Oldham Times visit The Old School BBQ Bus for Christmas comedy

The Old School BBQ Bus swung open its saloon doors on Wednesday, December 14, for its first comedy club night, which it hopes to bring to Oldhamers once a month in the new year.

Coinciding with the Christmas season, the restaurant which offers a "taste of Texas" with "low and slow" barbequed meats all year round, spruced up its menu with a special festive twist.

The Oldham Times team tucked into the festive menu (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

From a 'holiday ham sandwich' and 'big pig dog' - a footlong bacon-wrapped Krakauer sausage with red onion and cranberry jam, brie drizzle and a tub of pouring gravy - to its 'Christmas Yorkshire taco', a Yorkshire pud filled with all the Christmas dinner trimmings, the food did not disappoint Oldham Times staff.

The dinners also came with fries, sprinkled in the OSBB's homemade sage and onion salt, and the team delightfully tucked in with a glass of wine (or two) to wash it down.

We found the food certainly lives up to the Bus' revered legendary reputation, as seen on its Channel 4 Come Dine With Me: The Professionals debut earlier this year.

@theoldhamtimes The Oldham Times team had an amazing Christmas night out at @TheOldSchoolBBQBus with live music and comedy, plus some unique festive specials #Oldham #Christmas #foodtiktok #manchester #bbqtiktok #christmasfood #restaurant ♬ Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

But the comedy too was a roaring success with local acts taking to the makeshift astroturf stage, festively adorned in fairy lights and the buses' Bronc horse stool.

Alex Boardman (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Host Smug Roberts, known for Phoenix Nights, kicked off the night with a convincing Robert De Niro impression followed by Oldham's own Alex Boardman, Brassic and Phoenix Nights's Archie Kelly and Dom Woodward.

The jokes sat well with the Oldham audience, particularly with jibes at 'posh' Saddleworth, while one table of lively neighbours on their 'girl's night out' were the targets of the comedians throughout the night.

The raffle was presented by Smug Roberts and a three-man A capella band (Image: Old School BBQ Bus)

In-between the line-up was a jaunty ‘s**t raffle’, brought to life by the three-man A capella act, Three Steps to Heaven, who merrily improv'd raffle prize songs to some of the unfortunate winners.

The raffle was free to enter and saw customers dance and run around the restaurant when their numbers were revealed, taking home with them tissues, tangled headphones, hand sanitiser and chocolate sprouts.

Dom Woodward (Image: Old School BBQ Bus)

Although the food and well-decorated setting tick all the Texas boxes, with whiskey barrels for seats at the bar and of course, the Arizonan yellow school bus and chef station overlooking the venue, the bitter Manchester frost did creep in towards the end of the evening and the acts had a slight uphill battle to distract the crowd from the chill.

Another raffle winner danced to the stage like a ballerina (Image: Old School BBQ Bus)

Despite owner Mark Fairley's best efforts with heaters, temperatures plummeted so low that by the end of the night, the toilets had completely frozen over and Mark was forced to shut the Bus the following day.

The cold might have threatened to derail the night, but the comedians and singing band kept the crowd giggling along until closing time - and at £10 a ticket with a reasonably priced festive menu under £15, you can't really complain.

Mark said the restaurant is temporarily putting a pause on its comedy club until the new year to give it some more time to organise an even bigger line-up of local acts. 

Smug Roberts (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

However, if the launch is just the start of what’s to come, it’s certainly promising stuff and is perhaps something Oldham has been missing these past few years.

Just remember, if you do plan on coming along in January, just be sure to bring your woollies - or at the very least your beer coat.