Kota Joe Roadhouse in Boksburg is where you go for kotas — the quarter-loaf sandwiches packed with fillings — and thick milkshakes. The roadhouse keeps the old car-window tray service, so you can eat in your vehicle or at a table inside. It opened in 2014 as the second branch of the chain, joining the original in Edenvale.

The kitchen makes kotas with fillings like butter chicken, served alongside ribs, wings, and onion rings. Milkshakes come in flavors like butter caramel, blended thick enough to stand a spoon in. Families fill the tables at midday; the place stays busy into the evening.

Parking is ample, a practical detail for a roadhouse. The staff work the trays and tables with the ease of a place that has been doing this for years. You leave with the taste of salt and sugar, the two notes of the menu, and a paper napkin stuffed in your pocket.