Nando's Te Rapa — Restaurant in Hamilton

Our experience at Nando’s Te Rapa was absolutely unacceptable and deeply concerning. My brother-in-law ordered a whole chicken, and when it arrived, it was raw and full of blood. We immediately sent it back, only for it to return still pink and visibly undercooked. Unfortunately, my brother-in-law had already eaten some of the chicken before realizing how raw it was—and he is now feeling unwell.

My sister, who is 28 weeks pregnant, also ordered chicken but thankfully hadn’t eaten it before we noticed the issue. She requested a refund for her meal as she no longer trusted that the chicken would be cooked thoroughly. The duty manager flat-out refused, stating they don’t give refunds and could only offer store credit. We made it clear that we didn’t want store credit because we would never return after this experience. The duty manager said they didn’t have cash for a refund and refused to refund to a card. She also claimed the manager (not available until Monday) wouldn’t give a refund either.

This restaurant clearly doesn’t care about vulnerable people dining there, despite specializing in chicken. Pregnant women, children, and others who rely on properly cooked food shouldn’t have to fear serious health risks like salmonella from raw chicken.

To make matters worse, the cook was visibly distracted and more focused on flirting than ensuring the food was prepared safely. The duty manager claimed she would talk to him but didn’t seem to take the issue seriously either. When the chicken came back raw a second time, she offered to personally cook it because they “cannot cut the chicken to know it’s thoroughly cooked.” This is beyond shocking for a restaurant specialising in chicken dishes.

P.s the photos are from after the SECOND time the...

If I could give zero stars, I would. Our visit to Nando’s Te Rapa was one of the most humiliating and disappointing dining experiences we’ve ever had. From the moment we walked in, we were treated like unwelcome intruders rather than paying customers. The woman at the counter, Mandy, was shockingly rude, speaking to us as if we were begging for a favour instead of simply wanting to enjoy a meal. We politely asked to sit at a table that wasn’t yet cleared, and my husband even started helping to clean it himself so we could settle down. My hisband asked to wipe the table and Instead of showing any appreciation, Mandy snapped at us, saying we needed permission to sit before sitting on a dirty table and then abruptly told us she wouldn’t serve us at all. When we asked for a refund, she refused to handle it on the spot, telling us to “apply online” and then, unbelievably, threatened to call security on us for asking for our money back. Mandy should not be in this indiustry if she doesn’t know how to treat customers with basic respect and courtesy. This behaviour is beyond unacceptable for any restaurant, let alone a brand like Nando’s. We left feeling embarrassed, disrespected, and disgusted. If this is how customers are treated at Nando’s Te Rapa, I’d strongly suggest avoiding this place altogether until serious changes are made. Mandy’s attitude and total lack of basic courtesy were shocking. This...

★☆☆☆☆ Shocking and Unprofessional Experience - Felt Threatened

My wife and I visited this Nando's location at The Base on Friday, 24th October, and it was the worst customer experience we have ever had.

The issues began when I went to get a refill for my wife's drink, fully intending to pay for it immediately after. Before I could even return to the counter, the manager (an Asian woman) ran across the restaurant and loudly accused me of not paying in front of all the other customers. It was incredibly humiliating.

When I went to pay and suggested she could have handled the situation more discreetly, she was defensive and refused to apologise.

The situation escalated as we were leaving. After a passive-aggressive comment from the manager, I stated it was the "worst service." In response, a male staff member became physically confrontational and had to be held back by my wife. The fact that a staff member was prepared to get into a physical altercation with a customer is absolutely unacceptable.

We left feeling shocked and unsafe. The combination of public shaming by a manager and threatened violence from staff is something no customer should...