Bushman’s Grill

Fantastic evening. All I can say is WOW from the food to the service and best part they had JcLeRoux champagne. The snails were to die for with just right amount of Garlic as well as the crispy onion rings. Don’t know how you guys made the onion look so appetizing. Mains were calamari &ribs as well as ribs & Rump.
Calamari melted in mouth was hands down the best I have ever tasted and Rump was cooked to perfection only gripe was that did not enjoy the garlic that was placed on top of the rump would have rather had the sauce that was on the ribs. Ribs literally melted off the bone. Have not experienced service like that for quite some time so well done to Pearl and the team that served us that evening. Will definately spread the word

One word… Awesome!
Great service, delicious food, friendly staff and a fun family setting. Would highly recommend

Friendly, attentive service and CONSISTENTLY good food. We have been 3 times in as many months, and it’s nice to be able to enjoy consistent quality. The sirloin steak is exceptionally well prepared, with a perfect char and done exactly to my liking (medium-​rare). The peri-​peri chicken is literally the best I have had anywhere in NZ! Intense flavours and absolutely succulent. A tough decision is between the malva pudding and the waffles for dessert. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had such excellent waffles. What a pleasure to leave pretentiousness behind for once and just enjoy simple food, prepared exceptionally well, using quality ingredients. Not a jus or foam in sight for a (very pleasant) change! Oh, and their peri peri sauce can be bought at the bar. Used on giant Aussie prawns, butterflied and grilled, just a good as Mozambique LM prawns. This the best Southern African themed restaurant and the best steakhouse on the north shore — no question!

It has been my delight to visit this restaurant twice in the last fortnight, and both times I was very happy with the whole experience.
The first time I went was for a friend’s surprise dinner party. The owner let us decorate with balloons and the staff came out with a special birthday song & ice cream sundae with a candle to blow out. I just fell in love with the African décor & food! So much so, I insisted we have our big family dinner here.
At the family dinner, I drank a Crème Soda with the chicken schnitzel and finished off with an amarula dom pedro. It all tasted like home and I almost felt like I was back in Botswana or SA! The quality was just the same as before and the service was great. If I lived close by, I would go regularly :)

How has it taken me so long to try Bushman’s Grill? It’s always packed every time I drive past, and I finally understand why: it’s now my new favourite place for all things meaty.
If there’s one thing this place does well (and right), it’s steak. We ordered a medium rare T-​bone steak ($ 46), and perfectly cooked medium rare T-​bone steak we got. It was seasoned with nothing more than some salt, pepper and garlic, yet still gushing with juices and super flavourful. I tried to balance out all the animal protein by opting for salad as a side, but I say go for the chips instead (#cheatday). They also do a good flame-​grilled chicken basted with Peri-​Peri sauce ($ 14 for half on Mondays)… dare I say it’s better than a certain other worldwide chain!
I’m totally diggin’ the South African and wilderness themed décor. A painted animal mural across one wall whilst dining on a rustic wooden picnic table — very cool! Reservations are recommended, though they weren’t too busy on a Monday night and we were seated immediately. I have to say the food is a wee bit on the pricey side, so be sure to check out their weekly specials as well.
Carnivores, this one’s for you.

We went here for my brother’s birthday and we were happy to be greeted by a lovely host. We ordered a drink and it came to our table. The food was average and the price was a bit heavy. However the 3 stars wasn’t due to only the food but rather because of the time it took to wait. They didn’t come and say «Hey I’m sorry for the wait, your food is coming.» But they made us wait for 1 hr or more for our food. The ribs was okay, my brother got the bad piece as his was dry and has no flavor whilst mine was fine. I think the consistency needs to be much more better. So overall 3 stars

This was the second time visiting this restaurant with my partner & our ten month old son. Very friendly staff & I got the impression it was one of the owners serving us (very friendly lady with a S.A. accent) and she made us feel right at home. She seated us immediately & brought some age appropriate toys for our son to play with! We shared the ‘hot’ wings which were flavoursome but not very spicy and the garlic bread which was gobbled up quickly by my partner and son.
The 2 star review is for our mains — we both had the ribs and as my partner described them, were «as tough as old boots». Ribs should be falling off the bone, or at least easy to pull apart. It was difficult to pull them apart with our hands, and when they did give, you could hear the noise of the meat ripping apart! An establishment cannot afford to UNDERCOOK their ribs when there are other places on the Shore doing ribs properly for the same price, or cheaper. Also, we would have sent them back if anyone would have bothered to ask how our meals were but sadly, no one came back to our table — server nor manager to check on us.
As a North American, I grew up eating pork ribs from a young age and also have learnt how to cook them properly at quite a few restaurants as I used to work as a chef. Over cooking ribs on the grill would dry them out or burn them, but if they are so tough that they can’t easily be pulled apart by hand means that the meat didn’t have nearly enough time to cook/​break down in an oven or slow cooker to tenderise the meat. Putting them on a grill is really just meant to be a final step to caramelise the sauce & create that flame grilled, smoky taste.
Such a shame because otherwise it was a great experience. I would possibly go back (on the off chance that I could convince my partner to spend another $ 80 there) but definitely not for the ribs.

For all South Africans out there looking for a bit of home cooking, Bushman’s Grill is hard to beat.
Great tasting food (steaks, chicken, burgers etc.), best sauces in NZ and don’t forget about the deserts… Also I believe this to be great value for money, a family of 3 can expect to pay about $ 120 (starters, main and Don Pedro’s!) for the night. They also have a variety of specials on different days/​nights. Check their site for details.

Service was good. Food was pretty good. Slightly overpriced in my opinion but otherwise a great place to eat. The Ribs were marvellous, the special steak did not live up to the hype though.

For South African expats wishing to get a taste of home, then a visit to the Bushman’s Grill in Northcote is a must. It is as close to a Spur as you’ll find this side of the Indian Ocean, and the prices are not too far of the mark either.
I normally go for the 500g T-​Bone steak with Monkeygland sauce. Now, if you don’t know what Monkeygland sauce is, it is reason enough to take the family to the Bushman’s Grill.
This South African favourite, is a fruity chutney sauce that is perfect with a steak or burger, and most North Shore residents will be familiar with South African chutneys by now.
If you want value for money, then the half chicken is the outright winner. You simply can’t go wrong at the Bushman’s Grill, and the service is excellent and always with a smile.
To wrap up your evening, go for a Dom Pedro or Irish coffee, they might not sound South African, but they way it’s made, is truly unique.

I went to Bushman’s Grill for Valentines Dinner with my boyfriend. It was my idea to go there for dinner as a friend of mine had sung praises of this restaurant. I called the restaurant around 7pm wanting to book a table for two for 8pm, unfortunately the restaurant was fully booked. The manager promised to give me a call as soon as someone else canceled and she stayed true to her word.
Upon my arrival I was greeted by an African thatched roof in a restaurant with shields and dimmed lighting, it felt just like home. My boyfriend and I stood at the front of the restaurant excepting serving but we did not receive that until we walked up to the counter and told them we had a reservation. This is because the counter is right at the front of the restaurant, like right at the entrance. This results in waitresses assuming that everyone standing by the door is paying. The layout of the restaurant would be much better if the counter was elsewhere.
I was a tad annoyed by the delay in service but the ribs I ordered and my bottle of Savannah dry helped me forget all about it. The ribs were delicious and were marinated in goodness a bit too much goodness but I’m not complaining. The chips were served in a stand separating them from the ribs, meaning there was more room on my plate for ribs.
After visiting another African restaurant, I knew that even so could small portions weren’t really small and boy was I correct. I remember asking the waiter if the plate was mine as I had ordered the smallest portion. She just smiled and said yes that it the smallest portion. It left me wondering what the biggest portion was!
I recommend Bushman’s Grill for fellow rib and meat lovers! The portions will definitely satisfy your craving.