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Rave Reviews
Posted on October 5, 2009 by Editor
Getting Retro at Rev’s
By Abigail McDougall
The lollipop-red doors of Rev’s Diner swing open and spill rock ‘n roll out into the street. It’s the kind of music that takes you straight to the set of Grease or the inside of an old Chevy. Posters of Betty Boop and some old-school Oxo adverts line the walls, and the upholstered booths are a bright post-box red. The streets of Grahamstown fade: this is 1950s America, Johnny B. Goode and all. The chalkboard menu offers authentic diner fare: burgers, waffles, hot-dogs and milkshakes. Frenchie could waltz in at any moment and order the usual and no-one would bat an eyelid.
Rev’s opened its doors to business for the first time on 26 September. The diner is the third business venture of the Maxwell family, and hopes to bring something completely different and fresh to Grahamstown’s restaurant scene. Wendy Maxwell, owner as well as hands-on manager and chef described Rev’s as being aimed at both students and the local market. Rev’s will be open late on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, hoping to catch late-night drifters in search of something to munch on. Wendy laughingly refers to this as “the twilight zone”, the legacy that comes with the ‘ex-Pirates’ spot.
Wendy’s vision for Rev’s is something a little different: fast food accompanied by comfy retro seating, benches outside and a cosy fire inside for rainy days. Classy lunches – paninis and sorbet – for those in search of a central alternative to res food, contrasted with the night-time fast food options which will appeal to a slightly different crowd. The hook of the menu has to be the waffles: from old favourites – ice-cream or bar-one sauce – to some new and adventurous concepts like Mexican waffles. The staff have been hand-picked by Wendy and only the most outgoing, bubbly and vivacious of students work at Rev’s. “I love the positive energy that students bring, and that’s what I’m trying to create. I want to keep that happiness, that vibe.”
Munching on a juicy beef burger, slurping a milkshake and listening to the Beatles: that’s what a diner should be about, and Rev’s is just that. The staff are friendly, portions are fair and prices are reasonable. But it’s the retro feel and fun vibe of Rev’s that set it apart and make it worth visiting. That and the killer waffles.
Rev’s is open from noon until late, and although they don’t serve alcohol they do deliver to Café Blanca, where you can enjoy the best of both.
Contact Rev’s on 046 622 5119.
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