Who needs them anyway, I say, when there are neighbourhood gems like this brand-new spot in Shawlands, which has more personality in one neon pink napkin than these cookie cutter concepts could ever have hoped to achieve.
Freddy & Hicks might already sound familiar to anyone who frequents the Southside. They started out as regulars on the street food circuit serving veggie and vegan fare, then had a little place on Nithsdale Road, and more recently took up a residency at the 100-year-old institution that is the Langside Cafe.
This year, owner Anna Robertson’s business has found a home on Kilmarnock Road, in a space previously occupied by an off-licence dubbed Liquor Land. The transformation is nothing short of remarkable, with a salvaged sign from the old shop being the only indication of the unit’s former life.
Freddy & Hicks on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow’s Southside (Image: Newsquest)
Now, it’s an explosion of maximalist fun, with colourful murals, clusters of quirky trinkets, and fuzzy velveteen tablecloths in a gaudy tropical flower print.
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The menu here is no longer strictly veggie, with grass-fed Scottish beef sourced from Cranstons butchers in Pollokshields, but they’ve otherwise stuck pretty closely to the style Freddy & Hicks is best known for. That means loaded fries, substantial salad bowls and, most importantly, burgers.
‘But didn’t you recently say you have a rule against reviewing burgers?’ I hear you ask. That’s true, but as they’re the main attraction, it would be pretty rude not to. And anyway, the ones coming out of that compact kitchen are worth bending the rules for.
The ‘Classic’ smash beef burger (Image: Newsquest)
We’re keeping it simple first with a classic patty, flattened out so that the gloriously juicy ground beef has crisped around its craggy edges. It’s topped with a fat pickle sliced lengthways (no piddly gherkin slices here), a layer of melted cheese, sticky caramelised onions and a double whammy of punchy mustard mayo and homemade tomato sauce. Had we been more ambitious, we could have pushed the boat out with diet-busting extras of chips and cheese or streaky bacon and pineapple, but even the most modest of their burgers is a brilliantly messy bite of comfort food joy.
A vegan friendly falafel burger (Image: Newsquest)
Our second choice makes it abundantly clear that the team has not forgotten their veggie roots, and still know exactly how to pack flavour into a plant-based dish. With a mix of coarsely ground chickpeas, cauliflower and fresh green herbs, this deep-fried falafel number is chunkier than its meaty counterpart, and stuffed into its bun with trimmings of hummus, grated carrot, beetroot, peppery rocket leaves and more of those slow-cooked onions. It might just be my favourite of the two.
Chipotle loaded sweet potato fries (Image: Newsquest)
We’ve made a slight error while ordering, having not specified that it was just a side portion of the chipotle beans we were after instead of the loaded fries special, and now face a mountain of sweet potato and halloumi to go with them.
You’d think we’d be embarrassed by the sheer volume of food, but our server, Robertson herself if I’m not mistaken, has an infectiously upbeat ‘go-for-it’ sort of attitude. ‘They taste great as leftovers the next day’, she assures us when we later admit defeat and ask for a box. And it’s true, even cold from the fridge, these smoky chilli and tomato beans with slabs of squeaky griddled cheese are just as satisfying.
Fried chicken tenders and jalapeno mash with homemade gravy (Image: Newsquest)
We’d planned to take some of our final pick from the seasonal specials menu home too, but have somehow managed to make a serious dent in the fried chicken and silky sour cream-infused mash studded with tangy jalapenos under a heavy splash of homemade gravy, while still at the table. Should you ever find yourself feeling fragile after a night out, this would surely provide an instant remedy.
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In a new home that’s bursting with character, the food here at Freddy & Hicks feels just right. It’s not overly refined or high concept, sure, but that’s not what they’re aiming for.
This is unapologetically carb-heavy, hug-on-a-plate stuff, prepared with enough care that it never feels like fast food: just honest, unfussy indulgence.
And man, do they know their way around a burger.
Menu: There’s a lot of carb heavy comfort food, like burgers and loaded fries, or the chance to keep it light with salad bowls. There’s also a kid’s menu with plenty of choice for young ones. 4/5
Service: Robertson herself is manning the shop and is great fun while managing the busy task of running between the kitchen and taking takeaway orders. 4/5
Atmosphere: This place has undergone a total transformation and is full of character. There are just a few tables for sit-in diners, with folk often shuffling in and out to pick up takeaways, but it still feels comfortable. 4/5
Price: These are big portions, and for four main dishes plus a BYOB corkage fee (£3), the total bill is a very reasonable £42. 5/5
Food: This isnt fine dining, nor does it claim to be. It’s simple, unfussy comfort food done well. 8/10
Total: 25/30
Freddy & Hicks is located at 158 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow.
Sarah Campbell is The Herald’s Food and Drink writer and restaurant critic. You can find her on X or Instagram @sz_campbell.
