Reviews for The Luscious Food Store

by Leesa M.
29th April 2012

I’ve been to Luscious Food Store in Te Atatu twice now. I was very impressed with our food and the atmosphere. The staff seemed very hard working despite being under a lot of pressure. It is difficult to find cafe’s that have good wholesome food these days and Luscious is certainly one of them. It is also even harder to find child friendly cafe’s. I was extremely delighted to see the large area for kids outside with activities for them also. This is very rare to find these days. At most cafe’s with my kids I am stressed as they make it quite plain in an indirect way that they don’t really care for kids being there, so it’s practically impossible for parents with small kids to relax. We live 30 minutes away and I am prepared to travel that far again because of the food and child-friendliness. What people need to realise is that our society is made up of kids as well as adults and like Luscious needs to embrace them, enjoy them and cater for them. This would not only profit society but make for more relaxed kids and parents.

by Katie47 M.
25th April 2012

I came here because I had seen a good review. We went for breakfast.

It took ages for us to be served – even though we were the only people in the cafe. I’m sorry but the waitress, was too slow, old and useless. I cant believe how difficult ordering a coffee was. Which appears to be everybody’s complaint reading below.

The breakfast came, and it was really good. The portion was perfect for a young woman. The food was really good, it was clean and fresh. The coffee was OK.

Then half way through our meal, all of the mothers came piling in with their screaming children, which wrecked the whole atmosphere. There were some business men who didn’t look to impressed either.

I understand this place is great for families, but I thought it was ashame that such great breakfast’s almost fine dining was wrecked by snotty nosed kids. Oh well, but I wont be back again.

by Gary
23rd April 2012

Extremly slow service and took ages for the food to arrive..had chilli chicken dish was discusting and sandwich even worse.you can go elsewhere and its way better.it has putt me off trying any other deshes so i will not be going back to this cafe

by walksinauckland.com
23rd March 2012

I have had lunch here 3 times and it has been great. I have especially enjoyed the soups – they taste home made.

by Sue
27th February 2012

I am a local and a regular for coffee, lunch and brunch but had dinner at luscious for the first time and everything was great.
Food was lovely, came out quickly and hot. We had great service. I highly recommend.

by Becky
27th January 2012

Drink here often as atmosphere is great and food is nice. Love sitting outdoors on a sunny day but I do get put off when there is a large mothers coffee group there with all their toddlers but nevertheless I am thrilled to see a place that is child friendly. I have to admit the lady behind the till taking the orders needs to be a bit faster as have had a few frustrating days. The male server makes up for the service though, he is the best.

by psct
19th January 2012

The food was lovely. The coffee was average.
The service is pretty shoddy.
When we arrived at the counter, the staff took ages to even acknowledge our existence. Then took our orders with the joy of undertakers. Delivery of our order was also very slow.

We decided to sit outside given the lovely sunshine, and while the outdoor area looks great… I wouldn’t recommend it during the day, unless you like eating in an overrun kindergarten, full of ‘coffee group’ mothers who dont seem to care what their kids are getting up to.
As soon as we sat down at our table, 4 toddlers came over to our table and climbed all over it.
We had to ask the various mothers to (politely) remove their children… which was all very funny, until they came straight back and did it again… and again….

I realise this is not the fault of the cafe, but given the quality of service, and the environmental factors, I certainly wont be going back.
A real pity, as there really is limited choice on the Peninsula for a nice place to sit and enjoy a coffee.

Id go to Fuze if you want a great coffee and good service.

by Caroline
11th January 2012

Extremely slow service – waited about 20 minutes for just a coffee and a fluffy! Not sure what the delay was because there were only about four other groups in the cafe at the time (most of whom appeared to have already been served, not to be waiting). Coffee was very average when it arrived – can’t complain but nothing special.

The outdoor area is nice for kids to run around in and the sandpit is great, but I’m not sure sure why there is a big drop (no fence or wall or anything) between the grassed area and the concrete path – my two-year-old nearly fell off! Our local McDonald’s has a better play area than this.

UPDATE: Went back a second time for a family birthday but again, the service let the whole experience down. We had booked a table and requested two high-chairs, but when we arrived our table wasn’t ready. One of the servers eventually kicked out another group to make room for us, but there were still no high-chairs available. (Despite the fact that we had booked, I’m not sure that it’s ever appropriate to kick out other paying customers!!!) Anyway, took ages for our order to be taken, and then took ages for the food to arrive. One item was missing and the server apologised, her fault, she’d simply forgotten to tell the kitchen that we’d ordered it! The food was good when we got it but once again, the service let the place down.

Problem is though … there’s virtually nothing else on the Peninsula is there? With no competition, I suspect people will keep on going back despite the poor service, and therefore they’re not really going to be motivated to do anything about it.

by Danielle M.
6th December 2011

I’ve just moved to the Peninsula, and my partner and I had lunch, and sat outside. The chilli chicken dish was just delicious, and the coffee was both hot and strong. There was a lot of variety on the menu and in the cabinet. I’ll be back for sure.

by Trent
7th September 2011

Went there for brunch, ordered 4 meals, all four meals came out cold. Coffee took around 30 minutes and well after we’d finished our meal. I would not recommend eating here if you have a choice! service was poor, food even worse. Coffee was OK though when it finally came out

by sharmainne
20th July 2011

I really wanted to like this cafe because of the great outdoor area and great facilities for kids…however I will never go back. The staff are rude and twice they have forgotten to bring me my order and the final straw was when the pricey chai latte was served cold and I decided to say something. Well, no offer of a refund and when I finally had to ask for it and the staff member finally gave it to me, the manager came back out and gave me the third degree, leaving me feeling like a criminal because I had taken 2 sips of the latte and then asked for the refund! In one word “rude”

by Dee
13th May 2011

I agree with the others about poor customer service. The two women working there practically ignored me when i came to the till. Yes the food and drink was delivered in a timely manner but there was no smiles or friendly “hello”s from any of them. Hopefully the owners will read this and send their staff to a course on how to be warm and welcoming. WOn’t be returning in a hurry, even if it IS child friendly.

by Sherry
24th February 2011

I have visited this cafe 3 times. I find the food here to be below average. The coffee is below average. The only positive is that they have a place for kids to play. However, it’s an expensive price to pay. Also, the till, where you must order your food, is positioned in a place that causes crowding – staff and patrons must force their way through. After three tries, I know this is a place where I will be uncomfortable and have sub par food. I will not be going back to this cafe.

by ReluctantAucklander
6th February 2011

We tried this place for lunch and ordered 2 servings of vegetarian quiche. (The last time we were here, it was confirmed the eggs used here are free-range – a real bonus, as we won’t eat anything else).

We were asked if we wanted salad with our quiche (we declined the salad) and also asked if we wanted an extra shot with the coffees (we declined the extra shot).

Our quiche was so tasty and enjoyable. It came with a small amount of green salad, tomato and some lovely relish. Our meal was so lovely, we bought a piece of quiche to take home for a member of our family, so they could enjoy for dinner. They absolutely raved about it!!

Our coffees were very enjoyable.

Our meal was so enjoyable, we will definitely be back again. This would be a great place to bring friends to.

by ReluctantAucklander
31st January 2011

Decided to try this cafe for a quick bite and opted for a muffin and coffees. There was plenty of seating available.

There was a queue at the till, we did not have to wait too long before we were served. We ordered 2 muffins and coffees. The muffins were a VERY generous size, moist and we were given a good amount of pure NZ butter. Our coffees arrived shortly after we had taken our muffins to our table. The price was very reasonable for what we ordered and the portions.

The food was great, the servings were generous and the service was excellent. We will definitely be back. Tried to stop by today, however they were closed for Auckland Anniversary Day – probably enjoying a well-earned break.

by Harry L.
4th January 2011

I gave this cafe a visit about a month ago and was not satisfied. The service was very poor, didn’t feel welcome at all. The coffee, was o.k but a little too weak for my taste. When the food came I was very disappointed. The portions a bit too small and I felt ripped off. I was expecting a bit more for the price I payed. Will not be going back there in a hurry

by AMG_72
23rd December 2010

This is my local cafe and I think it’s just great! After living centrally for many years and eating at lovely Grey Lynn/Ponsonby/Mt Eden cafes I was delighted that we have finally got the same standard here on the Peninsula. I find the staff always very friendly and the coffee is great. I usually only have cake there, however their savoury scones are to die for and there salads look delicious, roast vege and orzo. The outdoor area is perfect for me to meet friends at, my 3 year old loves the sandpit and trolley car. This place is a credit to it’s owners. I do agree the indoors is a bit noisy, however it always is with concrete!!

by Honor F.
22nd December 2010

Luscious is our local, and I am undecided about giving it a great review because I don’t want everyone else to know about it!!! I can’t understand the reviews saying that the service is poor – we have always had great service, and the only time my coffee arrived as a smaller size than I asked for, they replaced it with apologies and no charge. The food and coffee are both delicious – my husband still goes all misty about the time he had wild boar sausages on onion mash! As far as being expensive – you might think so until you see the size of the portions, which are far from stingy. If you belong to their coffee club you get a discount off your coffee at each visit, too.
The garden is lovely, with huge straw mats you can spread out under the big tree if you prefer a picnic atmosphere rather than sitting at the tables, a sandpit, toys for the children etc etc. Admittedly, on a wet day when everyone is inside it can get noisy – that’s life! We are very happy to have Luscious on our doorstep

by Jodi
5th November 2010

Great place to go if you have children however it can feel like the coffee group mothers are running the place! The food is above average as is the coffee but the service is terrible. We have also been for dinner and will not be going again – meals were small, served cold and over priced. Recommend for a quick stop for coffee and cake.

by ReluctantAucklander
15th September 2010

We didn’t even know this place was in Te Atatu – quite tucked away but worth a visit. It was very busy and we got the last table. We wanted a snack; this was the first time we had visited.

Our order was for a muffin, an afghan and coffees. The woman behind the counter said she wouldn’t recommend the muffins as they were a bit dry. I really appreciated her honesty, so we opted for 2 afghans. She asked if we wanted double coffees, which was excellent she asked. One of us opted for a double coffee.

The afghans were to die for and had a nice touch: toffee was drizzled on top of the nut. A really unusual touch and added to the taste. So yummy. The coffee was okay, wouldn’t rush back for a coffee. Wished I had not opted for a double as the coffee didn’t have a great flavour, or after taste. Felt this place was too expensive: cost for 2 x afghans and 2 x coffees was $14.00. On the downside, at the counter I was handed 2 plates with an afghan on each and then had to carry these to our table, as well as juggle the Eftpos card, receipt and my bag. Were not offered serviettes. The coffee arrived a little while later; we had nearly finished our afghans.

As it was busy, it was very noisy here and impossible to have a conversation without raising our voices.

by Richard
25th August 2010

I am surprised about the comments re: service, we have been there 3 times and each time the service was great and friendly. When they did screw up something (merely the size of my coffee) they instantly brought out another and didn’t charge for either. Have been there with kids and adults – all good. Organic and free range a plus, as well as the great kids menu (I like myself). We have told them every time to put on a vege big brekkie as it costs a bit to have it built from their menu (which you can do). Great coffee, nice staff – our new feel good place!

by Libby
20th July 2010

Yes, is child friendly. Yes, has a good kid’s menu. Service not that great and my chicken sandwich was very bland with chewy chicken. Won’t be going back there in a hurry.

by Fiona G.
22nd June 2010

I took my daughter in to Luscious to get something from the cabinet for us both. The service was non-existent. We stood there for a good 4 to 5 minutes expectantly. It wasn’t like they were busy, but obviously we didn’t look hungry enough!! When we eventually got served, there wasn’t really anything my 8 year old wanted. I ordered a risoni salad, and was handed it in a cardboard container. No smiles, no greeting. Apparently they are having a war of some sort with the neighbour and they had a notice on the counter saying something about the neighbour being a madman. I didn’t think that was either appropriate or very professional. I won’t be going back, especially owing to the fact that I didn’t even get home (local) and my salad container was soggy and leaking over my car.

by Piggly
7th May 2010

Great food, friendly staff, superb place to take toddlers (great kids menu). I am very happy to have this as our new local! I just don’t want the rest of Auckland to find it yet!

by louisepetrie
28th April 2010

Just got back from Luscious food cafe. Perfect for taking my two children as we were meeting up with another family. Lots of outdoor seating where the kids could play in the sandpit on the lawn etc.
The food was great (very much ciy prices though)and the kids menu was excellent – not an item of fried food in sight. Baked beans on toast, sandwiches, mini pies etc. Kids food was reasonable about $5 each and fluffies only 50c! Staff really friendly too’

Highly recommend this for kids, however those people without kids or those who dont like kids much may find this place their idea of hell!

FOr us…perfect

by Mine
27th April 2010

I visited this cafe with a large group of friends.

It is great fun. The kids had a blast, could run around and play without bugging us. A slight hazard with the drop, but that could be easily solved.

Service is not very polite at all, actually I found the lady’s attitude as appalling. Was not very impressed at all.

It is an extremely busy cafe, so would suggest a second till.

Food is abit over-priced and small portions for what your paying however is still good. Could do with a better variety for the children though.


I can not fault this cafe due to being kid friendly and that is something that has been lacking in west Auckland. So i will make the 15min drive just to relax and have a coffee in peace with friends.

by Lee
24th April 2010

Hey, what a great cafe and about time us Westie’s had an easy to get to establishment like this. Also Magic for those of us with kids, the outdoor area is easy for them to self entertain and works really well.

I rated it good as the counter service is slow & stilted. Also the food portions have become smaller than when they first opened. Eggs Benedict Salmon is not great value but the Banana Pancakes and Bacon is fantastic and great value as are the pork sausages. Stay away from the Corned Hash as although it is not bad, it is not good value.

Some meals came out hot and others cold which is a shame.

Assume these are all teething issues.

Great Cafe, Great Location, Great for kids. Needs refining. It looks like good operators are doing this so hope that these issues get sorted.

by Foodie
19th April 2010

Wow this cafe looks great the new owners have done a fantastic job with the outdoor area and this is a great place for families with small children. However on the two occasions we have visited we found the service at the till to be poor and while the food came out really fast it wasn’t very good at all, the Eggs Benedict and the big breakfast(not very big at all) that we ordered came out cold. Kids pancakes were great though, hopefully these are just teething problems that will improve as this is a new cafe

by Robin G.
16th April 2010

Awesome kid friendly cafe! This cafe really caters to the family with a area for the kids to run around (there was a good game of tag going on with some big kids whilst we were there) and a cool sandpit (could do with a few more bags of sand in it ;o) ). Our big kids sat at the little table & chairs having their own cafe moment (with their awesome 50c fluffy’s!) whilst the little ones sat on the amply provided highchairs with the grown ups.
Coffee was great and the food was yummy.
We’ll be back!

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