An Old Crush, A New Obsession

If I’m being honest, you won’t find me on this side of Cape Town very often. In fact, it might be one of the areas I visit the least. But after this visit, I think I may have found a very good reason to change that.

Jerry’s isn’t new. Far from it. In fact, it reminded me a little bit of bumping into an old school crush years later. You know the one. The person who was always there, but somehow your paths never quite crossed the way they were meant to. 

Why It Took Me So Long To Get Here

Maybe that’s what happened with me and Jerry’s. Because while the restaurant itself has long been a local favourite, there are a few newer additions to the menu that I still can’t stop thinking about. And just like I believe the best hip hop playlist comes from a mix of old school and new school, the same can be said for a restaurant that knows how to honour what works while still keeping things interesting.

I arrived on a particularly chilly winter evening. To be fair, the wind seemed determined to bully the entire city that night, not just Blouberg… for once. Luckily, Jerry’s seems to know exactly how to make you forget about whatever weather drama is happening outside.

Between the warm welcome, the heat of the pizza oven, hearty comfort food, and a cocktail list that feels more tropical island escape than Cape Town winter survival plan, it didn’t take me very long to settle in.

“Because steak is very, very good. And so are ribs.”

The Best Seat In The House

We were shown to our table and handed one of the best seats in the house. While the ocean had completely disappeared into the night, Table Mountain was glowing in the distance, creating a surprisingly beautiful backdrop for the evening. Quick question: does anyone know when they installed those lights? No complaints, just curious…

Winter Drinking: Embrace Reality Or Live In Denial

We settled in, took a look through the menu, and got ready to see what the night had in store. Now, when it comes to winter drinking, I firmly believe there are two avenues.

One: lean into the season. Order the red wine, the whiskey, the warming drinks and fully embrace the fact that you’re freezing.

Or two: complete and utter denial. Naturally, I chose option two.

A Tale Of Two Cocktails

After a quick look at the cocktail menu, I found myself torn between a Watermelon Paloma and a Pina Colada. Unable to decide, I did what any reasonable person would do and ordered both. The Pina Colada was easily my favourite of the two.

Creamy, coconutty and just indulgent enough, it arrived looking every bit as good as it tasted. It was the kind of cocktail that immediately transports you somewhere warmer, preferably with a beach and absolutely no weather forecast.

The Watermelon Paloma played the perfect supporting role. Lighter, brighter and a little more delicate, it balanced out the richness of the Pina Colada beautifully. Together they made for a surprisingly good pairing.

Thin Crust Pizza Enters The Chat

It’s probably time to introduce some food into the equation. Which brings me to one of the newer additions to the menu, the thin crust sheet pan pizza, juicy steak to cocktails, dumplings, dessert, here’s my honest review of Jerry’s Blouberg and why it’s more than just a burger spotstyle pizzas. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Cape Town has become somewhat obsessed with Neapolitan pizza over the last few years. Not that I’m complaining. I love a good Neapolitan pizza. But every now and then it’s nice to switch things up.

Cape Town’s Pizza Scene Has Competition

These rectangular, thinner pizzas bring something a little different to the table and, in the spirit of sharing cocktails, sharing pizza felt only right. The version we chose immediately caught my eye because it reminded me of one of my all time favourite pasta dishes, spaghetti puttanesca. Olives, anchovies, peppers, cheese. What’s not to love?

The Puttanesca Pizza I Can’t Stop Thinking About

The base was lightly blistered, thin enough to feel effortless to eat, yet sturdy enough to carry all those bold flavours. The anchovies brought that umami, briny punch, the olives added earthiness, and there was the perfect amount of cheese that tied everything together without overwhelming anything. It was salty, moreish and essentially a puttanesca pizza. If this is the direction Jerry’s is taking with its newer menu additions, then I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I order one.

Fork Foods, Finger Foods And Other Excellent Decisions

With cocktails going down swimmingly, and the pizza going down even more swimmingly (fish joke intended), the rest of our snacks arrived. A trio of small plates. Or finger foods. Or fork foods. Depending on your level of coordination, your level of tipsy, and your willingness to embrace a little bit of mess.

The Cheese Bombs That Changed My Mind

I’ll start with the surprise of the evening. The cheese bombs. Look, I enjoy cheese, but I’m not exactly the person ordering giant cheese loaded everything. I like balance. And with cheese, I believe less is more.  So I was slightly sceptical. But these were outrageously good. What made them work so well was the balance. Instead of relying on one cheese, there was a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, feta and cheddar, which gave them a lot more depth than I was expecting.

Then, rather than having a heavy breading coating, these were wrapped in strands of phyllo pastry before being fried. The result was an incredibly crisp exterior with a molten, gloriously gooey centre. And yes, there was a proper cheese pull.

The smoky garlic aioli on the side only made things more dangerous. On paper, it sounds excessive. Cheese inside cheese, fried in pastry and dipped into aioli. In reality? I ate far more of them than I had originally intended. Dangerous. Dangerously good.

It’s Not Me, It’s The Dumplings

Next were the dumplings. At this point I don’t think it’s me. I think it’s them. For whatever reason, dumplings seem to gravitate towards me. I simply accept my fate. The wagyu dumplings immediately made sense on a Jerry’s menu. After all, this is a restaurant that knows its way around good burgers. The filling was rich, savoury and deeply satisfying, almost like taking everything you love about a really good wagyu burger and wrapping it in a dumpling instead of a bun. Which, if you ask me, is a very solid idea.

The chicken dumplings were a lighter contrast. Juicy, fragrant and comforting, they were more of the classic potsticker vibe. Which provided a little break between some of the richer dishes on the table. 

Plot Twist: The Whiskey Sour Was Right All Along

By this point, spirits were high, plates were disappearing at an alarming rate, and nobody was particularly interested in sharing anymore. Either I was filling up, or maybe I just need to take back my earlier statement about winter drinking. Because, much like any good debate, both sides were probably right (or wrong) all along. Maybe it was the stage of the evening.

Maybe it was the food. Maybe I simply felt like switching things up. Whatever the reason, I decided to retire from the tropical island holiday fantasy for a moment and move on to one of my all time favourite cocktails. A whiskey sour. Strong enough to command attention, sharp enough to cut through everything that had come before it, and exactly what I needed before the mains arrived.

My Vegetarian Era Was Brief

And then the mains arrived. Oh my word. Now, I should probably mention that outside of restaurant visits, I’ve found myself naturally leaning more towards vegetarian meals. But, after this dinner, that may need to be revisited. Because steak is very, very good. And so are ribs.

The Steak That Made Me Reconsider Everything

The star of the evening was a beautifully matured sirloin on the bone, cooked medium rare and served with a dressed rocket salad with generous Parmesan shavings. And because moderation had very clearly left the building several bites ago, we added the truffle mushroom sauce too. Excellent decision.

What I loved most was that the sauce wasn’t just sauce. It was packed with actual mushrooms, rich with earthy truffle flavour. The steak itself was outstanding. It was buttery, deeply savoury and properly tender. One of those dishes that immediately makes you pause after the first bite. I’ve eaten a lot of steaks in Cape Town over the years. A lot. And this one genuinely stood out.

I loved the sharpness of the dressed rocket and Parmesan salad. It cut through the richness of the sauce beautifully and stopped everything from feeling too heavy. While we were technically sharing… I must admit that not everyone got equal access to the salad and mushroom sauce. I regret nothing.

Some People Collect Handbags

On the side were sweet potato fries, which, if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know are one of my greatest weaknesses. Some people collect handbags. I collect sweet potato fries. Every last fry found its way through the mushroom sauce and any remaining steak juices because wasting simply isn’t something I support.

I Finally Understand My Mother’s Rib Obsession

Then there were the ribs. I don’t normally order ribs. In fact, I’ve often wondered why my mother loved them quite as much as she did. I understand now. The knife made a brief appearance before quickly becoming unnecessary. These ribs practically surrendered at the sight of it. They were sticky, sweet, tender and loaded with meat. At one point I wondered whether teeth were even required. It was served alongside stir-fried vegetables, and the contrast worked beautifully.

The freshness of the vegetables balanced the sticky sweetness of the glaze and stopped the dish from becoming too heavy. Which means that, technically speaking, this was a very balanced meal. There was salad. There were vegetables. There were multiple vegetable dishes, in fact. There was protein. There was a whiskey sour. Honestly, from a nutritional perspective, I think we all did very well.

There’s Always Room For Dessert

Having done such an excellent job consuming my daily vegetable intake, I decided it was only right to reward myself with dessert. Besides, there was still a reasonably long Uber ride ahead of me and, personally, I think being slightly overfed in the back of an Uber is one of life’s great pleasures. 

Team Custard Or Team Ice Cream?

Sharing had worked out pretty well so far, so we continued the trend with two desserts. A malva pudding and a baked cheesecake. Now before we continue, I have an important question. Are you team custard or team ice cream when it comes to malva pudding? Choose carefully. This information belongs either on your CV or your dating profile.

Personally, I’m a custard girl through and through. For me, there is simply no better pairing than warm malva pudding and custard. A genuine match made in heaven. Unlike some of my previous relationships. But we move. This was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was comforting, nostalgic and deeply South African.

It reminded me of those desserts that somehow always appear after a braai, regardless of how full everyone claims to be. The pudding itself was surprisingly light, the custard warm and silky, and together they delivered exactly the sort of cosy comfort a cold winter evening calls for.

The Cheesecake That Understood The Assignment

Lastly, the baked cheesecake. And what I loved most about it was that it wasn’t trying too hard. No elaborate toppings and no towering construction project disguised as dessert. Just a very good cheesecake. Actually, scratch that. An exceptional cheesecake. I’m a firm believer that the base is just as important as the filling. The ratio was spot on, with a generous layer of biscuit base supporting a rich, dense and beautifully creamy filling.            

What really stood out, though, was the saltiness running through the base. It balanced the richness perfectly and stopped the whole thing from becoming overly sweet. Dense in the best possible way, indulgent in all the right places and probably one of the better cheesecakes I’ve had in quite some time.  Had it arrived at the beginning of the meal, I may have fought harder for my half.

By this stage, however, I was operating at full capacity. This was not a balanced course. This was a dessert course. And honestly, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

More Than Just A Burger Spot

By the end of the evening, I found myself thinking about Jerry’s very differently. For years, I had mentally filed it as a burger spot. A good burger spot, sure. But a burger spot nonetheless. This meal completely changed that perception.



What impressed me most wasn’t any one dish in particular. It was the consistency across the board. The pizza could have been the highlight. The steak could have been the highlight. The ribs could have been the highlight. The dumplings, cheese bombs and desserts  all had a convincing argument too.

My Expert Advise

Which leaves me with this recommendation. Bring friends. Order widely. Share generously.

Because choosing just one thing feels almost impossible. And if you happen to find yourself in Blouberg, whether you’re there for the beach, the views or simply passing through, I’d strongly suggest making Jerry’s part of the plan. Just make sure you leave room for dessert. Trust me on that one.

Until next time!