Gorilla’s BBQ Steak Grill & Bar

Gorilla’s BBQ Steak Grill & Bar
FOR R&R Pacific
12 Mar 2012
BY Stephanie Lundberg

Opened in January in Acanta Mall, Gorilla’s BBQ Steak Grill & Bar cuisine offers customers a unique blend of local and international flavors and a cozy warm atmosphere.

According to Executive Chef Norman Leon Guerrero, the restaurant’s initial testing phase and soft opening has allowed it to find its niche in the Tumon market. “We started as a steak house and then we went to a barbeque, steak grill fusion restaurant blending a bunch cultures and cuisines together. We went through a test phase for about two weeks,” he says. 

“We ran a bunch of things and we decided from there what a lot of people liked. We had invitational openings, [and] we went from there, and we’ll run things off of specials to see what’s popular and what’s liked well. Currently we serve Chamorro, Japanese, American, and hints of Italian and French cuisine combined.”

The venue itself lends to an intimate, calming atmosphere, something that Leon Guerrero says was in the plans for the restaurant from the beginning. 

“When we decided to go with the decoration we wanted, we wanted to go with a very welcoming environment, subtle, a little upscale but not on the price. We did all the decorations ourselves. Occupancy here is 60, so [we wanted to] not keep it too packed and have everybody feel as though they’re not reaching over and touching everyone else’s table.” Leon Guerrero adds that within a few weeks patrons will also have the choice to sit outside on the patio, which will be able to accommodate nine to 12 people.

The restaurant specializes in dinner fare, although Leon Guerrero says they plan to branch out to lunch as well in the coming months. For appetizers, the restaurant offers Guam specialties like beef kelaguen and poki, with a Gorilla’s twist, of course.

Customer entrée favorites include the glazed ribs pre-marinated with the house sweet and sour sauce and Gorilla’s hamburger steak served with teriyaki sauce. For those who want to explore a difference texture or flavor, there’s also the garlic pork chops with caramelized onions and seared tuna with a house-made soy wasabi sauce.

Gorilla’s also features two original desserts to finish off their meals. The Napolean french toast is served with in-house pudding, and the customer’s choice of three home-made sauces: cayenne chocolate, caramel cream, and strawberry reduction. The Gorilla’s Gone Bananas is a lumpia-style fried banana dish served with ice cream and cayenne chocolate or caramel cream sauces. Craving a cocktail? Leon Guerrero suggests Gorilla’s original  ocktails, such as the Coco Monkey or the two fruity options, the Queen Kong and the Manjinboo.

“The Gorilla’s Gone Bananas is really good because it’s hot and cold, [and] the banana is subtle, it’s not too sweet. And then you have the caramel cream which brings some sweetness into it. The Napolean is also really good. They’re both not too sweet, so you don’t feel overwhelmed when you finish your meal, you don’t have to sit down for ten minutes and wait to burn it off,” Leon Guerrero says with a laugh.

Gorilla’s is open now from 5:30pm to 11:00pm, with a grand opening upcoming. Customers should look out for the restaurant’s website, which should be live soon and will include more information on Gorilla’s menu, specials, and events.