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Holiday Inn Bulawayo
09 256871

South-Western hospitality in Bulawayo at The Spur 2011
For traditional American-style cuisine you just can’t beat the Arizona Spur Steak Ranch, at the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Bulawayo, conveniently situated for residents and travellers alike.  If the pennies just won’t stretch to a trip to the States, here you can at least sink your teeth into a juicy Manhattan Hamburger or perhaps a delectable New York Strip Steak!  This well-known franchise is a firm favourite in many parts of the world and continues to be a popular family restaurant here in Bulawayo where patrons can be sure their choice of food will be of consistent international quality.  It is also worth mentioning that the dining-room is exactly the same as Spur restaurants in America with diner-type seating and cowboy-style décor with memorabilia decorating the adobe/whitewashed walls.   Staff, who are very friendly and helpful, all wear casual jeans and t-shirts.  

We were warmly greeted by Gideon who showed us to our booth, promptly presented us with the Menu and took  our drinks order.  My partner ordered a modest “orange and water” whilst I opted for a glass of Chardonnay.

Browsing through their “Mega Menu”, with its colourful illustrations, is a veritable feast in itself offering a tantalising variety of food to delight the tastebuds of just about everyone, and we decided that as a special treat we would indulge in a three-course lunch taking full advantage of the exciting range of dishes.

For Starters we decided on Spicy Beef Strips, garnished with salad and served with triangles of white bread, and Cheese Quesadillas with Salsa and Guacamole.  Both dishes quite tasty without being exceptional! 

It took us longer to choose our main course from the huge range of beef, pork, fish and  chicken dishes as depicted by full-colour pictures and descriptions!  The Spur caters for everyone with its “sizzling pork chops”, “Spur Spare Ribs”, Calamari, and Barbecued Chicken and, not least, it’s wide selection of  Burgers and Steaks – prepared to suit every individual taste.  Vegetarians and salad-lovers are also remembered and adequately catered for.

After careful deliberation we ordered Grilled Bream, with Tartare Sauce and Baked Potato with Sour Cream; and Fillet Steak with Chips.  The fish was mediocre - obviously not one of their specialties!  Not so the steak which was perfectly grilled - juicy and mouth-wateringly tender.  Both dishes served with crispy-fried onion rings and salad. 

We had prepared our appetites for three courses – and as we had had sight of the advertised “Decadent Desserts”  listing such items as “Cheesecake” and “Nutty Pecan Brownies”, “Creamy Chocolate Mousse” and (that good old American favourite) “Apple Pie with Cream” – we asked to look over the Menu again, only to be told that as they had suffered a power cut that morning they could only offer plain Ice Cream – not even any chocolate sauce to go with it.  How disappointing!   However, not to be denied our “third course”, we ordered a dish of  Vanilla Ice Cream, which I must say slipped down very well after what had been a very substantial lunch.

All in all it had been a very pleasant experience and the Spur is recommendable as a family restaurant and a great place for the younger set – who are creatively catered for with a special menu of toasted sandwiches and melts, log cabin waffles and milkshakes and all the types of food that children love.  Also, as an added attraction, The Spur has a play area where the kids can be amused whilst waiting for their meal to be served and it’s worth mentioning here that “Kids Under 7 Eat Free!”
Family Restaurant
Bulawayo Holiday Inn, Ascot shops
3 Plates
Expect to spend $15 to $30 a head
  

 

Have Children … Must Eat … Bulawayo's Arizona Spur fits the bill 2010
Every dining experience will be tempered by the diner’s expectations of the restaurant they are about to visit. For most people, specific restaurants are chosen because of the very specific experience they expect to enjoy. It was against a whole list of expectations that I took my partner and two kids (both under the age of 8) to Arizona Spur at the Holiday Inn, in Bulawayo.

When I made the booking, a very enthusiastic Gideon answered the phone, ensuring me that he would personally take care of us. I specifically asked to be seated near the children’s play area so that the kids could go off on their own and I could keep an eye on them. I took Gideon’s enthusiasm as a good start to the proceedings.

Dining out with kids can be quite a tiresome exercise. All that energy bundled up in a couple of boisterous kids can be difficult to contain in an enclosed environment. As we arrived at the secure parking of the hotel, the kid’s excitement began to increase with every second. So I was quite relieved when I walked into Arizona Spur to witness something not too dissimilar to the chaos of a kid’s playground. We might in fact have an enjoyable evening after all! We were directed to our seats which overlooked the kids play area and specialized climbing frame neatly constructed in an alcove. The well thought-out seating plan of the restaurant means that if you did not have kids, you could be separated from the bedlam by the salad bar and be seated in a quieter area far from the play area and screaming kids.

We just managed to get the kids to choose from their kiddies menu before they dashed off to explore the play area and climbing frame. From a fairly comprehensive menu we chose the Beef Fillet Grande and the Chicken Fajita, starting with Buffalo wings. The kids had chosen a Kids Pizza and Kids Wors. The kids' meals came at the same time as the starter so they could get right down to eating. The chips and wors were scoffed down like there was no tomorrow, however the pizza did not make it past one slice. There is a recurring compliant that I have, which is especially prevalent in South Africa, and given this is a South African chain, it might have fallen victim. The pizza and buffalo wings had too much salt in them, I do not know the root of the problem, but it can deter those who are not used to so much salt in their diet.

In the absence of a wine list we made a selection through a process of elimination. Once Gideon knew we wanted red, he brought out three bottles to choose from, all from the same vineyard, but different grapes. So set the stage for our main course. The kids were kept occupied either by eating or playing and my partner and I were allowed to enjoy our food in the ‘pandemonium and screaming’ of our surrounds. What joy! The beef fillet was cooked just right, however the pepper sauce was conspicuous by its meagreness. The chicken fajita tasted superb, full of exciting flavours, however you had to construct the fajitas on your own which might not have proven such a challenge had they not been so thin! We had neglected to opt for the salad bar, suffice to say vegetables requirements were otherwise not invited. We finished off with the obligatory ice cream for the kids and a mousse and ice cream for us.

As the restaurant began to fill with more and more families and their kids (a very good economic sign) and in combination with music determined not to be drowned out, it was difficult to hold a quiet, romantic conversation, however we were not here for a romantic evening. Silence, romance and nouveau were not on my list of expectations. Enjoyable family meal with enough entertainment to keep the kids occupied while I sipped wine and ate food was more of what I was expecting, and in that regard I was not disappointed. All the waiters held their cool while kids went dodging around them running from tables to entertainment and back. The waiters' attire could have been a bit more polished and in line with the Cowboy/Indian/Mexican theme (chequered shirts and neck bandanas would be more appropriate than the old scruffy ‘T’ shirts), but their great attitude certainly made up for their poor attire. The whole physical establishment had something of a tired feel about it, for example, some of the letters in Arizona Spur were not working on the outside wall and the décor looked a little dated.

We had a great time, and it all came down to prior expectations. If you want to go somewhere with a more subdued environment, a quiet atmosphere and top quality nouveau food, then you are unlikely to choose the Arizona Spur. However if you want an evening out with kids, or a quick basic meal in a secure environment, then you certainly need to add Arizona Spur to your list of options.
Family Restaurant
3 Plates
Expect to spend $15 to $40 per head

 

Arizona Spur Bulawayo – good service, food, great for herds of kids 2009
The Arizona Spur advertises itself as a family restaurant and this is exactly what we found when we visited one Saturday evening.  We had decided to chance our arm and not book in advance, and so were quite pleased that we were able to find a table.  However I think that as Zimbabwe picks up, it would be recommended to make a booking, especially if you have a large party with children.  It was good to see so many families out for a meal together and enjoying themselves.  The children’s play area is certainly well used, and a good way to keep the ‘little people’ entertained whilst waiting for the meal to arrive.  For those who weren’t quite so active, the waiters handed out various drawings for colouring in and the children took themselves off to a small table and chair set in the play area.  Many of the children were having so much fun they needed a number of calls to the table before the usual burger and chips!

Once we were settled at our table, a waiter came to take the drinks order.  I chose white wine and my partner had rum and coke.  When the drinks arrived, they were icy cold and there was extra ice in a glass – this was much appreciated as the restaurant was quite warm, as a big storm was brewing.  There was bit of a delay in our main order being taken, as a couple of large groups came in.  The wait gave us a good opportunity to look at the décor and watch the staff deal with the customers.  The Arizona Spur has used a ‘Wild West’ theme well, with two tone paint on the walls and ‘cow hide’ covered bench seating.  On the walls were a number of ‘burnt’ wood plaques indicating where you could get your next ‘ranch steak’, and how far you would have to travel!!  In one corner of the smoking section satellite TV was on, but I don’t think anyone was paying much attention to it, and the sound was off.  

The salad bar divided the smokers from the non-smokers, and was the passage down which most of the patrons were led to their seating.  The salads were varied but not that exciting, with the standard coleslaw, carrot and three bean plus a few others.  However, they were looking good and fresh, not limp, and some fresh flowers added a pleasing touch of colour to their presentation.  

When the drinks arrived we placed our order.  My partner decided on a full portion of buffalo wings whilst I chose the garlic roll.  There was quite a selection of starters, however they did not tie up with the price list, which was a bit confusing.  The waitress came back with place mats that gave us something to read, and a large selection of condiments which she laid out in an orderly row between the two settings.  Just as well the bottles were short, otherwise the conversation that evening would have been sparse! 

My main course of vegetable enchilada came on a sizzling hot cast iron platter, a concept that is usually used to keep steaks hot, but my partner’s Cheddamelt Schnitzel did not – maybe it would have melted the cheese too much!  The enchilada was one of a variety of vegetarian dishes, besides helping oneself to the salad bar for a main course of salads.  It was nice to eat at a steak house that offered some totally non-meat/fish/chicken dishes.  The filling was very tasty, with the vegetables still crisp, and the peri peri sauce was not too hot.  The schnitzel was cooked to my partner’s liking, but he felt that it could have been a bit hotter, temperature wise. Neither of us partook of the salad bar as there were vegetables served with the main courses and I would have probably started to look like a rabbit after all my vegetables!

As we were finishing off our main course, the maitre d’ came to check on us, and we passed some favourable comments.  He then offered us three choices of dessert.  We chose the ‘Log Cabin’ Waffles and the Chocolate Brownies.  The waffle was very generous, with plenty of maple syrup.  The brownies were a bit dry and could have done with a bit more chocolate sauce.

As a family restaurant, the Arizona Spur is a fun place to take children out for the perfect child-friendly dining experience.  Obviously this doesn’t set out to be where one would go for a cosy twosome meal.  The selection of food was very good and the service could not be faulted.  This restaurant will no doubt pick up quickly as Bulawayo gets back on its feet, and certainly, already seems popular.
Family Restaurant
4 Plates
Expect to spend $20 to $45 per head