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The Station Cafe and Bar We hosted a visitor from another university here just the other day and I am sorry to say the atmosphere has changed for the worst at this cafe. This used to be the staff club for the University of Waikato and it seemed to me to be a semi-classy place to bring visitors. This has now changed. The service is fine, courteous, no problems there now. But the quality of the food, especially the hot food served there daily has taken a sharp nosedive. It looks unappetising, and poorly presented. The healthiness of it also looks a little suspect. It also does not taste the best. The pizza I ordered had a crust that could cause a serious dent on a car's bonnet if tapped and the rice looked glugged up and awful! The chicken looked like it had been nuked without the grace of an appetising sauce to cover up its sorry appearance. However the worst thing about this place now is that a POOL TABLE has been added to the larger dining area at which people play and carry on like in a pub so you can hardly hear yourself think. It is really BAD and I don't know what possessed them to do this because as I see it is like turning what is meant to be a high class atmosphere into a real low class pub atmosphere. Might be OK for evenings but it is now obvious what clientele they wish to target now, not the main university one but more one who might choose to go to an ordinary pub. This is unfortunate because we don't have too much choice at the uni to take visitors but it looks like we are going to consider going down the hill instead of to this establishment. Hope they improve things there. It is a challenging atmosphere to work in given the captive market and its absence during the weekend but the operators in trying to address these challenges seem to have lost touch with their main market. Prices are also high.  
Review by cafe-surfer, 29 May 2010.
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Other Reviews for The Station Cafe and Bar
| Hotchoclover, 3 April 2010 (2 stars). Over the years the Station has gone from a nice cafe to somewhere that sells barely palatable over-priced food. I hadn't visited there this year and decided to give it one more try (every time after eating there I swear never again). The hot chocolate I received was luke warm, when I asked for a fresh one the server was very obliging (great service from her). Then another server said to just microwave my existing drink - no thank you! The food selection never changes other than to become more expensive with less ingredients (a selection of salads, one of which is just beetroot and another is mostly lettuce with the odd bit of tomato is hardly a selection). While $9 for a panini is most places doesn't seem unreasonable, when the panini consists of canned apricots, two slices of brie and a bit of chicken I think that is unacceptable. And trying to pass off garlic mayonaise as aioli is just bad form. Bring back variety, stop putting the prices up or make it worth it! | | unhappy customer, 5 January 2009 ( stars). I think that the food isn't the same as before the New year. Bring back the good stuff, a lot of it don't seem fresh any more. | | cafe-surfer, 16 June 2008 (3.5 stars). Service has improved a lot here and I do not mind coming here but there is now another issue and that is the lack of food. The food you can buy there now is great but it seems that the cases are empty at the peak times or at morning tea. Of course there are the hot meals and these are good but there is very little food to take out in a bag. It seems strange in as vast a place as this business is that the cabinets are so empty. | | Anonymous, 20 April 2007 (5 stars). I would like to comment that The Station Cafe & Function Centre is not a restaurant as such but merely a cafe that services mostly the Waikato University Monday to Friday. On every occasion that I have eaten there, the food has been very nice (with lots of flavour) and very fairly priced (a hot dish is charged at $7.50). It serves morning teas, coffees, lunches, afternoon teas and is always full of people. I have always found the service to be good and the spaciousness of the place is 2nd to none at the University. The Station also hosts many weddings at their venue and I have been to some. I could not fault the wedding food (absolutely delicious!) and the service was impeccable. They also host 21st birthdays regularly and I have heard many good comments from those who have been to them. | | cafe-surfer, 15 February 2006 (2.5 stars). The Station has changed a little since my last review. The food has gotten better in its taste. Previously it had had the exotic Mediterranean look but with no taste. It was really very bland. Now they seem to have discovered seasoning like garlic (amazing!) and the food is good. Unfortunately the service has become very hostile. I brought some guests from Otago Uni for lunch and they were very impressed with the ambience and the food but intimidated by the "gestapo" style of the lady at the servery. I think she was trying to be efficient but it came across as being a little brash, so not a pleasant impression for my Otago guests to take away. I was rather embarrassed as well. We were just discussing how friendly people were in Dunedin and how unfriendly they are in shops up North and the observation was proven much to my distaste right here in this Cafe. I hope they improve the service as they have improved their food. | | cafe-surfer, 29 November 2004 (2 stars). Food variety OK though it never changes. The look of the cooked/hot food is OK but it tends to lack any taste. Prices tend to be on the expensive side given it caters mostly to a captive uni market. Paninis are quite delicious and are recommended. Sushi is provided but you need to be quick because they sell out by 12 pm. Supply and amount of food available is often spotty. Sometimes you can arrive at 12 pm and find very little at all in the food display cases to eat. Good use of an historic railway building. |
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The Station Cafe and Bar
University of Waikato Campus, Hillcrest Rd, Hamilton East Fully licensed
Cuisine Type: New Zealand
Prices: $7.50-$9.00 7.30-3.30 pm and weekend functions
Tel: 07 856-9309
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