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Reviews for Buffalo Bar & Grill

by Laura B.
23rd May 2013

It’s sad that everyone has had such a bad experience here. My husband and I trotted along with our voucher for ‘all you can eat king prawns’ last night and we loved it! Maybe we aren’t`t sophisticated, experienced foodies but for what we paid, it was great. I must admit I was a tad annoyed to see they opened at 10.30am so I tried calling for over an hour to book a table and the phone just rang and rang (not even a machine to take a message), but I got through eventually. I found the garlic bread with (very small) bowls of dipping sauces and odd combination and we LOVED the fries. The prawns very, very messy to eat as they were in a mild curry sauce, so finger bowls should have been a no brainer for them there. I used my glass of water……(very classy). The curry mashed potato was very nice and the salad was very basic but with a nice dressing. I could not for the life of me place what country the waiter came from, but no one in the restaurant appeared to understand a word of what he said. I watched everyone just nod then whisper to their companion “what did he say”? He was very pleasant non the less and kept on top of the chef to keep the prawns coming! The toilets were labled ‘men’ and ‘disabled’. As I was neither I took whichever one was free first. All in all, we enjoyed our meal and the eccentric staff and for what I paid for the voucher, we would go again.

by Candice N.
20th April 2013

I Had purchased a 3 course voucher deal and after reading such had reviews I was very weary. The staff were not welcoming at first but towards the end of the evening his mood got better. I ordered the prawns and my husband mussels to start both dishes were delicious. Our Pork rib and Venison main was average and I liked my Kiwifruit and lemon curd tat for dessert. All was generous portion size. Worth going to again if another voucher offer comes up.

by Solon M.
5th April 2013

I was disappointed at first with the approach of the manager when taking orders (George). It seems that he has the control of the situation on what to do or not having the voucher. We don’t feel that we are welcome dining at the restaurant.

Starter was good king prawns and calamari was awesome with fantastic sauces.

Mains were terrible. Dry and bland, a normal dish that you can buy at countdown and can do it by yourself.

Normal desserts like eating a tip top ice cream.

If the manger could have been better in interpersonal connection with the customer it should have been a great experience and the food were just a minor thing that needed to adjust its flavor.

Toilet was awesome! I will not dine in again even to buy a voucher at Buffalo Bar and Grill

by FJD
7th March 2013

Warning !!! Read and take note of the reviews before entering / buying a voucher !!!

My partner and I dined in tonight using a daily deal voucher, we turned up with an open mind (having eaten in poorly rated establishments – and being surprised).
We stood at the bar waiting to be seated – all the while being stared at by the manager who had a dour blank look on his face.
We were eventually seated and served drinks (in chilled dirty glasses), this was the best part of the evening…..
We got our salmon and scallop filo parcels – they were tiny and pretty sure there was no scallop within he dish – worst of all the supposed aioli sauce was a sloppy odd tasting salad dressing (not pleasant). The buffalo wings (4) were deep fried and also smothered in the above mentioned slop.

We both thought things could not get much worse – how wrong we were.

The mains were terrible, my rare 500gm T-Bone was at best cooked blue, it must have been on the heat for a matter of seconds. Even the steak knife was battling to cut it. It was bland and be lucky to be 250gm. My partners scotch fillet was cooked nicely (yay a positive point) – and was large. The ordered bernaise sauce was once again – yip you guessed it – the slop from before. Upon enquiring, the waiter explained the chef got the 2 bottles of sauce mixed up……. Hmmmm. The pimento potato side dish turned out to be deep fried potato chunks with no seasoning, and the salad was old a tired.

We saw other customers who had the all you can at ribs deal laughing when their glazed ribs turned up in a soup bowl looking more like a soup filled with meatless bones.

All in all, you get what you pay for, just thankful we didn’t pay full price as I would have asked for a full refund. I don’t know how these guys manage to stay open – especially after all the poor (truthful) reviews. A 1 star rating is generous !

by Doug W.
23rd February 2013

Seven of us had dinner at the Buffalo Bar & Grill.
We had vouchers for 4 of us, and purchased meals for the rest.
We had no problem redeeming the vouchers although the time slots available were quite limited (6pm or 8:30pm).
The Hickory and Plum Glazed Pork Ribs advertised was very disappointing. They were more like a pork rib stew, than what the picture and description suggested, with no glazing to be seen.
I had the Roasted Salmon Fillet which was a joke. For $28.50 I received a tiny piece of Salmon the width and twice the length of my thumb, dumped upon a massive mound of potato mash. The salad looked and tasted like it had been sitting on the plate for days. The tiny piece of Salmon actually tasted quite nice, but the quantity was extremely disappointing more like an entrée portion than a main.
When I queried the waiter about the salmon dish, the response was “That was what we always serve” and the shrug of his shoulders was the end of our conversation.
The only redeeming meal of the night was the Roasted Scotch Fillet steak which looked quite substantial and my son said it was one of the best steaks he had had.
All in all very disappointing, and if you are looking for a decent meal at a fair price then go elsewhere.

by David P.
4th February 2013

Dined at Buffalo the other day as had a 2 for 1 deal, it was a great night out with the family. The ribs were fantastic and George (The Owner) was a great host. My daughter loved the salad dressing (a citrus vinaigrette) so much that she has since tried to replicate it herself.
Overall…….Generous portions of food, very affordable , a great time was had by all.

Thank you Buffalo ….. it was great !

by Liz R.
27th January 2013

Had been to Buffalo Bar & Grill both in city and Takapuna. I’d read reviews on Takapuna branch but they were mainly for the offer on the “all you can eat ribs” which doesn’t appeal. Our meals were served promptly and were delicious. I think the manager must have read the reviews ‘because he did smile this time!! The young man was as pleasant as before. Would definitely go again with another voucher.

by Mary R.
24th January 2013

Enjoyed an outstanding chicken salad and partner had ‘top’ ribs….we absolutely loved our night out, were warmly welcomed and well trained waiting staff took care of all our requests, pleasantly and quickly. Our host, Buffalo’s owner, was one of the best we’ve ever had the pleasure to spend an evening with, and will definitely be back.

by Rae C.
17th January 2013

Dined at Buffalo Bar & Grill tonight.
Excellent food very enjoyable reasonable prices generous servings. We all enjoyed our steaks. Salad had an especially tasty dressing.

by Saara S.
10th January 2013

Went to Buffalo bar & Grill today with my partner as he had been given a “all you can eat ribs” coupon for his birthday. We were both exited since we love good ribs.
To start the bread and dips which were part of the deal were terrible – dry bread with odd flavored dips.
When the ribs were brought to the table we were both disappointed – some of them were burned and some under cooked, few lucky ones were nicely cooked but covered in some weird bad tasting tomato soup (definitely not nice sticky ribs).
Funny enough nobody was asking us how our dinner was (the staff knew better not to)
to top the amazing experience we got to listen how our waiter was telling his friends (who he sat down with instead of working) how he hates the coupon customers!!

by Kate
7th January 2013

Service ok.. the staff were not very well presented with one guy wearing overalls. Entree of chicken salad and the cucumber and tomato had obviously been cut a day or two prior as they were dry and wrinkle old looking. Chicken as tough as boots but ordered the chicken main hoping it might get better. It didn’t. Couldn’t chew the darned meat. Disappointing. Did like the potato mash and the sauce though. Could tell none of our food was fresh.

Ordered dessert the sticky date pudding. It was like a slab of scone it was very heavy and bland.

Glad we didn’t pay full price. Won’t go again and would suggest no one go there until it’s under new management.

Decor was shoddy and uninviting.

by Rose
9th December 2012

It was not what we expected. Ribs were flavourless and dry.

by Lisa B.
24th November 2012

Purchased a deal voucher for all you can eat ribs .where do I start?? Very disappointed sat opposite kitchen and had to see a grumpy chef that would slam the plates with orders when ready. Got breads and dips a plate stacked high with bread but 3 dips jammed into small serving dish .when the ribs came they were a generous plate salad with dressing was best part of meal. Ribs were over cooked chewy a couple were burnt. Some of the meat was so hard it made my gums bleed no exaggeration. I couldn’t eat the whole plate. I was so embarrassed we took our friends for dinner here.I would have rather have waited for them to cook ribs properly then consuming what we did .the other food looked good but strongly recommend to look else where for ribs may be cheap but definitely not worth $ you pay.

by Adeline
9th November 2012

I went with my eyes wide open, especially after reading the restaurant’s (very negative) reviews. But I had a voucher, and that had to be used at some point.

So in light of lowered expectations – I can understand why some folks think the service is bad – I witnessed 2 guys walking in and waiting for >1hr and still did not get seated. But to be fair – they didn’t have a booking but I reckon the Restaurant Mgr shouldn’t have promised them a table then.

Food was quick to be served, but yes, I must admit it was rather yucky tasting. The ribs we ordered did not taste fresh (it might have been microwaved) and tasted really ‘rubbery’ … I didn’t finish my dinner, (un)fortunately.

by Andrea B.
4th November 2012

I bought vouchers for this place for a birthday celebration. When I arrived and was seated, I showed the waiter my vouchers and his face dropped. After that the smiles were limited but we ignored him and got on to enjoying our time there. The mussels were disgusting….some sort of odd flavouring to hide the taste of mussels…..the creamy sauce was grey and flavoured heavily of mustard which did not compliment the dish at all. We were told we could not have anything on the grill side of the menu. This shocked me as the advertisement of the site where I bought the voucher, showed a juicy steak. This limited the menu and my children ended up ordering food they didn’t really want but there was nothing else to choose from. All the meals were badly presented and tasted as though there was no love or interested in pleasing their customers but to feed as many as quickly as possibly. The place was packed with voucher holders and it was clear no one was very impressed. I will never go there again. What a waste of money. We can’t afford to go out except on one of our birthdays and this was the most disappointing meal celebration I have ever had in my life.

by Barbara S.
24th October 2012

Terrible … I hope anyone thinking of buying their daily deal site vouchers checks the reviews first. We thought we were getting a good deal, but trust me, they couldn’t get us back there again if they paid us to eat the food. It was that bad.

Maybe their other food is okay, but I’ll never spend another dime here to find out. But let me tell you, for a restaurant serving “All you can eat Ribs” you’d think they would be a house speciality or something. I have had better ribs out of a frozen TV dinner. These were shoe leather, hardly any meat and what was there was chewy and gross. The salad was wilt, the mashed potatoes tasted like they were made 9 hours earlier and kept on a hot plate. The only good thing we had there were the Cokes and thankfully they came from a bottle.

by Mark G.
24th October 2012

Went here for the ribs experience (given the name) and left after the first plate came out, cramped internal dining, staff were inattentive .. all can be forgiven for good food though, sadly this was not the case, ribs were underdone with barely any meat, the flavour was awful, and we vowed never to come back. Highly recommend you give this place a wide detour. For ribs on the North Shore try “deep creek” or “bushmans grill”, for good general dining “the Patio” is nearby.

by Olivia
19th October 2012

I got that deal voucher for ‘all you can eat ribs’ and well lets just say the PHOTO looks like good sticky succulent ribs and nice toasty bread with three nice looking dips. Got my bread and dips it was crap stale bread that had been toasted but still chewy. Some sort of mayonase for a dip (which is weird) and another strange chunky watery thing that taste gross. Ribs were not sticky or glazed as advertised, most the meat was dried to a crisp and did not look like ANY sauce had been based while cooking only a runny sauce was poured over at the end which sort of taste funny. Never going back. Waste of money!

by Danielle
19th October 2012

WOW! What a mix of reviews!! Either the lowest or the highest….I also signed to this site to write a review…of how great it is here!

My partner and I have been here twice now, the first time was last year sometime and we enjoyed it so much that we were not planning to go anywhere else next time we went out but there. He ordered the eye fillet steak which was the biggest steak I have ever seen in my life and was cooked to perfection! He is also now obsessed with the pepe sauce that it comes with. I ordered the chicken breast and was also not disappointed.

We could not wait to go again! I then bought a deal voucher for 4 people for my Nana’s birthday, I phoned and booked the week before but they were fully booked and I stressed that the voucher expires in a few days so they said it was ok to come next week on Tues or Weds which I thought was fair enough seems I left it to the last Min and went there on Wednesday night. We were more than happy with the service and food as were we as usual my Nana loved the waiter, his name was Emerson? So much and we all thought that he made the place and the vibe there, yes he was straight to the point but that is a good thing? down to earth and also cracked some jokes back as well which i thought was great CS. The owner? yes could have smiled and spoke a bit more? That would be my only fault if I was to pick one.

Great food, great service! Would go every week if we could afford it

by Grace J.
18th October 2012

Me and a group of friends purchased the all you can eat ribs deal voucher and was looking forward to a night out at Buffalo Bar and Grill.

We arrived there yesterday at 7.30pm (had a table booked) and was told that our table was not ready yet. We waited outside in the cold and rain for 25 minutes before our table was ready. We were frustrated but were excited about having the ribs.

However, when the ribs came out we were sorely disappointed. It was nowhere near as advertised (hickory and plum glazed) and instead tasted like tomato soup from a can.

To be honest, I feel sorry for the other 400 people that bought this voucher. I had searched on Buffalo’s before I came, and tried to not believe the other reviews – however I must say that most of them are pretty spot on.

I will not be returning to Buffalo based on their poor service and food. I’d much rather spend my money on two combos at Burger King.

by Cziana R.
9th October 2012

I booked for 8 people to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. Unfortunately, I read the reviews that very day and felt very apprehensive about the evening. What a lovely suprise as we all found the meals to be tasty, generous portions and overall 1st class. The service could not be faulted either. The ocassion was very special and Buffalo Bar & Grill was the icing on the cake!!!!!! Thank you
We dine out most evenings travelling far and wide to nice restuarants, the main criteria being an A certification and obviously good food. I would have no hesitation in returning to Buffalo Bar & Grill.

by Mark B.
20th September 2012

Shocking service!

We went to the Buffalo Bar & Grill Takapuna last night, with a table booked and a voucher I bought through daily do for Ribs, Salad and Garlic bread.
The garlic bread that turned up on the table was basically plain toasted bread, with no garlic butter and a side of tar-tare sauce for dipping? WTF
We waited 40 mins with no service, while our flamboyant peacock of a waiter ignored
us as he minced between the kitchen and the empty bar.
A couple next to us had eaten their entrée, main and ordered dessert, in this time.
We ended up walking out.
Seems like they want to fill you up on bread, so you aren’t hungry for the Ribs or salad.
It is a Scam, stay away!

by Percy D.
14th August 2012

Went there last week for dinner. Had purchased a deal voucher.

It is the worst food I have ever tasted. I wouldn’t even let this guy who prepares the food, make food for my dog. The pork ribs were boiled, & the horrible tasting gravy is poured on top. The potato mash that they served with it is also crap. I will be happy to show this guy how to make decent tasting pork ribs.

What a waste of time & money. This guy needs to learn how to be a chef.

by Jill
12th August 2012

Worst dining experience ever. Terrible food and service. Staff are rude. They also constantly deal with money, then use hands to put all the food on the plate without washing their hands. Since it is an open kitchen and we sat right next to it, it feels so disgusting after we witnessed the staff dealing with money, picking up raw meat and picking up desert without washing hands. In addition, most foods are from the freezer, precooked and being microwaved, therefore, they taste so horrible. It is better to buy these foods from supermarket and put in the oven which will taste 100 times better than what you get in this restaurant. The restaurant is also very smoky, we can’t see any smoking alarm installed in the restaurant which is a worry.

by Aarti
20th July 2012

Went for dinner last night with the ribs voucher for my birthday. Absolutely shocked with the service and food.

First of all we were only served once for our drinks. We were never checked on to see how our meals were going, if we wanted any additional drinks or even if we wanted desserts! Absolutely appalled by such service.

The ribs were not that great either – found them to be quite bland.

When we went to the front to pay for the drinks the man at the till did not even ask us how our meals were.

We will not be returning. Very very disappointed.

by Juno
9th July 2012

Went for dinner on Saturday night with friends on Deal Voucher. Food and service was excellent. The chef was magnificent, we were amazed how he managed to handle all the orders single-handed considering there were at least 2 seatings that night. Will definitely recommend it and will return.

by Mary P.
6th July 2012

Overall our experience was pleasant – the service was Ok (it was perfectly functional). Starters: my companion had great squid – I had what was called brushetta but was inedible. Mains – again my companion was really pleased with the venison (tender and sufficient), my vegetarian canelloni were OK but the sauce was very tasty. Puddings were nice. Probably wouldn’t bother go back but would not try to put other people off.

by Wayne T.
2nd July 2012

My wife and I and our daughter and her husband dined at Buffaloes the other week. This came about after a real botch up on Groupons part that had the expiry date different at the top of the voucher than what was indicated in the Fine Print.
I phoned groupon to try and sort this mess out but they were not really interested so I rang Buffalos’ and explained the situation to them and they said that they would honour the voucher.
The reception was great, the service was brilliant and the food was first class.
My Wife and I have dined here on several occasions and have had nothing but fantastic service and food on every occassion and would difinitely recommend this Restaurant and we will definitely be dining here again.
Wayne and Sheryl

by Allison C.
2nd July 2012

This restaurant was really awesome!!!! Brought the all you can eat ribs voucher and was skeptical ay first as I had never brought a food deal before.

We were seating immediately…meal arrive quickly and there was no delay in the second courses as well.

Ribs were cooked way better than lonestar! and also had a great taste.

I just brought another food voucher for another restaurant so I hope they provide an outstanding service like Buffalo Bar & Grill

by Aleki B.
30th June 2012

This is the greatest place in Takapuna for a decent meal and a few laughs. I really do not understand some of the other reviews on this site. Buffalo has great food and the staff are very friendly. I’ve eaten at Buffalo a number of times now to never be disappointed apart from forgetting to make a booking (the place is always packed in the evenings). Quite often I’ll see other regulars there. Their lunch menu is great as well $15 for a meal and a glass of wine – simply good value for money every time. Try the place yourself, you won’t be disappointed, but seriously, book first or you’ll miss out. Enjoy.

by Steve D.
30th June 2012

Like many others, I have signed up to this website just to voice my disappointment at this venue.
I have never in the whole of Auckland met such a rude manager.
I will never be eating at this place ever again.
I could elaborate but it’s the same as everyone else.
Terrible food, terrible service and the worst customer interaction I have ever come across.
Shame you can’t give a -5 or even a zero score!

by michelle D.
23rd June 2012

I don’t understand how some of these people can run down the service and food we have experienced tonight. I guess you can’t please everyone. My husband and my self have dined tonight and it was excellent service and amazing food couldn’t complain about anything. Everything was A+ and would highly recommend good on you guys and thanks Michelle and Darren Day

by vinnie
6th June 2012

Where do I start!!!. Terrible/ No service!, worst food ever!
I should of read MenuMania Reviews before dinning.
We had a Voucher for Bread & dips & all you can eat ribs(cost $39:95, Recommended value $125.00!!!
My wife and I walked in & waited at the Bar/reception while the owner & staff went by a few times serving tables, with not even a nod of the head or a hello from owner or staff. Five minutes latter the owner/manager came over and I said I have a booking for 2, he grabbed 2 menus and walked off to a table outside the swigging doors to the kitchen, still not as much as a sound or greeting from the manager. After we sat down and ordered drinks & mains we waited over 30 minutes for some old dry sliced french stick & cheese loaf with dry master food parsley sprinkled on top & processed bottled dips, then came the mains, microwaved unseasoned mashed potato & boiled ribs!!!( I could see a Char-grill in the dirty kitchen!!) with bottled flavoured BBQ sauce poured over the top, what pure crap!!!!!!!.
I asked to see the manager, but he was busy washing dishes and drying them with a dirty tea towel (I know when they come out of a dishwasher wet, the machine has run out of sanitising chemical!) I told the staff member the ribs that were boiled were taste-less & inedible, he returned to the open kitchen and discussed my problem with the owner then he returned and never said sorry at all!! Just offered me a free coffee / dessert which I refused. We decided to leave & upon paying for our drinks was offered a Two for one voucher which I also refused.
Will NEVER dine their again. (Denny’s food is 10 times better for half the price) I wish MenuMania lowest star rating was a minus 1, so i could give it to Buffalo Bar & Boiled.
PS: Please ASAP call Gordon Ramsey, you need help!!!

by William
26th May 2012

Terrible terrible service. Food quality was no better either. I went for dinner on a Thursday night, and the place seemed rather quiet. Although I had read about poor service on here before, I thought I’d give it a try as I wasn’t using a voucher of any kind. Worst decision ever – the scotch fillet I ordered was so small I could have finished it in two bites and it was so elastic and hard to chew. My partner had the venison which was no better too – I had a bite and it reeked of an unpleasant odour. Needless to say, we will not be returning and will definitely NOT recommend this place, not even our worst enemies.

by Rachel
11th May 2012

Wow such different reviews. We also brought 2 vouchers but had a good night and we were all happy with our food. We had two vouchers on our table and one full paying couple. So not sure if that made a difference but we all enjoyed our meals. One of the waiters was quite hard to hear and a fraction rushed with us which we did notice. It was very busy and there was a big groups drinking outside on our arrival.

by Jen
20th April 2012

One of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in Auck. We had purchased a voucher in a promotion by the resturant entitling us to 2 entrees, bottle of wine and the seafood platter- so, not full price(far,far too high BTW) customers, but still paying good money, THEIR promotion etc so entitled to pleasant service and a good night out, right? WRONG! From the moment we arrived, the waiter (owner?) snapped “Voucher”, then proceeded to seat us at a table right in front of the swinging kitchen doors, slapped two menus down and left. Another equally rude waiter brusquely informed us exactly what we were allowed on the menu (apparently the pizza entree was out).Two dreary entrees duly arrived (soggy chicken salad for me, buffalo wings a la dominos for him) We escaped outside with our glasses of wine inbetween courses,(mainly to get away from the slamming doors) and when we returned found our half-full bottle of wine had vanished. We politely pointed out we had not quite finished with it, received a stony stare, he stomped to the bar, plonked it back down without a word. The seafood platter was mainly steamed mussels, deep fried fish and squid(?) rings. We did not finish. Needless to say we shall NOT be returning.

by Liu G.
17th March 2012

This place is……..! I run out my word, I am not rude guys, but I can’t stand on this anymore, its bullshit! I bought this voucher deal, when I went into the restaurant, this manager, I gave him my voucher, him take me to the table, give me the Menu, everything seem fine, but the things turn around when we try to make order.
when I told him I want to make a order, he said ok, then went straight away, and come back 15 minutes late, fine, maybe they came before me, I accept that, but can you just say, ” yes, I will serve you soon, but I need to serve others first, because them came before you”, is that hard to said a word? you really do believe you are T.C?
then finally, when this manager came to my table, I told him I want to confirm the details on the voucher, then him looks so surprised, said he never get anything from me! and I told him I gave him the voucher, then he call me a lier, Fxxk, even the other guest confirm that he watch me give the voucher to this manager, ok, then this guy change his word, say I gave a voucher to him, but is the one with value $123, but I gave him one valued $135, at that 20 minutes, only we went into the shop, how can you just forget? I try to find my voucher on the iphone, then he start to fight with my girl, I put my finger on my mouth try to tell them sounds down, and him just explode, say I didnt show him respect, however, my girl intend to explain, but him just tell us to get out! she is a little girl, I never ever seem any service like this!, you want people respect you, but where is yours!!!

by Jim
6th March 2012

We went to this restaurant and dined 6/3/12 as my friend bought a voucher from a deals site. We were entitled for 2 mains, 2 dessert and 2 drinks.

We sat for about 20 minutes without being attended to. Restaurant was a little busy but they had 2 waiting staff and both appeared to be running around delivering food to tables.

After getting some attention, we finally got our menu and again waited another 10 minutes before we could place our drinks order. I felt both waiters were rude and didn’t pay any attention to people on the tables.

When we finally got our food, meals were very average. We ordered Angus Rump Steak, Buffalo Chicken and Pork Ribs. All meals were somewhat pre-cooked, heated up and served. Nothing really special about their meals.

Also, when our meals were being service, rude waiters came and literally dumpted our meals on our table. I felt that these staff had absolute no idea of customer service and were rude and arrogant.

After finishing our meals, once again we waited for another 15 minutes for them to clear our table. For some unknown reason, waiters were too busy clearing a table which people had left already. Why wouldn’t you take care of your dining customers first? One waiting staff was often going out to have a smoke. Once again, why would you smoke where customers can see you? I also didn’t see this staff member washing his hand which raises further questions on their hygiene level.

As mentioned above, food was average but this restaurant was totally let down by their service. Waiting staff needs some serious customer service training (or even basic common sense training!!).

Do not eat here unless you have to!! I would never return and I warn you of their average food and shocking service!!

by Dave
31st January 2012

Took our three-course voucher along tonight and had a great time. It was pointed out that any dish from each category was eligible and only pizzas shown at the end of the entree page were classed as mains.
We both had the eye fillet for a main and it was cooked exactly as requested and delicious.
Entrees and desert were also good.
The waiter was attentive but not pushy.
Overall, a great al fresco meal and very good (voucher) value.
It is hard to believe that reviews can vary so much.
We will be returning.

by Edwin K.
15th January 2012

I only rated 1 star coz there is no -5 star. This is by far one of the worst restaurant with the worst customer service ever!! the one in Takapuna!! the male waiter and the old grumpy manager ! to you both … please do smile more and be more attentive to your customers!!!

We had a booking but had to wait for a seat for 20 minutes… we ordered and waited for 1 hour till our Entrees came in … our cup had dirty stain from coffee on it….. they did not refill our water…… they did not give us a menu even tho we specifically asked for one…..

I’ve been to many restaurants .. esp in asia where they have no customer service at all in some rural areas.. however this was way beyond my tolerance … I will never go back unless the staff changes …. so to be specific .. it’s that male waiter and the old moody manager.

by Tim
13th January 2012

I signed up to this website just to give a review on Buffalo Bar & Grill (Takapuna), so other unsuspecting patrons can be duly warned.

My girlfriend and I had a deal voucher for a meal for two valued at $121.50, but we couldn’t understand where that figure came from…you could get better food at Denny’s for half the price.

The establishment was dirty.

Both our mains were microwaved – I had the Venison and she had the Salmon. Salmon was very dry (and actually crunchy at one end!), and the Venison was the smallest piece of meat I have ever seen…sorry…two pieces at 4cm x 2cm x 1cm. I could fit each piece in my mouth without being gross.
The Venison dish included ‘sesame scented bacon’ – this was bits of ham in sesame oil (the same kind of ham you can buy in the budget 500g for $7 value packs at the supermarket).

The dessert was extremely disappointing. We ordered the chocolate mousse and my all time favourite – the Creme Brulee. The mousse was cheap supermarket “mix with milk” powder that was poorly presented, and the Creme Brulee was something that can only be described as curdled and split play doh. Both desserts were covered with Hersheys chocolate sauce – probably to cover the taste of the desserts.

I have reasonable service standards, but their service was abhorrent. We walked in the door and were greeted with “We’re fully booked” even though we had a booking. No “hello”. I’m not kidding!
We ordered our food and beverages which were taken by a waiter who seemed very disinterested in us (no eye contact or smiles whatsoever) and then plonked the drinks and food in front of us – like we were a kitchen bench or something.
When we had finished our meal (mains and desserts in no more than 30min!!) we got up to leave and waited by the cashiers exit expecting a ‘thank you, come again’ or something – nope. We were left standing there for a while so we just walked out (not needing to pay for anything due to the voucher).

To summarise: Poor food, poor service – and I highly recommend you stay away from this place…or go and visit if you want to experience the worst Takapuna has to offer.

Be warned.

by Tania
12th January 2012

Where do I start? Hugely disappointed and would never go back. Pizza bread? You’re kidding me! floury and tasteless. Buffalo Chicken (Chicken breast with apricot) was so dry, I had to get my partner to cut it up with his steak knife, there were (I think) sandflies around the tables, mashed potato was so microwaved it was dangerously hot to eat.

Sticky Date Pudding was doughy and microwaved once again, searing hot. Overall horrible experience and the dinner for two via Groupponz valued at $121.50 Value was nowhere near this. There have been enough shocking comments that a critic should go in and write a huge “beware” article and let everyone know to not waste a cent there. The entire restaurant experience was unbelievably offputting, yet they still continue to operate. Will let all our friends and family know to stay away!

by Suraj N.
11th December 2011

Went to dinner with partner at Buffalo bar grill Takapuna Friday 9th DEC with deal voucher. Worst meals and service ever. the way this place is advertised is so wrong. waited so long for drinks and meal, did not even get water till we asked for it. scallop and salmon mousse in filo parcels did not even have any scallop flavor. for mains ordered eye fillet but got a sirloin with tough sinew. they probably thought i didn’t know my cuts of meat. restaurant and kitchen was very dirty. it has a open kitchen so could see everything, very dirty, meats sitting on the bench through out the night. i could c the eye fillet as well. desserts were very poor, menu says vanilla ice cream but we get chocolate, sticky date pudding so dry and heavy, could see them heating it up in the microwave. waiters were very unfriendly.

Too much going on with the menu for a small team, not very well executed.
Not worth it at all.

by Erica D.
24th November 2011

Called this place twice to book a table. We like to have late dinners so wanted a table for post-8.30. Both times I was told the kitchen is closing at 8, even though the deal voucher for this place said its open till late. Moreover in the ‘fine print’ there were no conditions about them declining to serve based on being busy, etc.

Was told very rudely by some staff member that all kitchens close around 8 and that I didn’t know anything about restaurant kitchens (I’m a waitress!). Said it didn’t matter what the voucher said.

Don’t need to even go to this place to know it is going to be a terrible experience.

by Thomas
23rd November 2011

Went here with my partner for a nice night out with a deal voucher. Overall I was impressed! The staff were friendly and did a great job balancing the orders on a very busy night. The eye fillet was delicious, thank you!

by Christy
15th October 2011

We had a spreats voucher. We were warmly greeted at the door and seated at a nice table at the back by the kitchen. The owner/manager was friendly, made sure we had a drink while waiting. Meal was lovely and service we couldn’t fault. The place is rugged be cause it is supposed to be that way, its a bar and grill. It was clean and tidy. We will be going back for more. Thank you for a nice night out.

by Julie W.
22nd August 2011

I would never go back.
It was terrible service. There were bugs flying around your plate while trying to eat. Everything tasted like it had been reheated from frozen eg fish. one of us had a BLAT and the bacon was not even real bacon and the turkish bread wasnt even toasted. It was all covered in this watery aioli. The music screeched in your ear.

Worst experience

by Richard L.
18th August 2011

Worst dinner all year! Denny’s food at top end prices, very poorly presented for the price. Got a spreets voucher and when we got there half the items on the menu were excluded (nothing about this was detailed in the fine print) will be following this up with the commerce commision. Service was abrupt. Waiter kept leaving the door open to a freezing wind and the reception phone is the loudest and most awful noise I have ever heard, and im a builder! Poorly lit and uninspiring atmosphere.

by vikram
16th August 2011

Awesome place for dine in.. I went for dinner on last saturday with my family. I had buffalo chicken wings in entree and pork ribs in my mains,,, It was delicious and excellent cooked…The service was really good and friendly.. This place is really nice and cozy in winter… I will definitely visit again…

by Dmitry
8th August 2011

Bought a pizza deal voucher. By the way, it was a very good deal. Unlike others where you are allowed to use one voucher for 2-3 people and the voucher does not cover even two hot meals.
Here it was very good: two big pizzas and two glasses of wine. Pizza was good and fresh. I liked thin crusty base with lot of topping. Especially I liked a vegetarian pizza. Service was very good.
Prices are very reasonable, quality is good. Two guys who served people were very friendly.

I wish all the best to the place.

by Olympin
16th July 2011

I am happy to say this place has a few clues for keeping afloat. Using the discount voucher sites they keep very busy and the food is very good. Have booked if for a return visit on my birthday with family group they were so good. A big thumbs up to their Chicken nibble entree and the Beef marinated in Jalapeno sauce pizza both were so great.
Thanks for a great night .Keep it up ..

by Sharon
29th June 2011

Came with a voucher for 2 pizzas and wine for lunch. Didnt need to book, was pretty quiet mid week. Pizzas had plenty of flavour and nice thin base which had a real home made rustic look to them, not uniformed in shape which we loved. Service was good, not in your face and whether pizza was any less than what we would have got without a voucher is hard to say. Only thing I did notice was the main man did quietly mention to one of the others that we had a voucher, why the necessity I dont know, but maybe for him to not go out of his way?? However that said, we enjoyed our lunch and did notice they have specials running quite often which certainly seemed worth considering. So best of luck guys, hope it all works out for you.

by Zoe H.
27th June 2011

Just awful!!! All the bad reviews are true!! And on top of that we were over charged 23$, he claimed he got the wrong table… But the was only people at two other tables..and still eating, bit hard to get mixed up if you ask me. Also as we waited for our food I saw The guy micro wave most things which really put me off!! I’d rather go to Deny’s if I wanted nasty food.

by michelle h.
16th June 2011

I agree … we got these voucher from Spreets and I was worried after the reviews.. However I have now been there twice because I enjoyed the food. .. We went there for my Birthday last night and had steak, Salmon, Pasta, Lamb and the ribs between us. All were fantastic and the whole family loved their meal. We got a mystery dessert for the table and have to say it was great as well.. My husband love the chocolate mousse. No complaints here it really was a great night out with the relaxed atmosphere. If I was going to complain…. Everything comes with mash potatoes and mixing it up a little with chips or baked potato would have been better…

by Victoria D.
15th June 2011

I’m really surprised by the other reviews on this website. I eat here regularly becuase it’s just across the road from my work. I’ve never had a bad experience at Buffalos, ever. The service is prompt and friendly, the food is great – I’ve never had anything that wasn’t freshly cooked and delicious, and even during the lunch time rush we’re always greeted with a smile.

by Tanna
4th March 2011

The most disgusting dessert I’ve ate in any restaurants! For my many years of dining experience this has got to be the WORST! I paid $24.50 for a 2 people “Mystery” dessert, and received a dry microwave-hard date pudding with “chocolate mousse” (as they claimed it to be) that seemed like to be made from people’s saliva mixed with cocoa powder to make it look chocolate-coloured. My plate of fruit also had a surprise for me, with a piece of hair hidden underneath the fruits. It was terribly disgusting and inedible, if there is a -1 for a star rating, they would definitely deserve one.

by Poobie
25th November 2010

Terrible. Heat and serve food. Nothing made fresh. Even mash was reheated. Pasta was microwaved. Nice location – but terrible food. Please keep walking – pay a little more but enjoy fresh food.

by Terri
24th September 2010

My boyfriend and I had dinner here the other night. We had a 2 for 1 voucher to use. I asked a question about it as I saw something on the website that there were a couple of mains we couldn’t use vouchers for. Turns out that according to the waiter we could only actually choose from 3 meals. As the rest weren’t mains. I even asked him ‘so these are not mains’ he said no. I thought to myself then what the hell are they?
So that aside we decided to stay and order from the poor and lock of choice of mains. My boyfriend had the Salmon which was nice and I had the Eye fillet which was dry, the sauce was bland, the Pomme Frits were under cooked and hard and there was some kind of weird dressing on the salad that actually looked liked someone had thrown it up. It was very disappointing and the service was good apart from being told we could actually order the mains we really wanted to as they were mains in the 2 for one.

by P.E. N.
28th March 2010

My two brothers and I visited for lunch today and were appalled. The service had three strikes against it before the food even arrived – no welcome to the restaurant or smile from the waitress, a glass of red wine was brought to the table instead of a pinot gris that was asked for, and almost 10 minutes after taking our orders, she came back to query my order of a ‘seasonal salad’ which ‘isn’t on the menu’. That’s because I ordered a Caesar salad. Maybe it was her first day, but I had the distinct impression she really didn’t care, or else she would have queried this when taking the order.

The chicken and bacon salad and caesar salads were delivered after about 15-20 minutes. The chicken bacon salad had no olives at all despite being stated on the menu, and the Caesar had perhaps a total of two anchovies mulched in with the rest. Suffice to say that the salads were otherwise very ordinary.

I am quite dubious about the one other review for this cafe.

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