Surf Riders Cafe — Restaurant in South Beach

My partner, two dogs and I went to have lunch at Surfriders. We love coming here as they have a wide range of food options and it's also dog friendly which appeal to us very much. Unfortunately, though on this particular day we happened to get a very inattentive waiter. Some frustrations to name a few were that we had to ask the waiter three times to have water brought to the table. Not for us but for our dogs. After receiving our drinks which took longer than average I ordered the sushi hot dog roll as I've had it here many times and thoroughly enjoy it in the past. When it arrived I noticed that it barely had any ginger on it. I called the waiter to ask if I could have some more ginger brought to the table. He went to the kitchen and then came back and told me I would be billed extra. I explained to the waiter there was barely any on my plate and this has never been an issue before today. I have also had extra ginger brought to the table in the past and there was never an additional charge. When ordering sushi there is always some Wasabi and ginger on the side along with soya sauce. In this case I was given barely any and I wasn't asking for a lot.

As someone who works in the hospitality industry i was not going to call the manager over a meeger shortage of ginger and customer service. This experience was so frustrating. It doesn't end here. When we got the bill the waiter completely messed up our bill it had 2 items on it that we didn't order. This kept us for a further 20 minutes while he rectified and fixed our bill. I was scarring to say the least. I will never forget this experience, for all the wrong reasons. I honestly don't see why one should support a business that is stingy and unkind to their customers. I will not give 1 star based on a bad day but I think management should sort out where they bill people extra or at least make sure the portions are consistent enough that customers can then tamper their...

I have been going to Surf Riders for quite a few years, the food and service is always awesome. But today was really bad because of the Manager Duncan, one of the waiters had gone to double check an order and when he returned inside the doors, this so called manager started swearing the waiter loudly in front of the other staff as well as the customers inside. I was seated outside with my wife and could clearly hear and see how he was going on and on. He did not give a damn who was hearing him and how he was conducting himself. The table next to us had 3 or 4 children and this was going on. I still stayed and ate my meal but it was all in bad taste and I did not enjoy it. The food was probably awesome as always, but Duncan, you made my food tasteless and made myself and I'm sure the staff and customers uncomfortable. There are ways and places for certain interactions to handled, if the staff did something wrong, yes a reprimand is required but you should not be in that position. From what I saw and heared the poor staff saying to each other, they have to just take it because he just goes off and they need the job. That young man that was belittled in front of everyone, before I left, I told him, even if he did something wrong he should not be spoken to or treated in that way. Keep his head up as they table he was serving looked very happy with him and my wife and I also saw nothing wrong. At the owner Jason i think, how is the staff supposed to be happy and put on a smile after something like this? In all the years, your restaurant and staff have always been awesome but this instance makes me feel like they the staff work under some sort of duress with fake smiles. I really love your restaurant and meals, please try and fix this. Sorely...

Great Food & Vibes, But Missing the Basics

Visited Surf Riders Café in South Beach for their wood-fired fish and overall had a good experience. The wait was quite long — over an hour — but the meal was mostly worth it.

The fish was tasty and well-cooked, though not without some issues. There were a few leftover scales, and it didn’t quite deliver on the expected wood-fired flavor. The prawns (which seemed more like shrimp) were de-shelled — I personally would’ve preferred them with shells on for more flavor and texture. That said, the peri peri sauce was excellent and brought the dish together nicely.

My wife had an iced coffee and a Cosmo cocktail — both of which she enjoyed. The pet-friendly environment was a major plus for us. We brought our dogs along and were pleasantly surprised when they were served complimentary treats — ice cream and Digby biscuits. A really thoughtful touch!

The vibe was relaxed and beachy, just what you’d expect from a coastal café. However, a major drawback was the lack of on-site toilets for customers. Being directed to public toilets in the neighboring building felt out of place for an otherwise quality establishment. This could be a deal-breaker for some.

I’m hopeful the new Umhlanga branch maintains the charm and improves where it counts — especially by ensuring basic facilities are...