Shebeen Pub & Braai
| Address: | 247 Ridge McIntire Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA |
| Phone: | +1 434-296-3185 |
| Site: | shebeen.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 15
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John LeMasney
I have only sampled the food as part of catering for an off site event, but Im looking forward to getting in to dine. The chicken skewers were spicy, well done, and seasoned perfectly. I also had some hummus and pita and a small dessert cake. All were delectable, and tasted authentically exotic. Looking forward to having it again soon. Edit: I visited for lunch and found the food, again, to be spectacular and tasty. This was my first time sitting down with the menu (a 12-14 page book, which can be intimidating), and my advice is if you are selective you can eat here for a reasonable price, but you can not come here without considering the price. Just a few entrees are $8, most are $10 or more. Many are $16-22 each, which is great if you have money to burn. The food and atmosphere are great, but there are enough amazing BBQ sandwiches in Cville for $3 that you have to consider strongly the benefit of the quality of the food and atmosphere when coming. I ate a side of 2 small pancakes, real maple syrup, and a side of corned beef hash, more like a delicious stew, for $4 each. Delicious; unaffordable. If you want authenticity, uniquity, and spice handled expertly, this is the place. Bring a wallet.
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Helen Alston
My family and I have been coming to Shebeen since it opened more than 10 years ago. As British ex-pats, it was nice to come somewhere that had fish & chips and other things that felt somewhat home-y. Tonight, for the first time, we ordered takeout: fish & chips. The portions were about the same as usual, but the quality of the food has gone way, way, way down. The fish was cold and the coating was soggy (as if it had been left too long in the take-out packaging—to give you an idea, we live a 5 minute drive away and arrived 20 minutes after ordering, which is the amount of time specified online). The fries, which used to be hand-cut and seasoned, were clearly straight out the back of a freezer truck, like you might get at any run-of-the-mill restaurant. They were also cold and rather tasteless. It was an incredibly disappointing purchase, nothing like the wonderful food weve had here up until this visit. It gives me no pleasure to leave a poor review; I dont think Id bother, except that Ive had incredible food here in the past and I simply dont know whats changed.
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Lily Greenway
This is an excellent restaurant. The food is great and so is the service! Ive been there several times and the server has always been friendly (but not overly so) and very knowledgeable about both the menu and wine list. I dont care that much about service in restaurants, but the servers here really make a good impression--its similar to the service you would get at a much more expensive restaurant (that has good service). Its a great place to have a lingering, multi-course meal (come during restaurant week if you can!) because they dont try to rush you out of there by bringing your food too quickly. Ive never had a bad meal here, but I especially like the durban chicken and the sadza cakes (vegetarian). Oh, and the bread is killer! Nice wine list, all South African. The cocktails are good, too. Its a little out of my budget, so I dont eat there frequently, but its my go-to spot for celebrations. Also, theres always the slightly more budget friendly brunch! I recommend making a reservation during peak hours, especially on weekends.
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Nicholas Geraci
Fantastic meals with a unique flavor. Ive never been to, nor sampled any cuisine of South Africa, so I have no baseline for comparison. The best way I could describe what we tried (sosatie and steak pie) would be a fusion of Indian (much of the same flavor palette), Middle Eastern (many kabobs), and English (many meat pies). Regardless of whether this accurately reflects the cuisine of the region, it was all delicious.
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Sabrina Seay
We came here for the first time to try your breakfast menu. The atmosphere was good andthe food was great. However, the service was absolutely horrendous! We waited 20 minutes just for a waiter to take our drink order and double the length for our food. We also ran out of water halfway and the waiter never offered to refill our drinks. By this time we were ready to leave anyways. We were highly disappointed.
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Daniel Ozdowski
We revisited Shebeen 2013/Dec/28 after some time away from Charlottesville, and this restaurant still delivers. Unique recipes at reasonable prices for a nice night out, a well stocked bar, and friendly, efficient staff. Their West African Groundnut Stew remains one of my favorite dishes, and the peri-peri chicken (wings or main dish) is a treat for those who, like me, enjoy the hotter side of spice.
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A Private User
Had dinner at the Shebben last night... Sensational - so much so that I returned for lunch today. The best steak sandwich I have eaten. The ambiance is cozy and pleasant and the staff warm and attentive. Lamb, fish and chips and the peri- peri chicken are some of my favorites. All other calamari dishes pale in comparison to their fresh, very lightly battered version. Will return!! Recommended!!
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A Private User
From a South African perspective, the entree menu was very authentic although very watered down for the general American palette. Very approachable if you want to try South African cousine. HOWEVER, the dessert menu is a lie. A donut and icecream masquerading as KOEKSISTERS and lemon sauce instead if custard on the malfa poeding. And chocolate samoesas, really?
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Christine Alencar
Way over-priced for what you actually get! Was the food good? Sure. Was it different? Yes. But I can still recognize the bagged baby carrots and frozen peas in their gristly lamb stew. It wasnt anything to write home about. I would add another another star or two if the dishes were reasonably priced. At $20-30 a plate, I should have GREAT food.
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Allan
Shebeen is a high-class place in a weird location, full of people doing their best to provide a quality experience. Great breakfast, great nook of a sports bar, and well crafted decor emphasizing wood grain and draped cloth. Service is typically quick, but look out for delay perusing their gigantic menus. Youll have options.
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Gabe Andersen
Fun and delicious place to fill your tummy. I highly recommend the Falsebay Crispies, Pita Chips w/ Red Pepper Hummus, Sosatie and Koek Sisters! Geeze my mouth is watering! Wish I lived closer. Great atmosphere for a fine dining event or to watch a game of football (American or South African) :)
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A Private User
We went to try some thing new. It was delightful. I had polenta with vegetables. They were perfect. The lemongrass brovht everything together. My husbands lamb was just right. An old favorite served with new seasoning. My only regret is that the is no time to go back.
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Darren Lasley
Every time we go to Shebeen we get something different and every time we head home we think "wow, cant wait to come back and try more wonderful things on the menu" Terrific service, cozy atmosphere, and truly memorable dishes make this one of our favorite places in the USA
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Briana J
Nice location to meet if you have a larger party. Very busy place, but they seated a party of 6 quickly at lunch despite the busyness. Disappointed in the amount and the quality of the "African" food offered here. They have a huge wine and drink menu that looks awesome.
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Adam Suritz
Dinner at Shebeen was a great experience, start to finish. They held our reservation for 10 people, even though we were a few minutes late. Appetizers & entrees were all outstanding, very good wine choices. Friendly, knowledgable staff. Wed all go back again.
