Botswana Butchery — Restaurant in South Island

Subject: Extremely Disappointing Experience at Botswana Butchery Restaurant

Wanted to share my profound disappointment with the service at Botswana Butchery Restaurant, particularly due to the unacceptable behavior of one of the wait staff, Charles, and the lackluster response from the manager, whom I believe was named Sharon or Sharley.

My family and I, including my parents visited the restaurant yesterday, expecting a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, the evening turned out to be a complete disaster, largely due to the unprofessionalism exhibited by Charles.

From the outset, Charles struggled to communicate effectively in English, making it difficult for us to understand his explanations and recommendations. Moreover, during the course of taking our order, he shamefully diverted his attention to other guests nearby, berating them for their seating choice. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also disrespectful, considering he was in the middle of taking our order.

To make matters worse, our order was significantly delayed, with Charles repeatedly assuring us that it would be ready in "a few minutes" after every 10-15 minutes. When I finally sought clarification on what his definition of "a few minutes" was, he responded with a dismissive and rude attitude, refusing any form of constructive communication.

Frustrated with the situation, I approached the counter to request a change in servers and spoke to the manager, who identified herself as Sharon or Sharley. Unfortunately, her handling of the situation was equally disappointing. She displayed a lack of professionalism and failed to offer a single apology for the appalling service we had experienced.

Moreover, when I inquired about the general manager's details, she initially hesitated but eventually provided a business card with a generic email address. This further reinforced my impression of the restaurant's lack of transparency and commitment to customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, my evening at Botswana Butchery was marred by Charles's disrespectful behavior and the manager's inadequate response. The lack of a sincere apology and the apparent disinterest in addressing customer concerns reflect poorly on the establishment. The unprofessionalism exhibited by both staff members severely impacted the overall dining experience, leaving me feeling insulted and humiliated.

Considering the high prices at Botswana Butchery, one would expect a level of service that is welcoming, attentive, and seamless. Unfortunately, our experience fell far short of these expectations. I strongly urge the higher management to take immediate action in addressing these issues to prevent further damage to the...

"Horrible Experience of Racial Discrimination at the Restaurant"

I am extremely disappointed with the service we received at this restaurant. My husband and I were really looking forward to our visit, but it turned out to be a huge letdown. The waiter was unprofessional and showed signs of racial discrimination towards us. I can't even recall his name, but he was a very tall man.

Initially, he was courteous in explaining the menu, but after the entry menu was cleared, he didn't clear any of the plates and placed the main course on an unclean table. Moreover, the slow-cooked lamb shoulder was excessively greasy and not to my liking, leaving me with no choice but to leave half of it.

When we requested dessert, the waiter displayed a slightly irritated expression, and when we ordered just one, he responded with "Is that all?!!" I was taken aback by this rude behavior. He left all the dirty plates on the table and carelessly placed the dessert plate among them before walking away. When I asked him to clear the plates, he reluctantly said he would do it, but we had to wait for him to finish talking to other staff before he finally cleared them.

As for the bill, the waiter deliberately ignored my request for it, and I had to approach him personally to ask for it. He said he would give it to me only if I came over to where he was standing. I couldn't help but notice that all the white customers around us were being charged a table charge, but my husband and I, being of Asian descent, were made to wait. The worst part was that he didn't even bother asking us how our meal was and didn't utter a word of gratitude for our patronage.

I have traveled to numerous restaurants in many countries, but I have never encountered such appalling service. This experience at Botswana restaurant has ruined what was otherwise a happy trip to Queenstown.

It's unfortunate that I couldn't take a picture of the dessert plate as it was hidden amidst a sea of...

My wife and I made a reservation here for the final night of our honeymoon in Queenstown. While the food was acceptable, what followed turned our evening into a disappointment we’ll never forget.

As we prepared to leave, our waiter kindly offered to pack our leftovers. Unfortunately, he mistakenly threw away a portion of our meal that we intended to keep. When I asked if it could be retrieved, he said it was already in the trash. I requested to speak with the manager, expecting empathy or a solution but was instead met with a defensive and condescending attitude.

Rather than acknowledging the mistake, the manager minimized it, suggesting we should have specified which parts of our meal we wanted, despite the waiter offering to handle it. She dismissed our concerns and treated us as though we were trying to get out of paying for our meal, when in fact, our bill was over $400 and we were happy to pay for the experience we had anticipated.

As a Black woman married to a Native American and Mexican woman, it’s hard not to notice when the only people of color in a restaurant are treated with less courtesy and care. The manager showed no accountability for her staff’s error and no empathy for the fact that her actions were souring the final night of a special trip.

We reached out privately via email in hopes of a thoughtful response, but received none. After six days of silence, we felt compelled to share our experience publicly.

Fortunately, the second leg of our honeymoon in Auckland was redeemed by an incredible dining experience at Oyster and Chop, where the staff treated us with respect, kindness, and attention to detail, everything we had hoped for on our final night in Queenstown. We were happy to pay our almost $700 tab which included $150 tip for our amazing waitress. All we ever want is...