We were warmly welcomed at the Arizona Spur in Bulawayo’s Holiday Inn by smartly dressed staff, quickly seated and given menus.
By Le Connoisseur
First, we ordered a beer and I asked for the wine list. After explaining that wine could be ordered from the hotel as the restaurant did not stock any, the waitress showed us four bottles; two red, two white; not an extensive choice, but we opted for the very palatable 2010 Zonnebloem Cabernet Sauvignon.
However, asking the price, I was shocked by the stated US$25 for any bottle, especially for the white wines, one of which can be bought in a supermarket for less than a quarter of the price.
The menus were accompanied by a separate price list, a practice I could understand during hyperinflation, but now cumbersome. Because of the dim lighting provided by the Tiffany-style lamps and my dimming eyesight, it was quite hard to read the menu! But there was a very good choice of steaks, chicken, seafood and some Mexican specialities.
We made our choices with help from my brighter-eyed friend, who was disappointed to hear that calamari was not available, after choosing it as his starter. It’s always helpful to be told what is not available on the menu before making a choice— though our waitron was a trainee, and went on to tell us that there being no Zesa, not everything on the menu was available.
We studied our surroundings and chatted while awaiting our food. Quite a few of the diners were accompanied by children who were happily playing with balloons handed to them by the staff. There is also a separate play area for children. The kitchen runs along one wall and is visible to diners.
Seating is mostly bench-type, alternating benches being covered with a cowhide motif to fit the theme of the American West. Two TV screens aired different programmes, one sport, one music. The restaurant was kept clean and tidy throughout our time there.
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My starter was Quesadillas; Mexican tortillas filled with chicken and melted cheese, served with a tomato and onion salad and a dip. My friend ordered the Buffalo wings; fried chicken wings with a dip, which proved to be the better choice, the chicken succulent and tasty, while my quesadillas weren’t so interesting, and a little dry. Finger bowls were thoughtfully provided with both.
To follow, I went for the “Catch of the Day”; hake with tartare sauce and baked potato, chips or rice. Neither presentation nor food were particularly inspiring. As steaks are the speciality of the house, my companion chose the 300g char grilled rump steak with chips.
It came sizzling on a hot plate and my partner’s preference for medium rare was satisfied, but the accompaniments did not do the meal justice; the chips were cold, the onion rings weren’t crisp and the shredded lettuce salad was limp as it had cooked on the hot plate.
For dessert we ordered a log cabin waffle and chocolate brownie, both served with ice-cream. My waffle was a little dry and would have benefitted from a more generous drizzle of syrup. My companion enjoyed his brownie.
To finish the meal we scanned the menu for coffees, and dithered between Dom Pedros and Irish coffee, but our waitress advised only Ricoffy was available. At our suggestion, she went to enquire at the hotel what might be available from there, returning a few minutes later with a pot of filter coffee which we enjoyed.
Family Restaurant 3 Plates Expect to spend US$35 to US$50 per head Holiday Inn, Bulawayo
