Mambo Gourmet Pizza — Restaurant in Nanaimo

Unfortunately, have to downgrade my rating for Mambo's from 5 to 1 stars, after our last two orders. One was about two weeks ago, the last one was tonight (October 13th). Still tasted good but BOTH orders had (in each large pizza) a long, human hair firmly embedded in the crust!!! Beyond gross.😣😣

The first time, we phoned back, they apologized and brought a replacement pizza and we chalked it up to a one time issue. But this second time, unacceptable! This should not have happened again. 😣

Obviously, someone is working there and not taking necessary steps to keep their hair out of the food. Too bad, but hygiene has to be taken seriously when it comes to any food preparation. And very hard to enjoy any meal when something like this happens, especially twice in such a short period of time.

XXXXXXX

PS...In reply to the owners comments about hairs in pizza, we DID offer to return the first pizza but driver who came back with replacement pizza the first time said to, " keep it, they don't want it back" . I even kept the contaminated pizza slice in the fridge for a couple of days after that, in case someone called and still wanted to check this out personally. No one from your restaurant called so I eventually threw it out.

Once should have been more than enough to realize that this was a serious hygiene issue that needed to be addressed. Not our problem, yours! It was sickening enough to bite into a hair the first time. The second time, I was just disgusted and didn't want to bother with a replacement or further discussions.

We were loyal customers and never expected something like this to happen but it did, twice. I don't remember ever having something like this happen, at any other restaurant, anywhere. In that regard, we've been lucky.

This should be a learning experience for you. Don't try to turn it around that somehow this is something we should have handled better. You've got a lot of nerve even implying this.

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My previous 5 star review from a couple of years ago

EXCELLENT pizza and the 18 inch is huge!!!

We had the Popeye with spinach and assorted veggies and it was amazing. Crust was great, lots of toppings, this place takes pizza to a whole new level.

Delivery was fast and the driver was...

Love the pizza, especially the crust, but really wish they offered some plant based meats. My partner is a vegetarian and the vegetarian pizzas could be better in flavour combinations. So we always get the same or similar custom 3 topping pizza and we're both feeling pretty meh about it by now. The veggie combinations on the menu arent that inspired either. I don't want to have to order from Panago when I really want Mambo's pizza! Ive started to recreate some topping combinations offered at The Joint in Victoria because their veggie pizzas tends to be fantastic, when ordering now. They try some creative things because the world doesn't need another lame "Mediterranean" or a "Greek" pizza. Not that Mambo's offering is necessarily limited to that. The Pesto Popeye is probably Mambo's best here but I really think it's take time for a partnership with a producer to get some plant-based meaty goodness and more flavour on those pizzas. Very Good Butchers perhaps? Also Beyond's italian sausage works great. I use it all the time when making pizza at home. I'd happily pay a little extra for that.

Edit: thanks for the response, however I did contact your business directly a good year ago by now about your vegetarian pizza offerings through your feedback form on your website. I never heard back and that's fine. You definitely don't have to be a vegan restaurant to make great vegetarian pizza. The Joint is a great example of this (at least it used to be, last I had it) as is Pizza Garden in Van and many others. The 3-star review was not an act of vengeance but how we perceive your vegetarian pizzas, which are on your menu, therefore yours to improve. I didn't make them up. 90% of what I order from you is vegetarian so my review is based on that. We still order pizza regularly from you and your delivery drivers still get a minimum 20% tip from me. So letting me know of what you're working on and how you're planning to expand your offerings are all great things, defensive responses to loyal customers...

We will NEVER order from here again! I just received the wrong order for the second time while doing an online order. We ordered two half and half pizzas both different and received two of the same pizza. We called to inform them that something is wrong with their online ordering system and received the most ignorant customer service I have ever received from any company! We have been ordering from Mambos for years and absolutely loved their pizzas but their customer service is absolutely appalling!!! They even went as far as to blame us and I quote "we will not be replacing your order because this is the second time this happened with you guys and we will be out money" are you kidding me? I paid $80 for my order, excuse me for expecting to receive what I ordered and paid for! We have been such loyal customers, I can't believe they would blame us and talk to us that way after the amount of money we spend there. We'll take our money elsewhere!

Update: you called and apologized an hour after calling me a liar and speaking to both my husband and I very rudely! We have ordered from you for years and I'm absolutely appalled and insulted at the way you treated us. I am glad you looked into the issue AFTER you read my review and called to apologize but that does not negate the way you treated us. You should be ashamed! And you are still blaming us? The way we treated you? Are you kidding me? I had every right to be upset, you called me a liar. Also this is the second time in a row this happened to us. Keep treating customers that way for YOUR FAULTY ordering system and I'm sure many more will leave regardless of whether or not the food is good. I hope you learned...