Robert Harris Should be Embarrassed

STORY BY THE FRUSTRATED FOOD CRITIC

The dreaded tomato sauce swizzle!

Where did the cream go?

::Robert Harris Cafe, Katikati::

I live in Katikati. Where is that, you may say? Just 20 - 30 minutes north of Tauranga. A retirement town full of creative people. Most only see the main street, which is the State Highway that you zoom along on your way from Aucks to Tauranga or the Mount for your summer holiday. But there is way more to Kati than meets the eye. We have a few cafes, but if you want a cafe break on your way through, dont stop at the Robert Harris!

I like to critique cafes and restaurants in the Tauranga/Katikati area, so here is my critique of this cafe. I don't always have negative critiques, but today I'm serving one up.

I also like to critique the way people serve tea. Coffee is everywhere, but there is also an art to serving up a great cup of tea.

I have given this cafe so many chances but I have to say it would be one of the worst in Katikati, foremost for service and then the food. Why go? Well, sadly its the only cafe that is open 7 days in the main street of Katikati, so if you want to go somewhere for Sunday lunch its the most obvious place. It has an awesome location right on SH2 with an inviting outdoor area out the front. Other family members have eaten here and found it lacking. The main problem being with the service. The counter staff always seem new and don't know alot. The waitresses are very untrained, leaning over customers and getting orders confused.

One of my pet peeves with staff is their lack of initiative in suggestions to customers. I ordered the pumpkin frittata out of the cabinet. I also wanted a cake and ordered the carrot cake muffin and a cup of tea. She DID ask if I wanted cream with my cake, and I said YES, thank you very much, but she did not ask if I wanted salad with my frittata.

Soon after sitting down she arrived with the cup of tea. I said I wanted it with my muffin, which was after my frittata. She said I should have asked! So, she left and came back with the Frittata which arrived as pictured above. I honestly expected it to come with a salad. No-one asked me if I wanted salad and if I had been asked I would have said yes. However, this is how it arrived.....with a really classy swizzle of tomato sauce on the side!!!!! Amazing. I was there again just this last Sunday and gladly did not eat a thing, but watched a friends lovely chicken and feta filo wrap and salad arrive with the dreaded tomato sauce swizzle on the side! Firstly.....who eats tomato sauce with chicken? let alone chicken done in a nice filo wrap! What are they thinking? A nice sweet balsamic glaze would be so much more acceptable. Needless to say, my friend ate his wrap and salad and left the tomato swizzle to rot!

Ive sat there with another friend who just wouldn't finish his lunch because he said it was awful!
Finally, my carrot cake muffin arrived.......without the cream......completely naked, with a cup of
tea. My husband pointed out the lack of cream which I had asked for but I just plain couldn't be bothered asking for it. The cake was dry and unimpressive.

I don't think I will set foot in this cafe again and I will not recommend it to anyone.

The times I have been there in the past I have also had bad service, received salad with no dressing and had to ask for some, so I think I've pretty much had it with Robert Harris, Katikati.

Tea: Always arrives in a coffee cup.....what more can I say.

Positives:There is food there.

Negatives:Ive pretty much covered it above but to summarise, bad service, tacky bland food, tomato sauce with everything!

FFC Rating: Presentation - bad
Taste - average
Size - small
Service - bad
Venue - average
Tea - average