Bufalo Grill - Sauchiehall St

 This is a place I’ve visited numerous times, I have found my experience to differ depending on the timing I have visited and what I ordered. Bufalo Grill over a wide range of options, from steaks, grills, burgers, wraps, pizza, pasta, traditional Pakistani dishes and a variety of appetisers, there really is something for everyone on the menu! And best of all, everything on the menu is halal! I will be basing this review off one of my most recent visits. 

Halal Friendliness: everything here is halal and no alcohol is served.

Food: I ordered the ‘lamb chops special’ - a plate of 6 lamb chops served with a choice of 2 sides from their menu. I chose the ‘peri salted chips’ and ‘creamy mash’. 

Lamb chops: I had ordered this in the past and had really enjoyed it so I did have high expectations. However, I was left a bit disappointed this time as the lamb was much tougher than last time and because it was so hard, it was basically impossible to eat. I also felt as though these chops were mainly bone, there was very little (edible) meat on each chop and because of how tough it was, it was quite awkward to try to eat. However, I did enjoy the flavour - these were the perfect balance between mild and spicy and I did love the chargrilled flavour. 

These are usually just average but based on this experience, they were a bit underwhelming. I have had much better and more succulent lamb chops in Glasgow and if this is the dish that you’re looking for, I would recommend Kebabish Grill or Akbars instead. 

Rating: 5/10

Peri salted chips: These chips were the perfect thickness and portion size, you honestly cant go wrong with these! The peri peri seasoning is also not too overwhelming or spicy as other places can have it. However, I felt as though the peri salt had just been sprinkled on the top rather than evenly on all of the chips. This left the chips at the bottom tasting a bit bland in comparison to the ones on top. I did love the basket that these were served in! 

Rating: 7/10

Creamy mash: The consistency of the mash was perfect, I felt like I was eating clouds! However, I did find that it was extremely bland due to it having basically no seasoning. I asked for some garlic and herb butter that I melted into the mash and it totally upgraded it! If you order this, I would highly recommend that you do the same.

Rating: 6/10 (9/10 once I ‘upgraded’ it)

Ambiance: There are plenty of tables and booths around the restaurant, it’s definitely more of a ‘dinner’ place as the vibes are a bit dead during lunch time (on weekdays anyways). However, if you are looking for a quiet lunch place then this might be for you! This is a nice place to go with friends, family or for a date. There is also a dedicated prayer space available downstairs which is really nice to see!

Price: The menu was quite reasonably priced - the lamb chops special came to around £14 which I felt was really good value. Steaks are less than £20 on average (with 2 sides), and burgers/wraps are less than £10 (also with 2 sides) or £7 on their own. A grilled quarter chicken is also available for £3.95! There are definitely different options for everyone depending on your budget. 

Service: Staff at Bufalo Grill are quite friendly and efficient. However it would be nice if they came to the table to check on customers, as I found myself having to walk over to staff if I needed something instead of them coming over. If staff were more attentive it would make my overall experience so much better. 

Overall, I feel like Bufalo Grill can be a bit of a hit or miss when it comes to the food. There are times when your order is cooked to perfection and other times when it isn’t as great. It would be so much more ideal if they were more consistent with the quality of their dishes. Perhaps they have different chefs who may be more competent than others working on different days? That is my only explanation for why this is the case. 

Would I recommend?: Yes, if you are looking for a restaurant with a nice atmosphere in the city centre then Bufalo Grill is a good  and affordable option with plenty to choose from. Just be mindful that there are days when the food prepared is better than others, so your experience could honestly just be down to luck. Also, be sure to ask the staff for extra seasoning/sauce if required or to communicate exactly how you would like something prepared - they tend to accommodate to requests pretty well. 

Overall rating: 7/10