I’ve told you before how much I love my meat & the thought of going out for a good piece of steak makes me super happy. So when we had a quick date night at Turn ‘n Tender in Parktown North recently, I was thrilled. Thrilled to get out of the house, thrilled to have some date time & very much thrilled at the thought of the delicious steak that I was about to have!
A number of really awesome little spots have popped up in Parktown North over the last few months, so us locals are really spoilt for choice. But right in the middle of all the fun eateries is a trusted little steakhouse. Yup, I’m talking about Turn ‘n Tender.
When you tell Joburg locals that you’re going to said steakhouse, their faces light up & they say things like: “Oh, you have to try the sauces with your steak”, “It’s a Joburg institution”, “My husband always wants to go there for date night (sigh)”, “Can’t get enough of the boerewors!” & “We always end up there for work lunches”.
I still can’t believe that we have not tried Turn ‘n Tender before.
But now that we have finally been, I am officially a Rib Eater. I never enjoyed ribs, but these guys will make me go back once a week for theirs. Next time, I’ll skip the starter & head straight for the meat & some wine.
There isn’t much not to like about Turn ‘n Tender, unless you really don’t like meat. The service is quick & friendly (we were in the capable hands of manager Justin & Kay, our awesome waiter). We ordered beer for him & wine for me. For starters, we chose fried camembert & grilled calamari. Both good enough. The chips & a green salad that we had for sides were also fresh & yummy.
But the real stars of the night were the Bordelaise sauce – a really meaty sauce with bone marrow & the meat platter that we shared – Beef Ribs with their famous Turn ‘n Tender BBQ sauce; Lamb Loin chops (with chimichurri sauce) & a 600g Meneer calf steak. You can imagine that after such a meaty feast, we did not have space to try the dessert, but I have no regrets.
I got totally side-tracked. What I’ve been meaning to say is…
Now that I’m a rib-eater, I want to give you my three tips on how to stop worrying about what you look like when eating ribs:
- Go with someone that you’ve known/loved for a long time. Someone who loves you unconditionally. You want to enjoy the ribs & not worry about how clumsy you look. If it is the first date, then rather give it a skip.
- Go to a place where the ribs are really good. There’s no use looking like a scavenger if it’s not totally delicious.
- Wear a bib. You will feel less embarrassed if your partner is also wearing one. (At Turn ‘n Tender the waiter will happily tie one around your neck. Too funny!) Trust me – you will be happy that you wore the bib & did not mess up your date night frock with a big fat stain.
The verdict:
Don’t wait 35 years before you start enjoying ribs & make sure you visit Turn ‘n Tender in Parktown North soon. These guys manage to create an unpretentious atmosphere – a good balance between a quality dining experience & a warm sociable environment. A place where colleagues, couples, families & business partners all feel at home. Even the music is laid back – expect to hear anything from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody to Bryan Adams & Michael Bublé.
Turn ‘n Tender in Parktown North is located (next to Yo Sushi) at 22 3rd Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg, 2193. Contact them on 011 788 7933, Twitter or Instagram. Open from 11:30 am daily. Monday to Saturday until 10 pm & Sunday 9 pm.
Hope to see you there soon!
Yolandi ♥
*Our dinner was compliments of Turn n Tender, but all opinions are honest & my own.