Situated on Parkhurst’s buzzing 4th Avenue, The Wolfpack serves up inventive gourmet burgers and a great range of beers. Hennie Fisher finds out why the restaurant has grown a devoted following.

The interior at The Wolfpack. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Food

A separate menu-card offers specials like a little salad of iceberg, pancetta and a feta drizzle, or a ginger and sweet potato soup – but burgers are what The Wolfpack does best. Good options include the bacon and feta burger; a fresh, zingy chimichurri burger; the mushroom and egg burger; and a grilled artichoke burger served with a deep purple olive aioli. There’s also a butternut, hummus, gorgonzola and caramelised pear version to make vegetarians feel loved. The menu also features the likes of a Sloppy Joe and an ostrich patty served on vetkoek with watercress, baby spinach and rocket with feta, avo and a blueberry reduction. Desserts include some homemade gourmet ice creams and other fun things like peanut brittle or honeycomb and halva with nuts.

Drinks

A burger at The Wolfpack. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Burgers and beer go hand in hand, and fittingly there’s a good range of beers on tap here, including Aces Lager, Fiery Dragon Ginger Beer, Brauhaus Am Damm Weissbier, Jack Black Lager, Wolfpack Big Bad APA and Devil’s Peak King’s Blockhouse IPA. There are also some less widely stocked bottles beers available here, such as Kilkenny, Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime Cider, Lucky Beer and the Maisel’s Weisse Original, among others. Alternatively, try one of the quirkily named cocktails, such as the Alpha Female and the Twinkle. White wines include Danie de Wet Limestone Chardonnay and Thelema Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc while the range of bubblies feature Solms-Delta Cape Jazz Shiraz, Veuve Clicquot and Mumm. The red options include Tamboerskloof Syrah, Franschhoek Cellar The Old Museum Merlot and Alphabetical Blend. Most of the wines are also available by the glass.

Service

The service staff, smartly turned out in black T-shirts with The Wolfpack logo printed in yellow on the back, know how to work the crowd, being there when needed and getting out of the way when not. They have a separate, smaller specials menu that changes every two months to introduce new burgers and a few daily specials.

Ambience

Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Located on 4th Avenue in Parkhurst, the restaurant forms part of a hive of that urban activity that makes city living so exciting – seeing young mums with strollers and delivery vehicles vying for sidewalk space

while early birds enjoy their first coffee and a bite. The interior is rustic yet modern, featuring sea green distressed tables, trendy metal chairs in black and orange, chunky steakhouse cutlery and cloth napkins. The floor is painted to resemble tiles and an overhanging beam supports air plants. A few high tables provide space for those having a drink and smokers are accommodated on a separate deck.

And…

The Wolfpack does not take bookings on Friday and Saturday evenings, when it is a matter of walking in and waiting for a table to open up. They offer free WiFi and an all-round friendly experience in a trendy environment.

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