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I’ve been a fan of this brand before they had brick and mortar stores. The first time I actually tasted the food from Soul Souvlaki I was at the knock off Holi one festival that was being held in Joburg. There was a food cart called Soul Souvlaki amongst the others but theirs gave off an astounding aroma and the chicken wrapped in toasted pita bread was an ideal food delivery system for an event without chairs or tables.
The event itself was a bit of a let down but I had the munchies and found a gold mine of flavour from my new favourite food supply. The rest of the day I spent more time sitting on the grass around the corner from the wonderful Greek food stall getting my fill of what I thought would be a once off opportunity…I ate about 4 wraps that afternoon.
Then they opened a little shop in Maboneng when the gentrified precinct was fresh. It was in a refurbished shipping container. You could sit on the roof sipping a delicious 2M beer while you snacked one of their delicious wraps. We’d take almost any excuse to go there for a chow. It was like getting a one-up in Mario Bros. It gave me life.
Then the Maboneng store closed and this one in Bedfordview opened up. The building used to be an old locksmith and before that something else that wasn’t used for food production. The rustic renovation made it a cosy place to get a good meal. The staff were friendly and attentive. I was on a first name basis with quite a few of them after frequenting the place so often.
But it’s been renovated again fairly recently. The new decor speaks to a chic kind of crowd that would be pleased with the new bar. A place to rest and look cool while they wet their whistles and socialise. The rest is relatively the same but some of the soul has been taken from the souvlaki. All of the people I knew have moved onto greener pastures. The general spirit among the staff is no longer as jovial and warm but more repressively professional. I think it may speak to the change in ownership that occurred at this specific store. They seem to have a different vision for the place than the original owners did.
There are TVs all about for distraction in case the company you keep is dull – or they’re just looking to compete for the sports crowd that runs many a South African watering hole’s cashflow. Either way, the glowing rectangles that dangle from the walls with their flashing images take some charm away from the original spirit of the place.
The courtyard is still a nice place to sit on a sunny day with a Superbock beer and a chicken in the hand. I’ll still be going back but it won’t be as often.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
R 200–250
