Pablo's Tex Mex Cantina Caloundra — Restaurant in Sunshine Coast Regional

where to begin...oh my...

Here is my honest review with a twist of storytelling humour.

Twas a dark and wintry night and i was searching for a good holiday alternative to the age old Red rooster quick fix conundrum. Mexican came up on the agenda. Seemed a tall order in the small see side town of Caloundra but low and behold 3 results came up. Made a quick (kids turning ferrel in the back of the car due to hunger) alpha male decision based upon the google pictures of the colourful decor as a potential child friendly sign. Fail 1. Greeted at the door by a smiling teen who politely led us like lambs to the slaughter to our table, i glance around and notice the view of local Aussie townsfolk whose experience of Mexican food i suspect goes this far. Well the food is classed as Tex-Mex so technically not a true Mexican restaurant in my personal opinion (and i have eaten incredible tasting Mexican food all over so i feel somewhat even minutely experientially qualified to comment on such) Another glance around and the view of the kitchen gives way to the sight of a young local Aussie with backwards cap on sprinkling grated cheese over a plate of something before putting it under the hot plate. Dubious thoughts arise linked to a desire to enjoy good "bang for the buck" food, but we persist in our endeavour none the less. Prices look average, so beef Nachos "Full" serve the way forward to feed the kids and us, expectant of the usual big tasty dinner for all we get with this option, with an enchillada dish ordered as hunger backup. Sadly what we received was not great at all. As a restaurant who states it uses all fresh ingredients and cooks everything fresh on the spot, what we were served was pretty poor. Overall really bland. Tasteless beans, flavourless beef, barely any salsa and a fart smear of avocado covered in a bit of cheese with a small dollop of sour cream on top surrounded by a small number of corn chips around the edge. Sorry but this is not good quality, or good quantity or good tasting food at all. Our follow up dish delivered more of the same, much to our dismay. Honestly, just no flavour at all, and as such no enjoyment to eat. Perhaps it was a bad day for the chef and this is not what is normally delivered? ill give them the benefit of the doubt. Then again perhaps it was not...In our case it was an epic dinner fail. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for Good Mexican style food, or anyone seeking good flavoursome food, or those wanting to scratch the taste buds itch. To anyone else good on you. May i suggest if you are reading this on trip advisor or google reviews you let your hunger lead you else where. Rated 1 star for the smiling hard working teens...

The owner seems to have changed her policies on bringing in outside food. For years our daughter was permitted to eat outside food while we ate the restaurant food and now it is not okay. She regularly chatted to us nicely whilst she was eating it in front of her and all the other staff who waited at our table. You need to be consistent in your rules and practices. We also left our rubbish after the incident as we didn't really feel like taking it away like we usually did after a pleasant meal.

Today was a very sad day for our family. We have been going to Montezumas and now Pablos Tex Mex for years and loved it. My brother and sister in law also eat with us there on our treasured holidays at Caloundra.It is part of our routine and i often drink 2 or 3 margaritas during the meal.Since weve gone there we'e always got our child subway to eat as she is unable to eat Mexican. The owner and staff were always okay with it until tonight when the owner approached us in the middle of our dinner. I thought she was coming up ask us if everything was good and thought how lovely that was. Instead she told us we can't bring in food and they have a childs menu. My husband and i were very upset. It put a real downer on the meal. Everytime we go there I routinely spend at least a hundred dollars as you know, margaritas are very expensive plus sides of glaucamoli and sour cream. I think the owner is mean and money pinching if she cant ignore a childs wrap while we spend over a hundred dollars in one sitting. We wont be going there again and will try the other mexican in town on the esplenade. Maybe they arent so rude. We wondered why it was very quiet on a saturday night. The owner must be treating all her long term customers the same way. very sad when it used to be such a happy vibrant place we all loved. I feel sad our time is over there.

To the owner we have been to your restaurant on many many occasions and everytime my daughter was always eating other food and we were respectful to you by asking if it was okay and you said it was fine. You were happy and friendly. I don't understand why you are so inconsistent. Now it is NOT ok. Previously you had always been kind and said it was okay. Also we left the wrappers on purpose to make a point about your unkind attitude. Maybe you were having a bad day. You need to be consistent in your rules and practices. And I do respect small businesses that's why we...

Thursday later in evening around 7:30pm. So rush time over. Have not been here for years! Used to be delightfull decor Mexican colourful experience. Now as BLAND as THEIR FOOD! Long wait. Food arrived did not look appetizing, extrenely small sprinkling of grated cheese on top that looked straight out of the packet not warm or melted! ORDERED: Taquito deep fried been filled taco. Food was Nearly COLD!!! (How can deep fried food be brought to the table almost cold) Bed of 'mexican' rice was just luke warm. Tasteless. Cabbage coldslaw straight out of a bag by the look of it but was probably the tastiest part of the meal and it had no dressing! I mentioned that it was cold so no problem the waiter said he would redo and bring me another meal. Concerned by how long it took to get my first meal I asked how long it would take...it took third the time as previous! Even LESS cheese this time. Deep fried tacos were at least hot (so don't know what their excuse was previously?) Mexican rice still only just warm. I presume was the previous version just refried the tacos and put back on top. Extremely BLAND meal - TASTELESS AND DEFINITELY NOT ENJOYABLE! Kept thinking that if had been cheaper I would just leave and go somewhere else! Went to pay. $26 meal now was costing $37 I questioned how we got to the additional cost. Which I expected to be charged extra for a side of plain avocado (not quacomale) because $11 extra was a big ask! I was then told there was additional charge of $4 for vegan cheese ( yes I have been vegan for 48 years - not a fad trender) As mentioned earlier the miniscule amount of cheese on the meal noticeable. And if memory is correct the avocado was either $4 or $6 extra.(it was a small portion) So at this stage I will mention that on arriving I had extensively enquired as to their vegan options and was told they use vegan cheese, which I foolishly assumed was part of the costing. They did not mention any additional cost. So back to paying the bill. Basically because I questioned the break down of the bill which I was about to pay with credit card poised to tap...I mentioned I should have been informed of the additional cost of the cheese. His rude snappy response "I am not going to charge you just don't come back to the establishment!" Note: Not my idea of an evening's meal out experience! And would never want to support such an establishment...