Bday Dinner @ Butcher Shop & Grill, JBR

big fat juicy t-bone steak for dinner? that’s what birthday boy wants!

we walked all the way to JBR (jumeirah beach residences) – the weather was fantastic, cool and windy – for a steak dinner at ‘the butcher shop & grill’ at rimal building. since the weather was nice and cool, we took the seat outside, right by the hustle and bustle of arabs and expats out and about on a weekend night.

it was surprisingly empty when we reached ‘the butcher shop & grill’, but by the time we finished ordering, the place started to get all packed with hungry carnivores lining up to be seated. thank goodness we came early! even a few minutes late we’d be one of those in a queue!

 

 

‘the butcher shop & grill’ is a popular south african steakhouse, serving all the usual fare of a steakhouse – steaks of all cuts from prime ribs to t-bone and fillet. of course my favorite lamb chops and shanks. salad, soups and sweet desserts, as well as a separate menu for kids.

we’ve been here once for a very rare *romantic* date – just the two of us. at that time, my sis-in-law teh was in dubai during the egypt unrest (she currently studies dentistry in cairo), so we took the chance to ‘ran off’ into the sunset and have a nice, slow steak dinner with adult conversation not interrupted with “kahfi sit properly!” and “khaleef, finish your chicken” or “kazim, makan!” hihi.

and now we’re back, because we know that we’ll get our dirham’s worth. with the low price and huge portion? this is becoming one of our favorite place to get steaks. the price here is comparatively lower than other steakhouses in dubai (we’ve googled, we’ve checked, we’ve confirmed!) considering the huge portion, the friendly service and the classy ambiance – similar than few other steakhouse with much more expensive steaks.

 

 

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we started off with a huge dish of caeser salad – a popular salad-dish with lettuce, croutons, grilled chicken and topped with parmesan cheese. i LOVE salad especially with lettuce, and this is definitely a lovely piece of work. a great start to prepare our tummy for the big fat juicy steak! hihi

 

a good classic pumpkin soup is supposed to be creamy, sweet and buttery. this one is definitely SWEET! it’s thick and creamy, yes, but i just didn’t like it. sorry. it’s not anybody’s fault. i just discovered that i don’t like pumpkin soup!

 

birthday boy wanted to stuff his face with thick juicy steak – and upon the waiter’s recommendation, he chose the t-bone steak. the waiter was helpful and friendly, and took the time to run by mr. khairul the different cuts and the sizes of each.

he requested the medium-done t-bone steak to be smothered in black pepper, and you can taste the small particles of grounded black pepper as you eat. it was delicious – tender beef, with sweet juices oozing out, and that zing of black pepper with each bite. yummy. you can choose only ONE side dish – baked potato, mashed potato or fries, and he went with baked potato.

 

i’ve always prefer lamb chops over beef steak, so i ordered lamb chops, no questions asked! the portion was huge – four cuts of big fat juicy lamb chops served with mashed potato and mint sauce. i’m just out of words as i take the first bite. soft and juicy. easily torn from the bone. sweet and succulent--- i’m out of vocabulary to describe this delicious dish!

lemme just say that it was so good that i ended up leaving aside my knife and fork, and dig in with my bare hands – holding ‘em up and stuffing my face to the bone hihi. this is the right way to enjoy lamb chops!

 

we always order pasta from any kids’ menu – but no pasta here. there’s fish fillet, chicken nuggets (boring!) small steak and grilled chicken breast, among others – so we chose the chicken. it was grilled nicely, and the boys enjoyed it to the end. should put more chips though!

 

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birthday boy enjoying his steak – nyum nyum nyum

 

 

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like i mentioned earlier, ‘the butcher shop & grill’ offers good-tasting steaks and chops at comparatively cheaper price than other steakhouses around dubai. i guess we had to pay more at some steakhouses for the fine-dining experience and more classier ambiance.

however, i still think ‘the butcher shop & grill’ is still our best bet. it’s a family-friendly steakhouse without the hassle of having to ‘behave’ at a fine-dining restaurant. laugh. get loud. be merry! with delicious steaks and lamb chops!