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There’s a deeply satisfying feeling to watch someone ignore a rulebook with complete confidence. That’s what Border Bean Barbecue in Lower Parel does. By the word ‘barbecue’ in the name, you’d simply expect a platter of smoked meat on the menu, but there’s more.
Yes, it’s a smokehouse. Yes, you’ll get slow-smoked meat. Somewhere between the innovative cocktails and African-inspired jollof rice, though, this place is clearly doing way more than trying to recreate Texas in Mumbai.
The new 60-seater restaurant is an evolved version of founder and chef Shantanu Jagtap’s experiment that started with a 15-seater space in Bandra in 2022 before shifting to Kamala Mills last year. Casual yet polished, with an inviting bar corner, it works equally well for post-work drinks or a loud dinner with friends.
Barbecue without borders
The menu is built around patience: meats spend between six to twelve hours getting smoked, and that time pays off in the Sliced Brisket – thinly sliced buff brisket smoked for twelve hours – tender, smoky and served with a glossy jus. Similarly, the eight-hour smoked pork belly cubes we tried were tossed in a spiced maple honey glaze that walks the fine line between sweet, savoury and smoky.
The Charred Chicken with Cowboy Butter was served with mash and charred beans, and the Smoked Wings were one of the dishes the chef suggested from the menu. Plus, being a seafood lover, the Fresno Butter Garlic Prawns with Pico de Gallo hold a special place in my heart. There are also calamari-based dishes if you wanna explore the range.
You can always ask to cook the meat to your preference: too tender or a bit raw, balancing the juiciness. As Chef Shantanu told me, ‘I wanted it to be a place where people can enjoy food without overthinking it.’
Vegetarians, you’re far from sidelined. Try out the Soy Glazed Mushroom Skewer with sourdough – smoky and an easy recommendation, while the Paneer Jollof Rice in the veg mains brings a hint of warming African spices without overwhelming heat. Plus, don't leave without ordering the Cornbread with Maple Syrup – warm, crumbly, and lightly sweet, it works equally well as a side or dessert-adjacent comfort food.
A bar menu that travels too
The drinks mirror the food’s passport-heavy approach. The chef’s favourite Bacon Bourbon is a bourbon cocktail fat-washed with bacon and layered with thyme and apple-cinnamon reduction. The Tang Bang from the cocktail menu – gin, chilli, balsamic, tamarind, jaggery – is reserved for adventurous drinkers with a high spice tolerance.
Among the mocktails, the Yuzu Elixir is citrusy, herbaceous, and refreshingly light – good as a side drink with the smoked meat. The berries, on the other hand, are a sophisticated option rather than an obligatory one.
The Yuzu Elixir is citrusy, herbaceous, and refreshingly light, while the Berries blend mixed berries, basil, and balsamic tonic into a sophisticated non-alcoholic option rather than an obligatory one.
To end on a sweet note, we tried Deep Fried Milk. Crisp, crumb-fried cubes of silky creme patissiere tossed in cinnamon sugar with chocolate ice cream, worth saving room for.
Should you book a table?
Though Lower Parel isn’t short on restaurants, especially in Kamala Mills where popular places like Veronica’s and The Bombay Canteen are neighbours, Border Bean Barbeque feels fresh. Instead of treating authenticity as a limitation, it embraces smoke as a universal language, and here flavours wander freely.
Time Out tip: Don’t miss the berries mocktail and Bacon Bourbon cocktail – plus, trust the chef and ask for recommendations if you get too confused and question what to order.