Henry J Beans

Went here after a trip to the cinema and it was nice enough. Better for groups I’d say rather than couples as the seating isn’t particularly intimate. Staff were friendly though and drinks were good so can’t complain. Pretty plain décor but does what it says on the tin.

The entire place was cold, unless you were right by the open kitchen, to the point that we had to put our jackets back on. For starters we ordered the nachos and ribs. My ribs were ok, certainly nothing like the quality or generosity that they used to be. My wife’s nachos were a complete let down, for £8.50 they were ridiculously over priced, there were just enough chips to cover the plate, a small amount of cheese, a few scattered pickled chillis, salsa and guacamole. I fully understand that the point of a business is to make a profit, but this dish in particular, was obscenely overpriced for what we received. The guacamole was quite frankly vile, it tasted oxidised & underseasoned — almost like avocados had been blitzed to a purée (and let down to go further), with no hint of tomato, chilli or onion in it.
Onto the mains, we both ordered the «burnin’ «burger. Described as «…with a kick to boot… don’t underestimate it» etc. Both myself and my wife love spicy food and do have a higher tolerance to chillis than most people but I could barely discern any spice in the burger, I dread to think how bland the others must be. I was very hungry and also ordered the mac and cheese. This again was disappointingly bland and what I imagine should have been a lovely crisp topping of melted cheese was an anaemic scattering of barely melted cheese.
The menu itself has been significantly pared down since our last visit, this is normally a good thing as I’d prefer to eat in a place that specialises in a few things rather than trying to do a massive selection poorly. The alphabet system of describing dishes unfortunately does seem more like the product of a marketing focus group as opposed to an accurate description of the food. While it is a matter of personal taste I’m afraid the «cutesy» comments on the other letters didn’t work at all for us.
Overall the meal left us feeling strangely bloated but completely unsatisfied.
I visited the toilets whilst I was there and have to say that they stank, it seemed to be a mix of stale urine with a whiff of cleaning agent poured over it — quite frankly it was disgusting.
The overall price came to just over 60 pounds (with one pint and 2 bottles of Sol). Having paid we were very angry to notice that 12.5% service had been added to the bill. This practice is not mentioned anywhere on the menu itself and especially for a party of two this a very unpleasant practice, which bullies customers into making a tip due to putting them in an embarrassing situation to say they don’t want to tip/don’t want to tip 12.5%.
It’s a real shame that HJB’s has gone downhill so much in a couple of years. The company concept of a great drinking place with quality grill items is something that I’ll never tire of but they’ve allowed quality to slip and that at present you are vastly overcharging people in terms of both quality and quantity. I’m afraid it now feels like the venture is one of trying to empty people’s wallets as opposed to fill them up.
The serving staff didn’t bother to check up on us during the meal or maybe some of these issues could have been resolved, but I think that they were underlying problems as opposed to one-​offs.

This is a fabulous restaurant in the Printworks, specialising in TexMex food.
The kick-​ass chilli certainly lived up to it’s name, and the desserts are to die for!
The prices aren’t too high, and the quality of the food is very very good.
Well recommended.

This American style diner is definitely worth going to for a meal with its lively atmosphere right at the heart of Manchester city centre. Competitively priced drinks along with a variety of cocktails are on offer too. Weekend nights, this place turns into a nightclub which may not be the most bustling one at times, but maybe worth a look since its free entry.

Henry J beans is situated in the Printworks Manchester. The food was good and the service quick and cheerful. However the restaurant is right next to the bar area so if you are looking for somewhere you can have a meal and a chat this isn’t it. The music was very loud and everyone was talking loudly to make themselves heard. It’s a good place for a quick meal after a cinema visit or before a night out but not for a special occasion.

about as cheesy as it gets, it’s 80’s agogo in th this place! but it works, the drinks are about the right price and a good night is guaranteed!