JC Brasserie and Pub is a great little spot in Zonnebloem, just on the edge of the City Bowl, popular with the after work drinks crowd for their great specials on drinks and food. Draught beers, for example, are half priced until 6pm and burgers are 30% off midweek. JC Brasserie also offers ridiculously cheap breakfast specials and pub lunch options.

The dinner menu focuses mostly on classic pub food, but there is quite a variety of options. Choose from a wide selection of toasted sandwiches, wraps, salads, burgers, or bigger grill meals. They also have a lot of pub favorite snacks—three varieties of one of Cape Town’s favorite snacks, jalapeno poppers, plus chicken wings, potato wedges, onion rings, crumbed mushrooms, fried calamari, fish sticks, chicken strips, spring rolls, and sliders. Burgers seem to be their most popular item. You can choose from beef, chicken, ostrich, vegetarian, or lamb, add a sauce (creamy mushroom, cheese, or pepper), then choose from a host of gourmet toppings, and add a side. I tried an ostrich burger with “the full monty”—bacon, avocado, feta, mushrooms, and caramelized onions—with a side of sweet potato fries and mushroom sauce. The burger was great; it was very messy and a little too salty, but delicious. Ostrich is always my favorite at Cape Town burger places. Hungry diners can also add extra patties to their burger. The sweet potato fries were just okay and the normal fries didn’t look too special either. Next time I would go for the onion rings.

Most of the menu is dedicated to drinks, and I’ve heard JC Brasserie is a very popular venue to watch big sporting events like rugby and soccer. There’s a fair variety of wine by the glass, a few craft beers on tap, and a huge list of cocktail “jars”. The atmosphere is pretty typical—nothing fancy, but perfectly comfortable and a far cry from pretentious. Seating is at picnic tables spread through a few different rooms. A few tables have a nice view out over the city. JC Brasserie is definitely worth a stop for some cheap eats and drinks.