With Buddies, Bar and Barbecue, the management of ABs takes the barbecue concept one step further – retaining the unlimited starters, doing away with the extensive main course and introducing drinks at enviously competitive prices, they have yet again managed to find the perfect ruse to keep people coming in.
Ambience: Set in the 3rd floor of the same building that houses ABs at Jubilee hills, this place gives the buddies and bar vibes right from the entrance itself. The first thing that catches your eye as you enter are the absolutely gorgeous Absolute Vodka bottles that light up the uniquely done ceiling. Two live counters, spacious outdoor seating, comfortable high chairs and foot tapping music set the perfect tone for an awesome evening to come.
Service: Could not get any better. With friendly staff waiting on you cheerfully, it truly feels like dining at a buddies place! Heard they even provide hired valets to avoid drunken driving. Hospitality definitely doesn’t get better than this.
Drinks: Barbecued fruit cocktails sounded interesting, so Chilli Watermelon it was. The chilli hits you hard and good but the Watermelon liquer and vodka just weren’t proportioned right and couldn’t find the mint at all.
Food: 5 veg and non veg starters each, biryani for the main course and a couple of desserts is an apt menu for the partying crowd.
The beetroot and cucumber salad in a glass with a tasty dip in between was novel, crunchy and tasty.
Amongst the non veg starters, bbq chicken was succulent and definitely the best and the grilled fish was well marinated, light and mildly spiced.
Sheekh Kebab though got the flavor right, the meat could have been softer and though the tandoori chicken wings were juicy with a crispy skin, I’d rather prefer messy, spicier barbecued ones anyday.
Veg starters were equally interesting and good especially the dahi ke sholay.
Couldn’t get enough of the crispy corn and the bbqd honey cinnamon pineapple was warm, juicy and epic!
American cheesy potato and grilled paneer were decent.
Chicken biryani could definitely have been better since that was all the main course offered. It was dry and lacked flavour, the raita however was good.
Wished they improvised on the desserts too rather than sticking to the pastries, gulab jamuns and cut fresh fruits but the pan ice-cream more than made up for the lack of variety.
Unlike most places where the pan flavor is infused into the ice-cream, here it gets the cold stone treatment and biting on huge chunks of gulkhand while gulping down the ice-cream was absolutely sensational. The best part, it isn’t heavy and one could easily gulp down a couple of cups even on a full stomach.
VFM: The prices are pretty decent for the variety and the taste offered not to forget the killer drink deals.
All in all, when getting together with buddies for barbecue at a bar gets tastier and affordable too, you know the restaurant stands true to its name! I couldn’t be happier since it made my 3 hours spent stuck in traffic totally worth it (the things I do for food!).
Rating: Food – 4.0/5 (Keep the starters coming, main course and desserts need variety)
Experience – 4.0/5 (Since I’d prefer a quiet place to a loud one any day)
Scrumptious Soirées.. 