The Peg & Pint — Restaurant in South Island

The mussels, missing sauce and burger battle.

We, lured by whispers of culinary greatness (okay, Mike Hogan, I'm fan-girling 😍), descended upon The Good Home Pegasus, prepared for a feast fit for kings (or at least decent pub grub). Service? Top-notch, like a waiter on roller skates, weaving through tables with the grace of a seasoned sommelier(we hope they weren't just dodging flying mussels).

Menu? Gastropub - right? They speak their own language, one where "deconstructed" means smaller and "infused" means "we poured some tea on it.". Undeterred, we chose our weapons: I, the fearless mussel warrior, my husband, the beef burger berserker, and our friends, the fried chicken and pulled pork paladins.

Prices? Punching a bit above their weight, like a chihuahua in boxing gloves. But we swallowed our wallets and waited, anticipation simmering like garlic butter.

Then, the food arrived. My mussels, the supposed stars of the show, looked like they'd gone twelve rounds with a seagull. One sported a gaping shell, unfit for a hermit crab, not a juicy crustacean and some of the others, dwarfism at their finest. And the sauce? A shy whisper, barely enough to christen a single mussel. The rest swam in a VERY salty sea of disappointment.

But wait, there's more! Each bite yielded a hairy surprise – mussel beards! Now, I'm no Gordon Ramsay, but I know this: beards are not gourmet. They're the culinary equivalent of socks in your soup. They scream, "Chef's asleep at the shellfish wheel!"

My husband's burger? Well, Burger Fuel could've given it a run for its money. And the pulled pork? More like pulled tyre tread. Only the fried chicken burger, crispy and juicy, and the fries, golden and gloriously devoid of ketchup (aioli, where art thou? I did ask for it!!), escaped the culinary carnage.

Look, The Good Home has potential. The service is smooth, the atmosphere buzzy. But the food? It needs a reality show makeover, an intervention by Jamie, the flavour fairy. Attention to detail people, it's the spice that makes the fries sing! Whether it's a gastropub or a Michelin-starred palace, a bearded mussel is a culinary crime, a slap in the face of every food-lover's soul.

So, The Good Home, take a deep breath, grab a pair of beard tweezers, and pour some love into your kitchen. We, the hungry hordes, are waiting for a sequel that doesn't leave us longing for takeout burgers and a sprinkle of disappointment. Remember, food is love, and right now, your love is a...

When my wife and I went to the coffee roast house and cafe on Pegasus Blvd, we tried to order food from a menu on the table nearby, to be told that the menu was closed. We went from there to the Good Home bar and cafe. We were made very welcome by the lovely waitress, who took our orders for food and drinks cheerfully, with a pleasant sense of humour. She made sure we had drinks and the food was prepared and served very promptly. The cafe has a pleasant atmosphere and a good view out over the Pegasus lake. I noted that they even had dog bowls on the patio for people walking or dining with their pets. When our food arrived it was lovely. I had fresh fish of the day, cooked in Macs Gold beer batter, served with delicious hot potato chips and a coleslaw that had a touch of mint. The meal was served with a tasty bowl of aioli and another one of kiwi red tomato sauce. Original and easy to eat. My wife's pork belly bits were beautifully done and she tells me they were great. I can vouch for that because she wasn't offering to share with me. Our coffees were similarly delicious and served with sugar and marshmallows. Why do baristas ask if I want marshmallows? Just looking at the size of me should answer that question. However the staff here didn't ask, just providing then in the saucer and letting us decide. The whole premises were immaculate and the restroom was spic and span. Well done team there. I would go straight to this cafe first if looking for a meal, drinks and...

The worst time for any business, especially one which relies on direct customer contact, like hospitality is when there are few customers on site. Staff can become indifferent to new paying customers and this was our experience at The Good Home. Approaching the bar where the barperson continued drying glassware. We voiced our arrival, ordered two glasses of wine, no courtesy confirming which variety was in each pour, or offered option of paying at time of ordering, or running a tab. Another staff member asked if we were going to eat while we stood at bar waiting for drinks. At that moment we said no. Sat down at a corner window table enjoying the late afternoon sun, chatted & finished our glasses of wine. We decided would like another, and something to eat. Well we sat, & waited - no one noticed us. We left the premises and headed to The Ivory Bar in Rangiora, served drinks and meal by an excellent waitperson, who was attentive, even on a quieter night. In the case of The Good Home an effective manager overseeing staff, ensuring customers are being attended to, it's easy - "would you care for another round of drinks". dropping a menu off at table just in case there is a change of mind. Nothing like browsing through a menu to facilitate a...