BEST BUDDY’S CAFE – Oshiwara, Andheri

After opening two restaurants bearing the same name in Dehradun, husband-wife duo Manoj and Ekta recently launched Best Buddy’s Café, close to Mega Mall in Oshiwara, Andheri. Here’s a look at the sunny café from my perspective!

Best Buddy’s Cafe

AMBIANCE

A large picture window allows streams of light to flow in, but that’s only the start of what makes me feel warm and happy inside. The adorably quaint restaurant has interiors that are a mix of wooden finishes, colourful thread cushions, white chandeliers and blackboards all around with motivational phrases written on them.

To add to the mix, there’s a neon sign that flashes ‘bla bla bla’ and a ‘naughty corner,’ both of which brought a smile to the faces of everyone who visited. Even the tables have a colourful mix of glasses with various condiments in bottles of various shapes and sizes. To add to the laidback vibe, there are a board-games like UNO and Jenga to ensure you keep your phone aside and enjoy some quality time with your friends and family.

SERVICE

The service could definitely be improved. The waiters weren’t very attentive and seemed to be engrossed in each other’s company. However, the restaurant is very hygienic and the owners do make small talk with patrons whenever they can.

FOOD

I was pleasantly surprised to see the variety of food offered at Best Buddy’s Cafe. Hot and cold drinks, coolers, slushes, shakes, smoothies, pancakes, eggs, salads, soups, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, small bites, meaty dishes and more feature on their menu.

Kit Kat Shake

Kit Kat, like Nutella, is wonderful on top of anything! This incredibly irresistible milkshake is a creamy, smooth concoction that pairs so well with cheesy conversations with old friends.

LAD Sangria

I’m not sure what LAD stands for, but this fruity drink is a great substitute for those wanting to skip indulgent shakes and coffees. It comprised of pink lemonade with a melange of fruits and herbs.

Peanut Butter Shake

All through childhood, I detested peanut butter. Thank God I got over that because I wouldn’t have missed this delicious shake for the world! It was so decadent that one would need a nap after drinking it. A great guilty pleasure, I must say!

The O-Ring Shorty

After French Fries, Onion Rings are my second favourite munchies! I had given up hope of finding another place that served them after Pizza Hut took them off the menu. The only other place I’d found them at was Cream Centre, which was oily and bland! On the other end of the spectrum, Best Buddy’s Café’s Onion Rings were even better than Pizza Hut! Wonderfully spiced, so crispy and not a drop of excess oil! They were served with thick sour cream. Don’t they look good enough to make you want to lick your screen?

BBC Chicken Wings

These Chicken Wings in BBC’s signature BBQ sauce were sweet, smoky and sticky enough to make me very, very happy! Chicken wings are usually difficult to eat with a fork and digging into them like carnivores are the preferred way of getting all the meat. Surprisingly, these were so tender that one cut made with the fork was enough to get all the meat out. That’s saying something!!

Texas Toast Sandwich

Substantial enough for a mid-day snack, this Texas Toast sandwich comes in three variations – paneer, chicken tikka and BBQ grilled chicken. I tried the Paneer one that came loaded with fresh, lightly-spiced paneer, cheese and fresh veggies. Very wholesome indeed! The golden potato wedges that came alongside were seasoned and fried to perfection too!

Chicken Shawarma

I’d say the Chicken Shawarma was one of the average dishes of the day. Not because it had anything wrong with it, but because the other dishes set the bar high! While it was creamy with a generous amount of chicken stuffing in the grilled pita roll, I missed a few things that traditional shawarmas have. The garlic taste coming through in the sauce and pickled beets inside, to name a few.

Pizza Chicago Style

Thin Crust. Crispy Edges. Loaded with meat and cheese. The trio that makes a pizza great! Check out this one – ticks all the boxes, doesn’t it? It was loaded with chicken ham, sausage and salami, tender onion rings and bell peppers, olives and a few leaves on top to take away that guilty feeling.

Alfredo Style Pasta

In my opinion, this dish was a bit of a let-down. Perhaps I’m more of a “pasta-so-rich-and-creamy-it-will-stop-your-heart” kinda person. I felt this one needed more cream, more garlic and more cheese.

BBQ Chicken Steak

An outstanding dish right at the end. This succulent chicken breast was stuffed with olives and jalapenos and is the kind you don’t want to share. I personally loved the creamy spinach sauce at the side and would eat it like soup if I could! The mashed potatoes could have been way better – along with the plating.

WHAT I LOVED:

The ambiance and games! Definitely a great option to hang-out with friends!

Affordability – Best Buddy’s Café seems to have got the pricing right. Most of the items are very affordable and offer value-for-money in terms of quantity.

Apart from one or two dishes (which were above average), the plating and taste of most of the items were wonderful!

WHAT COULD BE BETTER:

Better service

A washroom in the premises

I didn’t get to sample any of their desserts, but since none of them are prepared in-house, I didn’t feel like I missed out on much. I definitely recommend you give this place a visit when you’re shopping in the Lokhandwala area or passing through Andheri West.

Cost – Rs. 800-1000 for two

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Don’t forget to subscribe for more great places to dine in Mumbai!