I had not read about Siga la Vaca (Follow the Cow) when researching Buenos Aires steak house options.
In fact it wasn’t until Marcello from Wandering Trader wrote on my Facebook page that I had to go, and Rease‘s friend Jorge saw the note and offered to organize an outing, that I realized the restaurant was a cultural institution.
This is not your typical steakhouse experience. A tenedor libre it is favoured by locals because the all you can eat location is absolute carnage.
For $29 each person gets one bottle of red wine and all you can eat meat. There is a salad bar but no one bothers with it.
While I have eaten more than my fair share of steak, it appealed to me because Argentina has many more different cuts of meat than in Canada.
At Siga la Vaca they offered beef, pork, chicken along with chorizo and blood sausage with generous portions of chimichurri sauce.
Men stand at a counter and you order whatever you like and can come back as many times as you want.
And I went back many, many, many times.
I don’t recommend the pork.
I have been spoiled by delicious pig and it doesn’t come close here, but then again it isn’t called Follow the Pig. I didn’t bother trying to chicken, I know what roast chicken tastes like.
But I ate an incredible amount of meat: asado, vasio, matambre, colita de cuadril, pechito, lomo, the list goes on and on…
They aren’t the best cuts of meat but they are good, and if you want pricier cuts like bife de chorizo you can simply ask for a special order at no additional charge.
And then I hit a wall.
I tried the kidney, when I know I don’t like kidney (there are only 4 things in the world I don’t like: green peppers, eggplant, liver AND kidney).
It smelled like death and tasted awful.
Blech.
As the others continued along happily the smell and look of meat absolutely repulsed me.
I realized I had gorged on enough at this Buenos Aires steak house and it was time to make a dent in my bottle of wine.
The night ended with chocolate mousse for dessert and my meat repulsion subsided.
Wasn’t it me that told you to go? 😛
Yes you did, but Marcello has been on me since I arrived in Argentina to go to this place.
Seriously, men, pay attention to this very important message:
Steak + Wine + Chocolate = Perfect Night
Possibly my wonderful marriage is wonderful simply because of my husbands understanding of this equation.
If I met a man that understood that I would never let him go.
haha “There is a salad bar but no one bothers with it.”
Love the photos 😀
To be fair I do think one or two people went but I have no idea why 🙂
Steak Coma!!! hahaha love it! When I went here I Overdosed on chicken cuz not everyone has it! Thanks for the shout out and have a blast in TBEX!
I was so sick of chicken from the rest of South America that I was excited to have meat!
Looks and sounds delicious…apart from the kidney, I can’t stand that either!
Who likes kidneys anyway?
Hi Ayngelina
Now you really made me hungry 😛 I could really use a steak now, but it might be a little early for that. It is only 9:30 am. in Denmark right now 😉
It’s noon somewhere in the world.
kidney – smells like an unflushed toilet. and what smells like sh*t probably tastes like sh*t.
true dat 🙂
Hahaha. And now you start to approach my general horror of so-red-it’s-twitching meat. (Briefly, until you got over it).
Kidneys. What goes through kidneys? Ah. Yes. I’ll…I’ll have the salad, thanks.
This is where you tell me to man up, as usual. Go on. I’m waiting.
My problem with kidneys is that they filter all the bad stuff out of your body like a sponge. I don’t like eat dirty sponges.
Wow. I’m going to fast for a day before coming here!
How can you not like green peppers?? Are red or yellow ones ok? 🙂
She obviously hasn’t had a properly stuffed green pepper.
Bless.
I have eaten one, they are gross.
Red and yellow are not only acceptable but delicious.
Boy do you need to detox when you get home…who knew a cow had so many parts!
Far more parts than I should eat!
This looks like so much fun! Love steak 🙂
Mmmm… good memories. I have added kidney to my list of things I don’t like. Green peppers? What?!!
Green peppers are gross, red peppers are delicious.
I would probably have been the odd one out stuffing my face at the salad bar. Love that ‘disgusted’ picture of you.
I saw some people eating at the salad bar, cannot imagine why!
So, I guess it is possible to have too much of a good thing? lol I think it was a great deal and one could hardly blame you for going back over and over again. It looks delish!
This definitely pushing the boundary of too much.
Those damn kidneys! But bless you for trying. 😉
Last time I try! I can now safely say I don’t like kidney.
I can now safely say I don’t like kidney.
steak + chocolate + wine = perfect night, indeed! Looks delicious all around 🙂
I think you need to revisit the green pepper. The only way you can’t like them is if you had some when you were 8, didn’t like it, and haven’t tried it since.
I have tried green pepper many ways, the ugly sibling of the red and yellow pepper.
Ok, you will need a serious cleanse after you get home!
Oh tell me about it!
I have never been to Argentina, so I am enjoying the travels you are taking and the food and more food. They say you can’t have too much of a good thing, but in your case you did and you enjoyed!!..thanks for the great pics!!
I had the saddest burnt milanesa de res today. I just wanted something different than chicken.
I can’t wait for Argentina!
I definitely burned out on pollo but now it sounds delightful.
Hhhm, I think I would possibly be a little weary of a place like that. Not that I don’t enjoy meat – because I do – but not so much at such copious quantities.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been raised by a vegetarian mother. She’s always made us meat, but probably not as much as some other homes in the country!
It’s very popular amongst locals but I cannot imagine making it a regular thing.
Sounds like a place where you could get really fat. The meat looks tender and juicy. I can see why you keep going back. I would love to find a place like where I’m at.
Very interesting as an Argentine friend recommended that place to me a few days ago. I still don’t know if I am the all-you-can eat kind of guy. A delicious bife de chorizo is usually more than enough to satisfy me and costs less but maybe I will give the place a try.
Its good as a group to go once in a while, actually I don’t know if my stomach could handle going back.
Haha, very funny presentation 😉 You might need to go for a body cleanse session after so much meat :p
I’ve been to a Brazilian steakhouse in South Florida and although a bit high-end, it’s exactly how you describe. I’m not a huge fan of red meat, but when you’re in the mood a place like this definitely hits the spot.
In Toronto we also have a Brazilian steakhouse and the meat is like butter.
*sigh* you found my favorite morcilla. LOVE IT. Wifey, not so much, but when my brother-in-law can get it, he always brings extra for me. Definitely not too common in the states, but still one of my favorites.
Jorge says its better in Colombia but then again he is Colombian so he could be biased 🙂
Eww kidney. Generally, I stay away from eating organs…
Never again.
This was my favorite Arg. food experience. I enjoyed the classy and elegant discussion we had there(grey poo).
grey poo and red wine is a winning combination
wow, that is a crazy amount of meat! I imagine it’s awesome to try whatever suits you. I’m with you the kidney would be a no go.
I really hit the wall here, after all the meat I couldn’t bear to even think of steak.
I like Siga la Vaca and how you can eat meat to excess (and you are right – the salad bar is decorative).
Whenever we are in Buenos Aires, Ange and I try and go there and even though you have to queue up to get in many times, it’s still worth it.
That cow reminds me of the Chic-fil-a cow…eat more chicken! I didn’t think anyone ate as much beef as I did but you are proving me to be wrong. I would have to avoid those kidneys though.
I’m not really sure it’s necessary for me to comment, and yet I feel compelled to. You are my sister carnivore and I am kicking myself a million times for not making sure we hung out more at TBEX. Other people can complain about the sessions – my one mournful comment is that I didn’t hit Japadog with Ayngelina.
ah i remember them meaty days in argentina.
I love the pic of you and the cow! This meal sounds delicious and not too pricey, considering you get a BOTTLE of wine and all-you-can-eat. Wish they had that in Vegas!!
I am actually shocked that they don’t!
I enjoyed one of these in South Korea…and it only cost me 4 usd!
How was the meat?
por dios que rico!!! como extraño ir a comer alli, es un placer