Ironwood Cafe — Restaurant in Sydney

Unbelievably rude staff! Unhygenic!

It takes a bit to get an unsavory review from me but the long, curly haired barista/waiter at Ironwood has earnt this one... What a foul grub.

A friend bouggt me a great breakfast burger from here which I thoroughly enjoyed, so a few days later, I walked down to get the same with a coffee.

After a seemingly polite interaction with another customer the barista asked what I'd like. Excited to enjoy the same burger again I enthusiastically and politely placed an order. The barista's tone changed immediately as he looked about dismissively almost as though I didn't exist and began speaking in a manner that made it difficult to decipher whether he was addressing me, or talking to himself as he asked "Are you sure that's what you want? There isn't aaaanything else on the menu you'd like to try instead?? A burger perhaps? Pasta??"

Slightly taken aback at the waiter/barista/cashier's foul demeanour and a little confused, I asked if the burger was no longer available but he told me that it was so I excitedly explained how great the breakfast burger my friend bought me had been and even complemented him and the establishment on what I consider to be the best breakfast burger I've ever had. Hence my decision to come to them myself and order it again... To which he snootily replied in a somewhat sarcastic tone, looking away dismissively once more with my money in his hand "Yeah... And it only costs ten bucks right!?"

Up until this point, I had absolutely no idea what the meal was worth (not that it should matter anyway) but I would have happily paid whatever the price was because it's what I felt like eating. The fact that it cost just $10 was a particularly good consequence for me, but had absolutely no bearing on the order I made. Regardless, I didn't set the menu nor price list so I don't understand why it should upset or concern him so much to the point where he wouldn't even look at me when he took my money and gave my change.

Only to add to what was already a bad impression and probably more importantly noted, later whilst waiting for my food, I saw the same guy walking out carrying someone's meal bringing it so close to his face to smell it (which is extremely odd I thought) that his nose touched the meal so he then proceeded to wipe the juice from his nose with his finger before licking it off said finger. I kept looking at him so he knew that I saw him do it and he still served it to the customer.

I couldn't believe the nerve this guy had to treat a customer in such a way and then go on to do something so brazenly disgusting.

I...

I ordered seafood platter and flat white first and I said to waitress we will order these two first and we will order other drinks later. (expected the seafood platter might take longer time then others)

I ordered 1 glass of rose wine and soy mocha to male waitress after.

5-10min later one of other guy came and said to me 'we can't serve you wine glass because you didn't order food.' humm... what? so we explained we ordered the seafood platter when we sit down. the person who asked was responded 'oh' and gone.

1 glass of rose and soy cappuccino was served. We said we didn't ordered soy cappuccino and he said I ordered soy cappuccino. It was only one coffee kind and we ordered cappuccino? no my sister always order mocha not cappuccino so I asked to the male waitress we doubt we ordered cappuccino but he state it again I ordered 'soy cappuccino' (are you saying i'm laying? sigh) ok my sister didn't want more trouble so she said she will just take it.

And was worried about my mum's flat white we ordered prior wasn't came. I asked about the flat white and he has no idea. (He is asking to my mum is it normal flat white or soy flat white. hummm)

Then we were waiting for our food for long time. All the table next us came after us getting food but not us. We asked the waitress when will be our food come and that female waitress came back to saying 4min and gone. I was annoyed with no explanation and just 4min answer so I timed it and it was way over 4min so I was keep looking at the kitchen area. Male waitress came to us said 2min but the food didn't came to us in 2min of course. The food came after another 5min. (We were waiting the food 45mins)

Our seafood platter presentation was not great. We were very hungry and annoyed so maybe the presentation was disappointed? Don't know. All the nice ingredients was all dumped. The food was good. (if food was bad and our family lunch totally ruined.)

Service was terrible. When I was paying the male at the counter asked is everything great? I said the food was good. But service was bad. He said we will be better next time but I said I don't think I will come back.

I came to this restaurant few times. I was bit embarrassed that I said to my sister and mum I visited few time and it was a little nice restaurant to visit. I'll not come back with...

I had a very upsetting experience at this café. After walking for over an hour with my 1-year-old, I arrived hoping to relax and have something to eat. I ordered a babycino and a latte, and when the staff member taking my order asked if I wanted my coffee in a takeaway cup, I said yes.

As I was walking toward a table with my daughter, the same staff member suddenly called out, “Hey! What are you doing?” I replied, “I just want to sit,” and he said, “Whatever you want,” in a rude and dismissive way.

When the coffee came, it was served in a glass cup — not the takeaway cup I had requested. I didn’t say anything, as the café looked busy. Unfortunately, my daughter accidentally knocked the glass cup over and it broke. I was very upset and began picking up the pieces myself.

The same staff member looked at me angrily, told his colleague, “She broke the cup,” and stormed into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. It was humiliating. I apologized to the other staff member, who kindly asked if I was okay and reassured me it was fine. I appreciated his kindness.

But as I stood in line to pay, the original staff member kept speaking rudely to customers and staff. When it was my turn, he pushed the payment machine toward me and said, “$7 – that’s like a free coffee. You broke the cup.” Then he said to me, “You need to apologise to me.” I calmly replied that I didn’t feel respected from the moment I entered, and that I had asked for a takeaway cup for a reason.

His response? “I don’t even care about your baby,” and “We don’t care you have a baby.”

This kind of behaviour toward any customer — especially a mother with a young child — is completely unacceptable. I left feeling deeply uncomfortable and disrespected. I truly hope the café reflects on how they speak to people and handles situations like this with more empathy and professionalism...