Saul’s Saloon & Grill

Did you know, that chefs working in South African army kitchens in the ’80’s had to cook for up to 6,000 people a day? The pots were big enough to climb in and you could buy anyone for a tin of condensed milk, according to Cape Town’s restaurantier, Saul Beder, whose love affair with food started when he was a tot.

Saul grew up in Johannesburg where he attended chef school, completed a stint in the army and worked in various kitchens before making his way to Cape Town.

For the last two decades he has been building a group of restaurants under the Saul’s banner, which kicked off with the legendary Saul’s Grill in Seapoint in 1991.

The flagship burger saloon began as a modest 12 seater and was instantly popular as a late night hangout for locals. Saul himself was behind the grill for the first ten years, making burgers that would beat all contenders in a pattie sprint race.

From the get go the emphasis was on generous portions and value for money – a refreshingly honest and unsnooty angle – and all burgers are 100% beef and buns are baked onsite daily.

Saul’s Grill & Saloon established a reputation for making the biggest burger in town, which is now a 1.2kg pattie served in a bun you could use as a pillow. People who manage to eat these in under 15 minutes get their names up on a board and the record time for doing so is 150 seconds. Definitely don’t try that at home.

We spent some time with the namesake himself one evening at the latest addition to the group, Saul’s Saloon & Grill (74 Church Street, Wynberg). It’s a great hang out for southern suburbs family folk and includes a sturdy jungle gym and themed dining area:

Saul told us a bit about the in’s and out’s of being in hospitality in Cape Town, the challenges of keeping multiple restaurants going during the recession and the beauty of not having franchised which allows each Saul’s restaurant to adapt to it’s context with chameleon-like sensitivity.

He’s an interesting guy, we had a good evening and can now highly recommend the Dagwood burger and chocolate fudge double thick shake. Saul is frequently in and out of the restaurants – if you get the chance corner him with a bottle of wine and ask him about the logistics of making fried eggs for 6,000 hungry soldiers…