In a summer that has so far been full of the ‘perfect weather for ducks’, it felt only fitting to pay a visit to the Darlington restaurant that I knew would make me feel better about the endless rain.

The Wandering Duck is a firm favourite among the staff at The Northern Echo HQ so in what has now become a ‘rite of passage’ for all new reporters joining the team, I headed over to the Duck for lunch with our latest addition Alex O’Leary on a rare dry Wednesday afternoon.

Located on one of Darlington’s ‘trendier’ areas, Grange Road, the Duck fits the bill of its surroundings. Rough-sawn wood, industrial style light fittings and a mirror wall leading upstairs, it’s cool and welcoming, offering an ambience that makes you want to stay seated at the window table, people-watching and indulging in one of the many delightful treats offered on the counter (more on these later!)

Originally opening in 2016, The Wandering Duck began life as a café during the day and a tapas bar on the evenings. After the pandemic hit, tapas was taken off the menu when the Duck reopened after lockdown and has since undergone many menu changes each one better than the last.

The Wandering Duck is my go-to breakfast/lunch spot, so I can say with a self-confessed confidence that I have tried everything on the menu at least once- I have to give a special mention to the mushrooms on toast which are usually my choice.

Visiting in June, the latest edition of the menu included a special of Turkish Eggs and being in my ‘eat as much protein as possible’ era, this dish was music to my ears.

The Turkish Eggs were exactly what I was craving for a hit of summer. The lemon and garlic flavoured Greek yogurt was perfectly tart and creamy, with flecks of spicy chilli breaking up what could have been a very rich dish.

The poached eggs were cooked to perfection, the rich, salty yolk blended perfectly with the yogurt and paprika drizzle, and scooping up a combination of all three elements with the toast was no short of flavour heaven. The dish is served with sourdough toast, with the bread coming from another Darlington local, Number Eight Bakehouse, but being gluten-free, I substituted my sourdough for a free-from alternative. The Duck offer a gluten-free substitution for most dishes on the menu. However, you may want to enquire further about cross-contamination for severe intolerances/coeliac as the kitchen is small.

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As it was his first visit, Alex asked for recommendations, something I am usually reluctant to give, but I did not hesitate to suggest he try the Pulled Beef Sandwich. It is a firm favourite of myself and friends and I considered it a wonderful foray into the Duck.

Speaking of his first experience at the Duck Alex said: “The description of the pulled beef sandwich alone was enough to get the mouth watering - featuring slow cooked beef brisket, caramelised onion, cheese, rocket, and mustard mayo."

And it’s fair to say I was impressed as soon as it arrived. It was past 12pm when the plate landed in front of me so I didn’t hesitate to get stuck in, trying to figure out how I would tackle eating a sandwich that dense. 

One bite in and I knew I’d made the right choice. The beef was succulent, tasty, and there wasn’t a single piece of fat in the meat. 

The generous helping of cheese between the sourdough bread was a delicious touch, with the mustard mayo also being tasty and the caramelised onion sweetening up the dish. 

It would have been nice to have had chips included - but with a sandwich so big I was more than happy with the serving size.”

The sandwich comes with crisps and a side salad, chips can be purchased as an extra, but I did forget to mention this to Alex (sorry about that).

The Duck serves food until 3pm, Monday-Saturday, including breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. If you have a sweet tooth, you won’t be disappointed with the selection of cakes, brownies and more, displayed on the counter. All made in house and available to take away.

(Image: Newsquest)

We were pretty full but couldn’t resist taking a sweet treat as we waddled back to the office to get over our post 3pm slump. We each had a blackberry and almond flapjack, which as predicted, set us up for the rest of the afternoon.

The Wandering Duck never fails to disappoint, great food, great service and a great atmosphere. As I’m writing this, I find myself longing for another new starter to join the team, or maybe I’ll just go treat myself anyway!

The Details:

The Wandering Duck

15, Grange Road, Darlington DL1 5NA

Phone: 01325 463008

Socials: @thewanderingduck_

Ratings:

Food quality: 9

Service: 8

Value for money: 8

Surroundings: 8