The first Turn ’n Tender Steakhouse was opened in Greenside, Johannesburg, in by the four Aaron brothers – Mervyn, Steven, Howard and Brian. Today, there are 22 Turn ‘n Tender Steakhouses – 21 around South Africa and one in Zambia.
Rightly famous for their steaks, Turn ‘n Tender, offers a wide variety of cuts and an award winning wine list.
Ever wondered how a rare vs well done steak should look? Well, the Turn ‘n Tender website has a fantastic video that takes you through the full range from blue to well done. Click here to watch the video.
“Our vision of 1977 is very much the same vision we have today: to offer a casual dining experience which showcases the best in food and service within a warm and welcoming environment,” said Brain Aaron.
Personal experience at Turn and Tender Steakhouse Ruimsig
My brother and I live on opposite parts of the country and both of us have young families that keep us very busy. It’s not often than we have time to catch up but we recently set aside a Saturday afternoon to meet for lunch.
We both love a good steak and so we went to Turn ‘n Tender in Ruimsig.
Our waiter, Thabani, was polite, efficient and knowledgeable. On his recommendation we ordered deep fried squid heads for starters with a peri peri sauce. They were delicious and fried to perfection.
We told Thabani that we were interested in steaks and asked him for his recommendation. He then presented us with a meat board and explained the weight, the marbling and fat and how best to have each steak prepared.
My brother ordered a Ribeye on the bone and, on Thabani’s recommendation, had it prepared American style with salt and burnt butter. This was served with a bowl of French salad.
During his presentation Thabani showed us The Caveman. This 700g sirloin steak was not on the menu but, Thabani said, is one of their most popular steaks at Ruimsig.
To ensure that the marbling gave the best possible taste I asked for this steak to be done medium. I also asked for mixed vegetables – creamed spinach and butternut as the side order.
We ordered a chimi-churri and a barbeque sauce to enhance the flavour of steaks. I paired my steak with a glass of Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon and my brother went with a L’Avenir Merlot.
We concurred that these were some of the best steaks that we have ever enjoyed.
For desert we shared the sorbet trio that includes a generous scoop each of mango, lemon and strawberry. The sweet and somewhat tarty sorbet was a perfect way to round of this fantastic meal.
Turn ‘n Tender Menu and Wine List
The menu is comprehensive, and despite this being very much a steakhouse they also have a vegetarian section that includes a Vegan Biltong Salad, a Vegan Naked Burger and a vegetarian curry..
As one would expect, steaks take up a large portion of the menu. You can expect to find such speciality cuts as entrecote and point rump as well as ostrich fillet, oxtail, pork and lamb.
The starters offer a mix of traditional favourites such as calamari as well as the classics such as steak tartare. There is even a biltong starter section that includes biltong pates and biltong carpaccio.
If you love steak, you will love their five house speciality steaks.
There is also poultry (with duck) and even a seafood (with Scottish salmon) menu, with a salad, burger and combo menu to round it off.
The eight different sauces and extras that include sautéed mushrooms and onion rings will suite all manner of tastes.
The desert menu has all the favourites, ice cream, baked cheese cake, crème brulee and a dom pedro.
The award winning wine and spirits menu is very comprehensive and a foodie and wine lover will have no problem pairing wines with food. There are also a large number of cocktails and beers. If you’re in a celebratory mood then there is French Champagne as well as MCC and prosecco.
What makes Ruimsig’s Turn ‘n Tender Steakhouse special
Located in the Little Falls Mall off Hendrik Potgieter Road, this restaurant is open seven days a week from 11:30 to 20.00.
There is plenty of secure parking and, if you get a window seat, there is a pleasant view towards the botanical gardens.
To make a reservation 011 958 0405 or email ruimsig@turnntender.co.za Follow them on Facebook to find out more about their specials and promotions.
