Our hosts decided we would have lunch at the Heavy D Caffeine Cafe in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, a restaurant that resembles an American-style diner. But unlike most American-style diners, the coffee was also excellent.
Great Coffee (And Lunch) In Pietermaritzburg, South Africa At An American-Style Diner
The name of the café does not necessarily make you think of the United States. The owner was out, but I’d speculate the name came from the fact that the coffee shop is on a dirty, dusty industrial street surrounded by a car wash and car battery shop.
Heavy D Caffeine Cafe
276 Boom Street
Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa
8:00 am – 4:30 pm (Monday – Saturday), closed Sunday
+27 82 083 3998
The cafe was, well, quite American…not so much in the classic diner sense as in its channeling of the nostalgia of the 1950’s. Think American muscle cars, a lot of Marilyn Monroe, some James Dean, and other assorted memorabilia.
The centerpiece of the cafe, though, was not an American car, but a German one (Porsche), though it was festooned with an American flag, U.S. license plates, and a “Jack Daniels Way” road sign above.
So how was the food? Well, as you might expect there were plenty of burgers and French Fries on the menu. Of course, I got the “what the heck is wrong with you?!” look when I ordered my double cheeseburger without a bun. Yes, I was sticking to the low-carb diet even on the road in South Africa. Well, trying to…I ate the French Fries. It wasn’t one of my healthier meals of the trip. At least there was some grilled vegetables on the side and an egg on top of the meat.
Last came the coffee, which was the highlight. A beautiful La Marzocco machine was a great sign that the coffee would be good and my flat white was great…a lovely end to the meal.
CONCLUSION
I was kind of surprised to find an American-style diner on a dusty Pietermaritzburg road in the heart of the KwaZulu-Natal province. But I’d return. Well done!
I came across your blog by reading your review of Lufthansa first class. Boy am I pleasantly surprised to find this article about an owner run diner in my home town of Pietermaritzburg! 🙂 Welcome to Pietermaritzburg and Natal Midlands. I hope you find all our gems just waiting for discovery.
Nolan, I like you was once proud of my hometown. I still live here and it’s still home. I have watched it deteriorate from the once clean and peaceful sleepy hollow to the now filthy stressful hollow with arrogant road users arrogant pedestrians and arrogant government employees. This place is a nightmare with water electricity and security. This sh!t hole is no longer what it used to be , in fact it’s not remotely close. Pray for those that have nowhere to go.
Unfortunately not all of us have had a great experience at that restaurant. The food was not bad, had better. It took for ever to come. The chip spice was to hot for my daughter. The owner also owns the car wash. That was also a disaster. My car was not washed properly and when I questioned it. The owner was very rude, his wife had to lock him in the office as he would not stop harrasing, screaming and shouting at me. I will never go back