The Banange beer that is brewed at the restaurant.courtesy PHOTO
It is hard telling one where to find Mad Hatters. Not that they do not have a banner or signpost, they are simply in a place crowded with restaurants and bars in each corner. And then the name is also a tongue twister of sorts, some Ugandans call it ‘mad haters’, or whichever word they can place after mad.
I have been hanging out in Bugolobi for a while now and truth is that in this vicinity, it is hard to know when a bar opens or closes. At times we end up thinking it is the same bar with the same name, so, I cannot tell when Mad Hatters opened.
It is a complete outdoor hanging experience that seems to ditch traditional formulas of where people get into an enclosure when they go out.
This is more spread in a what would be a compound, benches with coloured cushions, nostalgic kerosene lamps and ball fairy lights on trees.
Located on a lane that houses Gato Mato, Jazzville and Monot, among others, it is an area that has been condemned various times for noise pollution.
This could explain why the music at Mad Hatters is always minimal, never too loud that you can even have a constructive conversation. And of course, they have a minimal parking space within their enclosure but most of the cars park outside.
Crowd
Many of the people here mind their business, a big number of them are expatriates from English speaking countries if their conversations are anything to go by.
Then there are a few Ugandans that show up here, some are usually in the company of that expatriate while others are simply just loners trying out a place different from what they usually go to.
Then there is that particular group of people that seem to work with the many NGOs around Bugolobi, some of them even show up in the organisation cars.
Service
The service seems to be timely, at least for the few times I have been to this place with friends, the waiters were quick to present their two menus, friendly and helpful.
On most nights like these, I intend to disturb waiters more, thus, I will ask as many questions regarding the menu since I want to establish how much they understand their own product. They know their menu and one was spot on when she recommended one of their pizzas. And that was not all, she even advised us on what we could pair the pizza with — a craft beer.
The beer
Now, you have not been to Mad Hatters if you did not take one of their craft beers. Yes, much as they sell all the local beers that are on the market, they brew their own beer, aptly named Banange.
Banange brew is an interesting beer, a lager to be specific. It is easy on the tongue and quite tastier, for my pleasure, I had asked the girl to garnish it with a lemon slice and I was surprised she accepted. Of course people do buy other things at Mad Hatters, for example juices, BBQ, buffets, among other foods but the craft beers for a foodie like me still stood out.
Look out
Service:Timely and helpful
Prices: You are safe with a ka 50K
Crowd: Cool
Parking: Small
Offers: Food and drinks