Thursday, March 21, 2024

The German Butchery

The German Butchery is one of my favourite places in town – partially because it’s practically across the road from my house but mostly because it’s just a really great place. Not only do they offer a quality restaurant with a bunch of things you can’t find anywhere else (pork knuckle, anyone?) but they also have a small but glorious little grocery store off to the side selling, in my opinion, the best meat in Kigali.

Many of the supermarkets in Kigali sell their meat and they’ve been operating in Rwanda for 13 years so far. This restaurant is their first foray into the world of food service. I guess with a name like ‘German Butchery’ you’d expect them to do meat well and they don’t disappoint. Plus they have a pretty mean stash of good cheese. But this isn’t a review of butcher shops or grocery stores, it’s a restaurant review so lets get on with things, shall we?

German Butchery, Kigali

German Butchery opened about a year ago and I’ve been meaning to review then since I stumbled onto their amazing burger while on my Kigali Burger Quest. At Rwf 4,000 for a huge burger and a nice stack of chips, it’s one of the best value meals I’ve found. After a quick glance over the rest of the menu, I knew I’d be back several times to try out some more tempting offers that all seem to be very well-priced.

I eat out a lot and I’ve had plenty of mediocre meals in the name of writing a review for this site. While I’m not going to complain about my super cushy ‘job’, I will say that I’m always extra impressed when I come across a place that does things a little different or offers up food that can’t be found in many other places. German Butcher is one of these restaurants. One of my favourite meals that isn’t too common in Kigali (I think it’s also available at La Galette) is their rotisserie chicken which is great value at Rwf 4,000 for half a chicken and chips and is totally worth a try.

German Butchery, Kigali

But rotisserie chicken, while unusual in Kigali, is just the tip of the iceberg! German Butcher really lives up to its name and offers up a whole slew of favourites from the Europe including German mixed sausage (Rwf 4,000), Bavarian liver dumpling soup (!? Rwf 3,500), frog legs (Rwf 4,500), pork knuckle (Rwf 4,000), and a whole slew of other things I can’t pronounce and therefore won’t attempt to type.

They’ve got a pretty good selection of salads (Rwf 1,500 to 3,800) and all of the usual things like pasta, pizza, brochettes, and soup if you’re not up for a German food adventure. My one complaint about German Butchery is their stinginess with the mayonnaise. Maybe Germans are known as great guzzlers of mayo and a business catering to Germans could not possibly dream of giving out this condiment for free? Maybe it’s because their prices are already quite low so they try to make up the difference on the great margins offered by mayo? I don’t know but they dole out the mayonnaise in small packets and then charge Rwf 100 for extra. They make up for this with generous helpings of really good homemade pili pili, though, so I can’t complain too much.

German Butchery, Kigali

I’ve tried a few meals here and have been really impressed with everything except the pork chops (Rwf 4,300) that were recommended by a friend. While the sauce is really delicious, the chops underneath seemed to be cooked into oblivion and were more like little bits of shriveled leather hiding beneath the roasted onions. But the sauce really does make it all ok. Super yummy. Maybe I just caught the chef on a bad day and I’d give them another try sometime in the future because the sauce really was that good.

If you want to try pork in another form, come on the first Saturday of each month for grilled suckling pig starting at 5pm. I tried it at their Oktoberfest party this year (another addition to their tally of awesomeness) and I thought it was tasty though I don’t have anything to compare it to since it was the first time I’d tried it. They certainly don’t have that at any other restaurants in Kigali!

German Butchery, Kigali

Pizza probably isn’t the top of most people’s list when they head to a German restaurant but I’d heard it was good and, since I’m always on the lookout for Kigali’s best pizza (a new article, perhaps?) I thought I’d give it a try. I was nervous when the pizza approached and the usual feet-like smell of Rwandan Gouda wafted my way. But, upon closer inspection, there’s a generous mix of local cheese and mozzarella and it really worked well. I ordered the Hawaiian pizza (Rwf 5,300) and was impressed with the yummy ham and liberal use of pineapple. Their pizza base isn’t as good as at Sol e Luna but it does the trick. Also make sure to try their delicious chili oil.

The Margarita pizza is only Rwf 2,500 and if it’s the same size as the Hawaiian (no reason it shouldn’t be… right?) then that’s an amazing deal. My pizza was loaded with toppings and large enough for two people to share for lunch. I ended up taking half of mine home. So it seems they have a pretty good handle on lots of different types of cuisines. For a taste of Rwanda, I’ve heard their chicken brochettes are really good as well.

Pizza, German Butchery, Kigali

I think I’ve conveyed how much I like the food. I like the atmosphere just as much. It’s nothing flashy, just a collection of plastic Coke and Mutzig tables and chairs set up under a custom-build shed structure with a bar in the corner. But the place is often busy with all sorts of people and it has a fun buzz about it that I like. It’s a beer-with-lunch-on-a-workday kind of place. They have a projector and screen for watching sports and it’s the place to come to watch an international football match involving Germany.

Wine is affordable at Rwf 2,500 a glass and you can get a bottle for around Rwf 25,000.  They’ve got all of the usual spirits ranging in price from Rwf 2,500 to 4,000 per shot and they’ll sell you the whole bottle if you want. They also have a good selection of beer including Tucher (Rwf 2,300), which I assume is German and offers a nice reprieve from the monotony of Mutzig, Primus, Skol, Heinekin, repeat. It’s not really a party place (unless Oktoberfest of a football match are on) but it’s one of the best places to come with a group of friends to hang out in a laid back place with good food and service.

As you can probably tell, I’m a fan! And with a seemingly endless line of restaurant openings in Kimihurura and Nyarutarama, it’s nice to finally have someplace great over on my side of town. Give them a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Phone: 0788 552 873
Hours: Daily, 7am – 10pm

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