Our recent visit to the Devil’s Peak Taproom was a bitter-sweet one. Normally, when all four of us bru’s get together for a burger night it’s with a view to putting life’s issues behind us and just getting down to eating, drinking, and talking a whole bunch of unadulterated crap. This time, the night was tinged with a bit of sadness as it would be the last night for all four of the bru’s of Burger Brews to get together, before one of the bru’s would be leaving our shores for Ireland.
We chose to take advantage of their “Monday Madness” special, which is half-price on any burgers off their menu. We arrived to what was pretty much a full restaurant. This made for a cosy atmosphere inside, providing a stark contrast to the chilly night outside. We began by ordering a round of beers, with three of us ordering Devil’s Peak Lagers, and the other bru going for their Fleeting Summer – an American Pale Ale. It would have been more fitting had the Ireland-bound bru gone for that beer, as the name of it is precisely what he can expect to experience by living in Ireland!
This first round went down amidst some deep, reminiscing conversation. We then ordered another round of beers while we had a look at the menu choices. As always, starters is where we began (funny that). Whilst not having the most extensive selection (which is totally understandable given that it is a Taproom), all of the options sounded delicious and were right up our alley.
We went for a portion of Biltong and Blue Cheese Croquettes as well as a portion of Chilli Poppers. The gooey, cheesy croquettes arrived with a sprinkling of biltong dust over them, as well as with a green mayo on the side. The poppers arrived in a dish with a smearing of sour cream. After initially having to use calculators to work out how best to divide the portions by 4, we tucked in. The poppers were incredible, though not the hottest I have had. The croquettes were really good and, together with the poppers, made for a great start with the food. By this stage we were continuing to order the same beers as we had begun with, as they kept hitting their mark.
Right, now onto the burgers! There were a number of delicious-sounding options to choose from, so we took a good few minutes to decide on what to go for. Ultimately, two of the bru’s went for the Taproom Cheeseburger (with all the trimmings), the other bru ordered the Bone Marrow Burger (marrow, pickles, matured cheddar, caramelised onions), and I went for the Lamb Burger (feta cheese, red onion, cumin mayo). Beef patties is generally my go-to, but I was glad as hell I went for this Lamb Burger. The patty was so juicy and flavourful that it had me wondering why I don’t order lamb burgers more often. The accompaniments were spot-on with the sharpness of the feta contrasting with the sweetness of the red onion. What I also found that worked, was that the feta was served on top of the patty, while the red onion was placed beneath the patty. This had the effect of having the patty infused from both ends of it with both sweet and sharp flavour profiles upon each bite. The other bru’s had nothing but high praise for their burgers. We all agreed that the portion sizes were very generous, with the side portion of chips also very well portioned.
Having been to the Taproom a couple of years ago as four friends, rather than as Burger Brews, it was very fitting that our last night as four Burger Brews was back where it all pretty much had begun. Another round or two further followed as the Taproom began to empty out. Soon our chairs were being bumped by the mops of the staff cleaning the floors all around us. My “Bru Sense” told me that it was probably time to ask for the bill.
It was totally fitting that our final experience as four Burger Brews exhibited all that makes Cape Town world class in the burger and brew scene!
Ratings
Beginnings – We couldn’t have asked for better. 5
Burgers – Flavour and combinations were sublime. Portion sizes were great too. Paying half price for them made it all the better! 5
Beers – As can be expected, a great selection. Great prices to boot, a great advantage for a Taproom over other restaurants. 5
Bringers – He was efficient, although we did need to catch his attention once or twice. 3.5
Background – It was full on the night and made for a cosy atmosphere. A quiet buzz throughout the night. 4