The Brauhaus Afrika
The yellow hazard signs are pot holes highlighted on the Waze app and I sure did need the warnings today as they were proper holes. I can only imagine if it is raining how dangerous this route would be as you would never spot them and could easily damage the car. Some were so big I would guess they were 30 cm deep and wider as well so you have to be ready and concentrate.
Today I went on a road trip which is very rare for me in this country due to the sorry state of the roads and my fears were justified with the Waze app ringing bells continuously as warning ahead for pot holes. I had never heard this noise before and at one point was so noisy it sounded like winning the jackpot at the casino. I saw one car had lost an entire front wheel after hitting one so these are serious holes. You are screwed if you lose an entire wheel or worse and I kind of felt sorry for the couple who were waiting for assistance.
The trip ended up being a day out as this was more about going to finalise the purchase of a fork lift that turned out to be not as advertised and I got my deposit refunded. I am glad I took the trip as you just never know and always best to be safer than sorry.
On the way back we stopped for lunch at the Brauhaus (Brew House) just outside of Rustenburg which is about 150 minute drive form where I live in Johannesburg. I have never been here before and the setting was idyllic in a valley with a lake surrounded by the Magaliesberg mountains. The Brauhaus is a micro brewery that is self sufficient so the idea that they will offer decent food was just too tempting.
I was driving and with so many treacherous potholes waiting for the return journey there was no testing or sampling the beers on offer. This was more about getting something different to eat that we would not normally find on a menu in a restaurant closer to home. I am a foodie so I will always look and try something new.
There was a large selection that all looked tempting including the 1 kg T Bone aged steak (40 Oz) which I have not seen for years. I was drawn by their specialties and went for the Ox Liver, mash and onions with a starter of chicken wings to share. Granny also went for the liver and onions which turned out to be a great choice as the sauce was not the normal type and was cooked with red onions and was slightly sweeter.
We could have gone for so many other items on the menu and just wanted something not too big as I normally do not eat lunch. There was possibly another 30 items on the menu I would try, but it is funny how one particular item gets your attention and everything else does not seem so appealing any more.
The view was magnificent and the weather was quite warm for a winters day so we had to sit outside even if their was a coolish breeze.
I mentioned the Brauhaus is self sufficient and they grow all the ingredients right on their doorstep being wheat, rye and hops plus they have the dam/lake for their water supply. You cannot get more ideal than this and over weekends you can see this place buzzing with tourists and locals.
I am not quite sure what this crop is even taking a walk to get a closer look and still none the wiser.
I know if I was in Europe or anywhere else in the world I would be paying an arm and for this and I was pleasantly surprised that the prices were better than expected. Remember if you are converting to Dollars or Euros you need to divide the prices by roughly 18.
The 1Kg or 40oz T-Bone steak was only R305 so a little under $17 and my liver and onions was R90 so $5 which is a bargain. If I was closer to Johannesburg these prices would be at least 50% more and in Europe or the States they would be on another level. Just took a photo of part of the menu so you can get a rough ide of prices.
Even their locally brewed home made beers are not badly priced coming in at $2.50 each for half a liter. The beer tasting tray which I was tempted was only just over $4 and a 5l wooden keg R690 (R290 for the barrel itself). You definitely do not feel you are being ripped off and the whole establishment was top class and will definitely stop by again if in the area.
Just inside the entrance they also had a shop which not only sold different jams and pickles but various cuts of meats from the menu and yes I scooped myself a 1kg T-Bone for myself which has the yellow aged fat. Not great for the cholesterol but this is a treat.
They had hundreds of different types of jams with many I have never seen before and here below is some of the items I bought today. The 40 oz T-Bone cost me $8 which would be more than double else where in the world. Cherry and balsamic salt in a grinder which is different. Night shade jam which has glow in the dark pips which again I have never seen before and Litchi jam along with Pomegranate dressing for salads which we know we like.
Nastergal jam, also known as Nightshade jam, is a unique South African preserve made from the small, purple berries of the African Nightshade plant (Solanum retroflexum). It's a seasonal delicacy, with the berries being hand-picked during a short period, often February and March. The jam is known for its bright purple color and rich, sweet flavor, and is traditionally enjoyed on toast, with cheese, or as a dessert topping
Finally a big bug bear of mine when travelling elsewhere is the tipping culture which we do not have in South Africa. The bill included a service fee of 10% which is the standard and was always the standard over seas.
Employees pay the staff wages here and the tips are not their salary and are a bonus shared amongst all the staff at the end of each week. Nothing more is expected and this is the standard so you can understand when travelling we are slightly shocked what others are doing as to us this is not normal. I think I will do another post on this topis as there are other places I have visited recently over seas also not affected by this madness. The tipping culture is one big con.
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wow that's a lot of potholes. I've never personally seen any before in my life. I probably would've went for the t-bone but everything on that menu looks good food wise. Malaysia also has a service fee hence people don't really tip here and if they do they will personally hand it to the waiter/waitress if not the owner will usually end up keeping it :/
In Portugal we were told not to tip by the waiting staff as the owner keeps it.
o.o sounds like it's horrible there as well.
I was thinking it looked delicious until you told me what it was! That's a cool old steam engine though!
I get that not everyone likes liver lol, but it was very good. The steam engine was cool and glad it has been kept as everything else is stolen for scrap metal.
Glad you made it through safely though, the Brauhaus looks amazing and those prices are a steal. If i wll travel definitely to a place like this
The prices are really low, but that is because the economy is terrible. If you look at USA the prices also vary a lot based on where you are in the South and Midwest economies are much weaker so salaries are lower and prices are lower. If you go to NYC or Washington State or California prices are much higher...
Nature looks so pleasing with an amazing environment and to enjoy the healthy food with the ingredients from their own farm is just amazing.
This looks like a place for me. I love these kind of places and if they would operate in Europe, would make a fortune for sure. The problem is, we don't have those goodies grown here due to different climate, so those should be imported.
You made me hungry btw.
It's kind of like a one stop shop in terms of the whole process from growing their own food to serving them on their restaurant. I seldom come across such self sufficient places engaging in such practices. The outside view looks beautiful also and I can understand why it's a buzzing place during the weekends.