A WHILE back I went to Stellenbosch to chat to Michael Broughton and Tom Breytenbach about the four new restaurants they are opening, all in the heart of the town. You can read about it here. Cucina was the first on March 9, 2021 and tomorrow, May 11, Stud The Burger Shop opens its window to the street to serve delicious burgers.
Last week I returned to the scene for a meal at Cucina (review to follow) and a preview of the Stud burgers. There are only three, validating the concept of taking something simple and doing it really well.
The Jnr. Burger and the Stud.Burger are pretty much the same except the former has one patty of Boran-Wagyu beef and the latter has two. Both have trimmings and dressings, and plenty of cheese. The Jnr didn’t have pickles and onions at the time though, but that’s a topic that’s still being discussed before finalising, I am told.
The patties are superbly juicy and the branded buns are of the brioche variety. Golden chips are crispy outside and soft inside, dusted with secret seasoning. My lunch companion and fellow taster remarked on their excellence at least three times.
Served from a small kitchen with a hatch opening out onto Plein Street, you can get your burger to go or sit at the counter to smash it into your face right there and then. A streamlined beverage offering is available too, including three jolly decent wines in cans – red, white and rosé – made by Brenaissance exclusively for Stud The Burger Shop. If you haven’t clicked through to the original story I wrote, for background, Stud and the other three restaurants have as their framework, the produce (including wine and beef) from Brenaissance Wine & Stud Estate in Stellenbosch.
It’s in the Devon Valley, and also has a wedding venue and beautiful accommodation, which I’ll also be writing a review about soon.
Stud makes a No Bull vegan burger too; Broughton spent seven months refining and fine tuning the plant-based patty and it was time well spent. It’s on a sesame bun, with vegan cheese and vegan mayo, and even though I’m a die-hard meat eater who is still waiting for a vegan substitute to fool me, I wouldn’t be mad if I ordered this one by mistake.
It has the look and texture of meat and I’m pretty sure vegans and vegetarians are going to love it.
So. Three burgers, chips, and drinks. There are various ordering combinations and specials, including a STUDent deal, and one which includes a cap. At the time of writing I learned there is also a vanilla soft serve ice cream in a black sugar cone and I am devastated I didn’t know about that before. Guess I’m just going to have to go back. Life can be so hard sometimes.
Stud The Burger Shop and Cucina next door are tapping into the street vibe, so join the party with live music on the sidewalk this Sunday: Akimbo plays from 1-3pm and Jeandré Swanepoel from 3pm until 5pm.
For more information and the STUD menu, click here.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bianca Coleman ©
