“Life is like a bowl of spaghetti. Every once in a while, you get a meatball.” – Sharon Creech.
In the famous words of American children’s author Sharon Creech, if meatballs are the poetic reference of euphoric highs in life, Meatballerz is a wee slice of paradise!
Located in a very quiet corner of the Dubai Marina promenade (on the ground floor of Marina View Towers), Meatballerz is Dubai-grown concept pioneered by banker turned restaurateur Dipesh Babani.
The quirky New York-style interiors features a juice bar at the front, tongue in cheek quotes, as well as a retro-style meat grinder that had my little one rather curious.
As the name of the place suggests, the menu is predominated with meatballs of every size, meat and globally-influenced flavor.
We started off with a few very healthful (and one absolutely naughty!) drinks. I had the Kale Grail, a thick smoothie featuring super-food kale and banana. Founder Dipesh tells us this kale concoction was created by his wife, an avid healthy eating advocate.
My husband tried the Iced Golden Milk, so unlike him as he’s not big on milk. This drink is based on age-old Ayurvedic goodness from India and features a soulful blend of honey, turmeric and a spike of ginger.
However, the show-stopping drink here was Meatballerz’s Krazy Kitkat, a monster shake featuring overly generous dollops of ice-cream, crumbled Kitkat and chocolate sauce. The Kitkat spill extends out of the serving glass, and had my little one licking the glass in excitement. Sugar high here for sure!
Our starters included the Holy Guacamole (a chunky guacamole served with an assortment of plain and purple taco chips), Portobello Fritters (deep fried wedges of portobello mushrooms served with a creamy aioli dip), and Kicked Up Cheese Balls (deep-fried golden brown cheese balls served with an absolutely addictive Honey Sriracha sauce).
The hubster and I absolutely loved the Honey Sriracha sauce. Teasingly sweet at first, with a blaze of hot sriracha at the end, we dunked this sauce on everything we ate that evening!
We then proceeded to the mains, and started off with the Arabian Ranches meatballs. Taking local inspiration, this platter consists of three generously large lamb meatballs sitting on a bed of creamy hummus and super soft, freshly baked pita bread. The meatballs were moreishly soft, meaty and delicately spiced and what made them extra special was this decadent drizzle of zaatar sauce.
Taking a more Italian stance is Meatballerz’s Tomato and Basil Flatbread with Mini Meatballs. This is pretty much a pizza featuring mini balls of meat. The base is fresh out of the oven, and the tomato and basil sauce is beautifully aromatic.
Another Italian variation here is The Meatball. With a name as specific as that, you know this one has to be extra special. First off, its huge! Arguably the biggest meatball I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. It sits in a pool of red sauce, is garnished with gnocchi and served with thick wedges of garlic bread. This is a beef meatball, and the meaty flavor along with the sauce is beautifully intense. So much so, that the blander gnocchi on the side acts as a respite from all that meaty goodness. One serving of this can easily suffice two very hungry adults. A must-try for beefy carnivores.
And ofcourse they have something Indian-inspired too! This is Meatballerz’s Big Bird Tikka Masala Wrap (gotta love the name!). Essentially a take on the ever popular Butter Chicken, the secret of this wrap lies in the very flavorful masala sauce. Absolutely delicious!
If you are a vegetarian, fret not! Meatballerz has something special for you too. These are their Veggie Sliders featuring flavorful vegetable patties served with a special mix of sauces.
Ending on a sweet note, we shared a serving on Smores. Can’t remember the last time I’ve had this! Took me back to girl guide camping days. My little one was delighted to have yet another hit of gooey chocolate goodness.
And did I mention their coffee? Who would have thought a cafe specializing in meatballs would serve one of the finest brews in the world? At Meatballerz, all their coffee brews are made from Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters.
Overall, we had a lovely evening at Meatballerz. I love how they’ve taken the concept of meatballs, and given each dish a completely new globally-inspired twist. Dipesh tells us he has many more new surprises in the pipeline, and I’m curious to see how he can better what is already so very impressive.
Given the weather is finally cooling down, Meatballerz may just be that quiet alfresco dining corner you’ve been looking for. With a view of the Marina pier, a platter of succulent meatballs and great company will be all you can ask for!
Meatballerz is located in Shop 6, Marina View Towers (Marina Walk, Dubai Marina, Dubai). For more details, give them a call on 04 2482874 and follow their Instagram account @meatballerzuae
The Tezzy Files 