Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Burger night #2 Buccaneers Pub & Grill

In order to get more people in on this Burger Night thing, and to avoid it becoming just one person's problem, the onus of organisation is being passed around for each night.  As such, I got landed with Round 2... but it turned out to be a piece of cake... Faceboook, I appreciate you.  One message and a phone call later, and the night was 'planned'.

Daniel mentioned that Buccaneers Pub & Grill has a burger special on a Tuesday, a two for the price of one deal.  It seemed to good to be true and I was a little suspicious of what those burgers might prove to be... but we settled on Buccs all the same.

The theme for the evening was 'Crazy hats'... or 'Hat' of you're an accountant.  There was a mixed turnout, ranging from Beanie's & Caps to Cowboy hats and a faux-mohawk.  It would appear that I know more accountants than I realised.  I may even be dating one... ?!

The evening was well supported, 20 people pitched and we filled the long table Buccs had set aside for us.  I wasn't initially convinced that Buccs was the sort of eatery that took bookings, but they were very well organised and had kept us a giant table, inside.

Our waiter was great and coped with the trickle of people who arrived and made sure everyone had a drink within minutes of arrival.  Biggest bonus of all was the food orders... get 20 people into a room and have them all order at once, add in the complexity of 'Which sauce do you want'... and you invariably get something you didn't order.  But our waiter nailed it.  Everyone got their burger, right sauce, and the wait was reasonable.

Burgers?
The Burgers... large.  Clyde demolished his burger in a matter of minutes... but most people didn't clean their plate.  I finished, eventually... bringing up the rear.  Its definitely a good portion.  I would recommend a sauce.  Without, it might be a little dry.  The difference in price is about 7 bucks, but split in two its negligeable.  I would rate these as large & competent, if you want a value for money burger - this is definitely worth a look. I suspect the Buccs burger will prove to hold its own against far more expensive burgers in the future.

Chips?
The chips were of the 'Dry and Spicy' variety, as opposed to 'Slap'.  Everyone seemed happy, the quantity was good - personal preference as to how much spice/salt you prefer.

Vibe?
Its a bar, unapologetically.  Don't go if you want to have an inexpensive romantic time with your accountant - its not that place.  But for a crowd of 20 it was great.  The other patrons looked happy, we got a couple of looks, but my red tinsel hair could have contributed to that.  Toward the end of the evening it got pretty loud, but it wasn't out of character, so no complaints there.
Total bill: Burger & chips, Amstel + tip... R42.

Burger night #1 Primi Piatti

The journey begins!  Our first burger night, organised by Jules.  Following on from something that started during their medical internship in Pietermaritzburg, the East London edition of Burger night begins.

I wouldn't have thought of Primi Piatti as a purveyor of burgers... but then Primi is quite new in town, and I've only been there once.  In order to make each night that much more memorable, it was decided that there should be a dress-code... or theme.  Tonight was 'Bling it up'... or something along those lines.  The actual dress code turned out to be a bit of a grey area.  I got hold of a wife beater (white vest) and a chain, there was a lot of tin foil jewellery around and some slicked back hair.  Moving on.

Primi had been kind enough to keep us a table and we filled it quickly, a great turnout for the first Burger night.

Our waiter was fairly good.  Not great.  There were one or two mix ups with chicken vs. beef burgers, and one of the burger patties was of the 'Hit the cow with a hot pan' variety.  It was quickly sent back to the kitchen and replaced with a more appropriately cooked one.  We were a big group, and people arrived piece-meal.

Burgers?
The Burgers... Expensive.  Well... its always going to be relative... but thats the feeling I was left with.  Don't hate them for it, the restuarant is great, its an upmarket vibe and I'm sure rent in the mall is substantial.  The presentation is very classy, square plate and all.  The burger design leans toward boutique, rather than bar.  It was a good size, the patties were meaty and there was some great garnish.

Chips?
The chips were crispy, well spiced - I wasn't surprised that Primi had avoided serving large, slap chips.  Chips are always your own preference... I don't have a significant leaning, but at a push I like larger, chuckier chips rather than thinner, crispy ones.

Vibe?
It's in the heart of the Hemingways Mall food court, so plenty of activity around you.  The resturant and Mall merge... I wouldn't say it had its own unique vibe, but it was enjoyable all the same.  Our group was relatively noisy, but no more than the ambeint sounds coming from the mall.

Bill?
Burger & Chips, Coke + tip R85.