As I have gotten older I have found that I’ve become less willing to deal with people trying to sell me things in a subtle way. Car adverts that show me a full thirty seconds of horses or perfume ads with someone from a movie I didn’t watch spinning in place, smiling at the camera, are more likely to cause a spike in my blood pressure than convince me to try the product. This is what first made me want to even try out Cattle & Co.
When I heard their name I had a clear impression that when I sat down I’d be offered most of a cow on a plate, probably with chips. Now for some that’s not what they’re looking for in a restaurant, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t pique my interest enough to try it out.
Located inside a renovated pump house beside North Dock in Llanelli, the restaurant has kept the spacious interior, giving it a lot more of an open feeling compared to any pubs I’ve visited. It’s definitely going for a theme, a heavy American-ized feel with a mural of a bald eagle and waving American flag visible from just about wherever you’re seated, and easy-listening blues and rock being pumped in over speakers set high in the rafters. It’s a good thing they do that, because with all the heavy machinery removed that place would echo like anything without it. It can give a bit of a feel of a lack of privacy at times, as the seating area is very open, but that may simply be a social anxiety issue of my own that I am unwilling to examine at this time.
No matter how good the atmosphere is, the real question comes down to “What is the food like?” I’m not going to beat around the bush; I like it. As advertised, you get that menu and you’ll be looking at a long list of meat, and if there’s one thing I’m a sucker for it’s a long list of meat. Steaks, ribs, brisket, smoked, pulled, or just piled high; there’s chicken, both buttermilk and hot, sausage, and some monster burgers to top it all off. Personally I did terrible things to my own body with the Pitmaster, a stack of 9 3oz burger patties placed within a bun; it might have even been manageable if they hadn’t provided a tray of Cajun dusted fries and coleslaw to go along with it. There have been a few times after a night out that I’ve effectively rolled home, or tested the limits of my poor car’s suspension, but I’ve never done it with so much in a leftover box before.
This isn’t even all they have, this is just what I’ve been able to manage in my time, having visited admittedly a couple of times by now. They’ve got some damned tasty chicken, their mac and cheese is a treat, hell they even have a Vegetarian menu, but time and time again I’ve been tempted back to a giant stack of burgers as if it’s my Everest. And then I become like anyone who’s tried to climb Everest, I just keep talking about the same thing with people because all I can think about for the next few days was that meal. I even show people pictures. The before picture of course. The state I’m in after eating one of those gigantic burgers is not one I want a picture of.
I wish I could tell you more about their starters, their sides; I’ve had them, tried their Frickles (whole fried pickles), and even enjoyed some of the fried mac and cheese balls, but it’s pouring water into the ocean when compared to the portion size of the main meal. Are the sides enjoyable? Yes. But the sides are roughly 10% of my experience compared to the main meal. Don’t let this discourage you in the slightest. I just want to reinforce here that the main meal, this incredible amount of meat and fries and spice, is a wonderful time, and if any part of that last sentence was appealing to you, you’ll find something to enjoy here.
I just knew that personally I could not handle a side and a main meal at the same time without walking back to my car with tomorrow’s lunch as leftovers. And that’s without it being one of the larger burgers. I’ve never even looked at their deserts. They could have the words “You’ve not eaten enough Meat” written under each of their desserts and I wouldn’t have seen it. They come forward with quality and quantity, and while judging by how full it’s been the couple of times I’ve visited I didn’t really need to take up everyone’s time with this positive review, I want to make sure everyone has a chance to try out this great new addition to Llanelli.
