Lunch, Ranchers Butchers Shop and Grill, Garden City, Kampala

I’m a bit behind sorry. Anyway a couple of weeks ago on a warm Saturday morning (all the mornings are warm) I decided to try one of the three cinemas in Kampala for the first time. Two of them are found in the adjacent malls of Garden City and Oasis and are part of the same chain. The third, which also boasts 3D enabled screens is in a large out of town shopping centre on the Northern bypass. Both are fairly convenient for being a 10 minute boda drive away, but the one at Metroplex doesn’t have a website I could find, so I settled for one of the two Cineplex cinemas.

The wrong cinema

Having chosen the film that I wanted to watch (Star Trek Into Darkness, as I’ve managed to watch Fast and Furious 6 and Iron Man 3 separately) I saw that it was showing at Oasis so I made my way to the southern-most mall. Upon arriving there was a guy behind the counter who clearly didn’t belong there and he was just holding the fort till the qualified staff came in. I nipped downstairs to the Nakumatt to get a drinks and snacks rather than paying the usual exorbitant cinema prices. Snacks bought I headed back upstairs and only had to wait another minute or two till the right person came by to let me know that Star Trek was showing in Garden City instead.

It’s a good ten minutes on foot to get from one cinema to another and it was getting close to 11am when the film was due to start. Normally in the UK this wouldn’t bother me in the slightest, but I’d been told by several people that there is one thing that runs on time in Uganda and that is films, with usually only one or two trailers and no adverts. I got there at just before 11am and the three staff there were on a seeming go slow and around ten minutes later I emerged with a ticket. Naturally the screen that I needed to be at was the furthest from where I was so at about 11.15am I entered the screen fully expecting the film to be in full swing to find a completely deserted room.

The correct one

If I was ever to win the lottery (which would be difficult seeing as I don’t play it) one of the things I’d have in my home when I eventually got round to getting one would be in a cinema. Here in Uganda all you have to do is go to a late Saturday morning showing to get your own screen. Eventually some more staff came by to inform me that I was entitled to a free soft drink (Pepsi, not Coke) and some change. All in I paid 16,000 UGX (£4) for a ticket and drink in a deserted theatre, a bit like the PCC then.

The film was alright, Benedict Cumberbatch awesome as ever, but by the time it had finished it was well after one so I ventured downstairs to get some lunch. I shied away from the food court worried that the waitress from the Lebanese place would laugh at me from my foolishness last time. I went back to the ground floor, where in one corner there is an upmarket butchers / deli that also has some tables outside and serves various grilled meats. I had read in one of the local magazines that it served the best burger in Kampala so naturally had to give it a try.

Popular venue, I struggled to get a seat

Whilst waiting I had a mooch round the butchers and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of produce that they sold slightly better than the Quality Cuts concession in my local Nakumatt. Incidentally a week or so later I got about 400g of not too shabby Rib-Eye from the supermarket for the less than 7,000 UGX (£1.75), absolute bargain.

Cheese, wine and meat. All the essentials

Anyway on to the meat of the review, after a reasonable wait the double cheese burger arrived. It came with workaday chips and bit of salad garnish. The bun was slightly over toasted and clearly came from the bakery that also services Nakumatt supermarkets. The patties weren’t too bad, but not particularly special. Since I’m writing this review a couple of weeks after the event for a change, I’m really struggling to remember much about it. It was by no means bad, but pretty uneventful and quite expensive at around 18,000 UGX.

2.5 out of 5. I would go back, but would have steak or a mixed grill from this meat lovers paradise. The wings are also supposed to be good, but after 'Winger Winger Chicken Dinner' at Patty & Bun, I don't think I'll ever wings anywhere near that good again.

Thanks to Max I recently got in to Luther, if you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it as well, but Tuesday night's episode (s3e3) was very sad.