Old Salty’s

I’ve only been here twice now, but both times have been really great!
Sophie K and I decided to meet for lunch and remembered that Old Salty’s has a £5 lunch deal! How great is that?!
Upon walking in, we both noticed their macaroni pies displayed in the chippy style case and were soon taken upstairs to have a seat. Both lovers of macaroni and cheese, we asked how much a pie would be to have on the side of the fish and chips we were going to order. A bit steep at £3.20, we decided to split a portion of lunch macaroni and cheese on the side of our fish and chips. Why? Well, why not?
I’ve been on such a fish kick lately, this fish was delicious. Like Sophie mentioned, not the best I’ve ever had, but it is quite good and we ate it in no time! The batter on the fish has a bit of mixed spice or nutmeg or something, which gives it a bit of a sweet taste to it, but no bother, it’s still edible. The macaroni and cheese was divine in all it’s creamy cheesy goodness, with just a bit of crumble on top. Instead of ordering the macaroni and cheese with another portion of fries, we ended up getting a huge mixed green salad on the side which went down a treat. I vowed to start eating more salads like that right then and there.
Old Salty’s feels like an institution here in Glasgow, although i’m not so sure about it’s history. I know the one in Finnieston was closed down which is a shame, I hope this location doesn’t see the same fate. I quite like coming here for a delicious cheap lunch!

Carolyn E. and I came here to finally try out the £5 lunch menu offer.
Look, it’s not the bestest fish and chips I have ever had, but the portions are ridiculously large (seriously «mini fish supper»? Are you kidding me?) and the food is good. I was and remain happy about it and would definitely return! Especially since you’re only paying £5. The fries are very, very good and the fish is too. The batter is on the sweet side, but it’s fresh and the fish is good.
Having one of those days where you just want to stuff your face with everything, and having seen the Mac and Cheese pie in the thing downstairs, we ended up ordering mac and cheese as well to share — without chips because, you know, you have to draw a line somewhere. I really, really enjoyed the mac and cheese.
What I however loved most is the the tartar sauce that they do. I’ve loved it in their (now closed) Argyll street branch, and I absolutely loved it here too. Definitely have that tartar sauce if you go!
The venue itself is nice, the ceiling is low upstairs. The waitress seemed to not be very understanding of what we wanted — but we did actually end up with the things we ordered so all was well.

For most people it would be fine, but for me it was a bit too salty, I woke up during the night still tasting it. To be fair I have a low tolerance to salt so I’ll not hold that against them.
The portions were quite generous we thought. My chips were quite nicely cooked, although the chipping potato did have just a slight after-​taste, they were a decent size and just slightly greasy a la chippy style. My partner had the fish goujon butty and I had a smoked sausage supper. The fish goujons were cooked in a light, crisp batter and were perhaps just slightly over, and my smoked sausage, well it was fried quite nicely.
Not bad at all, definitely not a gourmet chippy, but better than your average!

We ordered fish and chip, and fish sandwich. Both were hot, fresh and delicious. The bread on the sandwhich was proper and added to the taste of the meal. The downside was the service was slow to be seated, receive the meal and check.

Get the Lunch deal Mac and Cheese, It’s a HUGE portion of yummy Mac, plus a good sized portion of chips, perfect for lunch :)
We thought it was the Macaroni Pie from the regular menu, but was pleasantly surprised when the big bowl of cheesey goodness turned up!
It’s about £5 and drinks are priced seperately.

I’ve been told that Old Salty’s has the best haggis, so I took a friend here who’s never had (or heard of for that matter) haggis to try it for the first time.
We immediately liked the place when we walked in, with its largely wooden cosy interior and warm atmosphere. We chose a table upstairs and ordered Irn Bru to make the Scottish experience complete.
For food my friend got the haggis supper (obviously) and I opted for scallops (usually a starter) with onion rings on the side, as I wasn’t very hungry.
It arrived pretty quickly and to my surprise, the haggis looked nothing like I expected it to — it was battered (fried) and came with chips, rather than with the traditional «neeps» & «tatties». I felt a bit bad for my friend cause I described to her what traditional haggis looks like before and she was keen to try it, but I decided I wouldn’t let that ruin my (or her) experience.
She turned out liking the haggis and as I got to taste it as well, I can say it was a good one, maybe a little too mild and could use more spices but definitely one of the better ones. The batter added a sort of a twist to it, too, making it nice and crispy on the outside. The chips were also good.
My scallops were really tasty, though nothing too special, and the onion rings weren’t salty enough to my taste but nicely crisp & tender.
Overall, it was a good experience, though it’s more of a place to go to get your haggis done in an unusual new way rather than go try it for the first time really. I would definitely come back for the nice atmosphere to get some of their other dishes and a pint though.

So last time I came I walked out do to poor service
This time was completely different, service was fantastic, even unsold me some bread for an accompaniment for my meal
Ordered the cod and chips and it arrived looking great, cod was fresh if not a tiny bit greasy, being picky tho as I did enjoy it.
The chips however really let it down, lots of crispy scraps of chips and the rest looked like they had been sat out for ages (this wasn’t the case it’s just how they looked)
Really wasn’t impressed with the chips at all
I enjoyed my bread and butter, washed down with again a pet hate… Bottles of Coke … That are tiny … 200ml for £1.80! That’s expensive
So I gave it another try and I wasn’t impressed, ill go back to my other places next time I need a fish and chip fix

Good place to head to when that chippy craving strikes! Old Salty’s on Byres Road was buzzing on Saturday night when we went in. There was a table free but we decided just to get our food to go and relax at home. There are booths downstairs and additional tables on the mezzanine level. We had a quick look at the menu and a peek at the pies before ordering and took seats at the window while we waited for our food. Our order was freshly prepared and ready within 10 mins. I had the macaroni pie and chips. The portion size for the chips is fairly large and they were good, perfectly cooked and not at all greasy, and went well with a wee side pot of curry sauce! I quite liked the pie but the pasta in it was a little dry in places, best eaten right away instead of waiting til home I guess. Prices are reasonable — my supper was less than a fiver.

We went here for dinner with friends. First off if you are looking for a place that has healthy options this is not it! There is nothing that is not fried– which fair enough it’s modelled off a chippy. We had cod and chips. It was good but nothing to write home about. Additionally being seated upstairs unfortunately translated into terrible table service as they were largely running about downstairs. It’s a nice atmosphere though with warm and cosy interior.

For sure I’ll be back. The chocolate with marshmallows was delicious as well as the service.
Also price was really good.
I encourage to visit, and next time I will try the food!

I’ve only ever been into this branch of Old Salty’s for the lunch deal, which is £5 for either a mini fish supper, a burger, a mac and cheese, a soup and sandwich, or a few other choices. It’s really not bad for the money and the portion sizes are just right for lunch.
Most recently I went in with a friend. He ordered the sausage sandwich with chips and I got a cream of mushroom soup with the fish goujon sandwich. The soups rotate daily but it looks like they always have two options on and at least one of them is vegetarian. They don’t have hundreds of vegetarian options here, but there are a few choices — I think vegans or anyone with other dietary requirements might struggle a bit, though.
I always love mushroom soup so that was kind of a no brainer when I saw it was on the menu. This one was rich and creamy if possibly just slightly over salted. Well, «salt» is in the name, so maybe that’s their thing? The fish goujons in the sandwich were breaded rather than battered which I thought was a lovely touch and they were great big chunks of tender white fish. I was definitely full, but not too full, the way you might expect to be when you get lunch from a chippy.
The restaurant itself is quite nice. I’ve only ever been seated upstairs which I recommend — the corners are especially cosy. The ceiling is pretty low though, so watch out for the beam at the top of the stairs — especially if you’re tall!

CHIPS! Hot damn I love me some chips, who doesn’t! (if you know anyone who says they don’t like chips they are wrong and you should disown them immediately).
A first visit to this, the sister of the one in Finnieston, and it’s pretty much on a par, if anything I think I prefer it due to the layout as it feels a bit roomier.
We got a seat upstairs, ordered some drinks and then it was time to make a decision, what would we have with our chips!
Fish for Clare S, smoked sausage for me, with a couple of pickled onions and some mushy peas on the side, I love a good chippy, and this hit the mark.
We did have starters of scallops and prawn skewers — the scallops were perfectly cooked, and the prawns had a nice little chilli kick to them, delicious!
The chips are proper chips, thick and solid, and my smoked sausage was as tasty as it usually is (in hindsight we probably should tried something from their specials but hey ho!). Alas their mushy peas are on the wrong mint/​herby side of my tastebuds (I prefer my mushy peas on the vinegary side) but that’s my only real complaint.
Actually that’s a lie — they need a better range of beers, it’s pretty limited.
That said we enjoyed the email, the service was good, friendly and attentive, and price wise it was about what I expected. I will definitely be back… because CHIPS!

I was hungry after a days work and was just off to buy something in a supermarket in Byres Road, but then Old Salty’s drew me in. uh oh, did someone say vegetarian chippy options?
The décor is quite eclectic, some lovely decorated wooden boards and seats for groups downstairs or on the mezzanine, with smaller tables lining the windows. The staff were really friendly and chatty and served both the restaurant and take away area, so they were quite busy even for a Monday evening.
I have never had a macaroni pie supper before, and mmm it was good. Really good. Crusty, crispy pie and tangy cheese. They had even added some melted cheese on top of the pie as well, just to add to the naughty tastiness. They did balance it with a few bits of salad… I ate my greens (which came with a mustard seed vinaigrette dressing) but I couldn’t finish the chips, the portion was enormous, even for greedy me!

We ended up here after failing to get into a number of restaurants on a Friday night.
Such a great slice of luck as this place is excellent. A stylish corner building with a mezzanine floor and sleek dark styling, Saltys serves a great selection of traditional food.
I had the delicious chicken curry pie with chips and my wife had a superb vegetarian pizza. Both were excellent quality and great value.

I love fish & chips and quite frankly, who doesn’t?! Old Salty’s is a rather awesome posher version of your local chippy complete with table service.
I’ve dined at the Byres Road branch numerous times and haven’t had a bad meal ever. Along with the traditional chippy menu items, they also have daily specials such as grilled langoustines, prawns and crab cakes.
On the last occasion, I ordered grilled langoustines which were absolutely delicious and fresh. My only complaint was that there weren’t enough as they were that good!
I normally order the haddock and chips, delicious big piece of fish which is always good perfectly. The chips are soft and fluffy, no complaints! I have an unhealthy addition to the side salad which is served with the fish & chips… I think it’s the salad dressing. I have no idea what on earth they put on it, crack maybe?! Either way it’s delicious that I can’t get enough of it!
If you’ve never been you really should! It is a tad annoying you can’t book a table, but I’ve never really had to wait longer than 10 minutes for a table before.

To be fair I’ve only had lunch here so I’m probably not giving it as balanced a review as it might deserve, but honestly? I just don’t see what the fuss is about.
A fiver for soup and a sandwich sounds like not a bad deal for lunchtime — until you see the size of it. I had carrot & coriander soup that was too peppery, and a fish goujon sandwich. The soup bowl wasn’t massive, the sandwich portion even less so. Two bits of fish that were smaller than my thumb and covered with batter. Sorry, for a fish sandwich it really should be breadcrumbs. Oh, and there were a few leaves of salad to go with it.
Drink — a 200ml bottle of Schweppes ginger beer for £1.80 served with a tall glass chock-​full of ice so that it looks like a good deal?
No, sorry. Not overly impressed with the Old Salty’s lunch experience. I don’t think I’ll be back.

Who doesn’t like a chippy tea?! It’s a British staple and what we’re known for so it’s only polite to partake in the odd fish supper now and then, purely for keeping the tradition alive of course (*cough*)…This was my second visit to Old Salty’s and both times I’ve sat in. You can’t book/​reserve tables here so you just have to hope when you arrive there’s a free table for you & your dining companions. Luckily both times we’ve not had to wait for a table and we’ve sat in the upstairs mezzanine.
The menu (printed on a brown envelope) is quite traditional but with a few twists. For instance there are starters you wouldn’t expect to find in a more traditional/​old school chippy such as Calamari and Tiger Prawns and Scallops. We’ve had the Calamari and it’s really good ~ you get a decent sized portion (for £5.20) which comes with a really tasty dip & salad.
The main courses are more you’re regular chip shop fare: old school suppers such as Black Pudding, Sausage, Steak Pies, Burgers or Haggis alongside some more unusual dishes like Chicken Schnitzel & Chicken Katsu Curry. Fish they offer regularly are Cod, Haddock & Hake. They also do Calamari or Fish Goujons suppers as well. If you’re gluten intolerant then they offer a gluten free batter and there’s also a veggie (although I’ve heard it’s actually vegan) sausage supper too.
Alongside your mains you can order some sides and I’ve had both the mushy peas and the gravy, both of which were very nice.
Both times I’ve gone for the Haddock supper and it’s a fair size you get although last visit there was a bit too much batter (which was also a bit too greasy) for my liking. I’m not a big fan of batter, I prefer breadcrumbs and it’s a shame they don’t offer that (a Special Fish supper) as an option. I’d also like to see more seasonal fishes on the menu. There’s a few great chippys back in Norfolk that have a ‘Fish of The Day’ and it’s usually whatever fish is in season such as Sole or one of my particular favourites, Skate. It means you get to try something you’ve maybe not had before. Plus it would make them stand out from the other fish & chips shops around.
The drinks choices are quite basic ~ there’s a choice of a bottle (£14) or glass (£4) of red or white wine, bottles of lager or cider, soft drinks & a few hot drinks. There are only a few desserts too, some being a Crumble or Cheesecake of the Day and Eton Mess. Never been able to manage a dessert here as after a starter & main course I’m usually too pooped!
Staff here are really friendly & helpful, service is pretty swift and I like the mostly wooden and glass design of the place, it’s certainly got some sole to it (sorry, I couldn’t resist a fish pun!).
I’ll definitely be back. I’ve seen they do a Breakfast menu which interests me and for £5 a full Scottish/​Veggie Breakfast sounds really good.

I’m a fan of the original Old Salty’s on Argyle Street and wanted to try the Byres Road branch and see what was new. I had the lemon and chilli prawns to start and then the classic haddock supper with tartare sauce and some mushy peas on the side. The food was great with nice crispy batter and excellent chips. I love a chippy and it’s great to have one where you sit in but don’t have to pay more than a tenner for the priviledge.
This branch has more of a restaurant feel than Argyle Street with a mezzanine level full of tables. I think they also do a special evening menu with things like grilled lobster on offer. Downstairs is set up for takeaway customers, there’s a breakfast bar and a couple of booths. They have a breakfast menu too and it’s a good spot to sit and read the paper with a cup of tea and a bacon roll or an omelette. Especially good on a sunny day!

I’d wanted to go to Old Salty’s for ages and after a busy day in the west end, we thought Old Salty’s looked welcoming on a dark and cold night.
As a nautical lover, the décor inside made me feel like I was on a boat (which I loved) however the inside was a lot smaller than I expected.
We sat upstairs and the waitress was quick to order our food, I went for a cod supper and my boyfriend chose a chicken dish.
The meal was very quick in getting to us and what a plateful — for the small price we paid we got a lot for our money. My chips tasted perfect — lovely colour and had a good chippy chip taste and smell. The fish was lovely and I managed to finish it all which I think shows how good it was as I usually can’t finish my plate.
I liked that they had a good pudding selection on their menu however I was too full to try them.
I will definitely be back here and hopefully will manage a pudding next time.

The place has a really cosy feel on a cold day: the upstairs area is definitely the better of the two floors. The food is excellently priced (especially at lunchtime) and the staff were extremely polite and courteous. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would visit again!

I can only really comment on the chips. But given that it’s a chippy, that’s probably OK. It’s fair to say that there’s not a great deal of choice in a chippy for vegans, so it’s just as well that the chips are really good.
This place looks clean and fresh, and like it’s sister restaurant in Finnieston, it’s a pretty stylish, vintage themed place. We were served quickly, and the girl who seemed to be running the place was very efficient, but the chips did take quite a while to arrive — maybe up to ten minutes. That did mean that they were lovely and fresh though, so I’m not complaining.
The chips are just the right texture — not too firm, not too soggy, and not too heavy or greasy. You can easily eat a portion of them and not feel like a bloated dirty chip-​eating minger afterwards. As chips go, they’re really quite refreshing.
They use vegetable oil, and I have heard on the vegan grapevine that Old Salty’s do a vegan sausage supper. It doesn’t seem to be advertised anywhere in the shop though — which is strange — and I’ve not tried it. I probably will at some point, just for the curiosity value, having never really been a fan of a sausage supper in my pre-​vegan days. I can’t understand why they don’t seem to advertise their vegan friendliness — don’t they know that there’s probably hundreds of Glasgow vegans out there greetin’ because they just have chips when what they really wanted was a sausage supper.
Anyway, I think I’ve said all I can possibly say about the Old Salty’s chips.