Oaktree Restaurant — Restaurant in Bay of Plenty

Not happy... Our family have been regulars, and for years have driven over to the Oaktree for family events. Regardless of all the serial reviewers on this site, It's been up and down lately... Last Saturday evening was the last straw. There were at least 200 people crammed like sardines into the restaurant. It looked and felt totally over booked. Getting a meal was a dog fight. The first guests up swooped in like starving seagulls and woofed up huge platefuls of seafood, ham, pork.. The list goes on. The rest of us didn't get a look in for oysters, raw fish, seafood chowder or dumplings, or ham (how do you run out of ham?) All our favorites! And naturally, its the reason why we go. By the time we got our meals, it was scratch up a plate out of what was left. Not good! Obviously there simply was not enough of the popular food choices. We have never minded paying the cost, but felt totally ripped off on Saturday night. How and why did this happen? Because to overbook like this, and risk guests stressing about whether there's enough food, and be left feeling upset and disappointed, is DISRESPECTFUL to your dinner guests. At the very least a paying guest should be able to expect food at a smorgasbord.

Staff, who are always lovely, were run off their feet, all night, which is hard to observe. They are great people, with good attitudes and really well mannered. Not risking another revisit, because its 2019 and 'food' is big news these days... For the same money, and to get exactly what we want, there are plenty of other lovely restaurants to try...

What a unpleasant experience! The place was packed when we got there, so much so that we had to weave between people to get to our table. We had booked a table for 21 people and our table was place right in the middle of a HUGE function for a 21st birthday that we had nothing to do with. Next to our table was speakers and they were playing music so loudly that you could not hear the person next to you. Eventually we persuaded them to give us another table away from the speakers but by this time 13 of our guests had walked out and left. The 21st birthday had a lot of fun dancing and speeches which we had to endure when all we wanted was a nice meal and quiet celebration with our friends. When we went to get food there was not a lot left. What were there was cold and dry.

I feel that when we booked we should have been told that there was going to be 21st birthday celebration with music on that particular night -which we were not. It is also unacceptable that our table should have been in the middle of this party when we clearly had nothing to do with it. Going to the toilet was virtually impossible because the dancers were using it as a change room.

The whole thing made me feel like they were only interested in taking our money but even then they could not deliver. How embarrassing for us that our guests walked out - shame...

WOWW!!! I/WE Mi whanau can't find the words to describe the experience we had at this absolutely wonderful restaurant..Where to start: Firstly Thank You Thank You to the awesome staff - the waiter & waitresses who tended to us your customer service was on point...Can not fault yous at all...Secondly the Food: migossh the food we will all be talking about this for days especially the pork belly lol but honestly everything was brilliant..again we can not fault this @ all...And lastly & a highlight for us was that our kids was also taken care of with a play area right by us to keep them entertained...their complimentary food baskets & then given their small party bags...Our night celebrating our brothers 50th birthday was a night we will remember for a long time and we have Oak Tree Restaurant and Staff to thank for that..I wish I could put 10+ stars cos yous truly deserve all 10+...So from the Houkamau whanau & extended whanau whom travelled from Gisborne/Rotorua/Auckland/Australia & here in Tauranga we want to say from the bottom of our hearts Thank You & God Bless U All

*Oh and ThankYou to the lovely waitress whom came out to the foyer to take our whanau photo...We definitely will be recommending your restaurant to all our...