Black Sheep Café — Restaurant in Westdene

I'd like to start by acknowledging the commendable efforts of Samanda and her colleague, who were the sole staff members managing the event that day. Their dedication significantly enhanced the less-than-ideal decorations, and making them the only redeemable quality of Black Sheep Cafe, where I hosted my child's birthday party. I also want to mention despite all the below I continued forward with using this establishment as my child wanted the party here due to the playground. From the outset, there were aspects that raised concerns. The point of contact, Altanja and her partner, displayed a lack of professionalism that was evident since when I first visited the venue with my child. During this visit, I observed Altanja's partner consuming alcohol behind the counter, which struck me as highly unprofessional for a weekday afternoon. Communicating with Altanja via WhatsApp was a challenge due to delayed responses, which added to the frustration. The absence of a proper dialogue to iron out event details was noticeable, and it took over a month to receive a quotation despite repeated requests. A phone call had to be made to expedite a response, during which I was informed of the policy to pay for all children's meals in advance, with no refunds for uneaten meals. This policy was justified by the potential loss of revenue from adults not ordering at the event, despite my payment for the venue hire. Altanja suggested that I should instruct parents to ensure their children order meals or take leftovers home, a request I found rather distasteful and chose not to follow. Consequently, I paid for 12 children's meals, of which only 8 were ordered, as the children naturally preferred playing over eating—a concern I had previously raised. Moreover, the cafe imposed a 'cakeage' fee for bringing an external cake, despite not offering cake-making services themselves. This is not the first party I have hosted and have never been requested to pay for bringing my own cake.This policy seemed unjustifiable. The event decor, comprised of inexpensive items from a Crazy Store, and failed to align with the chosen theme colors and appeared to be arranged with minimal effort. The onsite staff did their best to improve the setup, but the tablecloths were too small and unclean, the chair covers ill-fitting, and the tables barely adequate for the children's use. The charges for the decor did not reflect the quality provided. It is honestly a rip-off. Adding to the discomfort of the guests, Altanja's partner was seen smoking hubbly behind the counter during the children's party, an action I found completely inappropriate for the occasion. This on top of the fact that he was acting very rude to his staff who were already stretched thin as the owners thought it appropriate to have 2 people run around serving people, apparently cooking the food and restocking the back. It feels as though the new owners are attempting to maximize profits without delivering commensurate value. This at expense of clients.Given that Black Sheep has undergone several changes in ownership, it wouldn't be surprising if another transition is on the horizon. Considering many of the mothers present at the party are regular hosts themselves and communicate with other parents, it's likely that word of this experience will spread. Although the children enjoyed the party thanks to the appealing playground, I believe the new proprietors should either stick to their areas of expertise—which does not seem to include the hospitality sector—or seriously reconsider their business practices...

We recently visited Black Sheep Café (16/06/2025) with the hope of enjoying a relaxed family meal while supporting a local establishment. Unfortunately, while there were a couple of highlights, the overall experience left much to be desired.

On the positive side, the coffee was excellent and brought out promptly — a small win that set early expectations. The Black Sheep Burger, though priced higher than similar offerings at nearby competitors, was genuinely tasty and well-prepared.

However, the negatives ultimately outweighed the positives. We placed our food order at 11:10 and were told to expect a 60-minute wait. Instead, the meals only arrived just before 13:00 — nearly two hours later — despite there being just one other occupied table at the time. This level of delay is simply unacceptable for a sit-down café.

One of the most disappointing elements was the chicken schnitzel (R110), which was both overcooked and shockingly small — barely half the size of the palm of a hand. At that price, we expected a far more generous and better-prepared portion.

Our total bill for two adult meals, two kids’ meals, two hot chocolates, and four coffees came to just under R700. Unfortunately, based on the quality and portion sizes of the food — combined with the poor service speed — it felt like a poor return on investment.

As much as we believe in supporting local, we simply cannot recommend or return to Black Sheep Café under these conditions. Here’s hoping the team addresses these issues moving forward.

We truly wish Black Sheep Café all the best and hope they take a serious look at the level of service being offered, as there is clear potential that’s currently being overshadowed by avoidable...

I visited Black Sheep Cafe today and, true to their name, felt like the proverbial black sheep. Three employees walked past me without so much as a glance, and I stood by the tables watching staff bustle around, apparently too busy to acknowledge my existence. If their goal is to make prospective customers feel unwelcome, they’ve nailed it. Who knew the service ethos here would be 'invisible customers get the...