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Smith & McKenzie Chophouse Very poor service delivered by young and inexperienced wait staff. Long waits and no-one came to ask if our meals were satisfactory until we were almost finished. I ordered my steak medium to well done and it came out with blood all over the plate. When I cut into it, it was rare.
It seems they are trying to run a top steak house with prices comparable to Jervois (in Auckland) or Crazy Horse (in Wellington) but on a Cobb n Co budget with a Cobb n Co atmosphere.
We will not be returning.  
Review by Nic, 22 March 2010.
Think you can do better? Everyone's a critic... if you disagree with the review, or think you can write a better one, then submit it here now.
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Other Reviews for Smith & McKenzie Chophouse
| Satisfied Customer, 13 August 2010 (4 stars). We visited on a Friday night. We hadn't booked and were told we would be seated in about 30 - 45 minutes. After only about 15 minutes we were seated. The service was excellent and the food great. It has really nice decor and a nice atmosphere. It was a little on the expensive side but overall everything was great. I would definitely recommend this place. | | Anita, 21 March 2010 (4.5 stars). Great meal!! Thought that the whole theme of the place was awesome and intriguing. Both my partner and I ordered starters and mains which came out very quickly. The shrimp cocktail was perfect, great dressing and nice portions. The steak main was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by a delicious sauce and vegetables. The prawn and shrimp risotto was amazing....absolutely no complaints on the food from us. Will definitely be going back, maybe even with some friends. | Katie, 8 January 2010 (2.5 stars). I had previously been to Smith and McKenzie for lunch and enjoyed it, we returned for my birthday dinner and were really disappointed. The service was ok, we received our meals quickly but they were not nice at all. I was recommended the fish by the waiter, and it was cold and on a kumara and blue cheese mash that was very overpowering. My partner ordered the ribs and was disappointed with the taste as well, not up the the standard that other restaurants have that offer ribs.
We will not be returning to Smith and McKenzie, they are way overpriced for what you get, small meals that don't even taste that great. | | Anonymous, 16 December 2009 (5 stars). We went to this restaurant last night with a group from work. We ate off a set menu that was pre-organised so my husband was a little disappointed he couldn't try one of the bigger steaks but the food was delicious and the service quick and friendly. Overall had a really positive experience and will be going back in the new year to try the main menu ourselves. | Anonymous, 20 October 2009 ( stars). after previously bagging smith and McKenzie before I thought it was time to return.. I ordered the rack of lamb rare! to have it arrive BLUE now giving out ten dollar vouchers for the mistake. its actually just not funny when it happens two times in a ROW. the manager who didnt see the meal when i sent it back came over and explained to me how my food was cooked. SERIOUSLY she has no idea. The amazing fact is that I could see what looked like the head chef playing on the computer up stairs. NO Wonder why my food was cooked poorly AGAIN. you pay 32.00 for a meal expecting the head chef to be responsible for its outcome.................................... what IS WRONG WITH THE STAFF>
| Chynna, 15 October 2009 (2.5 stars). Over-priced, and over-rated!!!
We decided to go to the Smith & McKenzie Chophouse as a birthday dinner treat, after hearing good reviews from people who had eaten there. Unfortunately the food is very over-priced for the size of the portions. Whilst I don't expect to have a huge plateful of food that makes me feel beaten before I start, how can you not expect an adult to be hungry after a serving of 6 pork spareribs (Lone Star gives 9 ribs!), 8 wedges and a small bowl of coleslaw for $26.90? I was worried before I ordered that there may not be enough ribs, and questioned the waitress who said I would get "a pile"!! "A pile" is not 6 ribs to me!! My two sons aged 10 and 12 had a kids ribs meal each, and they got 2 ribs with about 7 wedges, and a small bowl of coleslaw! I felt so sorry for them being hungry that I gave them a rib each from my plate which left me with only 4 ribs! Fortunately Burger King is just across the carpark so the boys were able to fill up on that - much more substantial, but certainly not what you would expect to have to do after a night out costing well over $100!! Added to the meal disappointment was the fact that we waited nearly 1 hour for our meals to arrive - we had no entrees to slow down progress either. I know it was a busy Friday night, but a wait of this long is seriously bad!! | | josh, 30 September 2009 (5 stars). Loved it. Great service, friendly waitress. | | Richard, 3 August 2009 (4 stars). Went there with a party of 20+ last Friday night. Great steaks though it should have been explained that we needed to order side dishes as well. The atmosphere was great. Friendly staff good service, always there when the glass got empty. Will return. | Anonymous, 19 July 2009 (2.5 stars). Went to Smith & McKenzie for a birthday dinner. The meals were really nice. We were very disappointed with the service though. We received only a bottle of water when we arrived and then no one came to our table for the next half hour. We were not offered any wine or drinks at all. We had to stop a waiter in order to be attended to. Once again we were forgotten when it came to ordering our meal. 1.5 hours later we received our meal and had only had 1 drink. Half hour later we requested attendance for a drink.
One of our friends who was NOT drunk, only 1 glass of wine, slipped on the heavily waxed/polished wooden floor. The staff were very attentive but our friend was very upset. No OSH report was filled out, her name was not taken. We decided to leave and had a coffee at my place instead. We were offered our 1 drink each for free and we also received a $10 voucher each.
The meals were overpriced but tasted good. | | Dasisy, 17 July 2009 (5 stars). Awesome !! | Tarn, 9 July 2009 (4 stars). We went as a family on the 21st May. The only real criticism we had was the lighting, or rather the lack of it, it made it very difficult to read the menu and was quite an issue for the older members at our table - the lighting did appear to be better at other tables, but we were off to the side on the main thoroughfare to the toilets.
The food tasted great, but I agree with others that having to order sides separately should be explained and it was disappointing when the meat came all alone on the plate. Service was excellent, but the real thing we LOVED is the kids menu - not the usual fish and chips rubbish but proper grown up meals made for kids which is something that is sadly lacking at most, if not all other family restaurants we have been to, and it is this fact most of all that will be seeing us visiting again soon. | BossyB, 5 July 2009 (2 stars). In April we dined here. There were 18 of us, this included a few children...there was a band playing, there was music playing in the dining area, and about 150 people talking...it was VERY NOISY...I think the band should start up after the diners have departed.
The waitress was appalling...she made a few stupid remarks about kids, oh I love kids then rolled her eyes...she was absolutely terrible and we all noticed.
Our meals were so overpriced for what they were, it was a shock actually...we all commented on how if they are going to be that expensive, you at least want it to taste spectacular....but we were all disappointed and felt ripped off. The menu looked great and we thought oh well it will at least be really nice and good value for money, or so we thought. I think my steak was $36 and then I had to buy vege/salad on top of that...
We all agreed that Smith and McKenzie had not made a good impression on us and we doubt we would go back...a real shame as they have a great spot and the decor is fab...but they need to cater for the area they are in more and not overprice themselves as they have. | Annoyed, 30 June 2009 (2 stars). After visiting this restaurant once before I was rather pleased with the food and service I recieved.
When I returned two weeks later I got the lamb again cooked rare. To my disappointment it was medium. As I work in the hospitality industry I expect my food to be cooked as I order so I sent the dish back. The manager gave me a five dollar voucher for the hassle which didn't really matter but was a nice thought. Ten minutes later my lamb returned only to be BLUE.
I didn't eat any of my meal and left it. Only to be charged for the meal when I got the bill.
VERY POOR!
| Joy, 4 June 2009 (5 stars). Our family of twelve enjoyed a birthday celebration and get together evening at Smith and McKenzie Chophouse in May.
We chose the chef's table, and we had a great waitress (Ashley) serving us. Four of those present chose the steak which takes many hours to prepare and they all said it tasted wonderful. Most of the remaining guests enjoyed the other
steaks and pasta.
We found the service great as well as the atmosphere.
Overall it was a great night, we will be returning. | Megan, 31 May 2009 (1 stars). My family and I attended Smith & McKenzie and were very disappointed with the whole experience. I had high expectations because I have attended the bar section on various occasions for drinks and thought it has a wonderful atmosphere and a fantastic setup in terms of an upstairs function room, restaurant and bar area.
However going there for a meal was a whole new, disappointing experience. Those of us who ordered steak where absolutely appalled to receive a piece of steak in the centre of a large plate (not cooked to order) with the only side being a couple of potatoes. For $31 not money well spent, that's for sure!
Myself and my friend ordered salads and we got VERY LITTLE meat and a large quantity of lettuce.
To top things off the people at the table next to us were upset because there was no toilet paper in the ladies room, and this was still not dealt with over an hour later when I had to use the ladies.
I feel that Smith and McKenzie have truly let themselves down, the facility looks great but I'm afraid the mains are a huge disappointment and service is average. I will not be dining there again.
| Doris, 1 May 2009 (4.5 stars). We had a lovely host by the name of Khan. He was prompt, helpful and very nice. We were never waiting very long for service and he always made sure that we were happy. Because of this fantastic service I will definitely be returning to Smith and McKenzie Chophouse and will be suggesting it to others for their choice of a nice lunch or dinner out.
| Rahera, 5 April 2009 (5 stars). We visited for the first time on Saturday 4 April. The place was doing a rip roaring trade. The service was excellent and we were quickly attended to. The breads and starters were there in no time although we did have to wait a little longer for our mains. The desserts quickly followed. The meals were excellent. There has been a huge gap in the market for a family restaurant like this since Cobb and Co moved out and this place is even better. The kids were given a little entertainment box with colouring pencils etc when we arrived and their meals were excellent too.
We will definitely be coming back! | | Local, 30 March 2009 ( stars). Bar & service was good, the menu choice was firstly available then not available, this was disappointing, waiting staff should know what is available, a voucher was given as compensation so they do try, shame there were flies buzzing around the restaurant, the meal was average quality, may give it another try after a month or so to see how things have changed. | Nathan, 27 March 2009 (4.5 stars). We turned up at 6.20 on Friday night. We asked how long for a table of three and were told 30 minutes. 15 minutes later, we were sitting at our table. The kitchen view was something unique as you have a great view of the chefs working away. The bar area was also nice as well, with quite a lot of themed pictures on the wall.
The service was pretty good. After our order was keyed in, we were eating our starters within 15 minutes and 10 minutes later we were on our mains. Could not complain about the service at all. Empty glasses were cleared almost immediately, and replacement drinks were on the table minutes after ordering them.
The meal itself was also great. The steak was cooked just right. Mushrooms on the side were a perfect addition with the steak and if you like blue vein, you'll love the blue vein topped tomatoes. I would recommend trying the scallops as a starter as well.
Overall, a great dining experience. Will definitely be going back and I'm very keen to try the signature dish.
Great effort by all the staff! | amy, 25 March 2009 (4.5 stars). Smith and Mckenzie Chop House was a great experience for my family and I. The customer service was excellent as was our meals. It was a busy night, therefore we did wait 35 minutes or so for our meal but it was worth the wait!
The staff seem very passionate about making their restaurant a real locals get together place which is great for the suburb of Chartwell. The atmosphere was outstanding. Overall it was a great night out at the restaurant and I will definitely go back. I recommend the place to everybody!! | Christian Frair, 21 March 2009 (2 stars). Hamilton's newest 'restaurant' over in the old Cobb 'n' Co near Chartwell had us full of expectation given that it was in the Waikato Times and run by a group of people that own multiple establishments around the city. Unfortunately, these expectations weren't to be met on our night. I guess the fact that it is brand new should mean we should cut them some slack but by the same token, I would have expected at least some level of staff training before the place opened. Service was not a strong point.
Probably the worst aspect of the evening was waiting nearly 2 hours for our meals! A companion from out of town remarked that "a snail could have gone out the back and returned with our meals by now". Our biggest mistake was choosing this restaurant while having other plans. We arrived over half an hour late for a 21st birthday party. It was rather embarrassing explaining to the birthday girl that her Dad was late for her 21st because we had gone to a very slow restaurant!
Anyway, the place had a nice decor. The large lampshades were a talking point with some loving and some hating them. Having pokies out in a suburban restaurant also raised discussion especially with the current economic climate and the proximity of Poet's Corner and other targeted socioeconomic groups.
I'm not sure if we'll ever go back but I hope for them that this is just opening week jitters and they pick up their game. |
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Smith & McKenzie Chophouse
13 Lynden Court, Chartwell Square, Hamilton Fully licensed
Cuisine Type: New Zealand
Prices: $26-$37 dinner $15-$22 lunch 10am - late 7 days
Tel: 07 855 1400
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