Variety Bar

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Variety Bar is a colourful affair with a unique atmosphere, where students, musos and ravers sit beside office workers and typically Glaswegian ‘old men’. There are always a few characters inside, as well as premium beers on tap and a strong selection of spirits. Having taken the leap into food service, it’s an appropriately left-field approach with a little Tex-Mex stall at the side of the bar operated by Smoak. It’s a simple set-up but, boy, is it good. Meat is smoked for more than ten hours, giving rich, deeply infused flavour to their pulled pork shoulder and Aberdeen Angus brisket. Tastes zing about the palate: bright coriander salsa, musky mesquite, sharp and crisp pickles before the full-on meatiness. The mini-brioche sliders allow you to try different meats on a small scale, while even the ‘Guadalupe Peak’ (everything, on a big bun) is filling without being stodgily overpowering. Overall, it’s a great addition to Sauchiehall Street’s munching options – hence the often heaving weekends.

• High point: Painstakingly smoked, flavoursome meat
• Low point: They tend to run out