How sweet it is at The Thirsty Scarecrow

11 May 2022

 

The Thirsty Scarecrow

Mooiberge Farmstall, on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West

 

If you want barbecued brisket with a sweet note, listen to the dulcet tones of Kenny G while you eat; alternatively, order the “almighty brisket” at The Thirsty Scarecrow.  It seems that the chef confused a tablespoonful, no, make that a ¼ cupful, for a teaspoonful of the (probably)  maple-style syrup when preparing the basting for the slow cooked brisket.

 

“How sweet it is,” is a wonderful catchphrase in a different context. Not in this one.

 

How did we get here? Well, we drove around Stellenbosch  searching for a promising eatery and parking, and not necessarily in that order, and were disillusioned.  The CBD is busy and it’s  a real challenge of patience and fortitude to find a decent parking close to your destination of choice.

 

So, as one does, we headed out in the direction of Somerset West along the R44, pondering whether we should stop at Sweetwell Farm or perhaps Avontuur. We’d eaten at both before; the one wasn’t wonderful and the other a tad upmarket for the light lunch we were looking for.  Googling like mad, as I do, while the wife speeds along, I found mention of The Thirsty Scarecrow at Mooiberge, a farm stall we’ve frequented often, for its deli delights and the cheap wine, though the latter may often be deceptive “bargains.”  We said “what the hey” to staying within our comfort zone and gave this joint, that sound like a biker’s bar, an hour of our time. 

 

Ironically, it’s situated alongside the road into the Hidden Valley, resplendent will all manner of upmarket nosh bars and from the Scarecrow one has a marvellous view over that valley. 

 

The Thirsty Scarecrow  is indeed a pub-style place, well, not the traditional pub, but a watering hole nonetheless, with views,  a long bar and a menu that caters for people who like to have a quaff and a nibble.

 

The literally large menu offers 19 (if my maths are correct) tapas dishes, which are just standard pubby food on presumably small plates, plus some salads, 19 beer pizzas and 20 items from the grill under the heading of “grub & burger.”  That’s on the one side; the other side of the menu glories in what one can only call an impressive list of beers and there’s also a  separate, illustrated drinks menu.  

 

It is the 21^st century and you do have choices.

 

The wife drank a bountiful banoffee milkshake (R60), which moved her soul and was the highlight of her lunch. it was downhill from there.

 

She ordered the aforementioned almighty brisket (R110), which is  shredded meat with some slaw in a bun, and hand cut fries, fetchingly served on a wooden board.  She didn’t like the sweet meat (she doesn’t even like sweetmeats), even if the slaw almost mitigated the saccharine element, gave up the struggle to appreciate her meal and abandoned the burger.

 

In the meantime, I had a German lunch with 500 ml of a German draught lager I hadn’t drunk since January 2015 in, natch, Germany (R58) and the “German trio” (not the ‘80s one hit wonder band of the same name) (R105) consisting of a German Wiener, a Bockwurst and a Bratwurst, with Sauerkraut and Senft, served on a black tile. I can report that the Wiener and the Bockwurst were okay, not that you can mess them up, and that I gave my poor, hungry wife the Bratwurst. Apparently, it was also okay.

 

I ate the rest of the almighty brisket, on the principle of waste not, want not, and I can confirm that it’s not necessarily agreeable to eat a meat dish that could’ve done well as a dessert. Granted, that might be an exaggeration  of how sweet the thing was, but it’s not a good culinary idea, in my book.

 

The fries looked good but the outward handsomeness was deceptive in that they had a lovely colour and crisp crust but the potato inside was not properly cooked, as if the fries were deep fried raw and the exterior cooked far quicker than the interior.

 

So, the best one can say for the meal was that the sausages were, well, sausages being sausages, but that’s about it, and that the otherwise well-cooked brisket needs urgent  reconceptualization to decrease the sweetness and emphasise the savouriness.

 

The bill came to R333,00 before tip.

 

The drinks were good, the super friendly service was excellent and the views are superb.

 

I hate to say that The Thirsty Scarecrow is probably the kind of place where the food tastes better once you’ve had a brew or two, but that’s my evaluation of it.