We dined at the Republic for Lunch in the Bar.
We were a table of 10 and all ordered at the same time. Approx. 1.30pm.
We then waited for over 1 hour for our meals (including: 4 kids meals)
At the 45 minute mark of waiting, we enquired about our food- the staff member stated our meals were coming out very soon.
10 minutes later I enquired with another staff member who didn't return with an answer but presented us with 2 meals another 5 minutes later - with no explanation
Our meals came out in dribs and draps. Finally getting our final meal 15 minutes after the first meal came out.
There was only an apology from the wait staff once we said we had waited over an hour for our meals.
Food was average
Eggplant parmigiana had no taste,
Beef Schnitzel tasted odd (tangy taste)
Salt pepper squid - chips were cold and was the last meal that was served and wait staff said it had to be redone- which also wasn't communicated.
We ate our food as we were hungry and just couldn't be bothered anymore.
I was very disappointed seeing as it was my mother's day.
The idea of going out was us to enjoy our self and our meals and it was not an enjoyable experience.
Staff just didn't really seem to care or want to listen. Didnt asked if we enjoyed our meals or check back to ensure things were OK?
When we went up to bar staff to order our children's icecreams - we asked the bar how long it would take for the desserts to come out as we already waited. The bar staff had no response and we didn't seem to care or...
Read moreThe Republic has a great facade and interior, a really nice, simple feel to it- exactly what a local should. Having eaten here a few times I am more disappointed the more I try of the menu. The crispy school prawns were clunky to eat and lacked any flavour, the sauce was too overpowering: a better menu choice would be to offer the classic soft shell crab. When i ordered standard fries, my shoestring fries were overcooked and the portion size was tiny: I paid just shy of 10 dollars for fries. Carbonara was ok: just as a staple pub carbonara should be, nice creamy and the taste we all know and love. Schnitzel was ok- nothing special. Squid was bad quality, too floury
I am perfectly ok with an occasional bad meal, but repeat bad meals at a premium price I cannot forgive. A note to the business owner: if you want to keep people, serve good food at a reasonable price. The current practice is to serve average food at a premium price- people will try it once but will move on quickly.
Pros: Great live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Good atmosphere and good interior. Fox AFL. Impressive wine list. Cons: Bad quality food, premium prices, rip-off 345ml schooner for ~$7+
Go to Melbourne, check out the pubs and mimic them, match their prices and stop trying to demand a huge profit margin- encourage people to come back instead of fleecing them in a...
Read moreVery disappointing experience. I came here for a social day with my workplace, which was booked weeks ago and the meals had also been selected in advance. I had chosen the chicken breast and superfood greens dish with sweet potato chips. It was basically a very bland spinach salad with a piece of bread and half a chicken breast which tasted dry and not very nice - no sweet potato chips in sight. I brought it up with the waitress who implied she would fix it up. She then came back with a bowl of potato chips, claiming that they had run out of the sweet potato chips (which the chefs had neglected to tell the waitress in the first place). I understand that menu items can run out, however there is clearly some poor organisation and communication here considering we booked the meals in advance (and one of the desserts my coworker ordered wasn't available either!). Unfortunately they didn't apologise for their oversight, which is the reason why I personally wouldn't recommend this restaurant. Yes the waitress said they wouldn't charge extra for the chips, but they were supposed to be a part of the dish anyway! However, I will say that the majority of my coworkers were satisfied with their meals - I was the...
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