As a native of culinary melting pot Malaysia and the daughter of a restaurateur, UG student Natalie Voo knows her food. Every other week, she reviews Groningen’s student-friendly dining scene. This time: Yankees Streetfood.
Smooth Brothers has been a local darling for ages, but guess what? They’ve given their digs in Zwanestraat (they’ve got another branch in Oosterstraat) a makeover for a swanky new venture: Yankees Streetfood. Think classic retro American diner vibes with East Coast flair.
Letdown
This place is so easy on the wallet that we ordered a ridiculous amount of food. The Chicken Little (fried chicken sandwich) was a total letdown—not crispy at all and flavourless. Seriously, how is it that good fried chicken is impossible to find in Groningen? Can’t be that hard to fry chicken, can it?
The Philly cheesesteak was middling. Mac and cheese was tasty but clumpy and a tad too salty. The cinnamon roll was hard and tooth-achingly sweet. The donut fried chicken was an interesting concept but not executed well—with a donut that is too soft, and soggy chicken drenched in syrup. However, I did enjoy the buffalo wings that were sticky, sweet, and full of flavour. The Snoop Dog was pretty solid, with a tangy chipotle kick (also what a great name for a hot dog!). The coke float was a classic hit.
Top-notch service
The place itself was a total vibe, nailing that American East Coast feel, right down to the tunes. The service was top-notch, with our waitress thoughtfully offering to halve everything for us when she noticed we were sharing.
Overall, it was a decent outing. The fried chicken needs serious help, but do pop in for the coke float and buffalo wings. It’s perfect for a post-exam treat or just when you need to indulge without breaking the bank!
Yankees Streetfood, Zwanestraat 31
A casual American joint that serves affordable American food. For two people we spent €45.50.
Ratings
Food: 6.7/10
Presentation: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10