The nation’s best drunk takeaways revealed
Post-night out takeaway spots have been ranked on their price, proximity and opening hours. Does your favourite make the top 40?
Credit: Google
We all know that the 2am drunk takeaway is the best part of a night out. Whether you're a kebab person, or prefer a bumper box of nugs, no night is complete without a quick stop at your favourite takeaway on the way home.
And thanks to new research, we now have a definitive ranking of the very best. Their 2018 Drunk Food Index ranks the top 40 takeaways in popular student hotspots around the country, from Newcastle and Liverpool, to Bristol and Birmingham.
Each fast food establishment has been judged on factors including its value for money and opening hours, and an iconic dish has been recommended for every one.
But which takeaways made the top 40? Use the table below to find out.
How are the takeaways ranked?
Credit: Polygram Entertainment
Mystudenthalls.com have created the rankings, and they've used three specific criteria in order to separate out the very best.
After Hours Points
Firstly, the takeaways have been ranked on their opening hours - no one wants a greasy takeaway before 11pm, right?
For every hour past midnight the takeaway is open (on a Friday night), they get one point. So a takeaway open until 5am on a Friday night/Saturday morning would get five points.
After Club Grub Points
This one is based on proximity to the university, and points are awarded in a tiered system.
Takeaways within a 0-5 minute walk from the university get 10 points, those which are 5-10 minutes away get 9 points, and so on until they hit 0.
Student Saver Value
Finally, the takeaways have been ranked according to their value for money.
This was worked out by taking the price of a recommended dish on the menu, and comparing it to the price of a medium Big Mac Meal (£4.29).
For every 20p the recommended dish is cheaper, one point is awarded.
Check our guide to saving money on takeaways, for more tips on saving cash while you eat.
The top 20 drunk student takeaways
Nabbing the top spot is Nabzy's in Liverpool, which ranked strongly across all three criteria. And there's no surprise that popular takeaways in student hotspots like Cambridge, Newcastle and Durham also made the top 10.
As students know best, each takeaway has it's own personality and specialities, and the Index includes a recommended 'most popular' dish for each.
For example, Cambridge's Trailer of Life has been filling stomachs and winning hearts with its cheesy chips for over 20 years.
Meanwhile, Crispy's in Leeds is well known for its in-store disco ball and disco bangers alongside its battered cod, proving that the party doesn't have to stop when the club closes.
Have a look at the table below to see if your favourite fast food joint made the top 20, and whether you agree with the recommended dish...
Mobile users should scroll to the right for the full table
| Takeaway | After Club Grub Points | After Hours Points | Student Saver Value | Total | Best food |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nabzy’s, Liverpool | 8 | 4 | 8 | 20 | Cheesy chips and red salt |
| Chicken Base, Reading | 8 | 5 | 7 | 20 | Fried chicken and chips |
| Trailer of Life, Cambridge | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 | Cheesy chips |
| Runnymede Chicken and Ribs, Egham | 7 | 0 | 11 | 18 | 6 crunchy wings |
| Dorothy’s, Cardiff | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | Chicken curry and chips |
| Clark’s Bakery, Dundee | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | A Scooby snack (1/4 pounder burger, Lorne, bacon, fried egg) |
| Patrick’s Pizza (Paddy’s), Durham | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 | Any deep pan pizza |
| Munchies, Newcastle | 9 | 7 | 0 | 16 | Cheesy gravy garlic chips |
| Buddies, Brighton | 9 | 7 | 0 | 16 | An English breakfast |
| AJ’s, Leicester | 10 | 4 | 1 | 15 | AJ’s kebab |
| Abdul’s Food to Go, Manchester | 9 | 5 | 1 | 15 | A chicken kebab sandwich |
| Taka Taka, Bristol | 10 | 4 | 0 | 14 | Chicken Gyros pita |
| Hassan’s, Oxford | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 | Any of Has-man’s kebabs |
| Aslan’s Kebabs, Sheffield | 8 | 6 | 0 | 14 | Doner kebab and chips |
| City Kebab, Belfast | 9 | 5 | 0 | 14 | Doner meat kebab and chips |
| Chicken Cottage, Holborn | 9 | 4 | 0 | 13 | The Peri Peri meal |
| Viallis Fast Food, Leamington Spa | 8 | 5 | 0 | 13 | Cheeseburger, chips and a drink |
| Crispy, Leeds | 8 | 5 | 0 | 13 | Fish, chips and your best dancing shoes |
| Palmrya Pizza, Edinburgh | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | Customised margherita |
| Pizza Land, Birmingham | 9 | 3 | 0 | 12 | Pizza with Special Pizza Land Sauce |
Nabzy's has been a firm favourite among Liverpudlians for years, and has previously been ranked as the best takeaway in the city. Nabzy's owner, Mr Tabarik, said of their win:
Hundreds of students eat in our stores every day, and our reputation lives on thanks to them.
Over the years, we’ve fed chicken and chips to the same students, from Freshers Week, until they leave the city – and really feel part of the local community.
It’s an honour to feature at the top of the index, and be the go-to takeaway for students in the area – even when we have to have drunken heart-to-hearts with them!
Other top drunk takeaway destinations
Couldn't find your local in the top 20? The list doesn't stop there, as the 2018 Drunk Food Index actually features a whopping 40 establishments.
Have a look at the rest below - spot any injustices? Who else should have made the top 20?
- Chicken Cottage, London
- Bistro Fast Food, Glasgow
- Devrish, St Andrews
- Spice Hut, London
- Mario’s Pizza, Loughborough
- Dino’s Pizza, Nottingham
- Fish and Chipper, London
- Efes pizza, York
- Blue Lagoon, Glasgow
- Roti King, London
- Bosphorus Kebabs, London
- ICCO, London
- Nuro, Surrey
- Belmont Kebab & Pizza, Aberdeen
- Alfalafel, Bath
- Goldenhorn, Exeter
- Sal’s Kebab & Pizza House, Southampton
- Oliver Tree, East Anglia
- Ado’s, Lancaster
- Bene’s, Edinburgh
What do you think? Got a favourite takeaway you think has been unfairly missed out? Let us know in the comments!
