Revolution: The Brownie Turns Once More

Brownie Basics

This was the other time (in 2019) that I had a brownie as the dessert option at a Christmas dinner.

Brownie Backstory

‘Revolution’ makes me feel old and grumpy. I definitely remember these things being called ‘Vodka Revolution’ back in the day. It was a standard Monday night out when I was at university, to go to the cider boat and then stumble our way up to ‘Vodka Revs’ as it was more colloquially known, and then out to one of the late-night harbourside bars if we were in the mood for even more drinking. To be fair, the notion of ‘standard Monday night out’ is another thing that makes me feel kind of old. What was it like to be so indestructible? So immune to the day-after effects of alcohol?

Anyway back then Vodka Revolutions was definitely just a vodka bar. They might have done pizzas sometimes too. And probably beers? But it was a vodka bar. It had two selling points: vodka cocktails and vodka shots. It was not the sort of place you would have a Christmas dinner, unless it basically a joke Christmas dinner where you just drank vodka.

Revolution, as it now wants to be called, feels like it’s tried to become something more upmarket. It has a lunch menu. It sells a huge range of non-vodka cocktails. The one in Southend is laid out as a restaurant rather than an actual cocktail bar. It’s probably closer to a Frankie & Benny’s than anything else.

And its Christmas dinner was pretty mediocre. Overcooked, rubbery, not very flavourful, and rather overpriced for what it was. I wasn’t particularly enjoying it, even discounting the tonsillitis I was still suffering from, and the less-than-great company I was surrounded with. I pretty much gave up by the time dessert came out and I remembered I’d ordered a brownie, so I took a photo and gave it a shot. Could this brownie redeem everything?

Brownie Points

Taste: Not terrible, but not great – sort of lacking in any good chocolate flavour. The sauce in particular was quite cheap-tasting. 6/10

Texture: On the other hand, this had a pretty good texture. Soft, pleasant, the right amount of sauce and cream. A bit of a crust on the top, but a rich body. 8/10

Presentation: I admit, I do really appreciate the work that’s gone into making this suggest a Christmas tree shape. It’s almost art. 5/5

Value: Obviously I didn’t have the actual price for that brownie itself, because I paid a certain sum to the office as part of a subsidised Christmas meal deal. However, a bit of a Google suggests that this brownie was £4.25. That actually is quite cheap for a restaurant brownie, and it’s not bad overall, so I reckon this gets a 7/10

Fudge Factor: It was the best part of a crappy Christmas dinner. 1/5

Top Of The Tree: 27

Should I Buy And Eat This Brownie?

Ehhh….. maybe? It is a decent brownie, but also, don’t have your Christmas dinner at Revolution if you have any other option? Probably better if I just try to review the standard Revolution brownie, and judge that one for you instead.

Closing Thought

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