Tucked away in South Point Mall are many cafes and restaurants, tending to a niche market. The Hangout by 1861 is an American themed cafe keeping their spirit alive with enormous food portions, strong spirits and a classic red brick backdrop. The menu comprises of American favorites, tex-mex and classic cocktails.
We were greeted with carrot and cucumber sticks with a honey mustard dip with a peanut tinge.
For drinks we tried a salty martini and LIIT – the spirits they serve are pretty strong if you compare them to other cafes. The drinks come with masala peanuts which make for quite interesting chakkhna.
For appetizers we devoured on sweet chilli prawns and baked cheese potatoes. The portions are humongous. The prawns were fresh, tossed with sweet chilli sticky sauce served with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Cheesy baked potatoes – crispy jacket potatoes with bell pepper, corn topped with feta cheese. The cheese was localised only to one area ad could definitely been have more spread out.
Veggie lovers pizza – a crispy thin crust topped with fresh garden vegetables and loaded with delectable cheese. The best thing about this particular pie was that it tasted just as good after cooling down a bit as it did piping hot.
Juicy pulled chicken sandwich – served with crispy fries and house salad. A huge grilled sesame seed bun with juicy pulled chicken topped with barbeque sauce. The burger was smartly dressed with lettuce, onions and tomatoes and cheese and the classic accessories of fries and salad acted as amazing accompaniments.
Grilled chicken fajita sizzler – a tex-mex favorite. Shredded chicken with bell pepper and seasoned rice come on smoking hot sizzler with tortillas, salsa and sour cream. The chicken could have been more spicier considering Mexican cuisine but it was pretty good none the less. Roll up your own fajitas and season them up according to your tastebuds. Their sour cream was super fresh and completely out of the world by the way.
Hang around Hangouts by 1861 for their lively American atmosphere, enormous portions and strong cocktails. Sweet chilly prawns, pizzas and burgers are a must have here.