Rattle n Hum Port Douglas — Restaurant in Port Douglas

After going to Rattle & Hum in Palm Cove and having an awesome first time experience, the experience at the Port Douglas was vastly different. My experience was this, I ordered my pizza and drinks, no issues, the women staff were friendly. The pizza came out, looked delicious at first glance, however we did have some burnt edges. I picked up a slice, it literally almost burnt my mouth and I had to drop my food on the plate. Then picked up the second slice. The whole topping slid off, all of it. My food companion said I should take it back. The pizza was not like the delicious one I had in Palm Cove but very different. They did a good size crust at the other location, here it was so thin like the size of my fingernail. I do like a thin crust but this was super thin. After refusing to take it back out of shyness, I built up the courage to take back the plate and placed it on the counter. A male patron asked me what was the problem. I shyly said I went to the Palm Cove restaurant recently and they do a thicker crust and I showed him my pile of toppings left on the plate with a bare slice of pizza and I said it slid off. He quickly said that’s how we do it here the thin crust, he obviously dismissed and didn’t care I had no toppings on my slice and kept saying that’s how we do it here. I could see he wasn’t going to offer to make another or suggest something else (Mind you I not a person that complains it’s very rare). I picked up my plate to take it back to my table and said “I guess if that’s how you do it here it’s not that good” as I turned my back, he shouted “you would have to be the first person to say that”. Then that comment made me angry. How dare he gaslight me, I’m a paying customer! Then to top it off he says loudly to the chef “don’t worry mate you can’t make everyone happy” to made sure I heard it. I ended up eating the pizza. Not because it was great but because I paid $25 for it and I was not offered anything else. In all honesty it wasn’t the worst tasting pizza it was edible but it wasn’t worth the money. A pizza should be a bit thicker even thin crust, not watery, your toppings shouldn’t slide off. I had to cradle it as I ate it like cupping my hands because the weight of the toppings was too much for the crust. And the edges were burnt. If you want a great experience go to the Palm Cove store it was super good and you have a great view too! This place not so much. And that blonde tall male needs to be more hospitable or at least be kind and not sarcastic to customers. He needs to be reminded to listen to customers for feedback. They can help your business. I don’t...

I went to the Rattle n Hum in Cairns and had a great plate of beef nachos. The beef was chunky and tender, the cheese layered through out the corn chips and nicely melted in an oven - not soggy like a microwave would do and it was all topped by generous portions of guacamole, salsa and sour cream. All very delicious.

So upon our arrival in Port Douglas a week later it was a no brainer to go to Rattle n Hum again. For another tasty plate of beef nachos.

It was not to be.

I went to the counter to collect my order, and there was obviously visible confusion on my face as the staff member immediately said “That’s how we do them”. I hadn’t said a word yet.

What I was presented with was nominally the ingredients for nachos arranged on a tray as separate entities. A bowl of corn chips, a bowl of liquid cheese , a bowl of, let’s be kind and call it beef, but it more truthfully resembled warm cat food and three small containers containing a dollop each of guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

I remarked that I was surprised as I had ordered the same dish at their store in Cairns and actually received nachos, not what ever this was.

I was cut off by the staff member who informed me rather snappily that “that is a different venue”. Well, I am sorry to inform you, but this is not how franchises work. Her chief concern after this was that “it’s not her fault” and “she didn’t do it”. All true. However, you are the front line customer service person and it is your job to liaise and problem solve when there is an unhappy customer. You didn’t none of that.

I was not rude at any point and had a genuine grievance. You failed in your job.

At this point I couldn’t be bothered any more and just went back to my table to finish making my dinner. The corn chips were cold, the cheese sauce was cold and the Luke warm to begin with beef slurry had dropped off to tepid.

You advertised nachos. I ordered nachos. What I received was chips and some dips that you would have with drinks while watching a footy game.

Please Rattle n Hum Port Douglas, either go to the Cairns store and learn how to make them, change the name of what you are selling...

Really don’t get the hype on the reviews for this place. We visited port Douglas for the day and thought it’d be a safe bet because we were starving. So firstly, the place is pretty empty there are like 2 tables inside and one outside that are being used. We fancied a margarita pizza because of the pizza oven and also the sharer “basket of fresh prawns”, as well as a side salad. We noticed that you have to order at the bar…no problem and not entirely uncommon for a pub/bar restaurant.

My girlfriend goes up and orders the food and doesn’t come back for ages. Turns out you order your food by the pizza oven, then you have to go to the other side and order your drinks at the actual bar, wait for your drinks to be made and take them back to your seat. Bit weird but okay.

THEN it turns out when your food is ready you have to go back up to the counter by the pizza oven and get your own food. What? This isn’t maccas is it? We ordered three things so with cutlery is was two trips to go pick it up. Weird.

The pizza was okay, but the prawns were a) cold (why isn’t that in the description? Maybe that’s normal here…not from Aus so could be I guess. It was literally served in a deep fryer basket lol) b) not fresh, they smelt gross and c) not de-veined. What? Massive chilled prawns that haven’t even been deveined so you bite into it and there’s a massive poop shoot (see photo) in it? For $25??? Barf…we left them all

Crazy. We would’ve said something had there been any sight of waiting staff or anybody even bothered to check in and ask how the meal was going.

Really...