The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

While Butcher’s Burger has been spreading its juicy burgers around the country with five branches at the busiest spots in Cairo, we feel that their underrated sister, Chicken & Ribs, is one hidden gem that deserves the same amount of attention.

As a venue, Chicken and Ribs shares a spot with Butcher’s Burger at Westown Hub. We loved how the interior of the diner is divided into two identities; the red bloody Butcher with the chains hanging from the ceiling, red brick walls, and the famous giant cleaver make for quite a sight alongside the cute yellow Chick and its adorable bird cages hanging from the ceiling, shelves displaying retro antiques, calmer grey brick walls. With that Guy Fieri show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, on repeat on the TV, we knew exactly where the food was going.

After drooling over the wide variety on the menu, we opted for the BBQ Ribs Nachos (54LE) as an appetiser. Nacho chips are topped with shredded BBQ ribs, melted cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeno, and served with pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and sour cream for dipping. While it was bursting with the flavours you’d expect, what we loved most was how the smoky flavour of the ribs transformed a run-off-the-mill appetiser into something else altogether.

Moving to the mains, we ordered the Chicken & Waffle Meal (59LE) with an extra side of Mac N Cheese Pot (39LE). Consisting of one perfectly-executed waffle – cut into 4 triangles – with a spot-on light crisp exterior and light, moist, and airy interior, the real surprise of the dish is the two pieces of very tender fried chicken whose crispy, golden brown crust had a flavourful seasoning that could easily compete with KFC.

If you haven’t tried this unusual American combo before, then you’re missing out on a beautiful diversity of textures, which is complimented by the unique sweetness of the mini cup of maple syrup it comes with. In addition, an unusual but delicious side of pica de gallo-infused coleslaw was another item that brought the dish closer to being flawless, but it was ruined by the missing corn on the cob that was also supposed to come with.

Mac n Cheese is one of our favourite items at Butcher’s Burger, but at the time of our visit, this version was far from cheesy, but was still perfectly cooked in a tasty creamy sauce. 

We also tried the Beef Ribs (149LE).  Slow cooked for ten hours, the 1/3 rack of ribs we received were moist, tender and slid of the bone. Flavour-wise, the terrific smoky and grill flavours meant we barely needed the BBQ sauce it’s served with. As for the sides, the southern rice was the combo breaker of a delicious meal thanks to largely bland flavours, but the mashed potato made it up for us with its well-seasoned creamy gravy topping.

We finished our meal with Churros (29LE), which come as ten far from oily fried churros rolled in cinnamon sugar mix and served with chocolate sauce for dipping. Each one had a great crunch and the chocolate sauce had a consistency that coats the churros perfectly. We just wish they were a bit thicker.

Like Butcher’s Burger, Chicken & Ribs has taken a popular cuisine and made it its own; with a wide variety in the menu, the great, casual ambiance and fantastic service, it shouldn’t be too long before it follows its sister venue in opening more branches across Cairo.