Pirates Steakhouse and Pub in Plumstead has been rated the best Steakhouse in the Western Cape for the 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries. For the first year, we’re awarding prizes to the top casual restaurants with the highest ratings by our readers. (This differs from the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards, which recognise fine dining restaurants as assessed by a team of professional judges.)

Chicken schnitzel with mushroom sauce at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Here’s why Pirates won the hearts of our readers in the past year.

Food

An institution in the Southern Suburbs, this perennial favourite draws meat lovers in droves. The menu is extensive and caters for most tastes. Along with the usual starter options of garlic rolls, calamari, stuffed black mushrooms and chicken winglets, the garlic snails are a signature favourite, and they certainly live up to their reputation. But it’s the steaks you’ll want to sample, and they’re well worth it: succulent and simply presented, in generous portions.

A succulent steak at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Drinks

A good wine selection, with the Two Oceans red and white wines offered as house wines.

Pirates Steakhouse and Pub’s 21st Birthday celebrations. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Service

Professional and well-trained.

Ambience

The vibe is kind of old-fashioned roadhouse, with a two-man band singing 70s and 80s covers in the corner and the swing doors leading to the fruit slot-machine ‘casino’ part of the restaurant.

A Greek salad at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

And…

It’s great for sports fans, office gatherings and a trip down memory lane if you’re hankering after a 70s steakhouse experience.

What the readers said

“Best steaks ever!” – Chantelle Meyer

“This remains one of our favourite eating places. The food is excellently cooked and served, and the menu is varied, catering for most tastes. We rate their preparation of steaks among the best we have had. The food presentation is understated (which is great) with slightly less emphasis on artistic and aesthetic appeal, and more emphasis on quantity and quality. The staff members are highly trained and professional, and provide service which is excellent yet not intrusive. The music (for which there is no cover charge) assists in providing an ambience that makes the eating experience a pleasurable and relaxing one. There is no greater pleasure than the combination of good music and good food. Finally, for the quality provided, the prices at Pirates make it both affordable and worth returning to repeatedly. Definitely one of the top eating places in our view – and one we frequently and unconditionally recommend.” – Alwyn Visagie

A burger and chips at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

“I wish I could give them 10 stars. Their steaks are the best and so succulent. My all-time favourite is the Blackbeard rump. My whole family, including my seven-year-old son, always enjoys meals there, as it caters for all our needs. We never wait long for our food, and the portions are quite generous, which we all love :)” – Esther Appels

“Pirates Plumstead is the best steak restaurant in the country. We regularly celebrate birthdays and special occasions here. Pirates is a real family place with family values and excellent service, atmosphere and food. Pirates is for everybody.” – Carlo Randall

Eat Out critics dine anonymously and pay for their meals in full. Read the editorial policy here.

Have you enjoyed an old-school steakhouse experience at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub in Plumstead? Let us know what you thought by writing a quick review. Remember, all the reviews you write in the year ahead will influence who wins the Best Everyday Eateries!

A delicious steak with chips at Pirates Steakhouse and Pub. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.