After a long drive over the saddle road we decided to stop in Shannon for lunch and a quick shop. It was around 2pm when we walked into the Cafe, there was one table in use and the rest had dirty dishes, half eaten food and mostly untouched coffees all over the tables.
We walked further into the café to find 4 staff members chatting and doing nothing else in the kitchen area. While looking over the cabinet food we noticed fly’s trapped in there, landing on food. We then decided to order a cooked meal, after standing at the counter for a good 40 seconds and waiting for the staff to finish their private conversation we asked for wedges, paid our money, took a table number and went and cleared our selves a table since this still had not been done!
About 5Min’s later a staff member came out and told us that they were sold out of wedges and did we want something else. We ordered 2 coffees, and although we were the only customers in the café at that time the coffee took over 5Min’s to come to use. When it did one was slopped all over the side of the cup and into the saucer and both coffees were extremely hot! After waiting for them to cool down and finally tasting them they were bitter and sour tasting.
We walked out after only having two sips.
We were not impressed by the lack of cleanliness, service and professionalism shown in this café and will never return and will be advising others against it as well!

I would highly rate the horsemans cafe as have been frequenting this cafe for a few years now with my friends eleanor and colleen. We find the service outstanding and the toasted sandwiches have got to be the best that I have ever had. The staff are always friendly and the cafe is extremely clean. I highly rate the horsemans cafe and recommend to others

We were heading south January 3rd 2011 to drop off holiday family members in the Waikanae area and stopped at this café mid-morning for a cup of coffee.

The café appeared reasonably clean and tidy although available tables were generally un-cleared and un-cleaned from previous occupants. They appeared to be doing steady trading and tables were around 60% occupied. We cleared a table onto an adjacent table and mopped up the slops on our table with tissues from a counter dispenser.

Four coffees were ordered and a couple of light snacks also purchased. The service was slow with an explanation that they were under staffed for this (transferred) public holiday. The coffees were well up to expectation. Toilet (singular) was clean and tidy with a queue.

Noting a reasonably interesting range of light meals on the professionally written blackboard menu we decided to consider, appetites permitting, a late, light lunch on the return journey. Fish fillets with chips/fries and salad appealed.

Around 2 p.m. we returned to find them still trading around 50% to 60%. Unoccupied tables were again un-cleared and un-cleaned. We did the ‘free clean-up’ bit again and ordered the fish and salad with coffees ‘with the meal’.

Meals arrived in an unexpectedly short time and were immediately ‘uh-oh!’ Limp pale fries and supermarket pre-frozen, pre-battered more or less identically shaped ‘pre-stamped’ fish(??) fillets. The fish batter was particularly visually unappealing with the appearance of lightly browned smooth concrete plaster. No ‘coffees with the meal’.

We tentatively explored our selection. The fries had been lightly warmed in (presumably) a deep fryer for way too short a time and although not too fatty/greasy, hung limply on the fork. Cutting through the ‘batter’ coating on the fillets liberated a trickle of cloudy water and a decidedly ‘well past its best’ fishy smell.

We picked hesitantly. The fillets continued to drip cloudy, stale fish smelling water and the fish had a texture resembling a slightly damp fiber door mat. The salad was fine and reasonably innovative with green leaf, fresh sliced mushroom, various other interesting vegetables and not so good canned asparagus. Asparagus best left out if you can’t source fresh.

Coffee eventually arrived long after we had finished the salads and pushed our plates to the side of the table 90% un-eaten. The waitress was requested to convey our displeasure with the fish and fries to the cook. After a short ‘huddle’ of staff in the (visible) kitchen area the cook came to our table and after confirming our dissatisfaction pronounced that he and the staff had tried the fish and considered it ‘fine’.
Subjective, I guess. No accounting for taste.

Unfortunately he then muddied his opinion somewhat by launching into an explanation of how this wasn’t their ‘normal’ fish, that they had run out, and had been forced to obtain pre-prepared fillets from their wholesalers Toops. Blanking out the item of the menu might have been a more prudent solution. We were also treated to his somewhat bizarre advice that they had also had ‘trouble’ with this supplier (Toops) over the holiday period with a previous customer complaining of ‘off’ chocolate milk.

Wow! really! Was this really something the customer should be interested in? I’m sure most cafes have supply quality problems from time to time, but WE were purchasing from Horseman’s Café, not Toops. And a ‘café’ that can’t mange to drum up freshly prepared chocolate milk! Curious.
Anyway, no refund was offered and we were advised that ‘the only thing he could do was to refer our dissatisfaction to his supplier’ (Toops). Yeah, right. We left without further discussion.

In all fairness, other reviews indicate that they do manage to ‘get it right’ sometimes, but their attitude toward preserving some form of customer satisfaction shows a remarkable lack of appreciation of the ‘Kiwi grapevine’. Admittedly not a unique attitude, particularly amongst amateur ‘Mom n Pop’ operations of this kind.

There are many ‘Mom n Pop’ roadside cafes on the road to/from the Wellington area. We won’t be trying this one again and will be recommending similar to friends and associates.

So impressed! The delivery of what was ordered so much more than expected….especially as so amazingly reasonable!, prices seeming so low to elsewhere.
Food quality was excellent…presentation just tops. The fine thread beetroot garnish so unexpected but enjoyed (on a scrambled egg and bacon order?…amazing!). My long black was special too…needing to look into my cup to find it though…served with a small jug of hot water. The coffee was just excellent, the flavour superb, and I could dilute to my liking! The Café is a must stop if you are passing through Shannon. Enjoy!

We have called in this place twice in 9 years.
The first time the tables were not cleared the place was dark the service was reasonably quick food seemed ok, but 9 years later we stopped by for coffee and a bite and were met with dirty cups, plates and cutlery on several tables (inside and out) flies were numerous.
Flies over the plates for the cabinet food, flies over the menu board.
We walked out with ordering.

Merlin

Superb service and food at totally realistic prices great atmosphere clean toilets and great outdoor area a must stop on highway 57