IN these days of penny-pinching,you can still treat yourself to a meal out without breaking the bank
TALK of the credit crunch is everywhere. Even if you're not in danger of an imminent visit from the bailiffs, you still end up feeling like you need to share some of the pain. So where do you go if you want something cheap, simple and filling that do
esn't involve pasta, the Orient or curry powder? Well, when I'm in Edinburgh, one of the first options is the Buffalo Grill.
There are, in fact, two Buffalo Grills in the capital – one in Stockbridge and the other right next to Edinburgh University. Both share several things in common: they're invariably bulging at the seams, they have ultra-efficient staff, and neither serve buffalo.
The reason both Buffalo Grills are so popular is straightforward. They have a reputation for serving great steaks and burgers in a convivial atmosphere where you can be rowdy within reason, and the prices mean you don't have to gird your loins every time you pay the bill. Even better, though, you can bring your own wine for a corkage fee of just £1 – although there is also a decent wine list.
The Buffalo Grill serves basic American food in man-size portions invariably accompanied by lots of chips (the thin, French-fry variety rather than big, fat, greasy potato zeppelins). This is not prissy food, this is comfort food: almost everything on the menu looks as if it'll keep you going all week, although it's also worth pointing out that there are several good non-meat choices, including veggie burgers, crêpes and tortillas, plus several fish dishes.
Gregor managed to find about the only non-meat, indigenous option when he opted for the leek and potato soup to start, while I was hungry and dipped into a grey area where you can choose a dish that comes in either a starter or a main course size, depending on your appetite. The bowl of soup that turned up was surprisingly small but was apparently on a par with the legendary broth produced by Gregor's mum, which I took to mean that it was good. My two eggs on ham-topped muffins were definitely free-range, but the hollandaise sauce was shop-bought – and tasted like it. Still, you would have to work very hard to produce a bad eggs benedict, and this wasn't it by any means.
We both chose a house speciality for the main course, although I decided not to go with any of the options that friends who regularly eat at the Buffalo Grill swear by – such as the surf and turf (steak with crevettes) or the teriyaki steak (marinated in soya sauce, ginger and pineapple juice) or the carpetbagger steak (stuffed with oysters). Instead, Gregor chose the Hot Lips burger, which was topped with chilli con carne, while I went for the Delmonico, a 220g slab of fillet steak, and a side order of blue cheese sauce containing Roquefort, wine and garlic. If the burger was a juicy, succulent ball of minced steak with a less tangy than expected topping, my steak was nicely cooked and came with a sauce that managed not to completely overwhelm the taste of the meat. It may not have been the best steak I've had, as some have claimed, but it wasn't too shabby either.
Suitably stuffed, we had little choice but to pass on pudding, which was a pity as I had come armed with stories of the fabled toffee Dime bar cake, which seems to be a favourite pick-me-up for local mums.
So, what to make of the Buffalo Grill? The place is compact, and when it's full can feel a bit cramped, a tad noisy and disarmingly boisterous. So if it's a special occasion or a romantic assignation you're celebrating, then it's probably best to give it a side-swerve. The place rarely changes its menu, but that's a benefit because regulars rarely change their orders: it's steaks or burgers all the way, and if you stray off that path you do so at your own peril.
People seem to either love the place or loathe it, and I find myself in the former category. Most of all, I like the size of the bill. Supplying our own wine but taking coffee, we ended up with a charge of under £30, plus service. Even in a credit crunch, that's outstanding value.
Vital statisticsBuffalo Grill 1 Raeburn Place (0131 332 3864,
www.buffalogrill.co.uk); and 12 Chapel Street (0131 667 7427), Edinburgh
Out of pocketStarters £2.95-£4.95 Main courses £7.95-£15.95 Puddings £3.25-£4.50
Rating 7/10
Hidden treasureSURE, we all love the occasional fish supper, but if you have coeliac disease or a wheat intolerance, you're up the creek without a fishing rod. So thank the gluten-free gods for Land and Sea Fish & Chip Shop, in Main Street, Polmont (01324 717964).
On the first Saturday of every month, customers turn up from miles around to enjoy gluten-free and wheat-free suppers of fish, sausages, potato fritters and onion rings.
But if you can't make it to the shop, you can still buy its breadcrumbs and batter mix at
www.glu2go.co.uk, so you can make your own tummy-friendly fry at home.
