A Bull, Beer Pong, and a Foosball table with ‘Rodeo Drive’ written on a huge white and blue flag – could this place be any more American? Oh, even their PR guy was an American eye candy!
Right below the metro line that graces Marol in Andheri East, Peninsula Redpine stands proud. With restaurants like Opa and Peninsula Grand in their pockets, one would expect them to have delivered more with this one. To enter Rodeo Drive, you need to go through Stables, and then climb a flight of stairs. As soon as you open the doors of the restaurant, the mechanical bull on your right will captivate your eye. The wannabe American vibe is too strong here! It feels like you have entered some ghetto American pub which continues to play hip-hop songs, with the sole agenda to make your eardrums bleed.
Their heavily cushioned chairs were also red and blue (such patriotism much wow), with the bar lit up. We entered at around 8:30 pm, and surprisingly, the place was empty; except for one table which was occupied. After finding a seat close to the bar (no surprise there), we flipped and turned the pages of a rather confusing menu, and finally settled for a couple of cocktails and a starter. Summer California (INR 450) and Florida Sunset (INR 450 again) with Drums of Heaven (INR 400). Yes, that’s the actual name of the dish.
The Florida Sunset was supposed to be a tequila, lime and orange juice drink. It had zero hint of tequila and was more of a mocktail than a cocktail. On asking the server to add more alcohol, the bartender courteously offered us a surprise drink of his choice which was out of the menu. Who said chivalry is dead?
The bartender came back and impressed our inner drunk. He called it the ‘Bubblegum Cocktail’, a vodka based drink, which shockingly enough, tasted like an actual bubblegum. The Summer California (INR 450) had a good and pleasant punch of vodka and strawberry syrup mixed with some sprite, so no complaints there.
In terms of food, the drumsticks were sure made in heaven; they were ten juicy and succulent pieces of chicken legs, batter fried and lathered in Sichuan sauce. But their idea to serve this beautiful dish in a wired steel basket on top of a baking sheet was probably the worst mistake they could ever commit. The skin of the chicken was sticking to the sheet, making a bit of a mess, and depriving us of that crispy goodness as a result. You would want to avoid the Chilli Cheese Fries (INR 200) here. They were abundant alright, but soggy with barely any cheese on top, and seasoned with a small amount of chili flakes. A true rip off!
The ambiance of this place was nothing out of the ordinary, and the music being played was tortuously killing our souls. Somewhere around 9:30 pm, the crowd started walking in, and what does the DJ do? He increases the goddamn volume because apparently, we all turn deaf post 9:30 pm!
The bull took up a lot of space on one end of the restaurant. Riding it and indulging in some Foosball is non-chargeable, but Beer Pong is chargeable and you can only play if you are buying a pitcher of beer. The pictures of Rodeo Drive on online listings make the place look spacious and wide, but be not fooled. It is not spacious at all, and the sofa seats are quite uncomfortable to sit on.
Rodeo Drive makes a woeful effort as a restaurant, but sure does a decent job of offering you the Texan feel, and that too is arguable.
Where? Peninsula Redpine, Near Airport Road Metro Station, Andheri East
Cuisine: Finger Food
Food you must try: Drums of Heaven, Veg Sliders
Cocktails you must try: Summer California, Gringo
Kind of music played here: Hip-Hop
Is there a dance floor? Yes, not too spacious
Average Price per head: INR 1200
Header image credit: Zomato
