Baebeque Nation needs no introduction. Veggies and non-veggies equally love the place for it’s sumptious buffets and live, unlimited BBQ on your table. It’s the ultimate go-to destination if you are a foodie. The wide, sumptous spread, the live grill, the drinks and the ambience at BBQN are an absolute hit among foodies all across India. The name is so synonymous with a great dine-out experience, when someone says that he/she had been to BBQN, the listener won’t not need to ask another question.
Such is the name for Barbeque Nation. But what is it that makes the name so great? Is it just the great food? Today, my review will cover something more than just food. Today I will cover the " something more" which actually makes this place so great.
My first visit to Barbeque Nation was three years ago, on a company luncheon of 50+ people on a Saturday afternoon. Understandably, it was a crowded affair with our colleagues making up for most of the hustle. I had enjoyed the starters, though being a formal occasion, I couldn’t really indulge myself. That day I had decided to come back for a revisit and to relish the extensive platter some day. However, the prospect of Rs.2000 dine-out always led me to procrastinate and delay a revisit. Finally that " some day" came in 2015, on the occasion of my anniversary. I and my wife decided to celebrate the occasion together with a great brunch at BBQN. Being a weekday, we expected a lesser crowd and a better ambience in addition to a slightly lesser bill too!
The internet would tell you that you would need a prior reservation for BBQN. Trust them! We did not bother with a prior booking assuming that the place would certainly be free during weekdays, and we were wrong. We had planned to reach the place around 12 noon for a brunch, but things got delayed and we finally reached there during the peak hour, around 1:45 PM. We were told that the next available slot won’t be before 2:30 PM, a 45-minute wait. A prior reservation would have certainly helped here. However, the 45-minute waiting period allotted to us was actually a guesstimate, we got a table around 2:10 PM(approx 25 minutes). Nevertheless, the bottomline is that weekend or weekday, if you don’t have a reservation, be ready for a wait.
The interiors are comfortable, with a scoop to hold a grill on each table. There are three floors for seating. Opt for the rooftop floor, that’s more airy, spacious and feels refreshing if you visit during the daytime. It also lends that open-air grill feeling which refreshens your spirits further. There are no ala-carte items. Once you are seated, you would be asked your preference(veg or nonveg) and your choice of complimentary drinks. You have everything from beer to lime soda on the list of complimentary drinks. We were also asked if it was a special day for us. We told them it was our anniversary.
Once you have put your preferences forward, sit back and relax. An iron crate of charcoal would be placed on the scoop on your table and your live grill would be ready. An army of servers would then keep replenishing your grill with skewers after skewers of yummy BBQs. In addition to the standard spread, you would also be served with signature dishes which are not on the menu. Every single variety is exceptionally tasty, and I need not mention that by the time we had satisfied ourselves with the starters, we were already so full that there was no space in our tummies for the main course! The taste for the main course items was also good, but I doubt how many people would actually reach that stage! As I observed, most of the people jumped to the desserts directly after the starters! The spread for desserts is equally intimidating - you five varieties of pastries, three varieties of ice cream, three varieties of traditional sweets and fresh fruits. Whew!
We were literally breathless when we finally laid our dessert bowls to rest. But to our surprise, we were served a set of mocktails each - but wait, didn’t the menu include just one complimentary drink? Turned out, the additional mocktail was an extra complimentary item for us, on the occasion of our anniversary! No wonder they had asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion! That was a really touching gesture, making us feel special. We sat down to finish our mocktails while I asked the service manager to get our cheques. I was getting a bit restless as we had a movie to catch after lunch and we were already running late.
Some minutes passed. I was glancing at my watch again and again - I had already booked an Ola cab and the driver had been calling me up couple of times. We called out to the service manager again and calmly explained him the situation. He went off, and reappeared in less than a minute - with a beautifully decorated cake engraved with "Happy Aniversary"! Apologizing politely, he explained that the delay was due to the cake which they were preparing for our anniversary. We both were speechless - I had never felt so special before, the way the staff at BBQN made us feel. Movie be damned, this wassome celebration! The entire staff wished us on our anniversary - and not just that - they offered to take pics with our cameras while we cut the cake. Now that was the real icing on the cake - pun intended!
The whole experience was expectedly enchanting. I was so overwhelmed, so touched with the way we were treated. I mean, let’s be honest, any restaurants would treat you well as a customers - but you would only get what you pay for. Some expensive restaurants may treat you as esteemed guests with some additional luxury. But where else would you find such a great bunch of friendly, hospitable people who make you feel at home as if they are family? In so many years, so many restaurants, nowhere I have felt so special as I felt at BBQN. I really appreciate the way they go the extra mile to bring a smile and touch the hearts of their guests. This place would always remain special in our hearts.