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A black rock grill has entered Cambridge!

The Castle Inn has recently updated its menu, with a selection of dishes cooked on a black rock grill.

For those of you unaware, a black rock grill is a method of cooking that requires a heated volcanic rock acting as a hot plate. This is brought out to you on a wooden tray that you can use to cook the meal yourself.

The menu consists of fillet and rump steak, fajitas, and two vegetarian dishes (cauliflower and mushroom). The fajitas come with nachos as standard and the steaks with two sides, that you can pick from 8 options.

Naturally, I ordered the 8 oz rump steak. As a feeble attempt to be healthy, I ordered the broccoli and ‘parmesan and truffle fries’ with a blue stilton cheese sauce.

The steak came out noisily on the sizzling black rock grill, adding a great excitement and atmosphere. I can really see this bringing the pub to life on a Saturday night, with the dishes going off across the pub as they are brought out.

The steak came with a Portobello mushroom, onion rings and a tomato. The onion rings were big and crispy, just the way I like them. The mushroom was nice but it took significantly longer to cook than the steak (to get it the way I liked it), so I had to wait until the end to savour it alone.

I could tell that the broccoli was good quality but it was a bit lifeless and limp – mostly due to the way it was cooked. The parmesan and truffle fries were nice and crispy that perfectly accompanied the steak, though the truffles were almost entirely absent from the dish, perhaps these were an oil?

I came to a few conclusions about the black rock grill, with advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

The first advantage is that you can cook the steak exactly how you want it…as it will be you cooking it! There is no complaining about your steak being poorly done here. It’s all on you buddy 😂

The second is the fun! The black rock grill is great for bringing people together and gives you something to discuss at the table while you all laugh at each other’s attempts to prepare a steak.

The disadvantage

My main disadvantage was also an advantage, in that I had to cook the steak myself. Some may see this as a positive but I know some may struggle to cook their steak on the plate and would rather have it cooked by a proper chef.

Obviously, some people are better at cooking than others and preparing a steak on a VERY hot surface on a small table is actually quite challenging, especially when you have nowhere to put the steak other than on the hot surface. This also meant that the steak had nowhere to rest which resulted in me eating it from the grill as it cooked.

This didn’t bother me personally, as the steak was fantastic and incredibly tender but I know some people can be particular with their steak.

To the teams credit, they admitted that this was a new menu which is still in its infancy. They are still tinkering with the idea and are actively looking for feedback. I explained that an extra plate or surface to put your steak on to prevent it overcooking may be a good idea, which they kindly took on board.

I was joined by Cambridge Foodies moderator, Kate, who ordered the fajitas which came with a side of nachos.

Similar to the steak, the sizzling black rock did lead to the chicken being slightly overcooked towards the end of the meal. This resulted in a touch of charring, affecting the flavor. Kate enjoyed her meal but has made a mental note to make sure she doesn’t keep them on the grill for too long next time.

The nachos were a good portion size with a fair amount of cheese. Unlike a lot of other restaurants that tend to scrimp on sauces, the team at The Castle Inn were very generous with the guacamole, salsa and sour cream. I had to rescue Kate from the jalapeno chilies because they provided a surprising fiery kick, as all proper jalapenos should in my opinion!

The Castle Inn is independently run but owned by Adnams brewery. This means you get a blinding selection of Adnams ales but also some interesting choices of lager/beer too. Most notably, one of my personal favourites – BitBurger! 🍺

Conclusion

Black Rock Grill at The Castle Inn offers more than just a meal; it’s an interactive experience perfect for a fun night out with friends. While the concept might not appeal to steak purists or people intimidated by cooking, the high-quality, cook-it-yourself steak guarantees a juicy and satisfying meal. The social atmosphere, fueled by laughter and shared sizzling stones, makes Black Rock Grill a great destination for a memorable dining experience between friends.

There’s no doubt I’ll be back and I already have a few people ear marked to bring next time.

Thanks for reading