The Pink Toothbrush is the ultimate destination for a night out for many people in south Essex. The iconic nightclub has been part of the Rayleigh nightlife for several decades, while a number of nearby pubs offer slightly calmer atmospheres.
It’s quite common for me to finish a night out and fancy a bite to eat. Chicken tenders, cheesy chips and gravy or perhaps a tasty kebab is the menu of dreams after a night of (bad) singing and (bad) dancing.
So it’s incredibly ideal that within stumbling distance of The Pink Toothbrush sits a delicious takeaway with a variety of options. Rayleigh Kebab Hut, on the High Street, and is clearly popular with night-time revellers and daytime foodies.
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I’ve been living in Rayleigh for more than a year now and enjoyed a number of the local pubs. I am (for my sins) yet to visit ‘The Brush’ as some locals refer to it though. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed a daytime visit to Rayleigh Kebab and will certainly return for a bite to eat after some drinking and socialising in the town.
The small takeaway takes cash only inside, but they do accept card payments online (beware of the additional service charge). Fortunately there are cash points nearby in case you don’t want to pay online.
It’s an aura of controlled chaos behind the counter as the friendly staff chat with customers, recognising their local regulars, and prepare the many orders that come in at a frequent pace. A donner kebab is not always the most enjoyable to eat (especially when completely sober) but equally if you find one that’s delicious in those conditions then it’ll definitely be tasty to those who have had a few beverages to drink.
The lamb donner kebab (from £8.60) came with meat that wasn’t overly greasy and a healthy filling of fresh salad. The garlic sauce was not anything special, almost certainly straight from a bottle, and was very flavoursome with it all stuffed into a light pitta bread.
A ‘Rayleigh Special’ consisting of a lamb shish skewer, a skewer kofte, chicken shish skewer and slices of donner and two pitta is available for £19.90 if you were after something more considerable in size. Large chips and lamb donner meat (£9.90), box of mixed donner (£.6.90) and eight chicken nuggets (£5.90) also look like tasty options if that’s what you would rather.
This article is part of EssexLive’s series Essex Eats where a member of our team reviews an independent food business in the county. We don’t tell the business we’re coming and we don’t tell them who we are while we’re there. Every meal for EssexEats is paid for by us and not gifted. Check back every Thursday and Saturday for our top pick that week of a great food spot in Essex.
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