Looks like with SAA'a new schedule, Shumba and I will be spending the night in J-b enroute to ZIM. I'm actually thinking that might be better for jet lag, and a friend wants to pick us up and take us to a restaurant called "The Carnivore", where they serve zebra and other game meets cooked on spears.

Sounds kinda cool. Anybody ever go there?

If zebra is their speciality, I'd pass. Zebra however does make a rather adequate leopard bait.

Don't be fooled by old books. Zebra is one of the best eating meats to be found anywhere in Africa......just make sure you cut all the yellow fat off before you cook it.

They also have a Carnivore restaurant in Nairobbery and if the Jo'burg one is half as good you'll have a great meal.

On our last night in Namibia several weeks ago we had dinner at Joe's Beer House in Windhoek with our PH and his wife, Nicky and Isabel Nolte.

I ordered the "Gone Wild" special which was zebra sirloin, and asked them to grill it, medium.

It was as good as any other game steak that I've eaten in Africa (and I've eaten just about all of them).

Let us know what you think about the Carnivore. Holly and I will be back in South Africa next year and will probably overnight at Afton once again.

http://www.mistyhills.co.za/indexmain.html
Click on the Carnivore Restaurant link (on the left hand side of the web page).

I've never been there but it sounds good!

-Bob F.


From their web site:

The central attraction of the restaurant is a large circular open fire with 52 converted Masaai tribal spears holding a variety of 10 different types of gently roasted meat such as pork, lamb, beef, chicken, ribs and sausages and including game meats such as crocodile, zebra, giraffe, impala, ostrich, just to name a few!

The meal starts with the homemade soup of the day accompanied by fresh, daily baked honey bread.

A lazy Susan is then placed on the table, with the bottom layer containing six assorted salads and the top layer contains six sauces to compliment the various meats.

A very hot cast iron plate is placed in front of you, followed by two potjie pots containing "pap and sauce". A baked potato is also offered.

Carvers come from the fire with the Masaai swords holding the meat and carve the cuts of your choice directly onto your plate.

There is a wide selection of meats including game such as crocodile, giraffe and zebra to name but a few.

This is followed by a choice of five different desserts, and coffee.

The "all you can eat" concept is encapsulated by a white flag on each table that is lowered to signify complete surrender!

No visitor should miss out on "Africa's Greatest Eating Experience".

Zebra is about the only meat from an animal that I have killed (anywhere), except maybe for coyotes and vermin, that I have not eaten and I greatly regret not trying it when I had my chance.

"Zebra is one of the best eating meats to be found anywhere in Africa......"

To each his own, had nothing to do with "old books", I didn't like it.

Now that place sounds all right! If I was going to have any time in Joberg, I'd try it. Wonder how much it costs to break bread there?

Lunch Rate
R125.00 per person
(Monday to Sunday)

Dinner Rate
R145.00 per person
(Monday to Sunday)

Conditions and terms
1.Prices subject to change without prior notice
2.Not applicable to special events such as chrismas day or new year
3.Groups of 10 or more will be charged a service fee of 10%

(info from their web site)

-Bob F.

Damn! $22-$24 for that! What a bargain! Wish I was going to be in Joberg. Anyone know of an equivalent in Cape Town?

N'gagi- Not to burst your bubble, but Lois at Afton might recommend that VERY nice steakhouse right around the neihborhood over the "Carnivore". At least he did last we were there.

She may, and she probably knows better, but I have a friend (FEMALE)in J-B who wants to pick us up, and treat us to dinner and a tour of town.

How can I turn THAT down???

From my point of view, meat is meat..guess thats why my favorite meal is Menudo...
My best friend told someone that I would eat the ass out of a road killed skunk inasmuch as I was nothing more than a coyote reincarnated...Never could decide if that was an insult or a compliment!!!

Ray,
You travel with a rough crowd. Menudo and boudain is about as low as I go, except for camel hump.

Don't recall ever having boudain but menudo and cold beer is right up my alley and I happen to think that I have a rather sophistocated palate, thank-you very much! Hmmpf!

I have been to the Carnivore, but my recollection is it is closer to Pretoria than Joberg. It's an interesting place. I've only had zebra fritters in Zimbabwe , which I ranked as okay, but not exceptional.

I've dined at the Carnivore in Nairobi and I thought there was another one in Botswana (???). The SAf one was setup to copy the Kenyan one. My guess is its at Pretoria too.

Usually they have several types of game - I think I had zebra, crocodile, ???, plus beef and chicken. They regulate how much meat you can get by the "meat waiters" taking their time to do the rounds. Enjoyed it though.

Ostriche plus eland + the others again in Botswana.

Feed the man meat.

10 in the morning and I am salivating! Damn it is good to hear people enjoying old fashioned flesh....spending too long amongst the liberal university students that view jerky as 'uncooked meat'

A quote I heard in South Africa:

"Meat is the best vegetable!"

-Bob F.

Can't rightly say meat is THE BEST vegetable but it is my personal favorite.Followed a distant second by eggs of course.
Went to an Argentenian resteraunt that had a similar program as to that described as at the Carnivore.If this one is as good,well they might have to wheel me out of there...eyedoc

Another amusing quote. While we were in Namibia last month we were talking over dinner with our PH, Nick Nolte, about how much we enjoy eating game, both at home and in Africa.

Somehow the conversation turned to vegetables and Nicky's memorable response while lustily consuming a 2 pound beefsteak was, "vegetables...if I had wanted vegetables I would have ordered chicken or fish!"

Punda milia is delicious, but I understand that it does have to be trimmed and cooked properly.

Since the first time I ate zebra, I've never looked at a horse the same again.

Mark, that is hilarious , and the way battery raised chicken tastes these days it might as well be a veggie as it only a canvas to spread mustard BBQ sauce on.

It would appear that there is not one of these "Carnivors" restuarants in Cape Town, but have any of you guys got a good recommendation in Cape Town--not too fancy, just good food and plenty of it (lots of meat).