I’ve been wanting to try The Butcher Shop and Pub ever since I saw photos of the Porkchop and Beans floating around the internet. It’s a relatively new restaurant which made me want to try it so I can recommend it to other people! I decided to go there just last Saturday lunch to finally try the dish. Another restaurant in the Fort area was crossed off my eat-list. So how did it fare and would it be one of my go-to restaurants in the Fort?

The place was empty for a Saturday lunch (1:30pm) with just two tables being occupied. The interiors were nice and simple with polished wooden chairs and tables as well as a polished wooden bar area. During the day, with the light coming through the glass windows, The Butcher Shop and Pub gave off a warm, homey, and cosy feel while still feeling masculine. I’m sure men would like this place. There’s a small nook on the ground floor with a couch which is a perfect place for a group of 4. Do reserve this table if you have the chance. They played house music which was okay with me but probably not the best for a quiet brunch with your family or gal pals. I can only imagine how fun it would be at night.

Upon looking through the menu, I was pleasantly surprised by 2 things: how varied it is and how affordable the dishes are. For a restaurant/pub in high street, you expect exorbitant prices and miniscule serving sizes. It was great to see that most of their main dishes were 500 and below, appetizers are 300 below, salads were around 200, breakfast at around 300 and below, and desserts for 65. The beer was a bit pricey at 170 to 200 a bottle (Katipunan, Stella, Heineken) so I’d rather go for the cocktails that range from 150 to 200 pesos. If you’re really thirsty, might as well go for unlimited cocktails at 500 pesos! They serve different kinds of food which will surely satisfy everyone. They have smoked dishes, steaks, breakfast food, pizza, pasta, salad, appetizers, and desserts. Just by looking at the menu alone, I knew I’d be back to try the other dishes.

For appetizer, I decided to get the loaded kamote chips. The serving size was quite generous and it really was loaded with toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions and ranch dressing. The dish was very tasty with the flavors coming together well. I just wish they spread out the cheddar cheese more since they clumped together to only some select pieces of kamote chips. Nevertheless, I will definitely order this again. It’s a good alternative to the usual nachos and for only 120 pesos, it’s quite a steal.

Since the Pork and Beans brought me here, of course I had to order that. The serving size was a bit smaller than I expected and the porkchop looked dry and thin. The sunny side up egg was cooked well with a runny yolk, placed on top of a cup of rice. The beans weren’t as plenty as I’d hoped but I knew it was the star of the dish when I saw that it had actual pork slices in it. It looked so appetizing that I couldn’t wait to taste it!

Just as I was about to take a bite, I saw something that made me stop: a 2-inch strand of hair. All my excitement to try this dish I’ve been craving for for weeks turned into disappointment. I really wanted to try the dish but seeing that there’s hair in the beans, I was upset that I wouldn’t be able to try it that day. They offered to replace it but I’m assuming they make their beans in batches so to be safe, we opted to order something else. I know that sometimes these things happen but I hope they do something about hygiene and sanitation to avoid this from happening again. It almost ruined the promising lunch that started with a good appetizer.

I was able to try the porkchop though and it was nothing special. Not too tough to be inedible but also not juicy and tender. I guess it’s not bad considering the dish is 265 pesos, +60 pesos for an extra porkchop but for a Butcher Shop, I guess I expect good meat. I hope they offer the beans as a side next time because even if I had a bad experience, I’d still want to try it. Hopefully we can order the beans without the porkchop.

After the saddening incident, I decided to get the farmer’s pate instead. The farmer’s pate consisted of 4 slices of  pork-mushroom-pistachio-bacon rolled together, served with jam, toast, and a side salad. When the food arrived, it looked fresh and appetizing. The pate was good; flavorful and meaty while still staying light on the stomach. The jam and toast were a good complement to the pate. The side salad was good enough and generously dressed. This dish was good: filled with protein, tasty but light. I wish they had a bigger portion though! Not too bad for 250 pesos and good enough to accept the hair-in-the-previous-dish mishap.

They gave us a complimentary dessert of irish whiskey and espresso creme brulee (priced at 65 pesos) which was too runny to be a decent creme brulee. The serving size was quite small but justifiable given the price. It was very promising, with the price point and the ingredients, but I think they have to fix their recipe to make the consistency a bit harder and thicker. I’ll try the brownie next time.

Service was good, probably because there weren’t a lot of people there, and even more so after the hair mishap. They changed the plates after having appetizer, constantly got the used napkins on the table, and made sure our glass was filled with water. They were apologetic about the whole thing, which was a good thing. Even after finding hair in one of the dishes, I’ll still come back here. The place is very promising and there are so many other things I want to try, including the beans. The price is very attractive and I’ll be sure to try out their drinks after work as well. Do try the Butcher Shop and Pub! It’s one of the better restaurants around the Fort.

The Butcher Shop and PubGround Floor, Wumaco Building, Lane P Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
(across PF Changs/Ihop, beside Nike/Agave/2nds)