Vaqueiro
54 Haneviim Street
Jerusalem
ISRAEL
(view map)

Tel: 011-972-2-624-7432
02-624-7432

Lunch: 12:00 - 4:00pm NIS 57 per person menu of 6 selections "churrascaria" style, NIS 75 all-you-can-eat.

 
Dinner: 6:00pm - 11:00pm 10 different types of meat, unlimited, NIS 129 per person

First Courses Dish Price   Salad Platter including home baked bread rolls 25 ₪ Empanada South American pastry filled with piquant ground beef 15 ₪ Savanna Soup-Rich South African style meat soup 22 ₪ Salmon Carpaccio-Finely sliced filet Salmon in delicate marinade 25 ₪ Choriso Two South American style beef sausages served on a bed of fresh vegetables 28 ₪ Chicken Wings grilled in piquant marinade 22 ₪

Main Courses Dish Price   Freshly ground 300gm grilled Beefburger 45 ₪ Sirloin Steak 200/ 400/ 700 gm served with oven roasted potatos 149/85/57 ₪ Entrecote (Rib-Eye) Steak 200/ 400/ 700 gm served with oven roasted potatoes 190/120/75 ₪ Medallions of Filet Mignon basted with traditional South African sauce and served with potato puree 110 ₪ Filet of Salmon oven baked and served with vegetables roasted with balsamic vinegar & olive oil 69 ₪ Turkey Breast baked with garlic and lemon then finished on the grill-served with stir fried vegetables 55 ₪ All the main courses include our freshly baked bread rolls and meat sauces

House Specialty Dish Price   Eat as much as you can from a variety of meats, salads, house breads, bread spreads, house sauces and hot side dishes Lunch Six kinds of meat : Chorisio, Grilled Chicken Winges, Turkey roasted in honey sauce, Empanada, Roast Beaf, Boboyie 75 ₪ Dinner Ten kinds of meat : Chorisio, Grilled Chicken Wings, Turkey roasted in honey sauce, Empanada, Roast Beef, Bobotie, Corned Beef, Turkey Breast, Potjie, Entrecote 129 ₪

Lunch Time Special Dish Price   Choice of First Course, Main Course and tea/coffee at the price of the Main Course only

Sweet Ending Dish Price   Choice of home made desserts 26 ₪

Cuisine: South American
Avg. Check (PP) w/o drinks:
Attire: Casual

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ABOUT VAQUEIRO

RABBINICAL SUPERVISION
Rabbanut Jerusalem / Glatt Kosher Mehadrin

RESERVATIONS


CREDIT CARDS


HOURS
Sunday - Thursday 12:00pm- 1:00am
Friday 12:00-4:30pm.
After Shabbat till 1:00am

Succah On Succot: Yes
Nine Days Menu: Yes
Open For Pesach: No

Vaqueiro is a concept restaurant. It's what the Brazilians call "Churascuria" - an all you can eat grill. In this Israeli version, we have one of those wonderful "ingathering of exiles" fusion. Here is Stanley Lifshitz, a veteran South African oleh, as our host, serving a Brazilian meat grill, which is mostly South African inspired, with touches of Spain, U.S., U.K., France, and of course, Israel.

Okay - you are in for a real trip! Tighten your seatbelts, but as the dinner progresses you will be loosening them. Did I say this was all you can eat? The idea of a concept restaurant, besides the food, is that it is a show from start to finish. The staff are well trained for this performance, gaucho pants and all. To train, they "shadow" a staff member for four days. There is then a written test with 100 questions. There is even a moed bet (second chance) for those that don't pass first time around.

This is the deal: There is no written menu. 124 shekels gets you 10 different meat courses, including six salads, bread and roast potatoes. The salads change daily with the whim of the chef, but you can expect to find a good potato salad, a pasta salad, cabbage salad, an eggplant dish, a beet and apple salad or an orange and onion salad. The salads are also all you can eat, but caution, don't fill up on salads and bread when the best is yet to come. This is most definitely meat lovers paradise, but if perchance there is a non-meat eater in your party there is salmon available for 99 shekels.

The well-trained staff serve all the food family style and will explain each dish. At any stage you may ask for seconds. Another strategy is to try all ten dishes and then ask for seconds of something you really like. Either way you won't leave hungry.

The Menu:
Served one after another...
1) Chicken wings in a peach sauce. The waiter brings a huge skewer to your table straight from the grill. We were encouraged to eat these with our hands.
2) Empanadas—like a meat knish—this version had a nice flaky crust and nicely spiced meat filling.
3) Potjie (pronounced pot-key or as the Israeli say poike) This is basically a stew cooked and served in a black witches cauldron. The staff bring the whole pot to the table. The stew will vary from day to day but the basic principle is layered meat and vegetables that never get stirred.
4) Boerwors - a mildly spiced South African sausage seasoned with nutmeg and coriander. All the food is made in house, and Stanley is particularly proud of his creation of boerwors. My South African companion gave it his seal of approval.
5) Roastbeef - Again the whole piece brought to the table and one could choose a cut from the crispy ends or medium or rare.
6) A whole Thanksgiving turkey also wheeled out. Again you may choose any part of the bird that is your favorite. As an American, I can vouch that the turkey melts in your mouth and is soft and juicy with a honey basting.
7) Corned Beef cooked South African style
8) Goose legs in an orange sauce
9) Entrecote steak
10) Bobotee—A South African dish of dark turkey meat stuffed with dried fruit.

After the meal we were served an apple sorbet to cleanse the pallet. And a very nice touch, we were then given finger bowls to clean our hands after digging into all this food.

Dessert is extra and also part of the show. Again the cart is wheeled out and one can choose from the house specialty Cape Brandy Cake, Chocolate mousse, lemon pie and other cakes. We loved the Cape Brandy cake (one portion can easily feed four). It was more like an English pud.

There are two rolling wine carts with 6 or each of Stanley's favorite reds and whites. Again, the staff can tell you everything there is to know about these wines. In fact, it was a veritable course in wines for the uninitiated! The explanations take awhile, but its part of the show and makes for a complete dining experience. So even if you are not a wine drinker, it's worth the experience to hear about the wines Israel has to offer.

Setting:
Vaquero in on Haneviim St, one of the most beautiful and historic streets in the city. The restaurant is in a lovingly restored old building. The interior is divided into intimate areas and a big space ideal for family gatherings. Occasionally, there are special events with music and even a poolroom for pre and apres dining. There is also a charming outdoor porch for catching the delicious Jerusalem air.

Bottom Line:
Vaqueiro is off the beaten track, but don't let that fool you. Reservations are a must. This is an experience that you won't have elsewhere and will be talking about for awhile after. On the eLuna gapevine it should go far. We also like to patronize Anglo establishments, where we feel at home and the food and service meet our demanding expectations.

*This review was submitted by Fredi Engelberg [fredie@netvision.net.il] and reprinted from eLuna.com