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5 Best BBQ Restaurants in Johannesburg Homepage

6 Best BBQ Restaurants in Johannesburg

Food: We mainly focused on the taste, serving size, and meat quality of their BBQ dishes. While menu diversity is not as important, range of BBQ dishes is still important and was thus considered.

Location and ambience: The best BBQ restaurants in Johannesburg should also have a great ambience, to make dining as special as possible. We also looked at its proximity to the city centre for your convenience.

Scheduling and reservations: We like BBQ restaurants that are open most days with a consistent schedule to cater to your cravings. We also looked into the booking process of the restaurant, giving high points to those with easy online reservations.

Service: Of course, the dining experience can also be affected by the service. So, we rated the restaurants according to how good their service is, mostly from the wait staff.

Pricing and payment: Lastly, we considered the ease of payment based on the options the restaurant offers. While we agree that the best BBQ isn’t cheap, we also considered whether the price is reasonable.

1. Chief’s Boma Restaurant

Menu: Buffet Lunch and Dinner Menu

Website: https://indabahotel.co.za/Restaurant/chiefs-boma.html

Address: Johannesburg, South Africa

Contact Details:

Operating Hours: Monday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Google reviews score5/5
Tripadvisor reviews score5/5
Facebook reviews score5/5
Total reviews5/5
Score consistency5/5
Food 5/5
BBQ options5/5
Taste, quality, and presentation5/5
Location and ambience 5/5
Scheduling and reservations 5/5
Opening hours5/5
Booking process5/5
Service5/5
Pricing and payment5/5

Pros

  • Delivery option available
  • Indoor and outdoor seating options
  • Vegetarian options available
  • Various meat cuts for BBQ
  • Ample parking space
  • Online reservation

Cons

  • Limited opening hours on Mondays and Sundays
  • Online booking forms are limited

Chief’s Boma Restaurant offers a truly immersive African dining experience that is not to be missed. Nestled in the serene indigenous gardens of the Indaba Hotel, Spa & Conference Centre, this expansive 300-seater restaurant is a feast for the senses. The atmosphere is inviting, with the natural surroundings creating a tranquil backdrop for your meal.

The menu showcases the rich diversity of African cuisine, featuring over 120 dishes that cater to all tastes. From the aromatic North African Moroccan dishes to classic South African treats like koeksisters and melktert, there’s something for everyone. A standout feature is the “Shisa Nyama” grill, where guests can select their preferred cuts of meat, handpicked by the on-premises butcher. The blend of buffet-style dining with tailor-made cooking ensures a unique culinary experience for each guest.

Meat lovers will appreciate the variety of game meats available, including springbok, impala, and ostrich. The highlight for many is the Boma Signature “Big 5 Kebab,” a true testament to the restaurant’s commitment to showcasing authentic African flavors.

For those looking to unwind, the deck overlooking the Boma Dam is the perfect spot to enjoy sundowners or craft beer, with Soweto Gold on tap. The ambiance is enhanced by the soothing sounds of the Resident African Marimba Band, creating an unforgettable dining atmosphere.

With lunch and dinner served daily, reservations are essential to secure your spot at this popular venue. Whether you’re enjoying a leisurely weekend brunch or a lively evening meal, Chief’s Boma is sure to provide a memorable experience. Don’t miss the chance to meander through the Boma Herb Garden and finish your meal roasting marshmallows over the Boma fire—it’s a delightful way to end your evening.

Overall, Chief’s Boma Restaurant is a culinary gem that delivers a comprehensive and authentic African dining experience. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore the flavors of Africa in a beautiful setting!

2. Che Argentine Grill

Che Argentine Grill Homepage

Menu:

Website: http://cheargentinegrill.co.za/

Address: 128 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa

Contact Details: +27 11 268 2509

Operating Hours:

  • Tuesday: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Wednesday – Saturday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Sunday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Google reviews score4.4/5
Tripadvisor reviews score4/5
Facebook reviews score4.8/5
Total reviews3/5
Score consistency4.5/5
Food 4/5
BBQ options4/5
Taste, quality, and presentation4/5
Location and ambience 4/5
Scheduling and reservations 4/5
Opening hours4/5
Booking process4/5
Service4/5
Pricing and payment4/5

Pros

  • Delivery option available
  • Indoor and outdoor seating options
  • Vegetarian options available
  • Various meat cuts for BBQ
  • Ample parking space
  • Online reservation

Cons

  • Limited opening hours on Mondays and Sundays
  • Online booking forms are limited

Che Argentine Grill is an Argentinian restaurant that qualifies as one of the best BBQ restaurants in Johannesburg for a few reasons. 

First of all, this restaurant offers a good selection of open-fire grilled meat cuts—ribs, fillet steaks, sirloin, and rib eye steak. It also serves tender pork sandwiches that’ll satisfy your cravings without needing to break the bank.

Its menu also includes chicken barbecues for those who don’t like pork. Even better, Che Argentine Grill has vegetarian options on its menu for inclusivity.

Che Argentine Grill also has a diverse wine and cocktail menu to complement its smokey flavours. And to better complement its authentic Argentinian dishes, this restaurant also offers outdoor and indoor dining.

Such choices make its ambience as flexible as its customers need it to be. It even delivers to nearby customers—thus making dining as convenient as possible.

Che Argentine Grill’s staff is also very well-mannered, friendly, and attentive, just as customers have reviewed. For these reasons, we gave the steakhouse and BBQ restaurant high points for location & ambience and service.

The only thing we’re reserved about with this BBQ restaurant is that it opens later than its competitors. Its Sunday opening hours are also pretty limited, so if you choose this restaurant on Sundays, make sure you’re only planning for a short lunch.

Luckily, it does have online reservation forms you can access via Google. Although, you won’t be able to choose ahead whether to be seated indoors or outdoors.

3. The Grillhouse Melrose Arch

The Grillhouse Melrose Arch Homepage

Menu: http://www.thegrillhouse.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Main-Menu.pdf

Website: http://www.thegrillhouse.co.za/

Address: Melrose Arch, H20 & H21, 38 Whiteley Rd, Melrose North, Johannesburg, 2076, South Africa

Contact Details: +27 10 446 1911

Operating Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Google reviews score4.5/5
Tripadvisor reviews score4/5
Facebook reviews score4.6/5
Total reviews4/5
Score consistency4.5/5
Food 4.5/5
BBQ options5/5
Taste, quality, and presentation4/5
Location and ambience 4/5
Scheduling and reservations 4.5/5
Opening hours5/5
Booking process4/5
Service5/5
Pricing and payment4/5

Pros

  • Indoor and outdoor seating
  • Various BBQ options (meat, seafood, vegetables)
  • Online reservation forms
  • Same-day booking accepted
  • Delivery option available
  • All week opening hours

Cons

  • Meat dish prices subject to change
  • Limited seating preference in reservation forms

Now if you want to feel like you’re in a New York BBQ restaurant, then The Grillhouse at the Melrose Arch can be a good choice. 

This restaurant features artistic decorations, brick walls, timber accents, with great warm lighting. The Grillhouse at the Melrose Arch also offers indoor and outdoor dining options, allowing customers the liberty to choose their scenery.

Unfortunately, its online reservation forms don’t ask whether or not you want to stay indoors or outdoors, so you may have to call them to specify. 

The good thing is that its online booking forms are easy to use such that you need only supply the date, time, and the number of guests per table. The booking forms even accept same-day bookings!

The Grillhouse also takes its name seriously, as it serves nothing but the best BBQ and steaks from New York sirloins, fillets, and rib eyes. It also has on the bone options—including slow-cooked beef ribs, T-bone, lamb cutlets and shank, and spare ribs.

The meat selection is also premouim, what with Argentinian, Wagyu, and USDA Angus beef choices. That said, The Grillhouse may increase the prices of its BBQ dishes when price and currency value changes.

We also like that it has a selection of seafood, vegetables, and even chicken for grilling. We find this helpful, especially for families with a few members with allergies or food restrictions.

But the best thing about this restaurant and the reason why customers have turned to patrons is its excellent service. That’s why we gave this restaurant a perfect score for service.

We also appreciate how The Grillhouse is consistently open all week, from lunch to dinner.

4. Rooftop BBQ

Rooftop BBQ Homepage

Menu: https://www.rooftopbbqsa.com/menus

Website: https://www.rooftopbbqsa.com/

Address: Citilec Rooftop, 246 Main St, Maboneng, Johannesburg, 2094, South Africa

Contact Details: +27 68 579 0000

Operating Hours: Friday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Google reviews score4.3/5
Tripadvisor reviews score2/5
Facebook reviews score4.7/5
Total reviews3/5
Score consistency4.3/5
Food 4.5/5
BBQ options5/5
Taste, quality, and presentation4/5
Location and ambience 5/5
Scheduling and reservations 3/5
Opening hours2/5
Booking process5/5
Service3/5
Pricing and payment5/5

Pros

  • Online reservation forms
  • Can reserve more than 30 people
  • Scenic view of the city with al fresco dining
  • Numerous BBQ options
  • In-house DJ for chill music
  • Two locations within the Johannesburg area

Cons

  • Few wait staff resulting in average service
  • Limited opening hours
  • Limited parking

Now if you want a bespoke experience, with a cocktail and BBQ menu curated to your tastes, then Rooftop BBQ may be the best BBQ restaurant in Johannesburg for you.

This restaurant serves all kinds of BBQ, whether it be pork, beef, fish, prawns, chicken, lamb, or veggie. Rooftop BBQ even offers pasta with barbequed elements like chicken or pesto—all at affordable and reasonable prices.

What really makes Rooftop BBQ stand out from the best BBQ restaurants in Johannesburg is that it offers a breathtaking 360 view of the city. Most of its seats are also al fresco, thus providing the best views and ambience to all customers.

To complete the chill ambience, Rooftop BBQ also has DJs playing music. Do know that other customers have raised issues about the lack of waiters, thus resulting in average service.

However, we still didn’t give it a perfect score for location and ambience as we have a few issues with this restaurant, particularly with its accessibility. To expound, this restaurant’s city location is only open from Fridays to Sundays.

Luckily, this restaurant has another location in Sandton that’s on most days, except on Fridays and Saturdays. This location is even open as early as 8 AM for those who want to eat BBQ for breakfast or brunch.

To book a reservation, you need only select your preferred date, time, and location. We also appreciate how its online reservation forms allow reservations for more than 30 people.

But we should also raise the concern of parking spaces, as other previous customers have emphasized in their reviews.

5. The Local Grill

The Local Grill Homepage

Menu: https://www.facebook.com/www.localgrill.co.za/photos/p.4102818609810780/4102818609810780

Website: https://localgrill.co.za/

Address: : 50 7th Ave, Parktown North, Randburg, 2193, South Africa

Contact Details: +27 11 880 1946 / [email protected]

Operating Hours:

  • Monday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Tuesday – Saturday: 12:30 PM – 10:30 PM
  • Sunday: 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Google reviews score4.5/5
Tripadvisor reviews score4.5/5
Facebook reviews score4.7/5
Total reviews4/5
Score consistency4.5/5
Food 4.5/5
BBQ options4/5
Taste, quality, and presentation5/5
Location and ambience 3/5
Scheduling and reservations 4.5/5
Opening hours4/5
Booking process5/5
Service4/5
Pricing and payment3/5

Pros

  • Same-day appointments allowed
  • Online forms with preferred dining location option
  • All week opening hours
  • Indoor and outdoor dining
  • Award-winning BBQ restaurant

Cons

  • Closed on Sunday evenings
  • Relatively limited BBQ options
  • Some issues with the new location

Now, if you want to choose the most established out of the best BBQ restaurants in Johannesburg, then The Local Grill would be a good option. We say this because it has been around since 2002.

Adding to this prestige are The Local Grill’s awards, including the customer-voted Best Steakhouse in South Africa. It has achieved such feats by serving only premium grain and grass-fed beef sourced from local and international farmers.

Its menu includes grilled premium cuts of sirloin, fillet, T-bone, and wingrib that can either be wet or dry-fed. It also offers local favourites like the special chicken BBQ.

That said, its other BBQ options are pretty limited compared to other restaurants as it doesn’t offer grilled veggie or seafood options.

Going back to what we like, we love that The Local Grill is open all week, making it among the most accessible BBQ restaurants. Do know that on Sundays, it’s open only long enough for a full lunch course.

Another great thing about The Local Grill is that it has online booking forms on Google where you can even book same-day appointments. Do know that it only allows reservations for up to 12 people.

We also find it great that its online forms allow customers to choose whether to dine in its lounge, garden, or main dining room. This is special since its competitors don’t do this bit.

Just know that it’s located just outside the city so you’d need to travel to get a taste of their delectable dishes. Some customers have also raised issues about the new location of this restaurant.

6. The Butcher Shop & Grill

The Butcher Shop & Grill Homepage

Menu: https://www.thebutchershop.co.za/assets/Uploads/Menus-new-addition.pdf

Website: https://www.thebutchershop.co.za/

Address: Shop 30 Nelson Mandela Square Sandton, 2196, South Africa

Contact Details: +27 11 784 8676

Operating Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00 PM –10:30PM

Google reviews score4.3/5
Tripadvisor reviews score4/5
Facebook reviews score4.6/5
Total reviews5/5
Score consistency4.1/5
Food 5/5
BBQ options5/5
Taste, quality, and presentation5/5
Location and ambience 4/5
Scheduling and reservations 5/5
Opening hours5/5
Booking process5/5
Service4/5
Pricing and payment3/5

Pros

  • Freedom to choose meat from the selection of aged meat
  • Meat, fish, and seafood takeout option
  • Online forms with preferred dining location option
  • Private dining options
  • All week opening hours
  • Delivery services available

Cons

  • Premium pricing and payment policies
  • Located outside the city

The Butcher Shop & Grill is also among the oldest BBQ restaurants in Johannesburg as it has been around since 1994. With such long years in the industry, it’s no wonder that it’s one of the best fine dining restaurants for those who want to eat grilled and barbequed meals.

The Butcher ages its meat for up to 40 days so that it can absorb as much flavour as possible. It also sources its meat only from farmers that produce grain or grass-fed pork, thus giving each customer only the best BBQ in town.

But the best thing about its food is that customers, like you, get the chance to choose which aged meat they’d like to be cooked for their meal.

And as a butcher shop, The Butcher also sells meat cuts, fish, and even seafood and places these items in cooler bags with dry ice so that even customers from far places can take these home.

We also like that its wine selection is diverse. It has a cellar for affordable wines to cater to casual diners and a more premium cellar with vintage wines for those who have elegant tastes.

And if you want the best experience dining in The Butcher, then you can also book one of its offered private dining rooms. Still, it’s inclusive in a way that it’s a family-friendly restaurant—complete with high chairs.

However, because of its premium offers, The Butcher also requires a few things from its customers. We say this because it requires deposits and added service charges for large-group bookings, requires minimum order per head, and doesn’t accept cheque payments.

Moreover, it’s located in Sandton. Luckily, you can make reservations in advance via its online booking forms where you can choose indoor or outdoor dining.

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