EAT: BEEFCAKES
The hottest new gay-owned eatery in Cape Town’s pink village promises camp good times, great burgers and hunky staff. Aptly named Beefcakes – a play on the 1950’s ‘beefcake’ muscle magazines – this trendy burger joint has become a popular gay hangout and meeting place for locals.
What strikes you immediately about the restaurant – billed as “the beefiest Burger Bar in Town” (with a touch of madness and Miami chic – is the over the top décor; complete with flamingo cut-outs and a pink piano in the corner. My first visit was not the most promising of introductions. But then, perhaps Monday lunchtime was not the wisest time to take on the Beefcakes experience.
We were greeted by a largely empty venue and indifferent staff and presented with a menu emblazoned with retro ‘muscle mary’ pictures. The focus is very much on easy, American diner style food: variations of the burger; nachos; milkshakes and floats. If you’re not keen on meat between two buns, then you could try the small selection of salads, wraps or sandwiches on offer.
I was, however, firmly set on a beefy experience. But, just as I was deciding which burger to choose (including an option with cranberry jelly and rocket and another with salsa, guacamole, grated cheddar and sour cream), I was informed by the waitress that they were out of beef patties. I did a double take. Out of beef patties? Yes, apparently the beef had not been delivered. Oh, and they were also out of chips…
I should have left then, but I compromised and instead opted for a chicken version of the Buffy the Hamburger Slayer (R69). Dubbed “the full monty”, it was well-presented and came topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, avocado and mushroom sauce. Instead of chips, I got spicy wedges. My lunch-mate, a vegetarian, selected, unsurprisingly, The Veggie Burger – which he described as acceptable.
I was not impressed with my overly dry flame-grilled chicken breast and the spicy wedges were mushy and tasteless. I could have instead gone for a lamb burger (topped with home-made tsatziki) or the lean ostrich burger (served with a wild berry and apple schnapps sauce) and perhaps those would have been better choices. Either way I left largely disappointed.
A couple of days later I was contacted by Beefcakes owner Grant Eglin. He had heard from a mutual acquaintance about what happened and apologised profusely, explaining that the weekend before the Monday in question had been their busiest ever. He insisted that I had not had the true Beefcakes experience and invited me to return for dinner. Capetonian friends who are ardent Beefcakes fans also urged me to go back, citing their fun and memorable nights at the restaurant.
And so it was that we returned to Beefcakes – this time after dark. And I’m happy to report that it was worth the revisit. While Grant was admittedly expecting me this time, the restaurant seemed like an entirely different place. There was a great buzz among the busy tables, occupied by largely gay clientele, and the staff seemed sprightly and attentive – not just to me but to other patrons.
It was clear that the vibe of Beefcakes is one of its most appealing features; a fun, relaxed and gay-friendly environment with a tongue-in-cheek edge. It’s a place to meet, eat and greet. Grant insisted I try the Macho Nachos (R35), which consisted of a plate heaving with tortilla chips smothered in melted cheddar, guacamole, salsa and sour. Totally dripping with grease and totally moreish. The portion was a bit much for a starter and could easily be shared.
I also got another chance to test the Beefcakes burger – once again in the Buffy the Hamburger Slayer incarnation – but this time with a large and succulent home-made-style beef patty. There’s only so much one can do with a burger, but here all the rights things really had been done. It was one of the better burger experiences I’ve had in a while.
Instead of a surly waitress, we were treated to one of the tasty waiters on hand (I suspect Grant sent the night’s most appealing specimen our way) who was very helpful and friendly. I noticed that towards the end of our meal the waiters were placing pink cowboy hats and feather boas on some of the patrons. Although we couldn’t stay much longer I was reliably informed that it is not uncommon for someone to start tickling the ivories and to begin to belt out a show tune or two as the night progresses.
Beefcakes has quite a full itinerary of events during the week, including a drag show on Thursday nights (booking essential) and on Fridays and Saturdays – when things really get into full swing – there are after-dinner drinks at the stylish, hidden-away downstairs bar, Smoke & Mirrors; a spot that Grant says he has big plans for.
If it’s stuffy fine dining you’re after, then give Beefcakes a miss. If it’s a relaxed, stylish and potentially reckless night out with pals and your favourite fag-hags, complete with waist-enlarging (but tasty) comfort food and great cocktails, then you could do much worse than Beefcakes. It’s a very welcome addition to Cape Town’s gay nightlife and easy-dining scene.
Beefcakes is located at 40 Somerset Road, Greenpoint, Cape Town (opposite Boardmans and KFC, and on the block next to the gay clubs). Call 021 425 9019 to make a reservation (especially on weekends and in season). Visit the website at www.beefcakes.co.za.
Beefcakes. Luiz its unfortunate that your 1st experience was not good. My 1st experience was the total opposite.
We arrived at Beefcakes on a Thursday lunchtime after a heavy night out the night before.
From when we walked in we were greeted by Grant and made to feel very welcome.
Once seated we were almost dropped our ovaries when the waiter came to give us menus and not only was he a stunning example of male beauty he was friendly and playful with his customers too.
The waiter’s knowledge of the menu was great and his recommendation of cocktails was even better. After a Strawberry Mogito that was divine we tucked into our burgers. Admittedly the burgers were a bit bland at first but the meal was more than a standard Mc D meal to cure a hangover.
We went back a few night later to walk into a killer party and after many more cocktails in the downstairs bar left as the staff were sweeping pink feathers and glitter off the floor.
By Far one of the best gay owned eateries I have ever been to and will definitely be going back every time I go to Cape town (being a JHB boy)
Grant and his team are doing an excellent job and the cheesy decor adds to the whole awesome experience
AWESEME. Before you die, you must eat here. It will BLOW your bind.
One review does not a restaurant make…. these reviews are such a bore usually..
Just goes to show..
beefcakes. Yes, its a new venue but have any of team worked in a well run-in restaurant? No, as yes it works but there seems to be an inconsistant manner in which things are. The best thing Grant can learn is consistency. IF there are no beef burgers in a burger bar? Come on! Wake up.. He should have been at the butcher. No dilivery – you go and pick up. The caesar salad is dissapointing. Classic caesar salad, IS made with bacon (can understand optionl chicken strips And even no bacon, at least have a choice to add) NO poached egg? NO antchovies? ONly antchovies are in salad dressing… well why couldnt they bring me a side order of 1 or two so i could top it off. Its all greens at botom. Yes it looks big, but it has no substance. What makes a meal? Bread? Carbs? chicken/meat? Protein? And fats always follow in usually… These are classics do them right or dont do them at all. They still dont know what is going on there. I guess, manhattans is considered competition? I consider it a dump!
Grant, take some initiative – at the very least.
What a cheek. What has happened to South African education? This gay person saw fit to crticise roundly but writes SO badly, how can ANYONE take the article seriously? I didn’t even bother commenting on the poor grammar. To quote him / her, “if you are going to do anything do it right” (or words to that effect).
inconsistant should be inconsistent
dilivery – delivery
dissapointing – disappointing
optionl – optional
antchovies – anchovies
botom – bottom
Re: Beefcakes. I think Beefcakes is one of the best things to happen to the pink strip!
I’ve had the pleasure of eating at Beefcakes and i can honestly say it was fantastic!
I loved the decor, especially the pink piano and flamingo’s and the food was divine! I’ll definitely be going back there.
Vibe was great, drinks were great, food not so great. I visited CT recently and had to visit Beefcakes, which I’ve heard so much about. I enjoyed the general vibe of the place and the cocktails were fab, but I was utterly disappointed in my Buffy Burger. It tasted like it was burnt, although it wasn’t. I’d rather try something else nect time.
No value for money!. I am tired of going to Beefcakes and almost choking on their hard, compact beef burger patties!
Yes, they are an improvement on the original, processed “Today” style patties one got when they first opened. But to have to walk out of there each time with indigestion, and that not from listening to Odidiva, is unacceptable! And to crown it all, when their buns are old, they get toasted and simply crumble on the plate.
Their French fries are never cooked through properly, and they get cold and rubbery in no time. They in turn, get doused with copius amounts of some kind of Asian spice which is probably aimed at getting one to order more drinks! And talking of drinks, their Excelsior Sauvignon Blanc is absolutely disgusting plonk leaving me with such bad reflux that I have to medicate myself.
I’ve just realised that I don’t have one good thing to say about this “establishment.” Well, at least my spelling and grammar is perfect lol.
Guys, concentrate on the quality of food coming out of your kitchen and not on the fake smiles and plastic waiters. You could start by lowering your prices slightly and increasing the size of the beef patty which clearly loses 50% on your grill.
Regards,
Mildred
Odidiva. Can we please leave Odidiva out of the toybox…
Comments. Thanks for your positive feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome. Opening the shop and running it for the last few months has been a wonderful adventure and Im sure that we still have lot more to learn and hopefully to offer. Thanks for all your support! GX
Whitecakes. So this is a restaurant in a major city in South Africa in 2010 (not 1960), but their web page looks like a tribute to nostalgia for the 1950s as re-imagined by a homosexual version of Andries Treurnicht or a queer equivalent of Eugene T.
I mean, if you’re going to hark back to the ’50s in SA and be campy-queer about it in 2010, you’d think to include some Sophiatown snaps, or any of the snaps from all those 1950s body-building contests and boxing contests showing BLACK bodies … but no, no, it’s more Orania than House of Orange!
As a white person I’m tired of being asked to patronise white owned gay businesses and events in South Africa which seem so very determined to transport me out of Africa (if not altogether absentminded about their very presence here).
Sigh…. Why are you bringing your issues of inadequacy and white guilt and imposing it on the rest of us? South Africa is rich because of its influences – African and foreign. And perhaps you failed to note the inherent tongue-in-cheek nature of lilly-white sanatised 50’s imagery that they are using?
Cheek. And postmodernists do it in quotation marks …
Mine are not “issues of inadequacy and white guilt”, but then I suppose that view of my comment reveals much about where YOU would have been in the 1950s: probably working happily in the Pass Office, as a local Native Affairs administrator, or some such.
As for the “tongue-in-cheek”, I see very little evidence that there is self-ironising going on, and the description of dining activities, the context in which this restaurant is situated (the infamous pink strip with the INCREDIBLY few buff black or brown bodies behind the bars serving drinks and the surfeit of heterosexual pink up-country Afrikaans boys set out topless behind the bar is a marked feature of this strip, so the tongue in the cheek is hardly ironic but rather in the same genre as the rest of the strip), and the dominant iconography by which queerness signals itself in middle class South Africa makes the use of muscle-boy images fro the fifties (along with white women in bathing costumes) sadly symptomatic of the general colonial alienation and retrogressive nostalgia which marks white mischief. My pink pounds will be spent elsewhere (lest I have to witness a repeat of events like the time a bouncer at a Cape Town gay club refused Naomi Campbell entry, or refused to allow a gay couple, one white one black, entry, except one was a lecturer of constitutional law so they saw their arse end on that one, etc.).
But hey, long back for the fifties all you like in this anodyne, sanitised white-wash; just don’t scream when they also slap pink triangles on your chest when you silently watched and encouraged the branding with yellow stars.
wow. u write like a god!!!!
Odidiva. i just wanna say Odidiva is a true professional!
All her stuff is new on the edge and orginal – she spoofs whitney/jacob zuma the works – She vocally performs her own songs – no lip sinking – and belts out her energy!! – she could teach those mince geriatrics a thing or two – who perform the same routines year in and year out in different but the same frocks! Well done Odidi & Beefcakes for the entertainment!
You dont know what you missing…. Went to this place this weekend…let me tell you! The atmosphere, the staff, the food and the special drinks are only a few things to mention about this place!
LOVED IT!! Please can I have the rasta hair? 🙂
Impressive. Proud to be associated with Beefcakes as a supplier. Knock em over guys. You are doing great!!!
Bad food nice vibe. on friday five of us had an below average dinner.. We practically served ourselves, literally having to wave frantically for attention. Our bill came to over R 1000 – over charged and under delivered….They do have a great spot. Its a pity after 3 genuine attempts – we have no plans to return anytime soon…
botoxcakes. Nice place, bt it need sum botox… Pls work on the food guys