An absolute must – Absolute Barbecues
ABs or Absolute Barbecues opened its doors in Bangalore almost 2 years back in Marathalli. The outlet in BTM is relatively new as it opened in October, 2015. Located on the Outer Ring Road, just before the Jayadeva Flyover. But ever since its inception this outlet has experienced a flock of customers and getting a reservation here is an ‘Absolute’ must! There are 2 slots for lunch one at 12pm and the other at 2:30pm. The decor is similar to Barbeque Nation with a grill on your table facility. The entire outlet was glowing in a Christmas theme but gets very busy during meals and expecting a quite atmosphere is impossible.
Absolute Barbecues is known for its variety of meat related barbecues and it might be overwhelming to see complete body of animals here especially for a Vegetarian family. Having said that the range of vegetarian grill items is also quite amazing. You get an option to choose between a range of complimentary drinks with your food. We chose the Virgin Mojito and the Indian Masala Coke, both the drinks were delicious and refreshing.
Absolute Barbecues is known for its starters and you won’t be disappointed. For the on the table grill we had Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Mushrooms, Tandoori Pineapples, Tandoori Vegetables (corn, sweet potato, capsicum). The best among these were the Tandoori Mushrooms and Pineapple and the corn cob. There is also a range of other appetizers like the Cajun Spiced Potatoes, Crispy Corn, Veg Kebab, Cinnamon Pineapples and Cheesy Bites. The Cajun Spiced Potatoes and Crispy Corn are the best sellers and the reason is simply mouth-watering. These appetizers keep changing on a day today basis.
There are a few live counters as well and we tried the Chaat Counter and the Live Tawa counter. The Chaat Counter had a variety of chaats like Pani Puri, Bhel, Papdi Chaat and so on. We tried the Pani Puri with Paneer Masala, it wasn’t great. But the Live Tawa Counter was surprising as you can choose between a number of vegetables and sauces to create your own rice or noodle dish. What a novel idea! We tried a noodle and a rice dish and both exceeded my expectations.
Only a few people make it to the main course. The range was satisfactory and had a variety of Indian curries and salads. The curries included Aloo Methi, Paneer Butter Masala, Dal Makhani, Sarso Ka Saag among others. The Dal Makhani and Sarso ka Saag were outstanding in taste and quite creamy in texture. The Paneer Masala could have been better. You also have an option to try Biryani, Plain Rice or Curd Rice. I choose to try the Veg Biryani which came along with Salan and Raita, the biryani was excellent.
The Desserts sections also had a live icecream and Cake counters. You can mix a number of condiments with your favourite icecream. The Paan Icecream was made out of Butterscotch Icecream and paan condiment. The taste was superb. We also mixed vanilla icecream with tutti-fruity, nuts and Oreo biscuit, which was a different experience altogether. The cake counter had fruit, banana, carrot, chocolate, plum cakes. Each of these cakes was simply yummy. Among other desserts were baked roshogulla, mini Gulab Jamun, different pastries and so many more options.
The experience at Absolute Barbecues was one of its kind. The service was excellent throughout the course of the meals. ABs takes the service quality to just another level which is absolutely personalized. But the place gets a bit smoky and crowded after a while. But the buffet is an absolute value for money with the variety of items on the table.
The Scorecard:-
Food/Taste – 8.5/10
Service – 9/10
Value for Money – 9/10
Ambiance – 7.5/10
Quantity/Quality – 9/10
Overall Rating – 4.3/5
ABs is an absolute must!
