Mamma Carmela @ Port Noarlunga — Restaurant in Adelaide

Locations nice. Foods average but good. A little expensive. Wait staff (namely the older one) was very rude.

Came down for a birthday lunch for 12 people. We were originally served by who I presume is the manager. She was a stumpier lady with dark hair. When she served us she was very demanding and rude. She made a big deal about us all using the same table number (I was the first person to order but as they had pushed several tables together there were several different numbers) and ordering at the same time so our food comes out together. This wasn’t something we were typically worried about but when other members of our table went to order at a different till she was very snappy about everyone having to order on the same till and so forth. The rest of our party had to push in front of other guests to order with her which got us some dirty looks and could have been avoided if we were aware of this rule before ordering. We all commented on the experience when we sat back down but chalked it up to them being busy and stressed.

There was a long wait for our drinks and food to come and in the end our food didn’t all come out at once. The resultant was very noisy and at some point a waiter had come to the head of the long table and called out one of the pastas. A member of our table at the other end put her hand up and repeated her order to the waiter as they bought it over. I was sitting opposite her and none of us even heard the waiter come out. About 10 minutes later they bought the next few pastas out and sat them in front of us. We then realised that they had given us the wrong orders. The two pastas ordered had very similar names but completely different dishes. When we notified the staff that we had received the wrong pasta the lady we ordered with came out and was incredibly rude. She said that the dish had been claimed so it’s not their problem. We tried to explain to her that it was hard to hear the waiter and when the guest tried to clarify if it was her order they just put it down in-front of her. The lady then replied “well you can hear me fine now”. We told her again the water stood at the other end of the table and most of us down here weren’t even aware she had come out. Her reply was “and what you can’t tell there different pastas?”. We were pretty gobsmacked at her replies and considering they hadn’t come out at the same time we really didn’t have anyway of knowing what was what apart from repeating it back to the waiter at the time. She then told us that even if we or the waiter hadn’t heard properly, it was still claimed and we’d need to buy another pasta if we didn’t want the incorrect one provided as it wasn’t their problem. When we said we wouldn’t be doing that and would go without a dish as we (as a couple) had spent over $100 alone. She then agreed to replace the meal and took it away but stood at the counter with it talking to another member angrily for some time which made us feel even more uncomfortable. By the time we got the correct food we had been there nearly 2 hours and our toddler was starving and having a meltdown (the dish was being shared with him and his pregnant mum) so he had to be taken out the restaurant. She was no nicer when she bought the food over and ultimately will be the reason we don’t return. I think we all can understand that it’s hard to hear what the waiters are saying at one end of a long table in a busy restaurant, specially when the mains have very similar names but this is why most restaurants will clarify what it is when bringing the food over. To be met with such hostility by someone who seemingly was in charge is not what we expected. Their waiter put the wrong food in-front of the wrong person when they had repeated what they ordered. The younger staff however were all very polite. We won’t be...

As a restaurant owner myself, I know how hard it is to satisfy everyone and to make everyone happy with your food. I also know that no one is perfect, but what a business does to fix their mistakes… that what counts for me! We walked in just wanting something quick for my family after driving from the North East of Adelaide all the way to Port Noarlunga, I’ve looked around and to be honest non of the food I saw going to other tables looked good! So I decided to order for my two kids, my wife and my sister in law only even though I was starving. It was a simple order of two kids chips and two “main” fish and chips. I paid $78.21 with the 15 percent public holiday surcharge. We waited for about 40 minutes and there was no food so I had to go and check! Apparently the waitress forgot to “release” the order to the kitchen for some reason! So I asked for the order to be cancelled as the kids were crying and couldn’t wait anymore, she goes and checks with the kitchen then comes back to tell me that the kitchen can get our food in 4 minutes! I accepted trying not to make the poor girl feel bad for her human error and I also added the chef’s special “crispy skin barramundi” which they had written on the board so I paid another $45.41 with another 15 percent surcharge! Minutes go by and a waitress brings two “kids fish and chips”! So I went and said we actually ordered two “kids chips” and two “fish and chips mains” so the waitress goes like OMG did they mess it up! And goes to the kitchen then comes back to tell me that they made a mistake and we can have the pieces fish they’ve sent! I replied “but my kids don’t eat fish and the amount of chips is less than a serve of chips on its own, we don’t need the fish just the chips”, after I sat down still waiting for the two main fish and chips, the sent one fish and chips main with 3 pieces of fish! So I called the waitress again and I told the menu says two pieces of fish and this main has three, we also are waiting for another fish and chips main and one crispy barramundi, she replies that the chef gave us another extra piece of fish that we didn’t ask for! Then same waitress comes back minutes later with my under-cooked frozen “crispy skin barramundi” to inform me that we were actually served more fish than what we have ordered and the “complimentary kids fish that we didn’t ask for” and which they sent by mistake was to cover for our other main fish and chips! While all of this was happening the owner or manager was sitting in front of us with his family watching! After about an hour was when he asked what was happening, and not sure what he was told he decided to come to the table and it would’ve been a lot better if he didn’t because he made it a lot worse! His body language and horrible attitude and not a single apology trying to tell us that we got more fish that what we’ve ordered! I said the fish you mistakenly sent for my kids wasn’t ordered and it was taken back to the kitchen, then he leaves without saying a word! While we were waiting for an hour for the food we were reading the “story” behind the place and the “secret recipes” and “family history” business, but the food didn’t match what we were reading. Nothing was fresh in this place not even the salad! People next to us were looking and they were surprised by the terrible customer service of the place! One of them commented “my pizza was terrible” as she left it in the plate...

Did'nt get to eat here , went to book for my wifes birthday , booked and cancelled within 15 minuites , what an hassle , i was giving a full 1 week notice , then told becuase its 24 people had to have a reduced menu , OK , noticed on the menu no kids meals , so its order the 3 young ones a full meal they probably will not eat , because minimum spend 25 dollar pp , thats ok , asked for 6.30pm , told its our busy time you have to do 6 pm , when i said people need time to come from work they reneged and gave us 6.30pm o k all good . i asked can we sit by the window sea views , after all its my wifes birthday its a weeks notice can't see the problem , told we cannot gaurantee where you sit it could be anywhere , but shown the other end near the carpark , indicated that can be reserved , , nope its a speciel occasion want good spot thats why we booking a week early , told the walki ins like to sit there , Mmmm starting to get a feeling , still booked anyway, girl had told me i have to pay a deposit , no problem thats understandable , , manager told me no deposit they will send a link requesting credit card details , and anyone does'nt show 10 dollar charge , unusual but ok , i did say its a definete 21 , with 3 not replied yet , then you will have to book for them all , but if them 3 don't show its chargable , OK but i'm starting to think do they want the buisness , link comes through , booking says its for 6.30 - 8.30 err hello , i'm not gonna tell 24 people they cannot have a drink at 8.20 because its 8.30 limit , you cannot drink a few wines and beers because they waant you out for others , all in all its just too hard , never been to a restraunt yet where a couple people who come in have a coffee and cake perhaps a meal to share , can be considered more important than a birthday party who will spend lots . everyone who i rang and said were changing when i explained all the rules regulation thrown our way , said the same thing tell them to stick it ... Funny enough i left went to another place asked if they can cater for 25 , told them it was a birthday , they bent over backwards , how would you like your tables , where would you like to sit , would you like a cake , course we do a kids menu , , no way is there a minimum spend , and we would love to give your wife a complimentry bottle does she drink champagne , no you will not be asked to leave after your meal , , I'm picking up the bill so beilieve me at 12 dollars a pint , i expected it to be large , but this place Naaaw just to hard to deal with , they just seemed put out it was 24 people , so i went back and cancelled , just a word to them , i've lived around the corner from there for 40 years now , i have seen a lot of restraunts open and close in that place , and ALL of them treated customers has customers , and still did'nt survive , they need to learn and learn quick , because at the moment ther still a novelty , . PS i had my 60th my 65 , and my wifes 70th at the glenelg mama's , and each time was treated great , this one was...