juicy beef patty certainly held its own, with the phenomenal flavours of both combining to offer this really satisfying burger.

To be sure, it was the cheese and dress me sauce which was the secret in bringing these two seemingly disparate patties into one coherent whole.

If we were to have this again, however, we’d be certain to request more of the cheese to really make this Stack Me! sing the high notes.

Side Chicks – Fried chicken tenders, £3.00

With only a few starters and sides to choose from, we mixed things up a little by trying a bit of everything, beginning with this generous portion of Side Chicks.

And how perfectly tender and extra crispy these bite-sized nuggets were too, with enough spicy kick to make these an addictive munch. Just be sure to have these with a drizzle of a silky cheese sauce.

Cheesy Bites – fried cheese balls with jalapeno, £3.00

For all you cheese lovers out there, you’re in for a cheeky spicy surprise with these Cheesy Bites.

We absolutely loved these rich and crispy, soft-centred, piquant mouthfuls of goodness. A lovely thin outer shell that was filled with a rich, soft cream cheese and a touch of a jalapeno kick.

Skin-on Fries – Shakedown seasoning, any choice of sauce, £2.50

These rustic Skin-on Fries’ were deliciously crispy, and seasoned with just enough salt and pepper to have you dipping it in a sauce of your choice till your heart’s content.

Curly Fries – Mild spicy seasoning, any choice of sauce, £2.50

These crispy curyly fries were seasoned with a mild spice and decently cooked. But, we’d go with the aforementioned Skin-on Fries every time!

Oreo Teaser – Oreos, Malteasers and chocolate sauce; Biscooh – Biscoff biscuits, Oreos and white milk drops – Reg £4.50, Lar £5.50 each

Having enjoyed their shakes so much the first time, we didn’t need an invitation to try the newest additions to their menu – The Oreo Teaser and the Biscooh.

The Oreo Teaser was a creamy blend of Oreos and Malteasers topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. While this wasn’t overly dense, the former did manage to dominate over the latter, which didn’t come as much of a surprise. However, this shake did have a lovely transition of a wafer-like hint at the end, courtesy of the Malteaser, of course!

As for the Biscooh, this was a dreamy combo of Biscoff biscuits, Oreos and white milk drops, which all came together to hit our collective sweet spots. If you don’t like things too sweet, then this is certainly an option.

It should be repeated too that the consistency of these shakes were superbly judged, being neither too thick nor too liquidy. Yes it’s been a year since we tried their shakes; but we have to say, this impressed us just as much as the first time!

Half Moon – Half nutella, half melted white chocolate with crushed Flake and crushed Milkybar, £6.50

With one Lion describing this as “freshly-made to perfection”, these guys have the formula for making a real waffle down to a tee!

This recommended Half Moon waffle was heavenly, with the light and airy textured waffle turning out delicately crispy on the outside. All that was required were the toppings which, as the name might suggest, was a 50-50 mix of white chocolate sauce sprinkled with crushed Flakes on one half, and a generous drizzle of Nutella sauce topped with chunks of white chocolate Milky Bar on the other. It was served with a small pot of ice cream as a side, which helped cut through all that chocolatey delight.

We can’t think of anywhere else in Manchester we’d rather have our waffle-fix than at Shakedown. This one’s definitely for those who enjoy their desserts light and nicely balanced.

Cookie Dough – milk chocolate served with ice cream, £4.50

Their Cookie Dough from last year!

What a difference a year makes! Their Cookie Dough was easily the weakest dish we reviewed the first time round.

Not only did it look nothing like what we were expecting of a typical cookie dough, but also failed to deliver on the classic flavours of a red velvet.

This on the other hand, was far better both in terms of its execution and flavours. It was everything you’d want a cookie dough to be: chewy, gooey and crispy.

With white chocolate oozing from the middle, this had a gorgeous crispy top, and was drizzled in lotus sauce before being topped with biscoff crumbs, to complete an absolutely delightful finale to any dine.