The restaurant also fronts as a butcher which helps guarantee the quality of meat served. If I was to be very particular, I'd have to suggest the meat quality at Hawksmoor (sourced from The Ginger Pig) is slightly better and more tender. However the chefs at Barbecoa clearly know how to cook to order (see my Hawksmoor experience for further details).
One thing Barbecoa does have over the other steakhouses in London is a good selection of starters and sides to keep things interesting.
Starter favourites were Pit-Smoked Baby Back Ribs (with coriander & chilli) and Lyme Bay Crab Plate (with avocado, chervil & tomato) - tasted as expected, just great flavours. Crispy Pig Cheeks (with piccalilli, chive & lamb's lettuce salad) weren't as good as I'd hoped - I suppose I prefer them nice, plain and simply roasted. Crispy Calamari (with smashed avocado, lemon & rocket) was decent but the serving size was quite small for the price.
Sides of Creamed Spinach and Coleslaw were as expected. Baked Beans had a nice smoked essence that separated it clearly from the breakfast canned variety. Duck Fat Chips (with Volpain vinegar, salt) were nice and crisp, although short of those from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.
Lastly the steak - honours to the cow. APL Rib-Eye for Two and a special of the day Picanha (top sirloin cap) were wonderfully cooked to a medium-rare to rare perfection. Easy to cut, easy to chew, gentle beef flavour with optional sauces for variety. Similarly a Short Rib (with Worcestershire glaze, Irish champ & watercress) was fall-off-the-bone tender, as it should be.
Desserts included an Apple Brioche and Cheese Plate, neither of which were for me. The Ultimate Sundae was a sickly sweet combination of peanut butter, caramelised popcorn and chocolate. Something decadent to share just to make sure you leave the restaurant feeling additionally fat.
Next time I would order an entree of Lyme Bay Crab Plate (for meal balance over the Baby Back Ribs), a nice rare Sirloin (if it was just for myself), a side of Baked Beans if I was extra hungry, and an Ultimate Sundae provided a minimum of 3 other people were sharing it with me. It is a great meal fit for Death Row.
