Cafe Catalina — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

As I’ve owned hospitality venues previously, I’m sympathetic and kind in reviews and rarely report negative experiences. However I contacted this venue with my concerns and I am skeptical that the response was actually from the owner, so this review also serves the purpose of ensuring the owners are in fact aware: On our family visit, we were served by a male waiter who clearly had a problem with customers generally. He ignored us multiple times, made jokes about us to other staff and left our items on the counter for prolonged periods (clearly deliberately). I was happy to let all this go but when he mocked my wife I approached him quietly and asked if there was a problem. He said my wife asked for our smoothie 5 times (she didn’t, which he later admitted, she checked on the progress once as she could see it sitting on the counter for some time). There was no manager on duty. He behaved in an extremely inappropriate way which I will not comment on here as it is subject to further investigation. After emailing the store (the only point of contact available), and urging them to review CCTV footage of the incident what purported to be the owners replied and stated I swore loudly which is preposterous (I’ve NEVER sworn in front of my 3 and 5 year old children!). No owner could possibly review the CCTV footage of how this waiter acted and think this is in any way not serious. I await their response here, and I am happy to discuss further over the phone.

I would 100% avoid this restaurant based on the way they have handled this matter.

Update: never heard back...

We have just moved into the local area and eat out every lunchtime so have been checking out different venues. This of course means we would be repeat customers if we like the venue. Don’t think Cafe Catalina will be one. We arrived about 11:40 to be told we couldn’t order till midday. No complaints about this because the staff surely need a break between the breakfast and lunch service… just remember if you arrive before midday. Main meals are expensive. More in keeping with a dinner out at a salubrious restaurant… not a cafe. My husband chose the quiche from the cabinet and side salad. He enjoyed both. My complaint is with a $30 grilled chicken burger…. more overpriced than any chicken burger I’ve had for a while. Reasonable yet the chicken was thigh meat and rather lumpy and overseasoned with a lot of rosemary which I always worry is hiding meat that could be slightly going off. I’m not saying that was the case here. Just didn’t enjoy it. I really think a grilled chicken burger should be chicken breast grilled lightly and still moist. Thigh meat is cheaper, so I felt this was a bit rich considering the meal cost $30 and was served on a very small plate where you could hardly move the food around with knife and fork. Service was okay. Pleasant looking over the Broadwater. Remember to pay your parking because those parking ladies were coming...

Called in here at 11.00am after spending a lot of time looking for a park and then paying for parking. Waited at the takeaway counter for 5+ minutes to ask about sitting down to eat on the left hand side as this was completely empty, but was not acknowledged by anybody. We then went to the right hand side and waited over another 5+ minutes well everyone walked past us, not acknowledging us again. I then went and asked someone at the kitchen if anyone was going to help us and we were told they are busy, just wait. Eventually someone came up to us and said that the kitchen was at capacity, even though there was at least 20+ tables empty with no one seated at them and that we could be booked in at 12pm for lunch, even though breakfast was being served till 11.30am. We said we were hungry now and then she said well you could still get takeaways!!! How could the kitchen be at capacity, when they could still do takeaway, does not make sense. Never have I ever been turned away from a restaurant when there is so many empty tables, they must be making a lot of money to turn away customers and give such bad customer service. We will never return again, especially as it cost us to park and then nothing in return. Don't waste your time going here, go somewhere where they actually want your business! Obviously also becoming a habit reading the...