The best way to describe my job role is ‘unique’. I am certain the other members of the P&J Food and Drink team would say the same.
When is it most unique? Easy. It is without a doubt the days when Julia and I head out to film Drive-Thru Diners.
The majority of the time we go into the taste tests blind, having never seen the businesses face-to-face before or sampled their menus.
This was the case for Sky Cafe in Inverurie.
Yes, the pair of us had browsed its socials ahead of stopping by, including Facebook and Instagram, but social media can be deceiving. We know this all too well.
The pictures of the food and drink looked far too tempting to ignore, so we pre-ordered our dishes on the HOPT app ensuring a swift collection process.
Sky Cafe: What is it and what’s on offer?
Sky Cafe is located in the Skyline Trampoline Park, in Inverurie.
Do you know what else is unique? Grabbing food from a trampoline park with no intention of using the park. Maybe unique isn’t the right word, unusual is more like it.
The pair of us joked that we stuck out like sore thumbs.
Anyways, the cafe is open to the public and customers from 10am to 8pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Hot and cold drinks, cakes, milkshakes and smoothies are among the items available, as well as fresh, cooked-to-order meals ranging from burgers and chicken fillets to nachos, hot dogs, salads and curries. And the eatery caters for those intolerant to gluten and with allergies, too.
The order:
The verdict: Munchie box (burgers)
Julia straight away added a popular Sky Cafe munchie box to our basket. This is one of the many menu items that the team likes to flaunt across social media. After seeing it, you’d understand why.
In person, it was even more enticing.
I’ll discuss the burgers first as you get the opportunity to select two for your box. We went for a smash burger and a crispy buffalo chicken burger.
On reflection, I’m having recurring thoughts about the smash burger and it was far better than I gave it credit for at the time.
The American cheese, a product that proves bland and plastic-like on occasion, was a great addition to the burger and melted over the beef patties as if it were a blanket.
The Big Mack sauce was silky, while the pickles added a nice tanginess. However, the patties were lacking on the flavour front.
The pair of us agreed more seasoning was required. With that, this one would have been a home run.
Next, the crispy buffalo chicken burger. Unlike our smash burger, the meat was where all the flavour was.
The chicken breast had been coated in a mildly spicy batter that had a nice level of saltiness. It also featured Franks hot sauce.
It wasn’t too hot nor too bland, it was just right.
The remaining ingredients – bacon, lettuce, and blue cheese dressing – weren’t offering much on our palates, so I would recommend adding a hefty helping of the sauce to your burger (should you go for this one in the future).
Furthermore, the brioche buns were great, adding a hint of sweetness to every bite.
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The verdict: Munchie box (sides)
How anyone could look at the image below and not want to tuck right in, I’ll never know.
The remaining contents in our munchie box comprised barbecue boneless chicken, sweet chilli crispy shredded chicken, curly fries, onion rings and mozzarella dippers.
The nostalgic curly fries were the star of the show. Their onion and garlic seasoning coating left us going back for more, while inside they were delightfully light and fluffy.
We weren’t sure about the onion rings or sweet chilli crispy shredded chicken. It was as if we were eating batter alone.
Nevertheless, the mozzarella dippers were good and boasted a nice crunch, while the barbecue boneless chicken was incredibly juicy. We dipped these into a tub of sweet chilli sauce and it was a match made in heaven.
The munchie box also came with coleslaw.
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 5/5
Taste
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 4/5
The verdict: Mixed slush
Speaking of nostalgia, when was the last time you bought yourself a Slush Puppie? Far too long ago (I’m assuming).
For the fun of it, Julia suggested we get our hands on a regular slush featuring all three flavours available at Sky Cafe. It was an idea I was on board with.
The strawberry and lime was the most predominant flavour, quickly followed by the blue raspberry lemonade.
Neither of us got hints of the final flavour, peach and mango. However, as expected, the iced drink was super refreshing and sugary.
I’m sure if we got one each, we’d have been making use of the trampolines inside.
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3.5/5
Taste
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The verdict: Vietnamese baguette
The Vietnamese baguette was added to shake things up and make sure we were sampling a variety of menu items.
We both thought it looked the part after unwrapping the baguette, albeit it was a tad damp on the bottom due to the runny sweet chilli sauce.
The marinated pork was slightly juicy and tender and had been infused with a savoury flavour with a touch of sweetness.
This was apparent when consumed alone. Unfortunately, mint and coriander were incredibly dominant flavours in this dish. I found them far too overpowering.
Julia complimented the spring onion, red onion and pickles, which were the remaining ingredients.
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 2/5
The verdict: Mint Aero freakshake
One word, wow. It’s safe to say we saved the best for last when it came to our Sky Cafe visit – a Mint Aero freakshake.
There were two other flavours available to choose from, including Biscoff and Oreo. We decided on Mint Aero as you don’t see that option in many places.
It looked like a dream and was a hefty size – far bigger than I expected, which is a good thing.
We praised its silkiness from the outset. Julia wished it were a tad on the thicker side, but the taste itself was on point and it received top marks from us on its appearance.
I could have easily demolished this freakshake on my own. Yes, it was that amazing.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate spread, Mint Aero pieces, semi-skimmed milk and double cream topped with whipped cream
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 5/5
Taste
Julia: 4.5/5
Karla: 5/5
The Mint Aero freakshake came out on top at Sky Cafe in Inverurie, racking up a score of 17.5/20.
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