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Stax has changed hands several times over the past few years, but has managed to retain the same friendly family restaurant atmosphere and very little has changed in terms of menu, décor or even staff for a while.
The restaurant has its regular coffee and lunch clientèle who have been meeting there for years, many of whom enjoy the free Internet wireless network — which does, quite fairly I think, come with a minimum order requirement, depending on the time of day.
Stax has an impressive and comprehensive menu, which caters across the board in terms of palate, age group and meal times. There were several lighter meals available for the not-so-hungry, which included omelette, ladies’ rump steak and curried chicken and chips.
The fish section had some interesting choices, including: sea trout, bass, red bream, crocodile tail, bottle nose, tiger and prawns, but unfortunately none of these were available, so perhaps it would have been better to remove that page of the menu altogether. The pizza section had around 12 variations on a theme, and the burger section was almost as comprehensive. There was also a respectable array of vegetarian meals on offer for the more conscientious diners.
My partner initially chose fillet steak, which, like the fish, was unavailable, so had to settle for a presumably “gents” portion of rump steak, and a fascinating sounding Mexican hash salad. Even without the advertised Mexican or Colombian hash, the salad was good and very flavoursome — a skewer of grilled tomato, onion, mushroom and green pepper liberally sprinkled with chopped garlic, all served on a bed of yellow rice with a frill of lettuce and tomato. Tasty, and filling enough either for a starter or for a light meal on its own.
The steak was less inspiring, tenderised, thin and somewhat overcooked. It would have been improved by the addition of any of the sauces available on the menu (mushroom, garlic, pepper, sweet ‘n sour) but my partner didn’t ask and the waiter didn’t offer. The steak was served with a generous portion of hot, crispy chips, its own frill of lettuce and tomato and indeed a complimentary side salad as well. This restaurant is clearly catering for the health conscious, order one salad, get two free! Salt was difficult to get, although we eventually found a table with a lonely salt cellar which we hijacked.
My own choice was honeyed chicken and a tomato and mozzarella salad. The half chicken, which was bigger than I was expecting, was cooked well and had a delicious crispy skin which had been doused in a honey and soya sauce, served on a bed of fluffy yellow rice, with chips and garnished with the obligatory lettuce, tomato and onion. The tomato and mozzarella salad had a generous grating of mozzarella over chopped lettuce, tomato, green pepper and cucumber — a little different and very enjoyable.
For dessert, any combination you like of ice-cream, waffle, syrup or chocolate sauce, or fruit salad (salad again!) But the number of salads so far had blunted our appetites and we slightly self-righteously denied ourselves.
As mentioned earlier, the menu is wide-ranging and for our money, the salads and the choice of coffees (hot, cold and hot-and-cold together) were a highlight. The health conscious could confidently have chosen one of several salads as a light main course, such as Riviera, Bombay chicken or Mexican hash while the more indulgent could choose tasty combinations of ice cream, espresso, filter coffee, chocolate, or coca-cola.
For anyone in need of a quick caffeine kick, try ice cream, coffee and coke mixed. My partner chose an iced coffee and then to end the meal a café au lait, both of which exceeded expectations. I chose a double thick coffee milkshake, which was all that it promised to be and passed with flying colours. My only complaint on that score was that it would have been better served with a spoon! To finish off the meal, I had a café latté which was frothy, hot and enjoyable. Had it not been a working day, since Stax is licensed to sell alcohol, we could have enjoyed a beer with our meal, or finished off with a Don Pedro or an Irish coffee.
Given that several of the dishes on the menu were unavailable, we both felt that the restaurant might do better to restrict choices and focus on areas of undoubted excellence rather than trying to have something for absolutely everyone. A little expensive perhaps for the intended clientèle, but portions were certainly generous and the occasion light-hearted and friendly.
Family Restaurant
3 Plates
Expect to spend $20 to $25 per head
First Mutual Centre Central Mutare
By le connoisseur
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