Wales’s national lockdown was looming and we had no choice but to spend our last evening tasting the food of Cardiff’s Got Beef. After opening its doors in 2014, Got Beef was voted as No. 2 by National Newspaper Wales in its Top 15 burger joints in Wales list. After achieving this title in less than a year, it was clear to me that the restaurant owner, Cai Pritchard had been doing something right, and I had to find out what it was.
The restaurant located on Whitchurch Road is modestly sized and rocks a casual style with wooden benches and an open kitchen. I love the open kitchen approach as it means that the diners are able to observe the chefs in the kitchen and be apart of the camaraderie. I believe that it completely elevates the entire eating experience as a whole new dimension is added to the journey from kitchen to table.
The food itself was stunning. Priced at £8 my Soprano burger was to die for. It was Juicy, succulent, the bacon was perfectly crisp and it was properly filling. The highlight for me was the sauce; jalapeno mayo. The spicy tones complimented the burger perfectly and lined my mouth with a welcome zingy and tingly sensation. It combined with the chorizo and monterey jack cheese perfectly and brought the whole burger together as one. This is a recipe I will definitely be seeking for myself!
I found that the sweet potato fries trumped the skin on fries on every level. They came with the perfect crunchy coating and soft inside that the skin on fries did not deliver. However, I may be faced with a slight bias as I have recently discovered an everlasting and undeniable love for a sweet potato fry. On the other hand, the loaded fries, in my opinion, were not worth the price point. The cylindrical shaped bowl they were served in resulted in an uneven distribution of the ‘load’ and I felt this ruined the experience slightly. Whats the point in loaded fries if only half of them are loaded?
Whilst the food hit the spot, I found that the service was a little bit slow. However, the restaurant was packed and the constant stream of Deliveroo drivers excused this slightly. The lockdown measurements were also a defense of any service hiccups. This time is understandably a hard one for everyone and I can’t imagine the stress the staff were facing with the inevitable closure of their restaurant. The food came piping hot and at the same time, which, at the end of the day, was all that mattered.
The overall experience was positive and offered the perfect conclusion to our freedom. I would definitely return here as it wasn’t too expensive and the burgers satisfied our cravings. It wasn’t the best value for money but I’m eyeing up their £5 lunch deal as must try budget lunch treat!
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