Eating out doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
I’ve spent years travelling around Lanarkshire trying restaurants, cafés, takeaways and pubs, and some of the best value meals I’ve found have been on lunchtime menus.
So if you’re looking for a cheap lunch in Lanarkshire, here are three bargain lunches that are well worth checking out.
Prices and menus can change, so always check with the venue before travelling.
1. Glassy Central – Cambuslang
📍 242 Hamilton Road, Cambuslang
🍛 Indian Restaurant
💰 Three-course lunch from £8.95
If we’re talking about value for money, this one takes some beating.
Glassy Central in Cambuslang offers a three-course Business Lunch for around £8.95, with an Executive Lunch option around £9.95.
And we’re not talking about three courses where there’s nothing to choose from.
Depending on the menu you choose, you’ll find options including vegetable, chicken and haggis pakora, curries such as korma, bhoona and patia, as well as South Indian garlic chilli, chasni and tikka masala on the Executive menu.
Mains are served with rice or naan, before finishing with ice cream or coffee.
What I ordered
– Chicken Pakora
– Chicken Chaat
– South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken
– Chicken Chasni
– Rice
– Naan
What I thought
I had the chicken chaat to start and flavour wise it was really tasty. Nice wee yogurt dip as well.
The South Indian was different from any I have had before in terms of colour and how it seemed to be prepared. And not in a bad way.
It was a really nice curry. Plenty of flavour, a good bit of spice but not too much that it was over spicy and difficult to get through.
I only had a few dips with the naan into the Chasni sauce but that was nice as well.
I really enjoyed the naan. Thin and crispy just the way I like it.
In fairness I enjoyed everything we had here.
2. Carrigan’s – Hamilton
📍 Birkhall Road, Hamilton
🍴 Pub & Restaurant
💰 2 Courses – £13,95
Carrigan’s has been a familiar name around Lanarkshire for years, and its value menus make it an obvious inclusion on this list.
Rather than Indian food, this is where you’re going for that classic pub/restaurant lunch.
The Market Menu
What I ordered
- Potato Skins
- Pate and Crackers
- Macaroni Cheese
- Southern Fried Chicken
What I thought
I’ll be honest with you team.. back in the day I totally sickened myself off Carrigans.
Not because the food was bad in anyway. In fact quite the opposite.
I enjoyed their market menu so much, I ended up going far more than was socially acceptable 😂
It was really the only place locally I would eat.
It wasn’t until starting these reviews I branched out and started trying other places.
They now have a similar menu to the market menu which is their Carrigans favourites menu.
Anyway… enough rambling. What did we have!
Starters
Potato Skins + Pate
Potato skins were excellent. Crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. The garlic mayo dip that comes with them I can give no less than a 10/10. It is full scale sublime
On to the mains
Southern Fried Chicken + Macaroni
When I think about Carrigans … I think about the southern fried chicken.
This was what I really came here to judge. Was it as good as I remember?
It was better. Every bite of the crispy coating was absolute magic.
It was like there was a party in my mouth and the only person invited was another chunk of chicken that I couldn’t wait to stuff in my wee fat face.
I’ve ate fair bit of fried chicken lately and this is as good as any I’ve had.
I didn’t get to try the macaroni. Normally I get the scraps of what my sister doesn’t eat but she demolished the full thing so that in itself is a compliment.
3. Tannochside Miners Welfare – Uddingston
📍 438 Old Edinburgh Road, Uddingston
🍴 Traditional Pub / Social Club
💰 2 Courses £6.50
This might be the wildcard of the three.
You don’t always need a fancy restaurant to find brilliant value food, and Tannochside Miners Welfare is a perfect example of why it’s worth looking beyond the usual places.
The Lunch Deal
What I ordered
All in all we got …
- Soup of the Day
- Chilli Cheese Bites
- Cheeseburger
- Chicken Burger
- Lasagna
What I thought
This is the definition of no thrills.
You’re not here for a Michelin star meal so don’t expect one.
But I honestly don’t know what people would be expecting at £6.50.
Less than £20 for 3 people to go out and get / Courses is never to be grumbled at.
Lovely staff and food that’s better imo than the price would suggest.
Three Lanarkshire Lunches That Won’t Break the Bank
So there you have it — three very different options if you’re looking for an affordable lunch around Lanarkshire.
🍛 For a curry: Glassy Central, Cambuslang
🍽️ For a classic restaurant lunch: Carrigan’s, Hamilton
🍺 For traditional pub grub: Tannochside Miners Welfare, Uddingston
I’ve got plenty more bargain lunches around Lanarkshire to share, so this certainly won’t be the last cheap-eats guide.
Where does the best bargain lunch in Lanarkshire?
Let me know where I should try next.
Prices and menus were correct to the best of my knowledge when this article was written/visited. Restaurants can change menus, prices and availability, so check directly before visiting.
