It all began in December 2015, when Gerhard and Riana Du Preeze took over the Oukraal restaurant in Potchefstroom. Their goal was not only to own a family restaurant, but to establish a place where everyone of all ages could have a great meal for a great price.
It’s almost nine years later, and their wish has come true! This quaint little venue boasts a vibrant, yet cosy café-style feel. Overlooking the busy street life on the Bult, you could easily be mistaken for thinking you were somewhere in overseas enjoying a delicious steak, a crispy gourmet pizza or a superb burger with its homemade patty. It’s only when you get the bill and see how reasonable the prices are that you realise you’re not in some expensive European town or city!
Says manager Ruan Pansegrouw: “Everything we do goes into making our hearty meals stand out and we handcraft almost everything we serve. Our portions are big, so customers really do get value for money.
Pansegrouw is also quick to point out that it’s not only the food and the prices that are legendary at Oukraal but the sense of fun there is too!
“From our welcoming waiters, cosy atmosphere, lekker music and family-friendly environment, our patrons enjoy every second they spend with us and our team has an incredible sense of pride in everything they do.”
And it’s that sense of fun that extends to the restaurant’s participation in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge, the popular annual competition that sees the public voting for their favourite pizza with the restaurant getting the most votes, crowned South Africa’s favourite pizzeria, and winning bragging rights and prizes to the value of R40 000.
Voters can also win weekly prizes of wine and pizza accessories, with one lucky Grand Prize Winner picking up an EarthFire Tabletop Pizza Oven, pizza for a year and five cases of Porcupine Ridge wines.
Pansegrouw is quietly confident that they have what it takes to be the top 10 at least.
“Oukraal has really made a name for itself with its pizzas. Over the years, our pizzas have become a local favourite. We only heard about the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge for the first time this year and, even though we only signed up to take part about a month into the competition, we still think we have a chance knowing that our pizzas are as good as any out there and we know that our loyal customers have our backs and are just as excited as us to see Oukraal take part.”
On the subject of pizzas, Pansegrouw points out that their pizzas are freshly made from scratch and that their homemade tomato sauce is a real winner. He says that they don’t pre-make their pizza bases and that all their pizzas are made from scratch once they have been ordered.
“We make every pizza to order with high-quality ingredients and are very attentive to what we use when it comes to making any of our dishes. All our suppliers source only the best ingredients for us as they know anything less won’t be good enough.”
Oukraal boasts over 40 pizza offerings on its menu.
“All our pizzas are made with a thin crust – to get the perfect texture and balance between the pizza and the toppings. One of our best sellers is ‘The South African’, which comes with freshly grilled steak strips, boerewors, biltong and fried onions. That is then covered with grated cheese and drizzled with a tangy chutney. Another winner is the Lover Boy pizza that features camembert cheese, preserved figs, fried onions and biltong. It might sound odd, but I can honestly say it is absolutely delectable.”
Pansegrouw is also a bit of a fundi when it comes to pairing the perfect wine with the perfect pizza.
“A classic Margherita pairs perfectly with a light, tangy red like a Pinot Noir, while the bold, spicy notes of pepperoni are best complemented with a robust Syrah and a vegetarian pizza, brimming with fresh vegetables, finds its match with a fuller-bodied white wine like a Chenin Blanc. Which is why we love having the six Porcupine Ridge varietals on our wine list as there is always a wine for every palate.”
With less than two weeks to go before voting closes on this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge, Oukraal is ramping up the fun and encouraging customers to vote!
“Every evening, we have a happy hour on our wide range of cocktails, or you can get a bottle of wine from the Porcupine Ridge range for only R99. We have unique specials for every day of the week, like our subs on Tuesdays for only R55, which include freshly made fries. On Sundays, our specials include a juicy rump steak with vegetables for only R119, but nothing beats our Wednesday Buy One Get One Free Pizzas, a special we’ve been running for many years, and which has become increasingly popular.
Oukraal really is an institution in Potch. The name comes from the well-known traditional Afrikaans song Die Oukraalliedjie which is about a famous camping spot on Pêrelberg known as Oukraal.
Says Pansegrouw: “The song is about coming together and enjoying the moment, which is what our restaurant focuses on: bringing people together to have a good time!
Address: Oukraal is located at 78 Steve Biko Avenue Shop 1 & 2 Classic Square, Potchefstroom.
Tel: +27 18 294 4678 for bookings or other enquiries.
For more information, visit their website.
ALSO SEE: The return of the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge
Press Release and Images: Supplied
Feature image: Pexels
