Before the pandemic, we'd been to Shebeen and had great dinners. That was because of the variety in the menu. Recently, we had dinner with another couple and were disappointed all around. The menu selections were nothing like they used to be. It looked more...fitting for a hamburger joint, which is what the other couple wound up having. I think there was something that may have resembled a South African dish. Whatever happened to the menu needs to be fixed. Soon.More
Inside or outside - your choice according to the outside hostess/waitress. We went inside - sign stating this section currently closed. Huh? Shouldn't she have known? Back outside. Atmosphere was uncomfortably hot. Only menu available was by scanning on smartphone. A lot of items that...enticed us to try this restaurant were no longer offered. No real theme to the limited items available. Food was very good for the most part. Portion to value very pricey, particularly for the appetizers. Calamari was not as crispy as it should have been. Meat samosas were tasty, and accompanied by a delicious mango chutney. Salmon was cooked to perfection (for me) and had another delicious sauce. The shrimp peri peri was good, the side of rice was excellent. It was also served with grits, not mentioned on the menu, and a side of mango chutney. Glad we tried, but wouldn't go back.More
Keep it simple... delicious. Warm comfortable establishment both inside and out. Our group had veggie samosas, cauliflower wings, and false bay crispies(shrimp) for appetizers. All delicious, with a highlight on the mango chutney on top of the samosas. For entrees the ground nut stew, piri...piri chicken, durkin chicken w/voodoo sauce were all wonderful. The place was busy and short handed. So service a bit slow. But be patient, Shebeen is worth the time.... Enjoy!More
The South African Shebeen Pub is a good place for a quick snack - we enjoyed their calamari and butternut squash soup - not sure authenticity is their high priority. We were disappointed in their choices of beer - the only exotic one was Tusker...ale in a bottle which was tasty enough. The draft beer selection was very mediocre. Their Chinese shrimp and vegetable stir-fry was fresh but lacking deep flavor. The staff was pleasant and attentive. This was more of a 3.5 establishment but not sure how much of the lackluster and limited choices were due to Covid. The area is quite airy and I felt safe.More
Never been to a South African restaurant, so thought we'd give it a try. Wonderful decor and nice wait staff but service was slow, even with few patrons in the place. The Peri-peri chicken was not as good as the one you get at the...chain by that name. The collard greens were great. The lamb rack was nice. Portions were normal size. The mango pie was a very nice discovery.More
We'd had other types of African food (Eritrean, Ethiopian) but never South African, so we weren't exactly sure what we were in for, but it turned out to be worth the 1+ hour drive from Richmond to Charlottesville. The peri peri chicken has the absolute...best skin I've had outside of Paris, based with spicy peri peri and served with a tasty chutney, collard greens, and roasted fingerlings. The greens were a little salty but other than that everything was spot-on. Probably the best chicken I've had in recent memory for sure. We'll happily make the trip again!More
I always give a place at least three tries if I can manage it. Whether the first time is good or bad, I always want to confirm, and then reconfirm especially if those first two diverge. My first trip to The Shebeen was okay. Most...of the food was great, but the fish in chips were like dog toys and soggy potato scraps. The server didn't care, no managers ever came. I even emailed, which is rare but at that point I hoped to just see if fixed so it'd be better the next time. Second time was excellent, tried to give compliments and got an eye roll from the server and never saw a manger. The final time was almost entirely a trash experience. Again, nothing. In all my years in food service table touching was a key part of the manager role, as was dealing with complaints for customer retention and compliments to reward good work accurately. This is a small restaurant and none of my visits were during a busy time. In short: Mostly good food, some excellent. Effective but attitude heavy service (which I generally don't mind, really). Some of the worst managers in town if not the industry (unforgivable after three strikes).More
Lunch menu was good. Had the Durban Chicken which was really tasty. Others had fish and chips and Southern plate. Over all very good.
We had reservations for four, and then had to cancel when two backed out several hours prior. The two of us ended up going and did not have a reservation. They were not taking any more walk-ins so we sat at a pub table. No...problem! The UVA game was on, but not loud at all, so we were able to sit, talk, and enjoy our meal without it really feeling like a bar. Food was delicious and bartender/waitress was very friendly and helpful. Mixed drinks were good as well. Love the curry chowder. We opted for burgers this time, which were great, but also a fan of the peri-peri chicken.More
Maybe I didn’t pick the best menu item and it was ok but seemed overpriced. My husband felt the same way about his meal. Our children loved the corn chowder and our grandson was very happy with his chicken so overall we were satisfied.
Shebeen has a very good hometown feel with outstanding South African food choices. The Sadza cakes are our favorite. Simone at the bar has a warm, friendly and welcoming presence!
the coffee had grounds floating in it, yes they made us more. the appetizer came just 1 minute before the meal. the poached egg on the Benny had so little of the white left it looked like a little yolk coated in white not the...entire egg. the meat was tough and over cooked. after eating we had to wait with dirty plates on the table for 30 min before we found the manager to get the check. I've been here before when the brunch was great, what happened?More
The atmosphere was good. The server was excellent. Knows the menu very well. The food was excellent. The vegetarian stew was delicious with yellow rice. Somewhat on the expensive side but worth it. Bathroom was beautiful and clean . Parking available.
We have visited several times primarily because the service is good and the atmosphere pleasant and relaxing. Last night we realized that we were one of only two remaining tables at 10:00pm with no pressure to leave. That was nice. The waitstaff has always been...very friendly and efficient. This is not a complaint, quite the contrary, but the staff reminds me of "Hooters" light. The female waitstaff leave little to the imagination. Even though the website states that they will not split checks for parties of six or more, that has always been readily waived. I never return to any restaurant that enforces that obnoxious rule. Now the food. Generally, I find it decent but not particularly memorable. I love a good shepherd's pie, but I find this iteration unremarkable. It was way too salty. The samosas were OK but I doubt that I would order them again. The lamb curry Potjie was tasty but visually unappealing. It was basically brown mush. The ginger salmon was fine as was the steak pie. Actually, my favorite dish was the samp and beans. Overall the place is a bit pricey, but that seems the norm in Charlottesville. This market takes itself much too seriously. For the same money, one can dine much better in Richmond, Norfolk, Charleston, New York City, New Orleans, etc. That's not to say that there aren't a few exceptional venues based on value, food, ambiance and service, but they are few and far between. I guess this market is just used to mediocrity.More
My friends and I are in the same time every year. The first night is always at Shebeen's. I had the lamb shank, but the Peri-Peri Chicken is very good. If you are in the mood for something different, this is a wonderful place.