BIG EASY Restaurant Review – Big Portions, Easy Attitude.
The Big Easy styles itself as Gulf Coast crab shack and BBQ restaurant serving “…only the biggest and the best”™ and "The Only Bar-B-Q Worth Coming Back For"™...
rating: 3
Review by Miss Chloë Milbourne. Edited by Adam Rayner After the leisurely stroll along Kings Road from Sloane Square and spurred onto seasonal gluttony by the impressively exuberant if none too environmentally friendly Christmas displays of Chelsea retails finest, I had high hopes for the Big Easy, hopes on a par with the hefty promises of crab, lobster steak and a dazzling variety of margaritas for a decidedly Un-Chelsea price tag. The Big Easy styles itself as Gulf Coast crab shack and BBQ restaurant serving only the biggest and the best and "The Only Bar-B-Q Worth Coming Back For", and a legendary list of daily specials all accompanied by an expansive cocktail list, many of which are available as pitchers all served to a young West London crowd. On first impressions, it did not disappoint. The mild confusion in the search for our reservation am I blind? Can you see it?, was much outweighed by the gleefully strung multi-coloured bulbs and the warmth of the wood panelling and the closely arranged tables.
Still quiet when we arrived at 7pm we were ensconced in a corner of the basement so we could be near to the band and our waiter was soon over to take us through the specials (which on the Thursday we visited was Steak and Lobster and a margarita or beer for an astonishing £19.95) and the numerous highlights of the cocktail menu which included a choice of at least 5 fruit flavoured margaritas. We settled on a punchy, if sweet classic margarita and its strawberry counterpart, which was, as expected, ridiculously sweet and reminiscent of a melted strawberry Calippo.
Shortly afterwards one of the managers joined us to take us through the menu and inform us that The Big Easy was not a fine dining restaurant the young Chelsea crowd generally came for the atmosphere. He didnt go so far to say that they didnt come for the food, but it was an ill-fated start. He also didnt seem much concerned by the provenance of the meat, when questioned he informed us it came from somewhere in Scotland and although more effusive about the lobster, a definite we get it from Nova Scotia followed by some detailed information on the transportation logistics, my high hopes were beginning to dwindle but we had a job to do and we were going to do it well. Taking our cues from the Manager we ordered the Grand Appetiser Platter (wings, jalapeno peppers, calamari, chicken tenders, potato skins, tortilla chips, prawn crackers and the most extraordinary selection of sauces I have ever seen: Honey mustard, cocktail, ketchup, tomato salsa, Mary Rose, blue cheese and sour cream) and the house speciality of the super-hot Voodoo prawns.
When it arrived, the platter, elevated by a metal stand, consumed all but the small space occupied by our drinks and rendered all but the most rudimentary conversation impossible. The mammoth bowl contained the most breaded and fried food I have ever seen and all but the highly spiced voodoo chicken wings and the Jalapeno peppers filled with an unnatural melted cheese and again covered in breadcrumbs before being fried were a resounding disappointment. Well prepared for a protein carb binge and willing to take a hit on complex flavours in favour of calorific comfort food I was still underwhelmed by the bland, heavy and murderously overcooked chicken tenders, calamari and the equally lack lustre potato skins apparently filled with two indiscernible cheeses and topped with sour cream. The voodoo chicken wings were generously doused in a rather acerbic and none too spicy sauce rendering the sociopathic blue cheese sauce that accompanies them in order to cool the mouth even more redundant than it would have been otherwise.
The voodoo prawns on the other hand were far more appealing, having been deep fried in tempura batter this time before being doused; the resulting softness of the batter complimented the huge, juicy and miraculously well-cooked prawns. The result was a spicy, moreish appetiser I would happily eat a whole bowl of to myself. Nicely timed to strip the grease from our mouths in preparation for our main courses our second round of drinks arrived. This time a rather delicious passion fruit margarita and a house special of Muddy Waters, a jammy concoction of vodka, lime, blackberries, berry liqueur, soda and sugar.
Once again taking advice from the manager, we ordered the ribs and the Thursday special of Steak and Lobster. I was willing to forgive all previous transgressions when the family sized portions arrived at our table, an entire rack of ribs for the gentleman and a whole lobster and a steak the size of a lumberjacks palm for me. Clutching the steak knife with near ecstasy I dove in hoping for the momentary catch then silky glide of knife through medium rare meat. Alas, it was not to be. My knuckles had turned white and fingers were calloused from sawing before meat met mouth and all my hard work was un-rewarded as the lump refused to yield even after an energetic five minutes of chewing. Lobster was next. It both managed to be dry and tough in the tail and liquefied in the claw. I kind of wanted to weep.
The gentleman fared little better. Scrawny ribs covered in what tasted like a watered down version of the voodoo sauce encountered earlier and limp fries that appeared to have been sitting around for rather a while. The butterflied king prawns that topped the rib platter were, however, much like the voodoo prawns, exceptionally well cooked and generously seasoned in a rich Cajun sauce; sizable, juicy and delicious, say whatever else you like about the cuisine, but Big Easy know what theyre doing when it comes to prawns. Once again providence prevailed and the band, an Australian duo consisting of him on the guitar and her on the tambourine, veered from the course of karaoke classics (think Crowded Houses Weather With You) and lightened the mood with an Aussie take on Estelles American Boy which was worth all the covers by itself.
Puddings were ordered and the apple and cinnamon waffle was sweet, toasted to perfection: crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Topped with a healthy portion of sweet, chunky apple sauce and a heft of cinnamon, I got exactly what I wanted and more from this American staple that is far too readily available on every high street nowadays. Less available but becoming increasingly popular here in Blighty is the pecan pie, which was also very impressive; just the right side of sweet and filled with more pecans than we expected or bargained for. The treacle was thick, sweet and sticky and warm and proved the ingredient to quell the iced cold creamy, Devonshire ice cream that accompanied it.
Both were washed down with strong, aromatic Mexican coffees, so by the time the drunk girl making friends with the table next to us almost set her hair on fire we were very nearly in the party mood which is entirely what this place is about. If I was 15, it would be the best place in the world, lots of food, lots of noise and infinitely patient wait staff. But Im not, and given the big trademarked sell about the quality of the food was expecting a lot more than TGI Friday for Chelsea, which is, unfortunately, in many respects exactly what The Big Easy resembles.
A three-course meal at Big Easy will cost you from £25 - £35 excluding drinks and service charge. They offer great deals throughout the week; for details consult the website: http://www.bigeasy.co.uk Big Easy is located at 332-334 King's Road London SW3 5UR.
If you are a fan of Big Easy and believe it to be the best American Restaurant in London, remember to register your vote when the polls open on 25/11/11.