Buddy Hoagies

I was searching for an interesting place for lunch around the Heartland Mall area since I stay in the West and is not familiar with eating places in the North when Buddy Hoagies came up in my search

Taking the original space occupied by Xing Wang Hong Kong Cafe, Buddy Hoagies is highly visible from the main road as it has its own entrance separate from the Heartland shopping mall. Established in 2004 as a café in Nee Soon South Community Centre, Buddy Hoagies came to be known for its great steaks & western cuisine in a casual family-friendly environment

The first impression I got when I entered the Heartland Mall outlet was the old-school Swensons or Ponderosa Steak and Salad which is extremely cosy and great for just hanging out with friends and family

When I looked at the menu, the items were also very affordable which would have been a great place for students to hang out as it is a wholesome place

You have an option for a top-up of your main dish to include soup and drinks so I added one set which came with the mushroom soup served with garlic bread and iced lemon tea. The soup was decent although it was more creamy than a mushroom in flavour. It was similar to the canned Campbell soup we cooked at home. The garlic bread was warm and crispy with just enough garlic taste. The iced tea was not too sweet which was good. I ordered the root beer float on the side and it reminded me of the A&W root bear float

I had the pork chops and chose baked potato and coleslaw as my sides. The pork chops came with a nice charred surface and surprisingly, the pork chops were very tender and succulent. Many cheaper-priced pork chops are usually tough and dry so I was pleasantly surprised by the ones at Buddy Hoagies. It was very juicy and delicious topped with a light brown sauce

My nephew had the lamp chops with french fries and fried onion rings. The lambs were well-seasoned but tasted a little too gamey for me. Those who love lamb chops would like them as they were slightly pink and very juicy. The serving size was also sufficient for one person

We ordered an additional mac and cheese for sharing and it was the baked version with a slightly charred top. The macaroni was cooked well with only a slight al dente bite but the cheese was slightly dry and not creamy enough. Personally, the mac and cheese was better than those served at foodcourts but still does not match up to the ones at Kenny Rogers so I would give this a miss the next time

Overall, I loved the grilled meat at Buddy Hoagies for its taste and affordable price tag. There are a lot more dishes which I would love to try like their Rosti, pasta and baked rice. I would definitely visit their nearer outlet to try other dishes and hopefully, the other outlets can give me the same nostalgic atmosphere

Address: 205 Hougang Street 21, #01-27 Heartland Mall, Singapore 530205

Opening hours: 11.30 am to 10 pm ( 11am to 10 pm Sat and Sun)