Daniella's Ramblings

Last week we launched our new business venture Priscilla’s Services and we decided that we should take advantage of our daughters sleeping out and have a celebratory night out. We therefore booked a table at Beefcakes Illovo a fantastic burger restaurant that also does drag shows.

We had recently acquired some new make up and we were both eager to try it out. I arrived home from work a little early and we began getting ready. I had decided to go with my trusty LBD accessorized with gold jewelry and my black and gold stiletto sandals.. My wife also went with black but she accessorized with silver jewelry and wore her red boots. It has been a little cool in the evenings so I also wore my trusty leopard print jacket.

I was very happy with the new makeup. It gives good coverage (I think) without looking ‘cakey’ it also feels much more comfortable than what I have been using so far. Unfortunately I did not have time to do my toe nails, but I was quite happy with my finger nails and the overall effect. After the obligatory photography session (I am so vain) we headed out to Beefcakes.

I had visited Beefcakes Cape Town in October last year and I had a ball. Sadly I was alone that night as I was on a business trip and my wife was in Johannesburg. I had told her what fun it was and we had been wanting to visit the Johannesburg venue for quite some time. We now had our chance.

We arrived on time (quite an achievement given the time it takes me to get ready) and our very charming waiter (Alessandro) told us how it all worked (on a Friday you get a meal, a shooter and a show for just R250, that is under US$17 each). He then took our drinks order. The cocktails were divine. Just what we needed after a long week.

Alessandro then brought us our shooters and took our meal order. The burger was very good and I think Beefcakes Illovo are worthy winners of their recently awarded ‘Best Burger in Johannesburg’ title. You have a choice of beef, vegetable or chicken and the burger comes with chips (french fries) and a range of toppings: cheese, guacamole, chili, onion, mushroom etc. This means you can mix and match your toppings as you go and makes for a very good meal. I must confess that in the gentle hands of Alessandro, I was tempted to have a few more cocktails as the night wore on. My wife was driving so she opted for the ‘mocktails’ (alcohol free cocktails). Without fail every drink was excellent.

Looking around we noticed that the majority of the patrons were in large groups. There were a number of women only tables. These were either birthday or bachelorette parties (there were a few of each). There were also a number of men at the bar. Clearly this was the place to come for a girls night out! Shortly after we finished our meal, the drag show started. The performers were very good. They were funny, professional and well rehearsed.

As always the Beefcakes staff were excellent. Very attentive without being overly so, professional and they made sure we had a fabulous time. The witty conversation with the waiters is always fun and they hit just the right balance with their flirtatious, sexual innuendo, without becoming disrespectful or awkward.

I have no idea whether Alessandro clocked me or not. He referred to us as ‘ladies’ throughout the night, without skipping a beat. He treated me exactly the same as he treated my wife and when we left he gave us each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now as you may all know I do not feminise my voice so either my voice is less masculine than I think (unlikely) and I therefore pass better than I think or he really was very, very good and a truly excellent waiter. Either way we were very happy and we had a fabulous time. He invited us to go to the gay night club next door to Beefcakes (for all I know they are owned by the same person)  but although the night was still young, we are not. We therefore decided to head home.

I can heartily recommend Beefcakes to anyone wanting a fun night out. The food is good, the waiters are excellent, the drinks are phenomenal (I may have had a few more than is strictly necessary) and the entertainment is brilliant. No matter what the occasion you will enjoy yourself.