Nando's Riccarton — Restaurant in Christchurch

Be very careful when dealing with this Nando's branch.

I have always been a loyal customer of Nando's, been dining with them/from them for many years since they arrived in NZ. My last encounter with Nando's Riccarton left nothing to be desired. They messed up my last order (online order) on a Friday night, patiently waited for their delivery for more than 2 hours knowing how busy they can be on a Friday night and then realized that our food order was never going to arrive. The "Uber direct delivery" advised us that the driver "Cancelled the delivery trip" and that's all we've got. No food showed up but the payment of course was so quick to be processed! And no, no refund or payment reversal at all!

Being busy family guy, I decided to visit their Riccarton store to inquire on the failed delivery the following Friday. After explaining carefully and presenting all screenshots of the transaction including the delivery history - surprise, the Store Manager by the name of "Ison Wan" told me he cannot do anything at all since my order was a week ago. Apparently, I need to route my complain directly with their call center despite me already taking inconvenience to visit their store and being already face-to-face with him right there. We have actually already submitted our complaint to their call center via email few days prior but no response at all (reaching them via phone calls is futile as well as no one seems to pick up the phone in Riccarton store). In fact, this Riccarton store is notorious for not answering phone calls. You'll end up in this infinite wait loop and when I asked their staffs, their quick response is that certainly they answer those calls. For context, I have rang them at least 10 times on numerous occasions for the last 3 months and never did I get any single success at any point. Their previous Store Manager named Gagan was great. Always with a smile and attentive. She's done marvelous for years running the Riccarton store.

So yeah, food is definitely good as always but be wary when your order is messed up. You'll end up dealing with their store manager that seems to me as unable to do anything helpful for you. No decision power even. On his own words - "I cannot do anything about it". And of course, no response or even an acknowledgement whatsoever from their Call Center on our submitted complaint. So much for being a loyal...

We had planned to dine at Nando’s Riccarton on Sunday, but what we encountered was nothing short of appalling. The restaurant was in complete disarray — at least ten tables were piled high with leftover food, dirty plates, and trays. Not a single one had been cleared. We ordered via the QR code and expected that in the meantime, staff would begin cleaning the area. They didn’t.

A staff member brought our drinks, glanced at the mess, and simply returned to the counter to chat with a colleague. Moments later, another staff member went outside for a vape break. Incredibly, ten minutes passed and still no effort had been made to clean even one table.

Things only got worse. A person, who based on appearance we initially assumed to be a homeless individual, entered the restaurant and used the toilet. My partner, who needed to use the facilities afterward, waited quite some time for them to finish. When they finally exited, we were horrified to discover the toilet had been left in a disgusting state. Even more shocking — this person wasn’t just a random visitor. They were an employee.

At that point, we had had enough. We went to the counter to complain and asked to have our food packed for takeaway instead. The tables were still untouched. There was no cutlery or sauce bottles available. Initially, the staff laughed amongst themselves when we raised our concerns, but eventually — and reluctantly — they began tidying up.

As we waited, we looked into the open kitchen, only to find that the same individual who had just exited the filthy bathroom was now cooking our food. They were wiping their nose on their oversized sleeves, fiddling constantly with their bandanna, and flipping grill tongs around carelessly. It was absolutely revolting.

We left with serious concerns not only about the cleanliness of the restaurant, but the overall hygiene and food safety standards being upheld. This was one of the most disturbing dining experiences...

Review of Nando's

I recently visited Nando's after a long time, hoping that the service had improved since my last visit. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing once again.

Food Quality: The food was just okay—nothing particularly memorable or outstanding. It was what I expected from Nando's, but nothing more.

Service: The service was extremely poor, which has been a consistent issue for this location. When we arrived, there were no plates on the table, and after our food was served, no one brought us plates. I had to go to the counter to ask for them myself. Additionally, there were no water or glasses available, so I had to wait at the counter again. When a staff member finally brought us a bottle and glasses, she only brought three for our group of four and mentioned that they didn’t have any more glasses. It was quite surprising and disappointing that a restaurant with such a reputation would offer such poor service.

The restaurant itself was nothing special, and the poor service overshadowed any positive aspects of the environment.

Parking is another major issue at this location. It’s always difficult to find a spot, so I had to park in the lot of a neighboring restaurant. As expected, our car was clamped when we returned. Thankfully, the neighboring restaurant kindly waived the fee but mentioned that Nando's customers frequently park in their spaces because Nando's parking is often full—primarily with staff cars. This situation reflects poorly on Nando's management, as it seems the staff prioritize their own convenience over that of their customers. This disregard for customers was evident not just in the parking situation, but also in the staff's overall attitude and behavior inside the restaurant.

Overall Experience: Based on this experience, I won’t be returning to this Nando's location, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else. The service was simply too frustrating, and it detracted from the entire...