Although I love BBQ, I can't say that I necessarily crave it when I'm traveling. So I was surprised at how excited I was when a co-worker brought us to a BBQ joint in Amsterdam. At first we were told there wasn't enough room for all of us, which made me want to go even more (the power of being told no), so when a few of us split off, we were able to snag a table downstairs for 4. It's a pretty cool vibe inside - lots of dark wood paneling but not in an old stodgy way. It's definitely more in a hipster way.
The menu is pretty similar to what you would see at an American BBQ place - pork belly, chicken wings, ribs, pulled work and others yummy meat stuff. The thing with BBQ is that it's better to share than to eat your own - so I was super happy when my friend Sophia wanted to split the Pig Out for 2 (24.50 euros). With all this meat, I had to get something green to eat so I also got the spring pea salad which was amazing and I highly recommend. The Pig Out platter came with a lot of food - sausage, pork cheek, pork belly and pulled pork and it was served with jalapeño and BBQ sauce as well as mustard. While I was impressed with the amount of food and that most of it was pretty true to American style BBQ, most of it was a bit too dry for my taste, especially the pork belly. I didn't try the ribs but my co-workers mentioned that they were pretty good. Obviously one doesn't come to Amsterdam for BBQ and while I wouldn't say this should be on your must-eat list if you're only in Amsterdam for a few days, but if you're here for an extended period of time, it's worth checking out. Plus at 24.50 euros for 2 people, it's a steal.
Photo Credit: Yelp
Cafe Lotje Johannes Vermeerstraat 52, 1071 4 Forks
This place was also recommended by a local co-worker and it was super packed with locals - so that's always a good sign. In case you couldn't tell from my picture, the menu is primarily focused on steak, steak and more steak. Be prepared to really have your heart stop and while they do have salads here, it's not a place if you're looking to be healthy. But it is a keto dieter's dream with meat soaking in butter.
When in Amsterdam, you have to start with an order of bitterballs (5.25 euros) - these are a classic Dutch staple and deliciously addictive. It's essentially a fried ball filled with meat and roux - it's very similar to a croquette in texture and flavor. You can easily sit around and pop a bunch of them in your mouth while you wait for your food. And wait you will here. As my friend mentioned to me, Amsterdam is not known for its service. It's not what you would call a hospitality focused country - our waiters were a bit surly, inattentive and generally annoyed with us (although I don't really blame them when it's a table of 10 people). I didn't really know the difference in all the steak variations (and looking at the menu again, I'm still not sure), all I know is that I got a regular piece of steak done medium rare (18.95 euros). When you get your steak, unlike in the US where they give you a sauce on the side, this one is soaking in it. Like fully drenched in butter gravy. You can feel your arteries clogging with every bite you take but it does keep the meat very moist and juicy. We also split the beef carpaccio (11.25 euros) which came with arugula and truffle mayo. It was thinly sliced with good flavor and after having that, I wished I got that as my main dish instead of a steak soaked in sauce.
Overall, it was a fun environment because it was full of lively locals and the food, while isn't life changing, is tasty, albeit a bit on the heavy side. It's away from the city center, so it's a nice detour if you're looking for something different.
Photo Credit: Yelp
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