123 Lower Main Road , Observatory, Cape Town. Tel: 021 447 8554. jerrysburgerbar.co.za. Mains R60-150. 500ml South African draught craft beer R32-40

Jerry’s has a kind of rough-and-ready, dare I say ‘manly’ feel to it – bare brick walls, shelves of whisky and lots of chunky wood in its natural state. The kegs sit on show, adding to the almost unfinished feel. It’s a very cool spot, equally appealing for a beery lunch with mates as for a night out. Grab a high table by the window to indulge in some top-notch Obz people-watching.

Any place that has a food item called  Lucy on the menu immediately has my interest. A Lucy, if you don’t know, is basically a stuffed burger. Burger patties stuff with chorizo and cheese or habanero relish and cheese or, y’know, pecans and cheese. Coupled with a decent selection of craft beer I would go so far as to say Jerry’s might be one of the best places in the city to tend to a hangover… Jerry’s, naturally, specialises in burgers and they do them well. Really well – the patties are juicy and flavourful, the toppings are generous and offer something different to the norm, the buns are fresh and the salad is crisp. What’s more they come with awesome names, like ‘Sweet Baby Cheeses’ and of course, Lucy. Which is a GREAT name. I ordered the Envy (Lucys come in seven varieties, each named for a deadly sin) and dined happily devoid of food envy – when your burger is stuffed with pecans and blue cheese and topped with bacon and caramelised apple, you really don’t care what anyone else is eating.

No complaints here really. Service was quick and friendly and the bar staff had a fair idea of what was coming out of their taps, though I might have liked a bit more beer knowledge. Still, when one beer (no longer on the menu) turned out to be sour, staff replaced it without question.

The dozen taps offer a decent selection of local beer – you’ll find brews from Woodstock, Devil’s Peak, CBC, Jack Black and Lakeside on tap, plus a trio of SAB lagers and something called ‘Obz Bru Lager’. The latter is the cheapest craft beer on tap at R32 a pint, but I couldn’t find out where it was brewed – anyone got any info on this and is brewed by Boston (thanks LLoyd and Scott). Bottle-wise the menu is a tad disappointing. If you’re looking for lager you’re in the right place – you’ll find all the big brewery lagers – Castle, Hansa, Black Label, Heineken, Windhoek, Amstel and even Tafel, but save for a solitary Guinness, there’s nothing ale-like on the list, and no craft brews are represented.

In a city where gourmet burger joints are as in vogue as craft beer is, Jerry’s stands out. The burgers are superb and come with fries to match. It’s awesome to see a dozen shiny taps greeting you as you enter, but I’d love to see a bit more variety when it comes to beer styles, and certainly a few local brews in bottles. Still, I’ll certainly be back for a bit of Gluttony and Sloth soon enough.