The Shebeen Pub & Braai

Oh shebeen… I have very mixed feelings about this place. The food is great but the poor service is really hard to overlook. Don’t get me wrong, the staff is extremely friendly but their organization skills need some major improvement. We went during Valentine’s Day and they were extremely unprepared for the rush. They forgot to bring the bread (which I shamelessly asked for 3 times) and forgot our appetizers. The food is above average and I would highly recommend the shepherd pie and the Durban chicken! They have specials every night for dinner so if you’re a local, I would recommend going on a day where they have specials. But beware, their service does need some improvement and I’m hoping they get it together! Fingers crossed.

Let’s start with. the food is amazing. Unfortunately
6 times as a consumer the service has been dreadfully slow :(

Shebeen is a breath of fresh air.
For someone from a small midwest town, African cuisine was something I hadn’t ever tried prior to moving to CVille, andI feel like I’ve been missing out my whole life. The spine-​tingling flavor-​combinations and aromatic, sensory-​delighting plates I’ve received here are something I look forward to no matter how many times I’ve attended.
Meals come accompanied with homemade bread and great service. I can’t recommend it enough.

Great breakfast! We went on a frigid Saturday morning about 8:30, had the place to ourselves, and had a wonderful meal. The host/​waiter was extremely warm and welcoming. We started with «bowls» of steaming hot coffee, and then I had «the English», and my wife had the corned beef hash and eggs. The food was very prepared — the eggs were very fresh and perfectly prepared, the corned beef hash was fantastic. We will most definitely be back!

Have had dinner at Shebeen several times and the waitstaff is always friendly, décor is nice, and food, though fairly basic, is good. Huge salads, and some interesting flavors going on with the more South African dishes. We’ve taken our kids here a few times and it’s a good spot for families.

The Shebeen is a «South African inspired» restaurant, so it might not be 100% authentic South African food. More like South African/​American fusion maybe? Either way, the place has character and the food is great! As a pescetarian, the Shebeen had plenty of options both for me and my carnivorous boyfriend! I thought about the blackened tilapia, fish & chips, and sadza cakes (a vegetarian option), but ultimately settled on the sop & grilled cheddar — a South African take on soup and grilled cheese. The soup was a curry corn chowder, and the grilled cheese was a Gouda with heirloom tomato on wheatberry. The grilled cheese was unremarkable (the bread was a little soft for the grilled cheese preparation, and so it lacked the crispiness of a great grilled cheese), but the soup… The Soup. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. I could eat a bowl of that everyday. My boyfriend had the lunch durban spiced chicken, which he quite enjoyed as well. I was just visiting Charlotteville, but if I lived there, I’d be a regular at Shebeen.

One of our favorites by far. I actually had to cut my husband off one month from going another weekend because we love the food so much! Outside space is also amazing!

Shebeen is one of two restaurants in our constant rotation (Bang! being the other). The food is always excellent although I find it hard to stray from the Durban Chicken and the spinach salad with their homemade Dijon dressing. Atmosphere is great… You’d never imagine you were in a strip mall if you didn’t know you were :-).
I agree with some of the comments related to the service. We have been seated without water and they have forgotten our bread a few times (don’t EVER let them forget the bread — it is beyond fantastic). That said, the vast majority of the time we have had excellent service so 5 stars anyway.

Tonight I’m at Shebeen again. This is probably my 5^th or 6^th trip here. Every time I am pleased. Tonight, at the strong recommendation of my server (who is from London) I ordered the Shepard’s Pie. It was proceeded by the pub salad and the Malay Bay Curried Corn Chowder.
The salad is really a modified Greek salad with a great homemade Greek dressing. Plenty of cheese and olives. Really a good salad with sweet pepper supremes.
Oh my, the Curried Corn Chowder was out of this world. Just the right balance of curry, coconut milk, sweet corn and potatoes. A wonderful soup to wake up the taste buds.
And let me tell you about the Shepard’s Pie. The plate arrives with a quart crock that is full of smoking hot deliciousness covered with brown gravy. Shebeen seasons ground lamb and covers it in parmesan mashed potatoes and thick hearty brown gravy. They bake it to perfection and serve it surrounded by steamed veggies. The pie is sweet, slightly salty, and full of flavor. It is possibly the best I’ve ever eaten.
You won’t go wrong with a visit to Shebeen.
By the way, if they say something is spicy or hot, believe them.
I should mention that the servers and service is excellent and they have a great bar, should you be looking for a new wine or a pint of draft.

Interesting, fun décor. The menu has lots of diverse options, including many unique African dishes as well as mainstream American dishes. Everything was delicious!

The only reason I hesitate to give 5-​star is because it took them a little more than 30 minutes to bring our food.
We sat outside at the smoking area and ordered fish&chips and shepherd’s pie. I must say fish was a bit too dry and didn’t have any taste to it; however, shepherd’s pie was delicious!
We also ordered Cape Malay Curried Corn Chowder, very rich and spicy, along with sunrise Irish cocktail, and for dessert we went for caramel brulee and chocolate ganache samosas.
Chocolate ganache was alright though I was new to its taste, and caramel brulee was average.
Overall, we paid $ 30 each, which compare to its quality and atmosphere was a decent price.

They have the tools. Menu. Atmosphere.
Service was weak. New waitress, too many tables…
Food was tasty but over worked and ignored, perhaps (fried items a tiny bit scorched, some items a bit cool).
A single visit doesn’t make a reputation we will be back! So much potential!

Staff & owner, Walter, were super friendly, hospitable and had the rugby and soccer matches on… perfect day!
As for the food… eat as many of the wings as you can! They are spicy, deliciousness that I will dream about! The hammies were a crowd pleaser as were the satays. Coffee was amazing and served beautifully. The beer was also top notch. Ask Zack for a mimosa — you won’t be sorry!

This place is a gem! Home to the best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever had — I can’t get enough of the slightly-​burnt cheese on top, à la French onion soup. The samosas are delicious as well.

Came here during an event hosted by my grad school so we were served buffet style. Everything was amazing though! The meat was super flavorful, the veggies were crunchy and all the sauces were so savory! A lot of the food tasted very similar to Indian food flavor-​wise. Two thumbs up for great food and plenty of parking. One star down because I really don’t like restaurants that are so dark it’s hard to even see who you’re eating with.

One of the only South African place I have ever been to. Can vouch for authenticity of the food here. Very flavorful, very delicious and definitley worth the wait and price if and when they are very busy. Have gotten the Peri-​Peri Chicken wings which are bomb, and got the Durban Spiced Chicken, both times, does not dissappoint. a good mixture of food textures, warmth of flavors and spiciness. The mango chutney is delicious. Pairs well with the dish and good enough that you can lick you plate clean.
Highly recommended place if you’d like to try something exotic when you are in Cville

Hidden in a strip mall behind staples is this nice bar with some good food. The bartender knew everyone by name and what drinks they liked as soon as they walked in.
I had the Durban chicken and yes it was good, but let’s talk about those «grits» which were amazing. The brochette was good too. I was glad I walked the extra distance to give this place a try.

Home away from home. Boere woers very good, just like home. Restaurant itself was very clean. Will be back.
Fish & Chips gets the 4 stars rating… definitely prebattered and frozen and over priced for that reason.

**Stop 1 of 7 on the Taste of Virginia Charlottesville Food Tour**
This is a hidden gem that I fear too many people pass over due to its close proximity to the downtown mall. My girlfriend and I came here on a food tour, and I’m so happy we did because the food was AMAZING. The interior is decorated with a South African theme, with an indoor and outdoor bar area (the outdoor bar area has swings for seats at the bar), and a spacious and cozy inside.
We both tried the Durban Spiced Chicken ($ 19) which was chicken breasts skewered on sugar cane, spiced with annatto, coriander & cumin, served over mealie pap (South African grit), with a side of spicy voodoo sauce and mango chutney. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and while I’m not a huge fan of grits, these grits were exquisite (it tasted closer to cheesy mashed potatoes). The best part of the meal was the sauces we were able to try — the mango chutney and voodoo sauce were delicious and complimented the chicken very well. The voodoo sauce was spicy without sacrificing flavor, and the mango chutney was good enough to just eat with a spoon.
In sum, a really fantastic restaurant that shouldn’t be overlooked. We will definitely be back here.

I came here when visiting my brother who lives in Charlottesville and I was excited to try it being that I’ve never had South African cuisine. I got the mussels which looked absolutely mouth watering but the taste didn’t match up, I’d rather have the frozen kind you can buy at the grocery store. I only ate half because the taste was beginning to make me feel nauseous.
Also, the service was terrible. The server wasn’t attentive and their register is poorly placed right near the front door and the server thought it would be okay to leave our check with our cards sitting right out in the open by this register where anyone could walk by and walk straight out the door with them.
The best thing about the overall experience was the wonderful bread they give you before your meal, probably the only reason I’d come back.