CAU via Deliveroo: Review

So far, from food delivery service Deliveroo, we’ve ordered from Tampopo, GBK and Fuego, with the service that we’ve received having been very good indeed. In all cases bar Fuego (I blame the single thin layer of foil used to wrap their food), the food has been piping hot and in great condition when it’s arrived, and it’s been super-easy to order online.

When Deliveroo first launched, we noticed that CAU were among the restaurants working with the service to offer food deliveries to Broadmead, Clifton, Redlands, Cotham, Montpelier, Cabot Circus and Central Bristol – more areas are set to be added soon. We were curious as to how well steaks would actually fare when delivered, and so decided to give them a go.

We weren’t confident enough to order expensive steaks (a lack of confidence which may well be completely unfounded…!), so instead we both opted for a Chivito sandwich (£11.95): a grilled sirloin in homemade jalapeño bread and topped with Monterey Jack cheese, smoked bacon and a fried egg, served with triple cooked chips. It would have been rude not to go for a side of truffled mac & cheese (£2.95 each) too…

Once again, it was easy to order and pay via Deliveroo on my mobile phone, so we just sat back and waited for our order to arrive…

Our driver was perfectly polite and friendly, handing over a brown paper bag containing our meals. Every element was presented in a black plastic container (the steak sandwich with CAU-branded paper at the bottom), and was perfectly warm and free from condensation. A good start.

The Chivito sandwiches were enormous. This wasn’t a “pick up and eat with your hands” job – we stuck firmly to using cutlery. The jalapeño bread was thickly sliced with lovely, chewy crusts – the chillies themselves adding flavour but pretty much no heat – and the fillings were fantastic. I’d have preferred a little more cheese, but the egg was lovely and runny, the bacon nicely cooked, the tomato and lettuce a welcome addition (they make it healthy, right?) and the steak? Well, the steak was surprisingly good, considering it had travelled: thinly sliced and still perfectly moist without that leathery texture you get from steak that’s been sitting off the heat for too long.

The triple cooked chips, sadly, were a bit of a let down – more like wedges than fries, they were sizeable and would probably have been far tastier and crispier had they been half the size. They were nicely seasoned, though!

We also each ordered a side of the truffled mac & cheese, which was absolutely fantastic – it was by far our favourite side when we visited for a pre-launch evening in August 2014. The truffled flavour was just enough to be decadent without being overpowering, with plenty of cheese and well-cooked pasta all topped with seasoned breadcrumbs – I’d happily order this again.

Overall, a very enjoyable meal – it’s a shame that CAU still haven’t managed to offer decent chips – a problem that we encountered on our visit 10 months before this delivery. My initial fears were unfounded, though: steak, it appears, can travel – and next time we should be courageous enough to try a standalone steak…

Please note: our order was discounted, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the venue did not see this review before it was put up on the site.