If you want to find the best kebab in Manchester, ask a taxi driver. That’s the local logic, and more often than not, it’ll lead you straight to Rusholme Chippy. A landmark on the Curry Mile since 1977, this place is more than just a takeaway — it’s a living part of the neighbourhood’s story. Starting life as a modest fish and chip shop with a few tables, today it’s an unmissable fixture for anyone craving serious flavour, from late-night revellers and medics on call to families passing down the tradition through generations.
Osama, who’s worked the counter for over 25 years, sees it all — from cab-ferried tourists arriving on word-of-mouth alone, to returning regulars who first came in with their grandad. The place was founded by his uncle Mo, known affectionately as ‘the guy with the glasses’, and still feels like a family affair in the best way. “We’ve got third generation customers now,” Osama says.
What keeps people coming back is simple: food made from scratch, served without pretence, and rooted in deep family knowledge. The Afghani kobeda kebab is the undisputed headliner — a colossal, spice-packed skewer of minced lamb laid across scorched flatbread, blistered in the tandoor and handed to you with no plate, just chip paper. It’s messy and magnificent. “Nobody else can make that kobeda,” Osama says. “It’s ours.”
But there’s much more on the menu. The Qabily Pillow is another classic, layered with melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank and jeweled with raisins and carrots, is a nod to the family’s Afghan roots. Chicken tikka, lamb chops, and proper hand-cut chippy chips (always crispy, never soggy) round out the offer.
Open late into the small hours — 4am on Fridays, 5am on Saturdays — Rusholme Chippy is a lifeline after nights out, for late workers at the nearby Manchester Royal Infirmary and a sanctuary for students, with its more-than-decent prices. It’s a place where memories are made, stories are shared, and loyalty is earned with every bite.
Still feeding generations, still staying true, still the soul of the Mile.
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