Polo Grill

The second social venue review  I have is of Polo Grill. It is located in the Rhodes Park area of Lusaka and is extremely popular. Parking is tough and most often the lot is full so you have to park on the street down the block. The main building is a large wooden and thatched structure in an oval-ish shape. You enter at the top of the oval and directly to your right is a bar. In the opposite end you will find a second bar and a grill area. The DJ booth is almost halfway down on the left side and the middle is filled with large round tables and chairs leaving room to dance in between sections. That is one thing I appreciate about this place, there is always ample seating. Sometimes the siding is removed on half of the building to reveal a half-wall with – you guessed it – a Polo field. This high ceilings and open concept (in addition to it being one huge room) makes it hard to feel claustrophobic no matter how many people are there. On the weekends the DJ plays all the top international hits as well as the many popular local tracks. The drink prices are reasonable and the food selection is geared for the intoxicated. Most nights you will find yourself there at some point in the evening. Even on a slower night you can usually count on a fairly decent crowd being there. Also, across the Polo field you can find Portico’s, a popular Italian restaurant/lounge. I have not eaten there yet however it is a great place to head for a drink and some conversation – the food I noticed at other tables did look tasty, I hope to head there soon and try out some dishes.

Farm Photo of the Week

A lone tomato crate

Food Lover's Market

Food Lover's Market, Levy Junction Mall, Lusaka

The Olive Tap at FLM

They have recently opened a new boutique grocery store in the mall that one of my offices is at… and I am in love. They have a great prepared food section with affordable options for lunch; along with great fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and more. Possibly my favorite part of the entire store is the olive oil tap. You can buy one bottle and get unlimited refills from their various olive oil drums. I haven’t tried them all yet but I am already a fan. They also have an eat-in restaurant/café section with fresh sushi. I have mentioned my feelings toward eating fish here earlier and I haven’t become desperate enough for a sushi fix yet to eat sushi here in this landlocked country prepared by a local Zambian (I might change my mind a few months down the line, and if I do you will be the first to know).

Fruit Section at FLM

Meat/Butchery at FLM

This is a South African chain and it is their first location here in Zambia. I don’t foresee them opening another anytime soon even though it seems wildly popular now. I just don’t think it is the kind of place that has a solid base of clients. It seems that lots of people will go there, but mostly to be seen shopping there not to actually go grocery shopping. Because of that they will only make a couple purchases and spend the better chunk of their money someplace else. While the quality is good and the store is clean and organized now I hope that they keep it up, but know it probably won’t last. Things here in Zambia have a tendency to get a bit sloppy when they realize people will still come and spend money there even after the standards have dropped. The overall expectations have gone up a bit in the recent years however due to the lack of variety and options for customers here stores are able to get away with much more here.

The Cafe at FLM

The Cafe at FLM

Smuggler's Inn

To give you an idea of what I do outside of work (which isn’t much) I thought I would give some reviews of the places I frequent when I go out. The first on the list is Smuggler’s Inn. This lodge’s restaurant and bar is probably my most frequented spot in Lusaka, mostly because they are guaranteed to have the game on (whichever match is playing). 

Smuggler's Inn - inside bar

They have both indoor and outdoor seating options and a large number of televisions. The inside seating is at small high-top tables with bar stools while the outside seating is picnic tables. The bar is inside however it is predominantly waitress-service. The food is good enough to enjoy while watching the game and is fairly standard pub-food. Late in the evening, especially when there is a big game on the projector, they have a large braai (grill) going where you can pick up some chicken, boerwars (sausages), and gizzards. 

Occasionally they will host concerts with top local artists or have promotional events with the game on a huge projector screen and close off half the parking-lot for seating. In addition they have a few pool tables; pool is very popular here (and yes I am still terrible at it but I also avoid playing because of how terrible I actually am). There is also a small swimming pool although I have never seen anyone actually in it before. While this place can get extremely busy it can be a hit-or-miss on an off night although we can usually count on running into someone you know at some point in the evening.

Farm Photo of the Week

Sunset in the back yard

Farm Photo of the Week

A black and white of the water tank

Olympics 2012

Watching the Olympics at The Lodge, in Makeni, Lusaka

While the Olympics are still going on, these photos were taken when we were watching the opening ceremonies over a week ago. I really am trying to get better at posting more frequently and hopefully you all will see an improvement soon. 

Washed out by the flash

Kay and I headed out to a lodge to watch the opening ceremonies and have some dinner. Because of the time difference, the live showing of the ceremonies didn't begin until 10pm and end until after 1am. 


It was a bit of a late night considering I had to get up early for work the next morning however that didn't stop the beer from flowing for the Olympic shenanigans. I won't go into the uniqueness of this year's opening ceremonies because it was odd to say the least. I an say that I am greatly looking forward to what Brazil has to offer in four years. I could be wrong but I am expecting something like Carnival but on a global scale... what can be bad about that?

Zambia had a mediocre showing of 7 athletes. I can also say that none of them came home with a medal. Being team USA myself has made watching the Olympics a tad more exciting knowing we actually have a chance at winning. However watching Zambia compete did still have its highs, they just aren't as high as winning gold. While work and the occasional power outage has gotten in my way of full Olympic obsession I have still managed to get in some good events. I hope you all have been enjoying the competitions as well!