Brian Lara Rum Eatery — Restaurant in Gauteng

I'll start by saying I never write reviews of restaurants I go to, but this experience was so dismal, I have to give my 2 cents. Warning: Its a long one. My childhood best friend and I planned to have dinner here together 2 weeks in advance, I had heard good things about the place so thought we should try it out, turns out she had been here previously with her sister and also had high praise, only further reinforcing my want to go. Upon arriving we were greeted by a gentleman at the door and seated, not long after our waitress arrived and greeted us, and in a couple minutes we ordered drinks. So initial impressions were positive. Spoiler: it only went downhill from there. After chit chatting and catching up, my friend and I were ready to order food. Tried getting any sort of acknowledgement from the waitress, didnt work, I think her name started with a K- honestly cant recall since she was barely at our table. I get that staff can be busy but the table right next to us got served, their table cleared, and another round or two of drinks, paid AND left before we even got to order. Mind you the first time we tried ordering the man at the table next to us tapped our waitress as my friend was mid saying our order- she promptly turned around and gave him and his table her full attention as if we were invisible, and ever so politely never got back to us. I will note for people that are curious, the two tables adjacent to us (which we arrived before both), actually getting service from our waitress, the patrons were white, my friend and I are black, and seemed a bit younger than majority of the crowd which (I could be wrong) looked mid 20's- mid 30's. We considered going somewhere else however I really wanted to try the food, eventually we just called on any waiter near us that would help. They were nice however you could tell their hesitancy to serve our table so as to not disrespect the waitress who was supposed to be serving us, but I think they too after trying to call her to assist us could see she was not bothered. By the time food came, I was put off and wanted to leave; as per standard procedure: waitress is MIA so it took forever, and we got assisted by the kind older gentleman who had been filling in her role throughout the rest of our stay. We both ordered the jerk chicken burgers but got takeaways since we could no longer tolerate the poor service, the burgers (which we ate at my friends place) were good but lacked seasoning- went great with mayo. I only tried their margarita (not my preference) which was a shame since I wanted to try 2 or 3 different cocktails but I just didnt want to spend more of my money when the vibes and our experience was already SO off. Closing off I tipped her R2 (in hindsight far too generous) and my friend R0. I did however have cash in my wallet and gave the kind waiter a R50 and my friend gave whatever cash she had. We thanked him for his kindness, and my friend let him know that in the past he had been her waiter and the service was great: which he appreciated and even said bye to us on our way out when our uber came. I love recommending restaurants around jhb to friends coming in from other cities or overseas to visit, however this experience completely ruined and tainted any optimistic views I had of the place. It gave racist undertones, that the only servers who acknowledged us looked like us. Pretty obvious: will not...

This place is one of my favorite local spots to come to when you want to unwind with a cocktail and simple food. Such a vibey and friendly environment. The owner is always welcoming and has created such a homey atmosphere that creates loyalty. Be aware of the cocktail special, haha their cocktails are to die for and even better when you get 2 for 1. My top cocktail is the mojito but do try their strawberry daiquiri, Pinacolada (comes in a pineapple) and mai tai. What’s cool is they have a combination of a strawberry daiquiri and pinacolada called a miami vice! So yum. What i absolutely love is they serve a complementary appetizer which is their chips and pineapple salsa, I could eat 5 plates of these. They are so crunchy and best served hot with their spice on top.

Their food is absolutely delicious, I’ve never been disappointed. Their pricing is very reasonable for what you get.

BBQ burger- best burger I’ve ever eaten. Super juicy especially because the sauce is to die for and you get such a soft bun and thick slice of cheddar cheese and fresh garnish.

Chicken burger- if you’re not keen for beef, do try this burger, it hits the spot and has a hint of tang from the pine. Chicken is so tender.

Chicken strips- I am a sucker for good chicken strips and Brian Lara’s is by far the best! The vegan sweet chilli mayo pairs perfectly.

Salt and Pepper squid- their squid is so delicious and tender, and their tartare sauce is so tangy that I could lick the bowl!

Sweet corn fritters- their fritters are one of my favorites, it literally gives pancake vibes with a hint of spice.

Jerk cauliflower- this dish left me speechless, I wish I had taken a photo of how gorgeous this dish was. Cauliflower is such an underrated vegetable and the way they turned this dish into something wonderful was so cherished. The sauce and spiciness was so well paired with the hints of fruity flavours from the strawberries and the leafy greens just made it so hearty. I absolutely adored this dish.

Other recommended sides- warm corn salsa, spiced chips, jalapeño poppers and coleslaw.

Overall brian lara is such a vibey, aesthetically pleasing place and everyone is friendly. Can’t wait to try more of...

On Friday evening, we booked a table at Brian Lara Rum Eatery in Linden, as it had been recommended. What a hidden gem! As we walked in, we were greeted by the Manager, Lilian, who showed us to our table. As soon as we walked in, we noticed that the atmosphere and vibe were great! It was full, and everyone in there was chatting and seemed to be having a great time. Lilian was professional and friendly, and we immediately felt at home. I couldn't decide what to have, as more than one dish appealed to me. While we were deciding on what food to order, the drinks arrived, including a couple of cocktails. The cocktails were well prices, and generous servings... most importantly, they were delicious! Daniel, our waiter (and I apologise if I got his name wrong), came over to take our food order. As I could decide what to have, I asked him to recommend something. Normally, when I ask this, the responses received is usually "Everything is good". Daniel asked my preferences in food, and I explained that I am not very good with spice. Based on this, he recommended 3 different dishes... one being the Mussels, and the way he described them made my father change his mind from the fish to the mussels. I decided to have the squid, and I asked for it with chips and coleslaw. Daniel looked at me as if what I just asked for was wrong, and began trying to politely suggest another meal. I said to him that he should order for me, and I would eat whatever he brought. By this point, I think he felt a bit under pressure, but knowing how good the food is, I am sure he was confident! I got the Rump with seasoned veggies, and it was incredible. The rump was served medium rare, with jerk spice and a pepper sauce, and it melted in your mouth. The veggies were served to perfection, not over cooked, still with some crunch and a delicious flavour. And to top it all off, the prices were so reasonable!

We were all blown away by this incredible experience! Thank you to Lilian and her team because you made our evening a memorable one. We will most...