La Vaca

You have to love a restaurant called the cow… you have to. I have walked past it a couple times and actually never knew what it was called or what kind of food they served. All I remember is that when I walk by to grab lunch, there are freshly baked baguettes on one of the tables. One of my staff suggested it, so when it was time for date night, I suggested the one to Mr. Snarky.
It wasn’t full when we arrived, but there were a lot of reservations, including a very lively, all-​blokes Christmas dinner happening in the other room. The offered us a choice of two tables, one that they would need back at 7:30 (it was 6:30) or one that was free all night. The unfortunate part about the available table was that it was right next to the door, but the lovely part was being able to watch the grill master at work.
I wasn’t going to order a starter as I had just been to the pub with some work colleagues, where we had some nibbles with our drinks, but I saw these mini-​skewers… so I may have impulsively ordered some. It was a bit difficult to decide because everything looked really good (we could see it going past our table) and we didn’t want to over order… like we nearly always do.
So I ordered the 8oz Sirloin while Mr. Snarky had the 12oz Sirloin. We decided on two sides (they suggest 2 to 3 sides for two): potato wedges with cheese and a green salad. The bring some bread around (yes, the lovely baguettes I see on the table when I walk past) with some salsa. I would have called it Pico de Gallo, but it tasted like they used a bit of vinegar instead of lime juice… it was still lovely and great on the bread. While we were waiting, about four different staff came over to take our order… and the one that did take our order seemed to struggle in getting everything correct. Because of this, if we could give half stars, I would give a 4.5, but I guess it is better than the wait staff ignoring you.
Our little skewers with chorizo, cubes of tender beef, and red onion came over and they were lovely! I highly suggest eating a bit of chorizo with a bit of the beef… flavor explosion! There were three, so we each had one and split the last one.
The steak comes out on a plate of its own, while the sides come in little round terra cotta dishes. So it may not look gourmet, but it certainly tastes wonderful. Our steaks were so tender and very well seasoned… not too salty and allowed the natural flavor of the steak to be the star of the show. The green salad was a nice side because it was lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon, so it was refreshing and light. And the wedges… there were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, although in my opinion, they didn’t need the cheese :).
It really was the right amount of food because when dessert came around we didn’t say no. When our waiter told us the cheesecake of the day, Lemon and Lime, and also said it was his favourite, I changed my mind to have cheesecake, while Mr. Snarky changed his mind from cheesecake to the brownie. The cheesecake was divine! I’ve not had a cheesecake this good in awhile… it was rich, but so light! I am definitely going to look up The Heavenly Cheescake Co… where they get their cheesecakes from :). Overall, it was a great dinner and next time I want to try their ceviche!

I had a 12oz Ribeye. Simply put, the best steak I’ve had in the UK. On a par with steaks I’ve had in South Africa — the home of quality cow!

We enjoyed a birthday celebration a La Vaca last weekend. We liked the phone call asking us to come a bit later than our booking, it gave us more time to wander through the sunny streets of Sheffield … Sunny?! Oh my, at last, Summer might have arrived!
All the meat from the grill was delicious. hot and smoky. Ribs were a great way to start the meal alongside excellent chips, a stuffed red pepper on the side and creamy coleslaw. All delicious. The rib eye was the best choice with the rump disappointingly being on the wrong side of tough…
Too full for dessert but perfectly happy we left La Vaca in search of a late night drink…
A good night out!

Do you like meat? Do you despair when your steak comes with a side of greenery? La Vaca is your place.
Intimate in atmosphere and full to the rafters, a Saturday night at La Vaca is a great experience. We were tucked away in the corner, able to watch the food stream out from the kitchen and other happy diners tuck in to their meals. The menu is somewhat basic — you’ve got a choice of steak cuts, some vegetarian/​fish options, and a range of sides, but this isn’t the sort of place where everyone will find something.
To start, I shared cheese and beef empanadas with the other half — the cheese tasted not unlike a Holland’s pie (delicious!) and stood out compared to the beef, especially as we were heading for steaks in the next course. The ribs ordered by other diners were delicious, perfectly seasoned and a perfect colour. Not dripping in sauce as sometimes found, these were easy and clean to eat. I went for the rump steak for main, medium rare, with a side of chips. It was bloody gorgeous and the perfect shade of pink. Meat here is served as meat — you are given your plate with your steak and that’s it. No greenery here folks. The sides are your chance to choose a salady something if you so wish, but potatoes featured heavily. Chips were a great range of sizes, with plenty of crispy bits, and we shared them down the table. The couscous stuffed red pepper was a real highlight in the side department, with a great little kick of spice.
Service was consistent throughout the meal, even when everyone else had cleared off and we appeared to be the only table left. Wine and water came quickly, plates were cleared, and they left us to it.
An expensive experience but a great treat when you’re celebrating.