La Taste Takeaway — Restaurant in Queensland

This is my favourite Italian joint in Toowoomba. I can't speak to EVERY pizza on the menu but it's definitely the best meatlovers in town. The sauce is hearty but not overwhelming. Each variety of meat really sings through the stringy cheese topping. The lunch special is unquestionably great value for a regular size pizza, it always leaves me satisfied without being over-filled. The risottos are creamy and bursting with deep, rich flavours. In the ignorance of my youth, I once tried to make risotto, I figured it was basically just rice and some bits and pieces. Boy was I wrong! My risotto, and indeed many others that I've tried over the years are TOO heavy and feel 'gluggy' to eat - like drowning in a sea of overcooked rice. Risotto from La Taste? Totally next level. It's refined and perfectly balanced. Even better than those i've tried from hatted restaurants.

Needless to say, the real test of an Italian eatery is the pasta and boy let me tell you this place will go toe-to-toe with pasta from anywhere. My personal favourites are the Italiano and the Pollo e Funghi. Both are 5-star dishes. Beautifully refined and a pleasure to experience again and again, similar I imagine to driving a Ferrari up the Amalfi coast, these two pastas are a thrill every time. A few honourable mentions must go to the carbonara (a classic for sure) which is fantastic and the Alla Panna is definitely worth a try if you're a seafood-pasta kind of person - not my personal preference but I would still recommend, they're definitely tasty.

Also on the highly commended list are the chicken caesar wrap and schnitty wrap on the lunch menu - 5 stars. Other items on the menu are pretty good too, I've just listed my personal favourites which I'd say are all a 'must-try' for the budding restaurateur in town. Some would argue that prices might be a touch on the high side, but trust me it's worth every cent.

Staff are always super friendly and welcoming, if you work in the area they always remember a face and love to get to know their regulars. I really like that in an eatery, definitely a key factor in what keeps me coming back.

They also do delivery which is awesome but I usually walk; it's worth it to pop in and say hi to the team if you're close enough. If you ever drive past and see this hole-in-the-wall little Italian place, or are passing through town at all, definitely stop in and pick something up - you absolutely will not regret.

Edit: the caramel slice is...

Let's start off with the good: The staff member who served us was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu, even gave us recommendations, which was fantastic. The drinks were cold, which is good. The chips were also good. Unfortunately, that's where the good things end. The arancini balls were unseasoned and therefore bland, served on wilted lettuce. The tortellini is tasteless mass-produced storebought pasta with far too much pesto which overpowers the dish. When putting prawns in a pasta dish, please remember to remove the tails. No one wants to fish through their pasta to remove prawn tails. The pine nuts were burnt, which caused a bitter taste. Ordered a "the lot" hamburger. Ended up getting a steak burger (and I use the term "steak" loosely - it was as tough as old boots, and was definitely not seasoned - a little salt goes a long way), the sauce was soaked into the top bun, making it mushy, and the burger as a whole did not come together to taste good at all. It's a shame, really, because La Taste has the potential to make great food based on what they have stock wise, but it is sloppily and lazily executed. I will be back, however, to see if their pizzas are as good now as they were 14 years ago. I'm hoping that the owners will read this and not respond in a passive-aggressive way as they have to other negative comments, as this is purely constructive criticism, and I want to see La Taste live up to...

I recently ordered a meal from this store and, upon getting home, realised the salad component was missing. I called the store, and while they offered to deliver the salad, I had already started eating with my partner and didn’t want the meal to go cold. They then offered me a store discount for my next visit.

When I returned today, I found that the “discount” was only $4.90. I find this unacceptable, not only because of the inconvenience but also because I didn’t receive what I had paid for in the first place. A token discount doesn’t make up for the mistake or the poor customer experience.

They can keep their $4.90—I won’t...