Soaring Eagle Spur, Leicester: Top quality food in a stylish setting

When I found out a few months ago that the Soaring Eagle Spur branch was opening in Leicester I was thrilled. It doesn’t get much better than Spur for a South African looking for a taste of home!

Just a short trip down the motorway from Nottingham to Leicester and we were there. When my British husband John and I arrived, we could smell that famous Spur Steak and Grill aroma from about a block away.

I wouldn’t say the restaurant features classic Spur style décor, but has more of a restaurant bar feel to it. This seems to work considering the location is opposite the Leicester football stadium. They also have a lovely outdoor space and when Leicester has a match on, they turn it into an outdoor braai area selling take-away Spur burgers and pints of beer for all the football fans to get a quick taste of Spur before the game.

It’s busy inside but very welcoming, and so lovely to hear all the different accents mixed together from around the world. It seems it’s not only South Africans who enjoy a Spur meal.

We were seated by a Lithuanian waitress called Gerda, who was extremely friendly and happy to tell us about the Spur specials for the evening.

We ordered the Jug of The Day — Blueberry Mojito from the cocktail menu. The sweet, fruity berries with the sharpness of the lemon are a twist on the classic mojito. It’s a refreshing flavour that I’m sure will complement any dish on the menu.

For starters, I ordered the Cheesy Nachos with Smoked Daddy Pit Beans and my husband ordered the Jack Daniel’s Glaze Half Buffalo Wings. We shared them to get a taste of both.

The portions were both generous and well presented. The nachos came with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream.  They are nice and crunchy, with just the right amount of sauce, and the Daddy Pit Beans had a lovely smoky flavour to them.

The buffalo wings are so soft and juicy, they fall apart in your mouth and you can taste the sweet Jack Daniel’s whisky glaze with the grilled chicken flavour. Dip it in the creamy blue cheese sauce it is served with and it’s a taste sensation. They also add some crunchy cucumber sticks as a garnish.

For the mains we went with the Spur Special of the night, which was the Combo. Buy one Combo and get one free every Monday – amazing value for money!

We each ordered the Steak and Rib Combo, requesting the Bacon and Blue Cheese Rib-eye Steak. Nothing was too much trouble for the Spur team as they aim to please and were more than happy to customise our meals.

The portions were extremely generous, and the presentation was classic chargrilled perfection. Spur definitely know how to grill a steak. I love mine medium rare and they always get it right first time. The quality and size of the meat is amazing – a soft, juicy, thick-cut 8oz steak covered in smoky bacon and smothered in blue cheese and spring onion sauce. The flavours go so well together and I enjoyed every mouthful. And we still had half a rack of ribs to go!

The famous Spur rib is just a classic! Tastes exactly like home. The best ribs in the world – I don’t think anyone can beat them! And John agrees, the first time he tried Spur ribs he became addicted and will not eat ribs elsewhere now. The Spur BBQ basting sauce is a legend and the succulent meat will leave you wanting more.

The generous portion size did get the better of me and hard as I tried I couldn’t finish everything, but in true Spur style I asked for a ‘doggy bag’ to enjoy later!

To finish the meal, it was a tough decision with some delicious desserts to choose from. I picked the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cheesecake which combines my two favourite desserts! It’s a sweet treat that tasted like heaven. The creaminess of the white chocolate cheesecake layer really goes well with the unbelievable sticky toffee sweetness of the light sponge layer. And the soft Spur-made vanilla ice-cream a real palate cleanser.

John asked for the Any Given Sundae with Cadbury’s fingers of fudge. A treat for any sweet tooth! Soft ice-cream with chunks of chocolate and fudge drizzled in chocolate sauce served in a sundae glass.

Soaring Eagle Spur Leicester serves top quality food in a stylish setting. A place where you can go on any occasion whether it is a family meal, a fun night out with friends or a romantic meal with a special someone.

Review and photos by Lisa Taylor