Mad Giant Taproom — Restaurant in Gauteng

I deeply dislike having to give bad reviews…

However, I feel I need to communicate a few bad points and one good point (that’s not catered for in the star selection on Google) the BEER: Great! 5/5 Their Lager 🍺 had a full balance that makes it easy to drink. The barman compared it to Castle Lager (perhaps as means to explain what it is to someone who first perceived as new to beer) but he was very wrong - it’s much, much better. the service: 3/5 It was difficult to get service without running after the waiters. They were super friendly though, so I decided not to reduce the score to a 2. The atmosphere: 3/5 The next door bar’s music and vibe overwhelms the Mad Giant Taproom vibe. Also, as a non-smoker, everything that the next door patrons smoke (including the unmistakable smell of weed) fills the entire restaurant area all the way to the kitchen in the back where we unsuccessfully tried to move away from the smell. The food: we ordered the Croquettes which weren’t bad at all - the saltiness complimented the lager well. Why a low score then? Because the burgers we ordered dragged it so far down that I dare to call one of them the worst burger I’ve ever had… and I have had some bad burgers before… we ordered the following for takeaway (to get away from the smoke smell coming from next door) The Louisiana Chicken Burger was alright with very little taste to it apart from the coleslaw. Forgivable.. However, what I cannot be forgiving to as the taste of the patty which was anything but forgiving, and the very first burger option on their menu: the Mad Giant Beer Burger… guys, how did this burger make it to your menu? The patty being highly over smoked (and I very much enjoy smoked meats in general) the taste was so overwhelming that I threw the patty away just to finish the bun because I was hungry enough to do so. My wife couldn’t eat it either. Absolutely disappointed… it didn’t even come with fries - just the burger… I had to have a yogurt cup just to try and get rid of the taste.

I can understand if our experience was a flook and perhaps an isolated incident, and I therefore won’t demotivate anyone from visiting your premises on the basis of the quality of the beer alone. But please guys, urgently sort out: your menu/kitchen quality, your air circulation to somehow counter the smoke coming from your neighbors and provide your waiters with proper training (they are friendly enough but need to be up-skilled and supported - it is not them being bad waiters, but it is management’s ability...

Really bland food, maybe the chef was sick the day I ordered. One of the worst burgers I've had in an age, no salt, no spices and was undercooked( I don't mind rare food, but at least make it tasty)... Would have been better off ordering fast food thb, its half the price and twice as tasty. I was really hungry and resorted to ordering another meal half way through (from somewhere else).. Truly , I was really was so disappointed with our meal. To say the meal was overpriced, is the least of the chef's concerns...

I really wanted to support "Mad Giant Taproom Blairgowrie" as its a local pub in my area.(and I understand its a "pub").. but the food was far below standard and the price way over what was delivered(R150 for my burger and sweet potatoes chips).

Maybe it was a bad night for them, and they we're struggling but it didn't measure up to my expectations from a "bowls/pub" in anyway. ( I didn't expect much from a taphouse, but when your burgers are a 100+, you at least expect them to be edible...)

Extremely disappointed with the food received, as well as the service. (We've been to the mad giant taproom twice, hoping things will change. But instead been disappointed,...

I've wanted to gatekeep this place for so long but I have to review. The food here is the missing link between Joburg restaurants and flavour. They elevate pubfare to the levels it should be at in 2025. We've never been disappointed with a meal here. In fact we keep coming back for more. Definitely try the Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned and pork ribs. Smoked and sauced to fall-off-the-bone perfection. (My one negative comment is that we tried the lamb ribs today and they were 90% fat. The taste was there... but definitely needed meat. We must have got a bad cut.)

The atmosphere is cozy, local pub vibe. Staff are friendly and the British guy is very helpful and accommodating to the customers! Music is audible but you don't have to scream to speak to the person next to you. Perfect! The outdoor seating we find nice, too, because as non-smokers you can often space yourself far enough away from a smoker and not breathe in their life choices. Thank you for the good food!...