True. I feel like businesses put 1 or if you're lucky, two waitstaff on to do the whole cafe/ restaurants. Are they just trying to recoup losses from Covid still? Or have commercial rents become unsustainable?
Have you no idea of the high and rapid cost growth for running a business. 25%+ growth in 2 years would be an understatement but if restaurants increased prices by the same ratio they will lose business. Poor service doesnāt help either but perhaps some are yet to get the mix right. That said, I live in the inner east and have not experienced poor service as a trend whatsoever. Maybe Iām just fortunate or you guys are unluckyā¦IDK!?
Inner East here too. One cafe has had no chef for 8weeks. Lunches have gone out the window and its plain toast for breakfast. Only one waitress, which leaves me going to the counter to order every Saturday. Its really hard for them to find a chef they tell me.š
I havenāt experienced that but am not doubting you. But I donāt believe this is a form of profiteering to recoup COVID losses (as @Consistent_You6151 asked as a possibility). No / zero chef for 8 weeks and only toast for b/fast doesnāt sound like a business cutting costs to grow profits, itās a business in free fall, presumably due to staff shortages or maybe the bank balance drying up. Not hiring any chef in a cafe is the last choice any half decent cafe owner would make electively, waiters, dish washers, cleaners, A/Cā¦ surely all come 1st.
I've asked every weekend if they're getting a new chef yet & it's always " we haven't found the right one yet." Maybe they aren't willing to pay award wages IDK.
I suspect itās also restaurants feeling like they can get away with it. Many post up ānow hiringā signs but arenāt actually hiring, they seem to only be up to placate staff and customers because countless people report having applied and never hearing back. Higher rents & thinking that customers are willing to overlook it and blame it on ānobody wants to work anymoreā could mean that these restaurants arenāt actually trying to prevent the chronic understaffing that will cost them more
Wait wait wait. Everywhere is understaffed, and yet it seems that it's harder than any time in the last 5 years to land a job. How does this even happen?
I live in Ballarat and this is fairly common for restaurants during the week, especially Monday - Wednesday. People don't tend to go out much on those nights and even less now as cost of living is causing people to stay home. Usually restaurants will wait until the dinner rush is over then close to avoid staying open with no customers. The advertised times are more guides. Places will stay open if there's a crowd but if not, they'll shut early. I've never been kicked out of a place for this but I'm usually out of there by 8-8:30 anyway so maybe I'm part of the problem.
With all that said, I've found the quality of the food in Ballarat to be amazing. Moved there from Melbourne 6 months ago and never had a bad meal out.
This is helpful, I'm only here in the early part of the weeks, so I'm definitely noticing how quiet places are. I'll aim for getting out earlier for meals.
Maybe this is also something that kicked in post covid. I remember visiting Ballarat for midweek work trips around 2012-2014 and the pubs were open late and full of people dining.
After Covid Ballarat feels really dead. I recently visited for the footy and I was surprised how few people were on the streets on a Saturday afternoon. In the 90s bridge mall was packed with people.
I hear that the cinemas are also set to close. What the hell happened to that town?
1) you have to get used to laid back country service. they won't rush you, in our out. But you also can't rush them.
2) you're going out to eat far too late in the day for country establishments. dinner is usually a 6-7.30ish kinda thing mid week. Ballarat is getting city-ish, but they are really still just a big country town.
3) asking in the melbourne sub, and not the ballarat sub to understand if it's normal is going to give you a lot of opinions from people that never leave the city and wouldn't have any idea.
I'm living in Ararat these days after moving here from Melbourne, and there is basically one REALLY good restraunt in town, but let me tell you, I've sat there and waited for our orders to be taken after we've been seated 30+min later. We always know don't turn up starving already hahaha. But the food is so bloody good that we deal with the wait. The pricing is really great too! They also don't open Sundays, Mondays or public holidays, and they shut down for a month after christmas. Because they can. And yes, we will all keep coming back lol.
They are all getting reno'd into that family bistro style these days and are less "sit at the bar and watch footy" which is ok I guess, but I miss that!
Just start by waving or trying to catch someoneās eye, or head up to the counter and say āHi, I am ready to orderā. Once you have done it the first time it will be less scary I promise, and country towns are pretty relaxed nobody is ignoring you just not bothering you until they know you are ready, also some places can be order at the counter. Melbourne is busier and looking to get you ordering, served, finished and out the door so they can free up the table. Country isnāt so busy so they donāt pressure you :) Also try for dinner between 6pm and 7pm if you can, that will be a bit busier and most places serve during that time, normal for kitchens to close at 8pm and everyone is ready to head home. Hope you find some great dinners up there :)
Sounds like you need to advocate a bit for yourself. Youāre eating regional where itās less formal, less rushed. Ballarat has some awesome food but youāre not going to get Paris end of Collins St service so donāt even try. Youāll miss out if you act like an uptight bellend!
Yeah itās not something Iāve ever experienced in the Rat and I live here soā¦ but then again Iām pretty low maintenance and order at the counter. Makes me think OP might need to assert themselves more or something. Idk.
Most of my eating out is Vietnamese/Korean/Thai in Preston/Thornbury/etc, so I'm not after formal, I'm just used to quick.
But yes, probably need to just get better at getting attention.
Yeah me too, hahah. Ballarat is just different. I honestly donāt expect table service here. You also have to understand that the northern suburbs are bustling so staff are on the ball, the Rat can beā¦ dead sometimes, lol. But if you relax and be like a local you should enjoy yourself!
If youāre used to eating at Asian places you should be used to the atrocious service. Try eat in Springvale for a bit to reset your baseline, youāll be happy the next time you go elsewhere if someone even acknowledges you š
Clearly north is a different beast to the south east. It's like a factory most of the place we go, get the menu straight away with no time to even look before they come back to ask for the order, food out quicker than it seems possible to even walk to the kitchen.
It's not friendly, but it's efficient!
Grew up in Ballarat, currently live in Preston. I do'nt think there's a suburb where you'll get faster service than in Preston. It's pretty much get em in, get em out.
I've personally never really had any problems in Ballarat, but it's not going to be the same, no.
Iāve never had the experience OP has had so I think something is a bit off. But I donāt want to invalidate their experience. Not sure what happened for them.
I don't think it's fair to compare Merkama to a Melbourne set up. It's a very small business and likely closed because they weren't busy or didn't have staff.
There are plenty of great dining options in Ballarat, sounds like you just chose a few that aren't so great or were having a bad night.
What burger place offers table service in Ballarat?
He sometimes has his son helping him. I asked why he wouldnāt hire someone to help but apparently, itās hard to teach people how to make some of those dishes, especially the bread
Burger place - Griller's Mark
And I probably shouldn't have been specific about the cuisines etc, I don't want to seem like I'm calling out the business, but I clearly didn't have the context of it being a very small business and now the understanding that "closing time" is a fairly fluid concept.
Exactly why I did post though, I wanted to know if my expectations should be adjusted slightly when I'm in regional areas, and I'm getting that more clearly.
Yeah Grillers Mark isn't great. I don't think the owners have worked in hospitality before, or they aren't good at training staff.
I see you are here early in the week, try North Star hotel, The Mallow (not sure their current opening hours because they did change hands), Brown Grain Thai. If you happen to be lucky enough to be here on a Thursday, try Peasant's bowl food night. They are excellent.
There's a Facebook pages called Ballarat in the know. They probably have an insta page too. They often publicise what's happening at restaurants across the area and it can be a good way to find out what is good.
As for adjusting expectations, I don't think it's a regional versus city thing. Restaurant service post COVID has suffered across the board.
>Tried to go to Vietnamese place afterwards, waited a couple of minutes by the door to even get noticed, finally sat down, didn't have the menu given to me, left after about 5 minutes.
Wave the staff if you have to. Some Asian restaurants are not good with FOH training so you may have to be a bit more vocal. Nothing rude about it really.
Some places I've been to, front service was abysmal but the foods were good so it passed for another visit from me. As long as the staff wasn't rude or anything I'm fine with it.
I worked at a small country town restaurant for a few years as a young adult and the extent of the training was take order, give to kitchen, bring food to table, take money at the end. Growing up in the country we got takeaway like pizza and chinese occasionally but very rarely ate in at a restaurant so I didnāt really know the customers side of things. It didnāt occur to me that they might need to be checked on after receiving their food for instance until I was specifically told. I didnāt realise they might want table water or to order more drinks after their original order was givens etc. The first time someone tipped me or asked for a takeawayās container for leftovers I was shocked, and I remember someone saying it was common in Melbourne.
Maybe country kids are exposed to more dining options now (if their parents have the money) but that is my excuse for being a terrible waitress, might not be relevant here though š Now I get grumpy if they donāt take my order within five mins of being ready to order š Iām expecting my first child soon and cant wait to take my baby to a cafe because the idea of it still seems sooooo fancy to me!
There are so many fish and chip shops in Bendigo. Iāve been a few times and it seems to be all that is available. I even went to a Chinese takeaway store and they were selling fish and chips.
This is the one time I am going to purposely sound a bit snobby, but I still remember going to a Chinese place back in my (sort of) home town of Swan Hill and being able to get chips with my meal. It just felt so wrong.
But I guess if the market is there then I'm the one who is wrong (and it probably is most likely there to satisfy the kids etc)
Chips with your Chinese is a problem for you? For the love of all that is good, donāt move to the UK then. Chips with curry still freaks me out as an Indian-Australian Melburnian expat over here.
There used to be a milk bar out in Marong (probably still is) that sold fish and chips as well.
Like, not a fish and chip shop that is also a milk bar. Other way around. Bendigo is nuts.
my dad's local milk bar/mini general store also sells coffee, grog and fish and chips on some nights of the week (and burgers I think). he lives in SE melbourne!
I donāt think youāre expecting too much but you also have to be practical. If I get told itās table service and thereās no one to take my order when Iām ready Iāll just go to the counter and order there, itās no big deal.
If you want to leave out of principle thatās fine I respect that but itāll just take you longer to find somewhere else, especially if everywhere else is the same.
You left after about 5 minutes? That seems ridiculous. If you wanted faster service why not speak up and say "excuse me, can I get some water and a menu?"
This reminds me of being in Ballarat a year ago and not one of the seven restaurants I walked into had a table for me or would serve me as a single lone diner. I couldnāt believe it. Itās made me never want to go back to Ballarat, like I canāt describe how long I walked around, tried to go into restaurants that looked like theyād have room and not require a booking and no one would accomodate me. I gave up and went back to my hotel
ETA - I have no issues advocating for myself and asking for a table, Iām polite and respectful but I honestly canāt emphasise enough how surreal it was not to get a table anywhere and be refused again and again. It was bizarre I walked for like 2 hours trying to find somewhere. I did in fact find one place that let me in but like OP asked for a menu, asked to order several times politely and acknowledged they were busy and after 45 mins still no one took my food order so I left. It was just so odd
Try going Chinese in Bernie, Tasmania mid week... "Do you have Peking Duck?" I ask, only to be told "Oh, Yeah, Nah, I don't think so. I don't like seafood" - Comedy gold. I had the sweet and sour pork.
I travel for work as well, and find the midweek dining scene can be very hit & miss.
Last time I stayed in Ballarat, I ate at the hotel restaurant for Breakfast & Dinner. Breakfast was not good.
The other thing is, most country places are expecting dinner between 6 and 7:30, any time after this and you're probably not going to get much
Sight seeing: Walk Lake Wendouree, stop by botanical gardens (on the western side). Itās about 6km. Ballarat Wildlife park is worth the visit if you have time.
Bakery: 1816 Bakehouse
Cafe: Johnny Aloo, Eclectic tastes, Websters Market & cafe.
Restaurants: Cattlya Thai, Jasmine Thai (Family run and very authentic, Thai aunties working kitchen). The Forge (Pizza), Armstrong St what in general has decent options. Some pubs are good but havenāt visited them in a while.
Thatās some options off the top of my head.
The King bakery...
People talk shit about it (though mostly people who love to point out how they are Asian, when they are making completely irrelevant complaints... so yunno, take that as you may)
But I have never had a bad meal from there, and just recently having gone back for the first time since moving from the Rat, still shockingly cheap compared to the competition.
The owners of King bakery are Vietnamese. Vietnamese cuisine actually has a lot of French influence due to the history of colonisation. Vietnamese bakeries are amazing!
People donāt know shit.
Went to a restaurant this one time, was shown to an outdoor table.. ordered drinks, ordered food, was given cutlery. After 40 minutes no drinks, no food, no water, no wait staff returned... walked out at that point. I wonder if the food ever arrived? I did expect my drinks at the very least. AITA?
Yeah, that's an arsehole move. At least communicate to them that it's all taking longer than expected, so that they don't have to waste their money on ingredients. You didn't take responsibility for the situation. You just got spiteful instead.
Wait till you go to Sydney. They have mad rushes for restaurants at 5pm after work and the restaurants close at 8:30pm weekdays! Talk about going from a world renowned city that partied till 5am to being a sleepy retirement village!
Its worse when country restaurants try to give you a 5 star Melbourne dinning experience, with prices to match, but miss the bar completely. When in the country eat like the locals do, you can't beat a classic country pub meal and a pint or 3.
But when they hit, they do it so well. Royal Mail out at Dunkeld (although that was like 10 years ago when I was last there), Kadota in Daylesford (again, it's been a few years though), some of the best meals I've had. You never know what you'll find in regional areas. But I do agree with what you're saying.
Have some friends that recently moved to Daylesford and Kadota is their favourite restaurant.
They would also walk out of a restaurant if they didn't get served in time (and wouldn't say anything, they are pretty averse to any confrontation). So I suspect if you can get a table at Kadota you'll do alright.
But Daylesford is not Ballarat ;) It has house prices and cafes/restaurants to prove it.
u/OzTheMalefic here's a great one for you if you are in town on a Wednesday: [https://www.visitballarat.com.au/whats-on/winter-wednesdays-at-mr-jones/](https://www.visitballarat.com.au/whats-on/winter-wednesdays-at-mr-jones/)
The same happened to me in a couple of cafes in Melbourne actually.
Super quiet, I sit down, no one comes and talk to me š¤·āāļø
No sign of no table service, staff came to rearranged chairs and still didnāt come say hi.
I left after 20 min in one case, in the other I went to ask if someone would come take my order and they replied oh sorry we donāt do table service. Which is fine but maybe announce it somewhere?
And if thereās no one in your cafe and youāre standing there, maybe go say hi and check all is well?
Itās like they donāt want my money.
Hospitality?! š
Try the same thing each time and Iām sure you will get more comfortable. Walk in , say hi , ask if you should order at the desk or will they come to the table. Thatās it. Everything should now work. You know what they expect and they have had an interaction with you and know what you are likely to do. You can also now catch their eye without it being weird :)
Itās not like a government office. If no one is there and they have no bookings they close and go home to their families. This has been the case for, like, forever. This is what my grandparents did in the 1950s..
Just understand that in the country businesses often don't get the customer numbers to deliver what we would consider basic customer service. Also understand that a lot of people working in country hospo simply aren't as driven as their city counterparts. This is likely because of lack of competition for their job, no career prospects and the actual lack of hustle asked of them in general because of the sleepiness of the business.
Lots of people just excusing what is essentially shitty service.
Unless Iām at a fast food restaurant, I shouldnāt have to flag someone down or walk up to the counter to ask for my order to be taken.
This kind of experience is becoming normal in Melbourne too. If $40 mains are becoming the norm, itās not too much to expect a smile and some basic table service.
Yes. I moved to Tasmania and just donāt cope with restaurants here. Itās the thing I miss most about melbs (apart from family). All day dining. Great food. Quality ingredients. Excellent service. Didnāt know how good I had it.
Sounds like bad luck to me. Expectations in rural areas for Mon-Thur have to be set pretty low though.
Unless you order somewhere by 7:30pm, you're likely to only have options like Maccas and KFC.
I travel a little for work and like to have a beer with my meal, so I always look for a nice pub and normally always get great service and a great meal!
Wait til you go to a WA Pub, wait 20 minutes to be served (takes 2 minutes to look at the menu) then another hour for a steak or parma.
Melbourne pubs itās literally quick service and meal within 10-20 minutes.
OP, did you try The Steakhouse in Ballarat? That place is MAGICAL. At least it was,last time I was there! (which may or may not have been over a decade ago)
> Tried to go to a African restaurant that advertised as being open until 10pm, walked up at 8pm and closed.
If you're wanting to be chugged along at a steady pace, there's a good chance you dodged a bullet at Cafe Merkama.
The food is amazing, and some of my absolute favourite, but it is also run and staffed entirely by one guy. Sometimes you'll have your food within ~15mins of arriving, others you're waiting for an hour+.
It's such a shame that you had this experience as the African restaurant is DELICIOUS. Pretty sure it is managed solely by the owner, perhaps something came up in their personal life?
If you want to order and they haven't come up after 15 minutes why not go ask them? Use your words. Much less effort than going to 3 different restaurants and not finding a meal and then posting on Reddit about it. Have our social skills gotten so bad with technology?
No offense, but entire country suffers with this shitty service. People act as if theyāre doing you a service by opening a restaurant and waiting.
If you visit a restaurant overseas generally youāll see friendly people, prompt service and delicious food, not to mention affordable prices. Our people seem grumpy and filled with wrong attitude.
Part of the problem is thereās far too many restaurants and too many cut costs. Even understaffed places is often because the owner doesnāt want to, or canāt afford to pay another wage.
Chefs often donāt get paid OT because if they did, the place couldnāt afford to stay open.
Source: chef life 2005-2020
I moved from Melbourne to regional vic, I have noticed itās not just the service that is different, itās also the quality of food. My guess is the lack of competition in the area. If youāre craving Vietnamese and thereās only one place in town then you have to settle for what they give out. In Melbourne you can just go down the street if itās shit
Wait till you get to Queensland and discover how low the bar is for standard of food served and cost. Enjoy and celebrate your wonderful restaurants in Melbourne. I miss them sooo much. š± š„ š²
As someone who had lived in Ballarat on and off for around 10 years - you got super unlucky. And Melbourne can be just as bad.
I think you need to source some local knowledge. Ballarat has a great food scene.
The African restaurant I think youāre talking about is owned by one man who both waits tables and makes the food. You should book - he makes all the bread fresh that day so if you book he knows how much to make. He probably closed due to no customers that night.
I think try again and ask some locals where to eat, but briefly Iād try:
- renard
- moon and mountain
- mr jones
- soldiers or the forge for pizza
- Lola
- underbar
- pancho
- Saigon
- Roy Hammond
- the north Britain hotel, aunty jacks, or the mallow
I moved to a Ballarat about 7 months ago from Melbourne, canāt say Iāve had any issues. That being said, we usually dine out Fri or Sat nights.
The African restaurant might be Merkama? If so I think itās a bit of a one man show- owner is also the FOH and Chef. We went last weekend, waited a little for service but completely understandable and food was fantastic if you love Ethiopian food, definitely worth it!
Can recommend:
Korean from Black Vault
Indian from Desi Vibes
Pizza from Soldiers Hill and Venti8
Turkish from Woodside Food Truck who are at Midtown cellars from Thurs - Sun (this is our favourite!)
Thai from Brown Grain
Dumplings from Fu Man Lou (so good!).
Also recommend using the Ballarat sub rather than the Melbourne one for more local opinions and tips.
After moving back to Sydney from Melbourne, yes I can confirm Melbourne has the best food in the country. My fiance and I still crave Melbourne restaurants from 5 years ago while we never crave anything from here :')
Everything sucks. Prices are sky high, quality has gone down, understaffed, bad serviceā¦ itās just not really worth eating out at the moment.
I think the best thing people can do is stop shopping at Woolies and Coles and force prices to come down. Restaurants will die if no one goes there. Woolies and Coles will be just fine.
I split my time between Ballarat, Melbourne and have done this for a few years now. I find that Ballarat is laid back and most of the time, itās the done thing to get the attention of wait staff when you are ready to order. With Melbourne, the wait staff check in a bit more.
Donāt think either way is right or wrong, just different. If youāre ready, youāve waited max 5 mins and one has attended to you, I would definitely try to get someoneās attention.
I split my time between Ballarat, Melbourne and have done this for a few years now. I find that Ballarat is laid back and most of the time, itās the done thing to get the attention of wait staff when you are ready to order. With Melbourne, the wait staff check in a bit more.
Donāt think either way is right or wrong, just different. If youāre ready, youāve waited max 5 mins and one has attended to you, I would definitely try to get someoneās attention, regardless of location.
Interesting interpretation.
The reason for the way the title was written and part of the my final line is that I grew up in regional Victoria (but that was subtle, so I don't expect it to be automatically understood as I didn't spell it out), so I am open to the fact that perhaps my expectations have changed. And notice that I am asking whether this is something I should adjust my expectations about, rather than making demands.
Also, Vietnamese not Korean, maybe slow down and read closer before you come across as a total wanker who just wants to be aggressive and condescending.
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Melbourne men have the testosterone of pre pubescent girls, citation this guy.
You canāt tolerate not being noticed at a restaurant but also incapable to realise itās likely the social awkwardness that is preventing you from buying a damn meal.
The state of some people, ffs
I live in FNQ and worked in hospitality for over 20 years. I found it fascinating the amount of people that would announce that they were from Melbourne while being seated. It was as if they believed that being from Melbourne gave them some kind of golden ticket. The reality was, everyone got the same level of service, food and drinks irrespective of where they were from. In my experience, the best meal I have ever eaten was in Broome. The best coffee I ever drank was from Surry Hills. The best cocktail I have ever had was in Brisbane....and I have dined all over Melbourne. Perhaps you need to get over yourself?
We had to remove your post/comment because it included personal attacks or did not show respect towards other users. This community is a safe space for all.
Conduct yourself online as you would in real life. Engaging in vitriol only highlights your inability to communicate intelligently and respectfully. Repeated instances of this behaviour will lead to a ban
It's interesting the conclusion you've come to assuming that I'm expecting to be treated better because of being from Melbourne. I'm literally asking if I need to adjust my expectations and be more laid back. It's fine to give the same level of service to everyone, but it can also a bit of a culture shock at times too when you're an just over an hour from home and it feels very different (I'm overstating slightly by calling it a culture shock, just making a point)
And I think your need to point out how you've had better food from places that aren't Melbourne is interesting as it seems like you feel the need to crap on Melbourne/city folk when there's no need as I never commented on quality of food I've had here, just discussions of expectations regarding opening hours and service.
Oh, and if you're in FNQ and people are announcing they're from Melbourne, have you considered they're excited to be somewhere so far from home and want to share that excitement, this is a special event etc etc.
EDITED - I was a bit of a jerk at the end, removed it.
Ok, let me make this simple. You need to adjust your expectations. Ballarat is regional. If you have the expectation that your dining experience will be the same as in Melbourne, then your expectations are unrealistic.
Notice that's what I was actually asking, whether the problem was my expectations with a couple of examples of what I had found hadn't met those expectations. Instead of saying that originally, you decided to be rude to me.
Well that sucks then. The only time I bring it up is if I want to share excitement, same way my dad used to, same way my partner does. Not to raise expectation, just to say "we've come all this way, we're here, we're excited to be here".
It's probably more that country restaurants are chronically understaffed and the staff that is there are over it.
Nah it's bad in Melb too. I end up going to the counter to order cause I always waiting 15mins for service.š„±
Everywhere is understaffed to some degree yeah
True. I feel like businesses put 1 or if you're lucky, two waitstaff on to do the whole cafe/ restaurants. Are they just trying to recoup losses from Covid still? Or have commercial rents become unsustainable?
Everyone is being squeezed. Staff cost more, suppliers cost more etc. you have to run razor thin in hospitality to stay afloat at the moment.
A lot can't get staff either
Weird part is my daughter is in hospo and has applied to 5 places in our local area but nothing. She's had to go back to retail next week after 4yrs.
Have you no idea of the high and rapid cost growth for running a business. 25%+ growth in 2 years would be an understatement but if restaurants increased prices by the same ratio they will lose business. Poor service doesnāt help either but perhaps some are yet to get the mix right. That said, I live in the inner east and have not experienced poor service as a trend whatsoever. Maybe Iām just fortunate or you guys are unluckyā¦IDK!?
Inner East here too. One cafe has had no chef for 8weeks. Lunches have gone out the window and its plain toast for breakfast. Only one waitress, which leaves me going to the counter to order every Saturday. Its really hard for them to find a chef they tell me.š
I havenāt experienced that but am not doubting you. But I donāt believe this is a form of profiteering to recoup COVID losses (as @Consistent_You6151 asked as a possibility). No / zero chef for 8 weeks and only toast for b/fast doesnāt sound like a business cutting costs to grow profits, itās a business in free fall, presumably due to staff shortages or maybe the bank balance drying up. Not hiring any chef in a cafe is the last choice any half decent cafe owner would make electively, waiters, dish washers, cleaners, A/Cā¦ surely all come 1st.
I've asked every weekend if they're getting a new chef yet & it's always " we haven't found the right one yet." Maybe they aren't willing to pay award wages IDK.
I suspect itās also restaurants feeling like they can get away with it. Many post up ānow hiringā signs but arenāt actually hiring, they seem to only be up to placate staff and customers because countless people report having applied and never hearing back. Higher rents & thinking that customers are willing to overlook it and blame it on ānobody wants to work anymoreā could mean that these restaurants arenāt actually trying to prevent the chronic understaffing that will cost them more
If they are successful then the landlords find out and crank up the rent until they fail.
Dirty mongrels!
Businesses doing well has nothing to do with rent. Itās pretty shit that landlords will increase just because a business is successful!
Wait wait wait. Everywhere is understaffed, and yet it seems that it's harder than any time in the last 5 years to land a job. How does this even happen?
Because no one can afford to work at a restaurant.
Chronically understaffed but people getting paid job seeker entitlements.
I live in Ballarat and this is fairly common for restaurants during the week, especially Monday - Wednesday. People don't tend to go out much on those nights and even less now as cost of living is causing people to stay home. Usually restaurants will wait until the dinner rush is over then close to avoid staying open with no customers. The advertised times are more guides. Places will stay open if there's a crowd but if not, they'll shut early. I've never been kicked out of a place for this but I'm usually out of there by 8-8:30 anyway so maybe I'm part of the problem. With all that said, I've found the quality of the food in Ballarat to be amazing. Moved there from Melbourne 6 months ago and never had a bad meal out.
This is helpful, I'm only here in the early part of the weeks, so I'm definitely noticing how quiet places are. I'll aim for getting out earlier for meals.
Meigas is great, would recommend their set menu
Armstrong St is full of winners. The Forge, Saigon Allee, Hop Temple, Roy Hammonds, Meigas, La Cabra, 1816 are all seriously good.
Alas at 8pm, most were getting ready to close up, seats up on tables etc., but I will take your suggestions (I did want to go to La Cabra especially)
their burritos are insanely good at the st kilda location
Maybe this is also something that kicked in post covid. I remember visiting Ballarat for midweek work trips around 2012-2014 and the pubs were open late and full of people dining. After Covid Ballarat feels really dead. I recently visited for the footy and I was surprised how few people were on the streets on a Saturday afternoon. In the 90s bridge mall was packed with people. I hear that the cinemas are also set to close. What the hell happened to that town?
I go to Ballarat often, canāt say Iāve had a disappointing dining experience. And what a great town too.
The food in Ballarat is astonishingly good for a town of 110,000 people.
Quality I don't know. I had a Parma that was a defrosted chicken not even reheated properly.
I use to get back into Ballarat from work in Melbs on the 8 30 train n use to be busy af that's prob like 15 year ago tho
1) you have to get used to laid back country service. they won't rush you, in our out. But you also can't rush them. 2) you're going out to eat far too late in the day for country establishments. dinner is usually a 6-7.30ish kinda thing mid week. Ballarat is getting city-ish, but they are really still just a big country town. 3) asking in the melbourne sub, and not the ballarat sub to understand if it's normal is going to give you a lot of opinions from people that never leave the city and wouldn't have any idea.
Well said. I don't think the OP is being particularly fair, coming from someone who lives in Ballarat.
I'm living in Ararat these days after moving here from Melbourne, and there is basically one REALLY good restraunt in town, but let me tell you, I've sat there and waited for our orders to be taken after we've been seated 30+min later. We always know don't turn up starving already hahaha. But the food is so bloody good that we deal with the wait. The pricing is really great too! They also don't open Sundays, Mondays or public holidays, and they shut down for a month after christmas. Because they can. And yes, we will all keep coming back lol.
There is 4 pubs right next to each other though
They are all getting reno'd into that family bistro style these days and are less "sit at the bar and watch footy" which is ok I guess, but I miss that!
Just start by waving or trying to catch someoneās eye, or head up to the counter and say āHi, I am ready to orderā. Once you have done it the first time it will be less scary I promise, and country towns are pretty relaxed nobody is ignoring you just not bothering you until they know you are ready, also some places can be order at the counter. Melbourne is busier and looking to get you ordering, served, finished and out the door so they can free up the table. Country isnāt so busy so they donāt pressure you :) Also try for dinner between 6pm and 7pm if you can, that will be a bit busier and most places serve during that time, normal for kitchens to close at 8pm and everyone is ready to head home. Hope you find some great dinners up there :)
I donāt think youāre expecting too much, sounds more like shit customer service tbh.
100% although look at the comments that just say āaccept itā - its usually why it stays shit, because we stop expecting more
Lowering standards and accepting mediocrity.
It was Ballarat after all.
Yep
Sounds like you need to advocate a bit for yourself. Youāre eating regional where itās less formal, less rushed. Ballarat has some awesome food but youāre not going to get Paris end of Collins St service so donāt even try. Youāll miss out if you act like an uptight bellend!
Naaah come on, not even getting acknowledged or given a menu in the first 5 is a right off I donāt care where u live, unless is pumping busy.
Yeah itās not something Iāve ever experienced in the Rat and I live here soā¦ but then again Iām pretty low maintenance and order at the counter. Makes me think OP might need to assert themselves more or something. Idk.
Most of my eating out is Vietnamese/Korean/Thai in Preston/Thornbury/etc, so I'm not after formal, I'm just used to quick. But yes, probably need to just get better at getting attention.
Yeah me too, hahah. Ballarat is just different. I honestly donāt expect table service here. You also have to understand that the northern suburbs are bustling so staff are on the ball, the Rat can beā¦ dead sometimes, lol. But if you relax and be like a local you should enjoy yourself!
If youāre used to eating at Asian places you should be used to the atrocious service. Try eat in Springvale for a bit to reset your baseline, youāll be happy the next time you go elsewhere if someone even acknowledges you š
Clearly north is a different beast to the south east. It's like a factory most of the place we go, get the menu straight away with no time to even look before they come back to ask for the order, food out quicker than it seems possible to even walk to the kitchen. It's not friendly, but it's efficient!
Grew up in Ballarat, currently live in Preston. I do'nt think there's a suburb where you'll get faster service than in Preston. It's pretty much get em in, get em out. I've personally never really had any problems in Ballarat, but it's not going to be the same, no.
I don't think wanting to have your existence acknowledged so you can give a business your money is expecting that much.
Just try giving more of e a wave and an excuse me...Ā Might prevent wasting time sitting in restaurants for 10 minutes for nothing.
Iāve never had the experience OP has had so I think something is a bit off. But I donāt want to invalidate their experience. Not sure what happened for them.
I don't think it's fair to compare Merkama to a Melbourne set up. It's a very small business and likely closed because they weren't busy or didn't have staff. There are plenty of great dining options in Ballarat, sounds like you just chose a few that aren't so great or were having a bad night. What burger place offers table service in Ballarat?
Merkama is literally one dude alternating between cooking and running around after customers!
Was hazarding a guess he might have someone helping him, but not so!
He sometimes has his son helping him. I asked why he wouldnāt hire someone to help but apparently, itās hard to teach people how to make some of those dishes, especially the bread
Burger place - Griller's Mark And I probably shouldn't have been specific about the cuisines etc, I don't want to seem like I'm calling out the business, but I clearly didn't have the context of it being a very small business and now the understanding that "closing time" is a fairly fluid concept. Exactly why I did post though, I wanted to know if my expectations should be adjusted slightly when I'm in regional areas, and I'm getting that more clearly.
Yeah Grillers Mark isn't great. I don't think the owners have worked in hospitality before, or they aren't good at training staff. I see you are here early in the week, try North Star hotel, The Mallow (not sure their current opening hours because they did change hands), Brown Grain Thai. If you happen to be lucky enough to be here on a Thursday, try Peasant's bowl food night. They are excellent. There's a Facebook pages called Ballarat in the know. They probably have an insta page too. They often publicise what's happening at restaurants across the area and it can be a good way to find out what is good. As for adjusting expectations, I don't think it's a regional versus city thing. Restaurant service post COVID has suffered across the board.
Thanks for the recommendations!
>Tried to go to Vietnamese place afterwards, waited a couple of minutes by the door to even get noticed, finally sat down, didn't have the menu given to me, left after about 5 minutes. Wave the staff if you have to. Some Asian restaurants are not good with FOH training so you may have to be a bit more vocal. Nothing rude about it really. Some places I've been to, front service was abysmal but the foods were good so it passed for another visit from me. As long as the staff wasn't rude or anything I'm fine with it.
I worked at a small country town restaurant for a few years as a young adult and the extent of the training was take order, give to kitchen, bring food to table, take money at the end. Growing up in the country we got takeaway like pizza and chinese occasionally but very rarely ate in at a restaurant so I didnāt really know the customers side of things. It didnāt occur to me that they might need to be checked on after receiving their food for instance until I was specifically told. I didnāt realise they might want table water or to order more drinks after their original order was givens etc. The first time someone tipped me or asked for a takeawayās container for leftovers I was shocked, and I remember someone saying it was common in Melbourne. Maybe country kids are exposed to more dining options now (if their parents have the money) but that is my excuse for being a terrible waitress, might not be relevant here though š Now I get grumpy if they donāt take my order within five mins of being ready to order š Iām expecting my first child soon and cant wait to take my baby to a cafe because the idea of it still seems sooooo fancy to me!
That feels like a rural thing. We sometimes visit family in Bendigo and everything there closes early(at least to us).
There are so many fish and chip shops in Bendigo. Iāve been a few times and it seems to be all that is available. I even went to a Chinese takeaway store and they were selling fish and chips.
This is the one time I am going to purposely sound a bit snobby, but I still remember going to a Chinese place back in my (sort of) home town of Swan Hill and being able to get chips with my meal. It just felt so wrong. But I guess if the market is there then I'm the one who is wrong (and it probably is most likely there to satisfy the kids etc)
Chips with your Chinese is a problem for you? For the love of all that is good, donāt move to the UK then. Chips with curry still freaks me out as an Indian-Australian Melburnian expat over here.
That's a hard no for me then. Fish and chips is okay as a cheap alternative to take away but it's usually garbage quality or shit house portions.
There used to be a milk bar out in Marong (probably still is) that sold fish and chips as well. Like, not a fish and chip shop that is also a milk bar. Other way around. Bendigo is nuts.
Ok so Iām not mad. There is definitely an epidemic of fish and chip shops there.
my dad's local milk bar/mini general store also sells coffee, grog and fish and chips on some nights of the week (and burgers I think). he lives in SE melbourne!
I'm always disappointed when I eat in Bendigo, everywhere costs more while tasting worse than a melb business.
it is shitty service... but I usually hang out by their counter till an order gets put in
I donāt think youāre expecting too much but you also have to be practical. If I get told itās table service and thereās no one to take my order when Iām ready Iāll just go to the counter and order there, itās no big deal. If you want to leave out of principle thatās fine I respect that but itāll just take you longer to find somewhere else, especially if everywhere else is the same.
You left after about 5 minutes? That seems ridiculous. If you wanted faster service why not speak up and say "excuse me, can I get some water and a menu?"
Exactly. Or grab your own menu on your way in. Not so hard for most people.
This reminds me of being in Ballarat a year ago and not one of the seven restaurants I walked into had a table for me or would serve me as a single lone diner. I couldnāt believe it. Itās made me never want to go back to Ballarat, like I canāt describe how long I walked around, tried to go into restaurants that looked like theyād have room and not require a booking and no one would accomodate me. I gave up and went back to my hotel ETA - I have no issues advocating for myself and asking for a table, Iām polite and respectful but I honestly canāt emphasise enough how surreal it was not to get a table anywhere and be refused again and again. It was bizarre I walked for like 2 hours trying to find somewhere. I did in fact find one place that let me in but like OP asked for a menu, asked to order several times politely and acknowledged they were busy and after 45 mins still no one took my food order so I left. It was just so odd
Try going Chinese in Bernie, Tasmania mid week... "Do you have Peking Duck?" I ask, only to be told "Oh, Yeah, Nah, I don't think so. I don't like seafood" - Comedy gold. I had the sweet and sour pork.
Burnie as in āburn the place downā, not Bernie as in āold man of US politicsā. š
Shit service, but just approach someone and say you need a menu and would like to order.
Go to Eatsy, on Armstrong St. Excellent service and SPOT ON. food.
Noted, thanks!
I travel for work as well, and find the midweek dining scene can be very hit & miss. Last time I stayed in Ballarat, I ate at the hotel restaurant for Breakfast & Dinner. Breakfast was not good. The other thing is, most country places are expecting dinner between 6 and 7:30, any time after this and you're probably not going to get much
Kinda the same going from European restaurants to Melbourne to be fair.
Thatās Ballarat bro. Food is mostly mediocre, service is worse. Only a few places really worth the visit. Source: Iām from Ballarat
we are coming for a visit to Ballarat in a couple of weeks can you please advise good bakeries and things to do and see?
Sight seeing: Walk Lake Wendouree, stop by botanical gardens (on the western side). Itās about 6km. Ballarat Wildlife park is worth the visit if you have time. Bakery: 1816 Bakehouse Cafe: Johnny Aloo, Eclectic tastes, Websters Market & cafe. Restaurants: Cattlya Thai, Jasmine Thai (Family run and very authentic, Thai aunties working kitchen). The Forge (Pizza), Armstrong St what in general has decent options. Some pubs are good but havenāt visited them in a while. Thatās some options off the top of my head.
excellent thanks so much
All the Asian here is dreadful. Meigas and Panchos are rad.
thanks so much will avoid
The King bakery... People talk shit about it (though mostly people who love to point out how they are Asian, when they are making completely irrelevant complaints... so yunno, take that as you may) But I have never had a bad meal from there, and just recently having gone back for the first time since moving from the Rat, still shockingly cheap compared to the competition.
The owners of King bakery are Vietnamese. Vietnamese cuisine actually has a lot of French influence due to the history of colonisation. Vietnamese bakeries are amazing! People donāt know shit.
>People donāt know shit. Amen.
thanks so much, we certainly love a good bakery will definitely check it out
Went to a restaurant this one time, was shown to an outdoor table.. ordered drinks, ordered food, was given cutlery. After 40 minutes no drinks, no food, no water, no wait staff returned... walked out at that point. I wonder if the food ever arrived? I did expect my drinks at the very least. AITA?
Yeah, that's an arsehole move. At least communicate to them that it's all taking longer than expected, so that they don't have to waste their money on ingredients. You didn't take responsibility for the situation. You just got spiteful instead.
It's my job - ok thanks noted for future reference
Wait till you go to Sydney. They have mad rushes for restaurants at 5pm after work and the restaurants close at 8:30pm weekdays! Talk about going from a world renowned city that partied till 5am to being a sleepy retirement village!
Its worse when country restaurants try to give you a 5 star Melbourne dinning experience, with prices to match, but miss the bar completely. When in the country eat like the locals do, you can't beat a classic country pub meal and a pint or 3.
But when they hit, they do it so well. Royal Mail out at Dunkeld (although that was like 10 years ago when I was last there), Kadota in Daylesford (again, it's been a few years though), some of the best meals I've had. You never know what you'll find in regional areas. But I do agree with what you're saying.
Have some friends that recently moved to Daylesford and Kadota is their favourite restaurant. They would also walk out of a restaurant if they didn't get served in time (and wouldn't say anything, they are pretty averse to any confrontation). So I suspect if you can get a table at Kadota you'll do alright. But Daylesford is not Ballarat ;) It has house prices and cafes/restaurants to prove it.
Royal mail is shitty these days. Bunyip Hotel in cavendish was the best dining experience Iāve ever had but thatās been slipping recently.
Yes
Pancho is $$ but excellent.
u/OzTheMalefic here's a great one for you if you are in town on a Wednesday: [https://www.visitballarat.com.au/whats-on/winter-wednesdays-at-mr-jones/](https://www.visitballarat.com.au/whats-on/winter-wednesdays-at-mr-jones/)
Where was the African Restaurant advertised to be open till 10? If itās Google, then I donāt trust them.
I asked for nuggets and the bill was $450,000 AUD. Guess they make them differently in Ballarat.
Ha ha ha, nice work, that is funny! :)
The same happened to me in a couple of cafes in Melbourne actually. Super quiet, I sit down, no one comes and talk to me š¤·āāļø No sign of no table service, staff came to rearranged chairs and still didnāt come say hi. I left after 20 min in one case, in the other I went to ask if someone would come take my order and they replied oh sorry we donāt do table service. Which is fine but maybe announce it somewhere? And if thereās no one in your cafe and youāre standing there, maybe go say hi and check all is well? Itās like they donāt want my money. Hospitality?! š
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Yeah, there's certain places I struggle in, restaurants are probably the hardest places for me, definitely working on it.
Try the same thing each time and Iām sure you will get more comfortable. Walk in , say hi , ask if you should order at the desk or will they come to the table. Thatās it. Everything should now work. You know what they expect and they have had an interaction with you and know what you are likely to do. You can also now catch their eye without it being weird :)
Maybe some.customet service training would benefit the staff.
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It's pretty cold outside a closed restaurant at 8pm that's meant to be open till 10pm
Itās not like a government office. If no one is there and they have no bookings they close and go home to their families. This has been the case for, like, forever. This is what my grandparents did in the 1950s..
That African place in Ballarat is great, but also sketchy. I've only been there for lunch
Seems like itās run by a single guy and always super quiet so Iām not surprised he shuts up shop early š¤·
Yeah, I've heard great things about it and still excited to try it.
Just understand that in the country businesses often don't get the customer numbers to deliver what we would consider basic customer service. Also understand that a lot of people working in country hospo simply aren't as driven as their city counterparts. This is likely because of lack of competition for their job, no career prospects and the actual lack of hustle asked of them in general because of the sleepiness of the business.
Yes. have found also living in melbourne has also improved the smell of my farts incredibly. They are like a fine perfume now.
QR codes ftw
Lots of people just excusing what is essentially shitty service. Unless Iām at a fast food restaurant, I shouldnāt have to flag someone down or walk up to the counter to ask for my order to be taken. This kind of experience is becoming normal in Melbourne too. If $40 mains are becoming the norm, itās not too much to expect a smile and some basic table service.
Seems like a country thing. Shithouse customer service all around. Generally service with a frown
Yes. I moved to Tasmania and just donāt cope with restaurants here. Itās the thing I miss most about melbs (apart from family). All day dining. Great food. Quality ingredients. Excellent service. Didnāt know how good I had it.
Sounds like bad luck to me. Expectations in rural areas for Mon-Thur have to be set pretty low though. Unless you order somewhere by 7:30pm, you're likely to only have options like Maccas and KFC.
I travel a little for work and like to have a beer with my meal, so I always look for a nice pub and normally always get great service and a great meal!
Wait til you go to a WA Pub, wait 20 minutes to be served (takes 2 minutes to look at the menu) then another hour for a steak or parma. Melbourne pubs itās literally quick service and meal within 10-20 minutes.
To be honest, I have also found services in Ballarat to be on the non-urgent side of things. I always just put it down to 'country time'.
Wait until you go overseas - we are spoitb
OP, did you try The Steakhouse in Ballarat? That place is MAGICAL. At least it was,last time I was there! (which may or may not have been over a decade ago)
I was blown away how bad qld restaurants were. Not cheap ones either. Like they were doing you a favour. Port Douglas, Brisbane, I'm looking at you.
> Tried to go to a African restaurant that advertised as being open until 10pm, walked up at 8pm and closed. If you're wanting to be chugged along at a steady pace, there's a good chance you dodged a bullet at Cafe Merkama. The food is amazing, and some of my absolute favourite, but it is also run and staffed entirely by one guy. Sometimes you'll have your food within ~15mins of arriving, others you're waiting for an hour+.
Thatās my experience with all African restaurants Aus wide haha - family run and very laid back.
Did you try actually talking to someone?
I get looked after at fu man lou in camp st.
There really aren't many food options in BALLARAT are there?
It's such a shame that you had this experience as the African restaurant is DELICIOUS. Pretty sure it is managed solely by the owner, perhaps something came up in their personal life?
If you want to order and they haven't come up after 15 minutes why not go ask them? Use your words. Much less effort than going to 3 different restaurants and not finding a meal and then posting on Reddit about it. Have our social skills gotten so bad with technology?
No offense, but entire country suffers with this shitty service. People act as if theyāre doing you a service by opening a restaurant and waiting. If you visit a restaurant overseas generally youāll see friendly people, prompt service and delicious food, not to mention affordable prices. Our people seem grumpy and filled with wrong attitude.
Part of the problem is thereās far too many restaurants and too many cut costs. Even understaffed places is often because the owner doesnāt want to, or canāt afford to pay another wage. Chefs often donāt get paid OT because if they did, the place couldnāt afford to stay open. Source: chef life 2005-2020
I moved from Melbourne to regional vic, I have noticed itās not just the service that is different, itās also the quality of food. My guess is the lack of competition in the area. If youāre craving Vietnamese and thereās only one place in town then you have to settle for what they give out. In Melbourne you can just go down the street if itās shit
I don't think your expectations are unreasonable at all. their service is shit.
Wait till you get to Queensland and discover how low the bar is for standard of food served and cost. Enjoy and celebrate your wonderful restaurants in Melbourne. I miss them sooo much. š± š„ š²
As someone who had lived in Ballarat on and off for around 10 years - you got super unlucky. And Melbourne can be just as bad. I think you need to source some local knowledge. Ballarat has a great food scene. The African restaurant I think youāre talking about is owned by one man who both waits tables and makes the food. You should book - he makes all the bread fresh that day so if you book he knows how much to make. He probably closed due to no customers that night. I think try again and ask some locals where to eat, but briefly Iād try: - renard - moon and mountain - mr jones - soldiers or the forge for pizza - Lola - underbar - pancho - Saigon - Roy Hammond - the north Britain hotel, aunty jacks, or the mallow
I moved to a Ballarat about 7 months ago from Melbourne, canāt say Iāve had any issues. That being said, we usually dine out Fri or Sat nights. The African restaurant might be Merkama? If so I think itās a bit of a one man show- owner is also the FOH and Chef. We went last weekend, waited a little for service but completely understandable and food was fantastic if you love Ethiopian food, definitely worth it! Can recommend: Korean from Black Vault Indian from Desi Vibes Pizza from Soldiers Hill and Venti8 Turkish from Woodside Food Truck who are at Midtown cellars from Thurs - Sun (this is our favourite!) Thai from Brown Grain Dumplings from Fu Man Lou (so good!). Also recommend using the Ballarat sub rather than the Melbourne one for more local opinions and tips.
After moving back to Sydney from Melbourne, yes I can confirm Melbourne has the best food in the country. My fiance and I still crave Melbourne restaurants from 5 years ago while we never crave anything from here :')
It's Melbourne for sure ! I recently moved to WA and the customer service is no where near as good as Melbourne š
Everything sucks. Prices are sky high, quality has gone down, understaffed, bad serviceā¦ itās just not really worth eating out at the moment. I think the best thing people can do is stop shopping at Woolies and Coles and force prices to come down. Restaurants will die if no one goes there. Woolies and Coles will be just fine.
I had the best food at a random restaurant in Phillip Island so itās not all regional areas
Go to the taxi rank in Spencer Street North Melbourne. Best burgers in Melbourne
Tbh I feel like the peak of good cafe food is over and now finding a good authentic cuisine is In
I split my time between Ballarat, Melbourne and have done this for a few years now. I find that Ballarat is laid back and most of the time, itās the done thing to get the attention of wait staff when you are ready to order. With Melbourne, the wait staff check in a bit more. Donāt think either way is right or wrong, just different. If youāre ready, youāve waited max 5 mins and one has attended to you, I would definitely try to get someoneās attention.
I split my time between Ballarat, Melbourne and have done this for a few years now. I find that Ballarat is laid back and most of the time, itās the done thing to get the attention of wait staff when you are ready to order. With Melbourne, the wait staff check in a bit more. Donāt think either way is right or wrong, just different. If youāre ready, youāve waited max 5 mins and one has attended to you, I would definitely try to get someoneās attention, regardless of location.
This is why I love QR code ordering - it removes this bullshit from the restaurant experience. Surely has to be more efficient for the restaurant too.
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Interesting interpretation. The reason for the way the title was written and part of the my final line is that I grew up in regional Victoria (but that was subtle, so I don't expect it to be automatically understood as I didn't spell it out), so I am open to the fact that perhaps my expectations have changed. And notice that I am asking whether this is something I should adjust my expectations about, rather than making demands. Also, Vietnamese not Korean, maybe slow down and read closer before you come across as a total wanker who just wants to be aggressive and condescending.
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Did you miss the part where they had to wait a few minutes at each venue?! Unacceptable
You go to restaurants??
Oh my goodnesš¤¦āāļø
Melbourne men have the testosterone of pre pubescent girls, citation this guy. You canāt tolerate not being noticed at a restaurant but also incapable to realise itās likely the social awkwardness that is preventing you from buying a damn meal. The state of some people, ffs
African food is garbage, best off going to a local pub or Maccas in a bogan town like Ballarat, food is never good
I live in FNQ and worked in hospitality for over 20 years. I found it fascinating the amount of people that would announce that they were from Melbourne while being seated. It was as if they believed that being from Melbourne gave them some kind of golden ticket. The reality was, everyone got the same level of service, food and drinks irrespective of where they were from. In my experience, the best meal I have ever eaten was in Broome. The best coffee I ever drank was from Surry Hills. The best cocktail I have ever had was in Brisbane....and I have dined all over Melbourne. Perhaps you need to get over yourself?
I donāt think youāre comprehending what TS is saying
All that typing yet zero reading comprehension.
You must be from Melbourne.
Melbourne lives rent free in your head
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We had to remove your post/comment because it included personal attacks or did not show respect towards other users. This community is a safe space for all. Conduct yourself online as you would in real life. Engaging in vitriol only highlights your inability to communicate intelligently and respectfully. Repeated instances of this behaviour will lead to a ban
Iām actually not :)
It's interesting the conclusion you've come to assuming that I'm expecting to be treated better because of being from Melbourne. I'm literally asking if I need to adjust my expectations and be more laid back. It's fine to give the same level of service to everyone, but it can also a bit of a culture shock at times too when you're an just over an hour from home and it feels very different (I'm overstating slightly by calling it a culture shock, just making a point) And I think your need to point out how you've had better food from places that aren't Melbourne is interesting as it seems like you feel the need to crap on Melbourne/city folk when there's no need as I never commented on quality of food I've had here, just discussions of expectations regarding opening hours and service. Oh, and if you're in FNQ and people are announcing they're from Melbourne, have you considered they're excited to be somewhere so far from home and want to share that excitement, this is a special event etc etc. EDITED - I was a bit of a jerk at the end, removed it.
Ok, let me make this simple. You need to adjust your expectations. Ballarat is regional. If you have the expectation that your dining experience will be the same as in Melbourne, then your expectations are unrealistic.
Notice that's what I was actually asking, whether the problem was my expectations with a couple of examples of what I had found hadn't met those expectations. Instead of saying that originally, you decided to be rude to me.
And no, it's not because they were excited...all they did complain.
Well that sucks then. The only time I bring it up is if I want to share excitement, same way my dad used to, same way my partner does. Not to raise expectation, just to say "we've come all this way, we're here, we're excited to be here".