Carnivore Restaurant - Johannesburg

When I learned we had an evening layover in Johannesburg, South Africa and that there was a Carnivore Restaurant there I made arrangements for our travel agent to get us there and back. 

It was almost embarrassing. We were met right off our plane by a man with a sign with our names on it. He walked us over and through customs, walked us to a woman who then took us outside to our waiting vehicle and introduced us to our driver. We checked in to our hotel right next to the airport, then were driven about 70 kilometers to Muldersdrift. Our driver waited for us while we ate, then took us back to our hotel. 

The area where the spits are. It was winding down by this time. 

Small bowls with various salads and the pot had a local mash (it was not potatoes). 

It was quite late when we get there, maybe 9:00 p.m., on a week night, and they started winding down. We were put in a very dark place where it was difficult to get good photos and our service was just okay. 

When we ate at Carnivore in Nairobi we were with a large group and the group generated some fun discussions and comments with the various meats. 

The lighting was horrible, so the photos are marginal. Kudu meatballs are to the right. A slab of zebra is to the back right. 

The game meats available were: (a) crocodile, my piece was overly cooked and very bony, a C-; (b) kudu meatballs which were very good, but I'd much rather have the game meat in a recognizable form; (c) impala, several pieces and the rarest piece was best; and (d) zebra, which was amazing. I've had zebra before and it was very, very tough and very, very, very gamy, some of the gamiest meat I've ever tasted. So I was in rapture over the zebra meat. It came around on a spit and a piece was carved off. I had several slices. 

Some sliced impala in the center. 

Given all we had to do to get there, the experience was a disappointment. I think it would have been better if we'd arrived earlier and had a better selection of meat and better service and better seating. I'm not totally put off by the Carnivore brand, but the brand was diminished in my view.