Cattle Grid

Wow. The steak salad was gorgeous!!! The steak was so filling and juicy mmm. Our waitress was also so kind and friendly and beautiful. Big thumbs up here!

I had my brother around for the last May bank holiday weekend and we were eating meat, meat and more meat, as he was not allowed wheat for a few weeks. Experimenting with his health.
The Cattle grill never really appealed to me before, as they had this tasteless plastic cow outside during the winter. But it seems the plastic herd has moved on and took this particularly ugly specimens with it.
They offer steak in different sizes and with different topics. As I don’t eat meat very often I cannot really compare the quality of the meat, but I thought it was very decent for the price. 10oz of sirloin for £17 including chips and some green stuff seems alright and it was rather nice.

I was given two options for lunch… the other one didn’t stand a chance against this mecca of meat. Perhaps Mr. Snarky knows that, perhaps he doesn’t, but meat almost always wins in my book. The restaurant is just across the street from the station and is a bit cozy, but not «mind your head as the staff moves about» cozy. The decision was tough… meat, meat, or more meat. Pork is my favourite type of meat, so I did have to lean in that direction. I ended up with the Hog Roast Sandwich with a Rocket and Parmesan Salad, while Mr. S ended up with the Steak Sandwich with Mac and Cheese. Apparently both items come with chips as well.
The food smelled delicious and I did see a rack of ribs go past the table. Most people seemed to be opting for burgers, but they didn’t really look as good as the ribs or the sandwiches we ordered. If you order the Hog Roast Sandwich, beware… it is a bit sloppy. Porky juices and sauce dripping down your hand as you bite into the sandwich. I am not sure what is in the sauce, but it really had a distinct flavour, I couldn’t quite place the herby flavour, but it was nice. I enjoyed the thinly sliced red onion on the sandwich, but in my humble opinion… it doesn’t need the random piece of lettuce. If someone wants to feel better about their hunk of meat by adding a lame piece of lettuce, be my guest, but it really didn’t seem to go together. The chips… awesome! The Rocket and Parmesan Salad was nice, but I think my eyes were far bigger than my belly.
I had a bite of Mr. Snarky’s Steak Sandwich… delicious! Typically I avoid steak sandwiches because they use the fattiest and toughest pieces of steak, but this was tender and juicy! Mr. Snarky didn’t seem as excited about the Mac and Cheese that the waitress had said was really good. I was joking with him and said, «They forgot to add the Truffles didn’t they?» The one time he got excited about Mac and Cheese, it had Truffles in it… was probably the most expensive bowl of Mac and Cheese anyone has ever had as well. Anyway, overall I thought the food was good and I would be happy to go back again, but I think I would probably go for the ribs next time!

I went for New Years with a few friends and had the best juicy steak ive had in years! The staff are so welcoming and friendly always making sure your happy. The food is so reasonably price and fabulous! Cant wait to go back! :)

Poor quality food, poor service and tables too cramped. I won’t be going back.

Very friendly place. Delicious stake and chips! Yummy! :)

I’m really surprised at this place’s rating! We had an unbelievably good meal here.
The buffalo wings were great. I haven’t found these anywhere else since leaving Chicago so was quite excited and they didn’t let me down — though they are quite expensive. But they’re tangy and spicy and come with blue cheese dipping sauce, and they had lots of meat on them. Delicious.
Then I had a half rack of ribs — I do not know how anyone could eat a whole one — and they were fantastic. Best ribs I’ve had in London — better than Bodeans and a mile away from most pub/​casual places’ efforts. The barbecue sauce is fantastic. My brother had a hog roast sandwich — basically pulled pork — and it was also incredible. Even the salads we saw going past looked immense and fresh.
Don’t order sides if you get fries with your dish — the garlic mushrooms were just, er, garlic mushrooms, and we couldn’t fit them in. Beers were reasonably priced and the bill was pleasantly good value. Staff were friendly despite being quite overworked due to being one man down.
I’m definitely going back — I want to try their burgers. Maybe this is where the bad reviews are coming from and I’ll be disappointed but I can heartily recommend the ribs!

I tried the Windsor branch of cattle grid and was not overly impressed with their burger. So I don’t know why I decided to give their Balham branch another shot, maybe it was just my burger, but the meat smelled and tasted funny, their buns are brioche like and stodgy. Not quite Byron or The Diner.

I was pescaterian for 10 months last year. I could not have asked for a better first meat meal than Cattlegrid. When living in Balham we were faced with the faux cow that stands outside the restaurant everyday upon exiting the tube station. It wasn’t before long that we decided to step inside.
Their BBQ ribs are to die for — £8 for a half rack, slathered in their tasty sweet, smoky BBQ sauce with a portion of hand cut chips. However, upon this visit I decided to go all out on a full rack, and all out did I go. I think I ate all but ONE rib, yes ONE.
Since then we’ve moved from Balham but still go back regularly when we need a meat fix. I wouldn’t recommend their steaks, but their burgers are also really tasty — I’ve had the Stilton burger which comes on this crisp, toasted, garlic infused burger bread. I tend to leave half the burger bread part as I’m so full from what I’ve already ingested. If you’re in for a proper feast, order a side of fried onion strings. yum, my stomach is rumbling just thinking about it…

Been here a couple of times, mainly for the benefit of my fiancé who is a big meat eater. Overall its OK, but not a place i’d specifically go out to eat at. Obviously if your not a big meat eater, this is not the place to go!

Been to Cattle Grid a good few times, and every time has been a pleasure food is delivered quickly. Last time i was there, i had a lovely house beef burger. They are what i would call a proper burger, meat that is truly succulent and cooked exactly how you want, the side salad was fresh and crispy and perfect, i will go there again and again its just one of them good places you cant stop going to. The atmosphere is good, the staff are fun and professional, happy to engage you in conversation and leave you alone. Its obvious they are good hosts knowing where to draw the line of not being overly friendly, just keeping it professional.

My favourite restaurant!!!
The food is simple and delicious! Good quality meat served with fresh hand cut chips, and watercress. The sauces are all great too.
The service is laid back and the guys are always friendly.
All in all a value for money evening out with friends or partner.

Went here for a quick lunch on Saturday afternoon; in January, they have a special promotion where their house burger is £5 — normally its £6.50 I think.
Anyways, service was curt but not very friendly, and the food was so-​so. When I took out the toothpick in the burger, part of the patty fell apart and out of the burger! Clearly something that is a no-​no for a burger — make sure the patty sticks together during cooking and when its served. You can’t have the meat falling apart!
I was surprised that I wasn’t asked how I wanted the meat in the burger cooked — it came out extremely well done, and I prefer a more juicy medium. Inside, it had the obligatory tomato and greens, as well as a few slices of onions… instead of rings… which meant that the centre of the burger had lots of onions, the rest of the burger did not.
I also ordered chunky chips on the side, which were ok, but not crispy enough and were quite greasy.
I visited the bathroom at the end — it had a very strong smell, and the sink had spots of what looked like mould growing in the stone bowl!

Cattlegrid is what Bodeans used to be before it got too big and corporate. Really good food at reasonable prices, served in a bustling restaurant by friendly staff. But this is a meat restaurant for meat fans — don’t bring veggies, and bear in mind that there are no fancy things like desserts here — it’s all about the cow.
The steaks are what the menu is created around they’re pretty great. Pick your cut (there’s a guide on the walls if you’re unsure) and get it cooked to your taste. I like that they only come with a small portion of chips and some salad leaves, instead of a million and one trimmings. You can order all kinds of sides and extras if you want (boyfriend loves the haggis) but for me the steak is enough. As far as I’m concerned, once you’ve eaten half a cow, the last thing you want is a mountain of carbs to top it off.
Last time I went I wasn’t really hungry enough to order steak, so I decided to give the pulled pork sandwich a go. In terms of portion size, this was possibly a mistake (it’s basically a huge plate of meat) but I don’t think I’ll ever be having a steak again because this was too good — definitely the menu’s hidden treasure!
This is definitely worth a visit if you crave steak on a budget (it’s not dirt cheap but neither is it The Hawksmoor). Balham locals should keep their eye on their letterboxes for offers — we get loads through our door.

I’ve actually sat down and had a meal here once but generally go for the takeaway. The ribs that you can get here are amazing! Very tasty and you can get them to go with chips. The dining in experience is average, the staff are very friendly but the place doesn’t have that much character. I remember going here and having a meal for 4 and us all having a starter and a main meal and being very presently surprised by the bill. So I think the value for money is great just that the dining in experience could be better.

Excellent restaurant!

After an afternoon of steady drinking, I was keen to get a decent feed under my belt and this restaurant definitely delivered! It was recommended by a friend who raved about the burgers being better than GBK. Keen to find out if this bold statement was true, I ordered the beef burger with brie and it was incredible! Cue a massive serving with a truckload of rough cut, skin-​on fries thrown in. For less than £10, it was a bargain! Not to mention the service, which was laidback and super friendly.
It’s worth noting that Mondays are 2−4−1 burgers and Tuesdays proffer a very generous £10 steak deal. My new favourite!

First, I’d like to add an extra ½ star to make it a 3.5 star rating.
The concept is brilliant. Everyone wants to order steak in a restaurant, but very few people actually want to pay for a great steak. The Cattle Grid is the easy-​on-​you-​pocketbook answer to your red meat craving. The quality of meat is not what you would find at an upscale steakhouse, but it certainly still tastes very good. Plus the chips are lovely! You really won’t find better value for money anywhere else.
The place is constantly packed turning over loads of tables in a rather small space and short amount of time.
If I haven’t convinced you to try this spot yet, maybe the life-​sized cow sitting outside the restaurant will do the trick.

Pretty new addition to the long list of Balham eateries, The Cattleshed is a welcome one for me. Because it does Steak. Pretty much only steak. The first indication of this is the enormous fake cow stuck outside, as if to say, ‘come in, eat my friends!’
The steak inside is really good. You get to choose weight cut and how you want it cooked, and with it’s laid-​back diner-​ish feel they can afford to keep the prices reasonable, which they do. Not a place for a romantic meal for two, but for a group of lads out for a bite, it’s hard to beat it.

This is perhaps the best steak I have ever had in London.
Visited yesterday evening with my partner.
I had the 10oz rump, medium rare, topped with haggis. He had the 10oz sirloin, also medium, with a bernaise sauce. Both arrived cooked to perfection and beautifully seasoned. The haggis was irony and meaty, the bernaise a little thick, but full of flavour.
Steaks are accompanied with a watercress salad and hand-​made chips, which were delicious.
In addition, we ordered a selection of sides; onion strings, coleslaw, spinach and green beans. We also had a bottle of rioja.
When you enter, you’re seated and presented with the menu. You then go to the counter to order food and drinks. You also pay at this stage.
Steaks cost around £10-£12 on average. There is also a selection of burgers and ribs, with a takeaway menu. Sides cost £2.50. It’s entirely possible to eat quite cheaply here, the bulk of the expense can come from the wine.
Staff are friendly and attentive, though not intrusive.
In conclusion, the meal was absolutely out of this world and I will definitely be visiting the restaurant again.