Hereford Steikhús

Is it the ribs or the place? For whatever reason, Hereford Steikhús, despite the décor and the most competent staff in Reykjavík, including the single best bartender in town, is not the kind of place you go to impress anyone. Honestly, before you slam down a heaping portion of ribs and fries and head for the best whiskey selection on Laugavegur, you’ll want to know your company extremely well – we’re talking leaving the door to the bathroom open well.
But if you find those kinds of friends, Hereford’s Wednesday rib special is the stuff of dreams – the carnivorous kind the kids in Lord of the Flies started to have towards the end of the retreat.
What is there to explain about the special? For 1,900 ISK, you get a big pint of Viking Beer, you get a big slab of ribs, properly prepared – Hereford doesn’t do the massive, pre-packed, curiously chicken-tasting ribs. You also get French fries, some towels, and a big bowl of mayonnaise-covered vegetables, which, if you’re in a place that serves massive slabs of ribs, you will likely not look twice at.
Ribs taste good. Beer tastes good. Add two glasses of world-class Elijah Craig Bourbon for the exclamation point.
As for visiting Hereford when it’s not rib day, there are virtues. The steak house caters to people who are particular as to how their steak is prepared, and distrustful of typical restaurants – despite an outstanding staff, the cooks demand that you write down exactly how you want your steak done. All of which makes sense when you have one or two Y-chromosomes.