Wests Illawarra — Restaurant in Wollongong City Council

What a disappointment my hubby and I have been enjoying going to Wests Illawarra for many years and even although due to us living down south we became members as the atmosphere we loved so much. Last night we made the hour trip up to have a night out once again on arrival the staff were friendly on arrival. We went for a meal as we have always enjoyed the food at Wests, and yes I do understand the reason for the price increase and I also understand the prices of produce has increased but what I don’t understand is why the young man taking the orders is NOT friendly if fact a little abrupt, and then the quality of food was so appalling, my fish was so slimy, the salad well what salad I received maybe a desert spoon of salad no dressing the tartare sauce was like a dry grey- brown around the edge of the bowl was so dry on all the edges. My hubby ordered a beef& bacon burger with chips mmmmmm chips were cold but the most concerning was the condition of the beef burger not sure if staff were tired but the burger roll was looked like it had been soaked in dirty oil, beef burger mmmmm one bite in was ok then it was raw all the way from the bite size edges then on top of the burger inside had two very large clumps of batter that was so filled of oil wasn’t sure what the were until hubby opened it and we think it was battered onion well he found two little slithers of onion the rest was batter. My fish as I said was slimy and had flesh 70% was flesh and the rest was solid dried batter. We don’t mind and understand the price increases but management surely need to ensure the quality of food should still be there for all .

Hubby renewed his membership last night and mine is due in two months we came home so disappointed and we will never drive up to Wests again . I truly hope management address the quality and portions the staff are serving. Once again very disappointed Mr & Mrs R...

Having looked on line at the menu and being Coeliac I found there were a couple of items that could potentially work. To say I was wrong is an understatement!!! Upon approaching the kitchen staff to speak to the chef in regards to my dietary requirements, the male chef was very polite, listened, then explained which meal would be most appropriate for me. The female member of staff, be she a chef or kitchen hand I am not sure which, being both short in stature, short on personality and even shorter still on manners, barked out her response “no don’t have time to clean boards, knives etc. so your food will end up being cross contaminated.” I think what I find most disappointing, is the attitude of the female staff member. Also, not being able to have dietary requirements met in this day and age is disgraceful. This is a poor reflection of this establishment and something that senior management need to look at and address. At best there was less than 80people in the restaurant with a staff of 5 on the pass. I know only too well how hard hospitality can be having managed and worked in hospitality for over 30yrs. This was by no means a busy night, especially when the industry is crying out how hard it is after Covid. Wests Illawarra, you really need to lift your game and perhaps have your staff retrained. My advice if you have ANY dietary requirement, then Wests Illawarra is definitely NOT the place to go!

Manners are for free!

Perhaps what they should also do, is gain a true meaning of the restaurant name… Artisan….A worker in a skilled trade, making/creating things by...

The food I ate at Wests Illawarra is the worst I have ever tasted in my whole lifetime. I used to regularly eat at the buffet as there was so many different choices of food that tasted good. Now after visiting for the first time in four year I was absolutely appalled. The food was cold, dry, under cooked and bland and the place was swarming with flies. The food tasted like it was mixed with other different meals and was almost impossible to eat. When I went to fill my drink up at the bar I could see into the kitchen and was shocked. The floor was covered in grime and looked like it hadn't been washed in years and the chefs/waiters weren't even wearing gloves. I watched as a chef took a dirty bowl from the sink and started mixing a new batch of food in it! When I went to the restroom I saw a female staff member walk straight out of the toilet and out the door without even washing her hands!!

I will NEVER return to Wests Illawarra as the food is horrible and the hygiene is harrowing.

Overall the whole experience was nightmarish and I spent more time trying to spew up the ghastly food in the bathroom than having an eating experience that was supposed to be enjoyable.

I rate Wests...