Succulent, sweet and sticky, there’s something about a rack of ribs that turns us all into kids again. Whether you attack them with your fingers, or attempt to dissect each rib with knife and fork, you’re probably going to need a finger bowl at some point, and you’re guaranteed to leave the restaurant with smears of barbeque sauce somewhere. We’ve scoured the country to bring you a list of places that serve ribs of every kind, from prime pork in barbeque basting to grilled warthog ribs, and everything in-between.

Joburg?

Butcher Block
With a retro-eighties feel, this steakhouse is just the place for a rack of ribs.?
Try: pork ribs, basted and grilled, served with a choice of starch and a side salad.?
Price: R128 for 500g; R178 for 1kg?

Butcher Shop and Grill
A chain steakhouse with something of a cult following. 
Try: both beef and pork ribs, served chilli-basted, barbeque or plain.?
Price: R145 for a whole rack? 

Carnivore  ?
Meat is the name of the game at Carnivore, where food is cooked on spears in a central fire. ?
Try: marinated pork ribs served on a spit, and carved onto your plate.?
Price: ribs are part of the set menu at R195 per person? ?

Gourmet Garage  
Home to the most expensive burger in the country (a Moët burger), this restaurant also turns out great ribs.?
Try: beef and pork ribs, served either spiced or basted.?
Price: R124,95 for 700g ?

Karoo Cattle and Land   
This popular chain serves up all manner of South African fare – including delicious ribs.?
Try: both pork and lamb ribs, basted in honey-flavoured marinade and grilled, served with crispy onion rings and a choice of chips, rice, baked potatoes or pap and sauce.?
Price: pork: R125 for 600g; R185 for 1.1kg. Lamb: R140 for 800g? ?

Kong Roast  
This Fourways restaurant serves up both Western grub and Asian-influenced dishes.?
Try: pork ribs, basted in barbeque sauce, and served with your choice of starch, including options like pesto mash, curry mash and roasted vegetables.?
Price: R120 for 800g to 1kg?

Local Grill   ?
A contemporary steakhouse, The Local Grill has a more minimalist appearance than those of yore.?
Try: pork spare ribs, precooked for six hours in wine, juniper berries, celery, carrots and onions, then basted in honey and soya marinade and grilled. ?
Price: R155 for 800g? 

Lord Prawn 
This is an unpretentious restaurant for the family with views out over Sandton.?
Try: ribs basted in barbeque marinade.
Price: R65 for 300g; R115 for 600g?

Parker’s Grill 
Serving both Indian and European dishes, this establishment is pleasant and intimate.?
Try: pork ribs, served with your choice of starch. ?
Price: R76,50 for 450g; R89,50 for 500g ?

Signature 
Serving fusion food from all over the world, this Sandton restaurant has superb views out over the Northern suburbs.?
Try: beef ribs marinated in barbeque sauce, or pork ribs in a sticky honey and soya sauce. Both served with mixed vegetables and rice or chips.?
Price: R155 for 300g to 350g? ?

The Bull Run   ?
A steakhouse with a professional feel, this is where the captains of industry head for their ribs.?
Try: char-grilled beef or pork ribs, basted in Bull Run marinade, and served with starch or veggies.?
Price: R140 for 800g; R80 for 400g. Monday night special: R119 for 1kg? 

Thunder Gun   ?
A Jozi stalwart, Thundergun has been around since the sixties.?
Try: original pork ribs in a syrup-based sauce that’s been used for forty years. Or try the new Portuguese recipe ribs, with a paprika, cream and garlic sauce. Beef ribs are also available.?
Price: pork: R77,95 for 300g; R99,95 for 600g; R123 for 1kg ?Beef: R94,95 for 800g? ?

Turn 'n Tender 
An intimate and buzzy upmarket steakhouse, Turn and Tender is another Joburg stalwart.?
Try: beef spare ribs served in the original Turn and Tender basting, which dates from 1977 when the restaurant opened. Served with your choice of chips, vegetables, pap and gravy, mash or salad. ?
Price: R85 for 500g; R170 for 1kg? ?

Durban?

Butcher Boys  
There is a convivial atmosphere on the large veranda from which you can see everything happening in the street below.?
Try: pork spare ribs, served with chips, baked potato, rice, mustard mash or mielie papa and gravy.?
Price: half rack: R90; full rack: R130? ?

Butcher Block  ? 
You can’t get more of a retro steakhouse than this.?
Try: pork spare ribs, served with chips, baked potato or vegetables.
Price: R85 for 500g; R129 for 1kg? ?

Havana Grill   ?
Modern, upmarket and minimalist but comfy. And it’s always busy, especially on the veranda with the great view.?
Try: oven-grilled, deboned pork ribs, with a sweet chilli glaze, served with chips, baked potato or vegetables.?
Price: R90? ?

Joops   ?
While a little old-fashioned, this large restaurant is usually packed with eager carnivores.?
Try: pork ribs, basted with a homemade sauce (made with a 19 year-old recipe), served with chips, baked potato, rice or mash.?
Price: R55 for 400g; R98 for 800g ?

Pretoria?

Baobab Café  ?
The restaurant is open and grand, with an array of sections suited to everything from large parties to intimate dinners.?
Try: pork ribs char-grilled and basted in special marinade, served with a choice of starch and mixed vegetables of the day.?
Price: R83 for 400g; R105 for 800g? ?

Coco Bistro   ?
The ambiance is casual yet elegant, perfect for an intimate dinner for two, a family outing for supper or a party to celebrate grandma's birthday.?
Try: grilled pork ribs, basted with a special sauce, served with vegetables and a choice of pasta, rice, baby boiled potatoes or chips.?
Price: R72? ?

Crawdaddy’s  ?
The décor has a nautical theme, with brass portholes and fishing nets giving it a warm and cosy feel.?
Try: the belly spare ribs, usually on the specials board. They are basted, grilled and served with a choice of starch.?
Price: on request.?

Heat Grill Room
Extremely relaxed. The view in the evening from the upper section of the restaurant is amazing.?
Try: pork spare ribs, grilled with a special house barbeque marinade, served with a choice of starch. Or go for the ribs grilled in a sweet-chilli and honey basting, served with a choice of starch.?
Price: R89 for 500g; R115 for 800g? ?

Smoke Café and Grill Lounge   ?
The distinctly uncluttered feeling makes the 1920s theme work wonderfully.?
Try: Louisiana pork ribs, served with paprika wedges and vegetables of the day.?
Price: R89??

Cape Town?

Da Vinci’s on Kloof   ?
This busy restaurant, best known for its burgers and pizzas, has leather booths and cosy lighting and surprisingly good ribs. ?
Try: spare ribs, grilled and basted, served with fries, wedges or salad.?
Price: R79 for 400g; R99 for 600g? ?

Down South Food Bar  ?
Nestled in the bustling Long Street, the modern, sleek eatery serves as a backdrop for rib-sticking delights.?
Try: ribs which are dry spice-rubbed and twice baked, basted in Down South barbeque sauce, and served with a choice of fries, potatoes or salad.?
Price: R65?

Arnold’s  ?
A relaxed, low-key, pub kind of atmosphere on Kloof Street.?
Try: grilled warthog ribs served with fries, or crocodile ribs, flame grilled and served with gooseberry chutney and mushroom sauce.?
Price: R110 for warthog; R120 for crocodile?  

Belthazar  ?
This is expense-account country with plenty of shiny brass and wood, cosy with the comfort that money brings. Not your average steakhouse, and it has the track record to prove it.?
Try: barbeque pork spare ribs, grilled and marinated, served with rice, French fries or baked potato.?Price: R135?

Bombay Bicycle Club  ?
A gorgeous, elaborate and inspiring space with a wild bohemian edge – worth visiting just for the uplifting vibe.?
Try: Bombay sticky ribs, served with a choice of sides.?
Price: R120? ?

Brad’s Grill   ?
Nice and buzzy with a fiercely loyal clientele.?
Try: barbeque spare ribs, served with baked potato or chips and vegetables.?
Price: R95 for 500g; R120 for 800g? ?

Buzbey Grill  ?
It’s completely retro, from the neon sign outside and the art deco façade, to the dark bentwood chairs and the regulars.?Try: pork loin ribs, served with baked potato or chips.?Price: R95? ?

City Grill   ?
Inside, it is a traditional unintimidating South African steakhouse. Outside, with the view, it’s a whole lot more cosmopolitan.?
Try: tender cured ribs grilled and topped with sweet and sour basting, served with chips or mash potato.?
Price: R149?

Driftwood Café  ?
Conveniently attached to the Super Plants Nursery, the setting is superb with a carefully landscaped garden, miniature lake with ducks, and a safe play area for children.?
Try: barbeque spare ribs, served with a choice of starch.?
Price: R80 for single portion; R130 for double portion ? ?

Home Bar   ?
Very popular with the locals, cosy, with low lighting, and a much lived-in atmosphere. Usually buzzing with bonhomie.?
Try: warthog ribs, served with rice, mash or chips and vegetables.?
Price: R95? 

Hussar Grill (Rondebosch)  ?
Come as you are. As comfy and nostalgic as an old library with books on the shelves and black-and-white photographs on the walls.?
Try: spare ribs, basted with the trademark basting, served with chips, rice, mash or baby potatoes.?
Price: R90 for 400g; R125 for 800g?

Jakes  ?
In winter, heaters are switched on outdoors and pull-downs keep the wind out. The pub is a good meeting place for after-work drinks.?
Try: pork loin spare ribs in a smoky basting sauce with smoked paprika, served with French fries.?
Price: R98? 

Knife
Polished, dark laminate flooring, raw concrete pillars and face brick walls contribute to a slick, yet relaxed, experience.?
Try: smoked sticky barbeque baby back ribs, served with French fries and corn on the cob.?
Price: R80 for 400g; R110 for 600g ? ?

Michael's Café and Deli  
A friendly family bistro in the ’burbs with a warm neighbourhood vibe.?
Try: grilled spare ribs with basting sauce, served with potato wedges, chips or a side salad.?
Price: R65 for 300g? ?

Nelson’s Eye 
This well-loved local steakhouse is full any night of the week with a cosmopolitan mix of meat lovers.?
Try: ribs with peri peri or barbeque basting, served with chips, rice or baked potato.?
Price: R140 for half portion; R160 for full portion ??

Sticky Fingers  ?
Sticky Fingers offers something that has been missing in Obs village – food you can eat with your fingers.?
Try sticky barbeque basted ribs, served with chips and onion rings.?
Price: R50 for 300g; R85 for 600g; R125 for 900g? ?

Theo’s Grill  ?
Great in the daytime, when you can look past the slightly old-school décor and gaze out over the Atlantic.?
Try: spare ribs, char-grilled and basted in a secret recipe of herbs and spices, served with chips, rice, baked potato or crispy potato.?
Price: R95? ?

The Toad in the Village  ?
A fun, welcoming atmosphere, but sometimes rowdy on weekends and when there’s sport on the TV.?
Try: pork loin ribs, specially basted and grilled, served with a choice of starch.?
Price: R75 for 300g; R90 for 500g; R150 for 1kg ? ?

By Katharine Jacobs?
Research by Kelly Pluke? ?

Images: Another Pint Please, Knife Restaurant  and bouche.