The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Since it first opened, Backfire has been categorised in people’s minds as a burger joint – even our last review of the restaurant focused on the burgers. But from the Chicken and Waffles (49LE) and the Baked Pepperoni Mac and Cheese (52LE), to the Soft Shell Beef Tacos (59LE) and the No Nonsense Tenderloin Platter (230LE), there’s much more variety on Backfire’s menu than it gets credit for – and we’re pleased to report that it’s all just as good.

We kicked things off with a Chili Con Carne (85LE) with fluffy and velvety buttermilk biscuits as an appetiser. The tender shredded beef is mixed with sweet corn, red beans and a BBQ-infused sauce which added great sweet and smoky flavours to the dish. It’s all then topped with dollop of sour cream and shredded red cheddar to tie up all the flavours; this isn’t the traditional way to make chilli con carne, but it was definitely a successful twist that was bursting with flavours.

Moving to the mains, we opted for the Fajita Pizza (77LE) and the Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits (109LE) platter. Starting with the super cheesy fajita pizza, the thin crust dough was very light and had beautiful  puffy edges, while the tomato sauce had BBQ sauce in it which was overpowering, but it worked perfectly with the onions, bell pepper and well seasoned beef steak slices. Yes they were a little chewy and we couldn’t detect cheddar cheese as mentioned in the menu, but we would happily order it again ahead of any of Backfire’s burgers.

The Chicken, Biscuits and Gravy Platter, meanwhile, captured American dining perfectly. The dish came in form of three giant, tender and crispy deep-fried chicken breasts, flavourful brown onion gravy, super-smooth and well seasoned mashed potatoes, French fries and two buttermilk biscuits. Despite the chicken being slightly oily and the gravy being over-salted, the portion was huge and it overall had that perfect comfort food feel to it. It was a Mac and Cheese bowl away from being the ultimate comfort food platter.

We finished our meal with a Date Crisp (65LE) for dessert; chopped dates are mixed with homemade crumbled biscuits, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. The dessert had a great diversity of texture – sticky, crunchy and creamy – and was very simple, light choice after a hefty meal.

From the friendly staff and the great service, to the wide variety on the menu and the delicious food, Backfire passed this latest test with flying colours and shows that  there’s much more to the restaurant than the burgers it’s become popular for.