When my good friend Mary-Anne invited me to join her and her parents for dinner at The Butcher Block Restaurant in Pietermaritzburg recently I didn’t hesitate on taking up their offer knowing from past experience that the food at this establishment is generally pretty good. Situated at the Liberty Midlands Mall, The Butcher Block finds itself in a competitive environment with a number of similarly themed restaurants located close by.
The Butcher Block Restaurant copes with this competition by delivering fast and efficient service and great tasting, affordably priced food in a relaxed yet uplifting atmosphere that makes you want to relive the experience time and time again. Although essentially a meat and chicken lover’s paradise The Butcher Block menu offers a wide selection of starters, salads and main meals that cater for just about every palate, no matter how particular.
Mary-Anne opted for the chicken wrap (chicken fillets filled with mozzarella cheese and herb and garlic butter wrapped in bacon and topped with a mushroom sauce) and thoroughly enjoyed it, mainly because of the “deliciously tasty mushroom sauce that complimented the dish to perfection.” At R82 the meal was also well priced, especially when you consider, as with all the poultry dishes on the menu, that it included a serving of fresh chips or seasonal vegetables.
I decided that a chicken schnitzel with mushroom sauce (R75) would be more to my liking and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with my choice. It was an outstandingly good schnitzel, tender and flavoursome and definitely one of the best I’ve had in many a year. Not only was the meal exceptionally tasty and affordable it was well presented too, always a sign of a creative chef.
Mary-Anne’s parents, Paul and Olive, also opted for the chicken schnitzel and were both rather impressed with their selection. Olive remarked that the chicken was “nice and soft” and the vegetables “very nicely presented” while Paul exclaimed that the dish was “definitely way above average.”
Although none of us ordered any of the combo meals that were available nor any of the meat or seafood dishes for that matter, I’m pretty sure they must all be rather good, especially the meat dishes, many of which The Butcher Block is renowned for. Choice cuts of rump, fillet, sirloin, T-bone, ribs and chops in various sizes and configurations are all available to satisfy the appetites of even the most ravenous meat eaters – a pretty impressive selection to say the least.
Besides offering great tasting food and above average service The Butcher Block had another ace up its sleeve (on this particular evening at least) in the form of the Blaskapelle Wunderbar band – a traditional German Oompah band based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Their catchy music created a festive atmosphere with some patrons even deciding to leave their seats and partake in a spot of impromptu dancing.
We all enjoyed our visit to The Butcher Block. The service was good (we received our orders within 30 minutes despite a packed house), the food even better and the ambience almost exhilarating. I also loved the décor with its curious mix of the modern and yesteryear.
I couldn’t fault this venue in any way. It was simply superb and I’m already looking forward to my next visit, which I’m sure won’t be too long in coming.
Useful Links:
- Pietermaritzburg Attractions
- Things to Do in Pietermaritzburg
- Hotel in Pietermaritzburg
- Hotel in KwaZulu-Natal
- KwaZulu Natal Accommodation
Contact details for Butcher Block Restaurant:
Tel: This Restaurant has closed.
Physical address: Shop 303, Garden Food Court, Liberty Midlands Mall
