“…we remain passionate about the beef experience we offer each and every diner who visits The Local Grill…”

The above is not just a phrase you will see on the Homepage of The Local Grill. It is something that can’t go unnoticed, even for a first-time patron.

My husband and I ventured into Parktown North this weekend, for our 7pm dinner reservation at The Local Grill.

I do like to do a bit of research before I visit a restaurant for the first time and I happened to do the same before we went to The Local Grill. Having received The Wolftrap Best Steakhouse Championship award 3 times, I most definitely see why!From the moment you visit the professional and user-friendly website, to the time you visit this steakhouse itself, there is no doubt that this “family-like” team is extremely passionate about what they do.

What complements good food…. besides a paired wine….is passionate service and personal attention.

We happened to meet both owners, Steven Maresch & Llewy Mateza on the evening, both were friendly and made us feel very welcome. Innocent, our waiter for the evening was courteous and professional. He informed us of the Kitchen Tour, which we decided to participate in, together with a group of about 8 people. In addition to being informative, this turned out to be a very interesting and unique experience. There is so much more to preparing a great steak, than you could imagine, or that I did!

Unless you are a connoisseur, this tour is recommended and will make you appreciate a great steak even more! Without intentionally giving out too many details, let me just say that the tour covers “wet aged” & “dry aged”, “grain fed” & “grass fed” as well steak preparation techniques using “Himalayan Salt Blocks”, “Oak Wine Staves” and “Peet”.

Complementary bread is served on your arrival – which is baked in-house.

We both had the grilled calamari starter. A Steakhouse that prepares and serves calamari just the way I like it; I could not afford to waste any. It was delicious.

My main meal, a grass fed 69-day old sirloin steak followed my starter. It was cooked to absolute perfection. My husband and I shared a trio of sauces. I had sautéed vegetables on the side whilst my husband thoroughly enjoyed the incredibly skinny hand cut fries – okay; I enjoyed a little of this from him as well. Something different but nice.

A steak is enjoyed the most when accompanied by a good red wine. Be prepared to be spoiled for choice with the wide variety on the wines on the menu. We opted for our favourite wine, Beyerskloof Pinotage. If you are a whiskey connoisseur, there is a very good selection as well.

Another defining factor that shouts out the passion for good steaks is the attention to detail – such as smaller and more dainty steak knives for the ladies. All the steak knives have been imported from Brazil and of the best quality.

Even though we were informed that the steakhouse was short staffed on the evening, you could not tell – as the service was still impeccable.

I don’t always get to dessert but I suspect that the ambience at The Local Grill was inviting and we were enticed to stay a while longer and with that being said, I sampled the Local “bite size” dessert favourites whilst my husband indulged one of his favourites – the Crème brûlée.

The Local Grill steakhouse has a great vibe, is situated in a prime location, with many car guards so you don’t have to worry that you have parked on the street. The staff and owners are very passionate about your entire experience – as you will see in the presentation and the taste. Whether you’re looking for a date night idea or an impressive award winning steakhouse to entertain local/international guests, I am confident that The Local Grill will be an experience that will not only create pleasant memories but will certainly have you return.

I however strongly suggest that you do make a reservation, else you might be disappointed when you arrive there. From the moment we were seated until we left, an empty table was rarely noticed. That says a lot………

YOU. WILL. NOT. BE. DISAPPOINTED

For more information, check out their website: http://local-grill.co.za/

Disclaimer: This dinner was hosted and my views expressed in this post are honest and my own.