Great ambiance. Friendly waitress. Looked clean and stylistically decorated. Bathrooms nice and…read moreclean. Food was above average, excellent sized proportions. My hubby had the burger - it was massive and he loved it. Daughter had the chicken and waffles which were a little spicy for her taste. I had the brisket and eggs. Perfectly poached eggs and great bread. Unfortunately the brisket wasn't great, a little tough and lots of fat. Overall I would recommend and would return to try other items. They had a nice looking outdoor area also.

I can't believe I haven't made a review for this place yet! I spent a lot of nights and hungover…read moremornings here haha. In my final few months in New Zealand I lived in a super small town, less than like 7k people small. It only had 1 main street and this was one of the few highlights of it. This restaurant is popular for the bbq, the inside of it gives off a USA vibe too. It had a big old looking front of a farm truck that they used as their cafe order window, barrels everywhere(hence the name) felt like I was somewhere in the middle of America eating here. As far as the food goes, it's a versatile place. The BBQ is their specialty but they also have some fun breakfast items and, a fantastic gourmet donut selection. I've had the pork ribs and lamb ribs, I loved both equally as much. Can't go wrong with either choice. If you're there for lunch give the brisket burger a try! And for breakfast try out the donuts or get the smoked slamon eggs benny on a bagel with a Chai Latte! Chai in New Zealand just hots different. They also have a carnivore brunch platter which is something I would expect in the deepest parts of Texas haha. So if that's your thing go for it. Sausage and bacon are really the only meats I can do for breakfast. The nice thing about their breakfast menu is it's all day! The prices are pretty high here, but it's one of the only "nicer" restaurants within about 20km, so I guess it's understandable that you pay for some quality food and a nice night out dinner. I enjoyed this place a lot. All the memories with friends, the friendly staff, great food at any time of the day. It kinda reminded me of home and that was comfy. It's a 5 star from me!

A very popular road-side stop on the pursuit to the West Coast and/ or Nelson Lakes NP. Very glad…read morethey were open on Good Friday and early. They feature many a classic pie flavor with most just under 8 NZD. I had the Steak and Cheese Pie, its puff pastry lid possessing quite the buttery, melty and flakey character with a very dense base. Said base held up well structurally though the level of flakiness in the lid is quite next level, so a mess you will leave. Steak pieces in the filling were chunky and immersed in a deep, RICH, and very well-developed gravy. A little salty from the cheese addition, but, man, super filling! Coffee was also served in the morning from Sublime Coffee Roasters with the option to bring your own cup for a discounted price. Parking available in the dirt lot and plenty of easy pickings off street. We ate outside at one of the crumby tables before continuing on our road trip.

A no frills, cafeteria-like bakery and cafe located on the main Motueka drive serving meat pies,…read morecoffee, and other sweet pastries. It's very popular with the locals for a convenient and quick roadside grab-and-go from the off-street parking and for the cheap prices. The pies were still $8 though and kept in a warmer. You grab them yourself with the provided tongs to put onto a plate or takeaway sleeve. I had the Butter Chicken. It was nice and creamy though the pastry was quite flimsy and a little on the dryer side. I'd describe these pies as more bite-sized than loaded. There are no toilets so even though there are tables for eating in, it's not a place to linger. No matter as we wanted something quick before embarking on the day's adventures.

Wow! Talk about amazing coffee, and ambiance! This place is just delish! I ordered a quinoa tart…read moreand a vanilla capuchino after you super intense workout at Wairua Body Coaching, a gym just walking distance from this coffee shop. Great coffee, healthy food options, indoor outdoor seating. Oh, and this places roasts their own coffee! If you're a coffee lover and a health fanatic this place surely will not disappoint!!!

What a refreshing rustic restaurant and fresh food market located in Motueka. Loved the natural,…read morerustic, and open restaurant area located just past the doors upon entering the food market, its expansive floor plan rotating between different indoor and outdoor areas. They are family-owned and operated, the love and attention put into the natural, wooded space quite apparent. Menu items are sourced locally so they are as fresh as possible. I had the Lamb Burger with their "world famous" slow roasted lamb patty, topped with a fresh picked salad, mint jelly, and tomato salsa. The lamb burger patty was actually shredded meat -- rather than minced -- and packed into a puck. It was a little tough to tear the meat, a fork coming in handy to eventually deconstruct the burger. The salad portion was extraordinary as well, requiring the use of the fork to pick away at it before crafting the burger/ sandwich. Overall though, it was ultra yummy, scrumptious burger, the mint jelly combo enhancing the enjoyability greatly. It left me feeling satiated though not overly bloated. The freshness was prominent indeed. Beers were flowing and while they claim to host a keg of nearby Hop Federation, the single offering was somewhat basic (a pilsener). I actually opted for a local Pinot Noir, a lovely pairing with the Lamb Burger. The TOAD Hall is an easy option while in Motueka and Tasman area!

Toad Hall Cafe is a gem! Beautiful and slightly rustic restaurant with a lovely country store…read moreattached. Excellent menu for breakfast and lunch (my boys LOVED the Biscoff French Toast, I enjoyed the eggs Benedict on sour dough and excellent coffee). Outdoor play area for kids, some lovely outdoor seating too. We may actually eat here all 3 days of our trip to the area!

We actually visited the original brewery which is located down the street from this more…read morefamily-friendly pizzeria satellite location. The brewery 'taqueria' down the street has more of a taproom vibe. Owners are originally from Colorado, USA, therefore the setup is quite reminiscent of a typical American taproom. There were a ton of beers on tap, West Coast and Hazy IPA's occupying about 75% of the tap board, pushing into the the 6.0 ABV territory. We had a few tasters, namely their fresh hops for that moment in time -- 'Hop Project '26', a hazy with hops sourced from Mac Hops and a Pils with Clayton Hops. I loved this Hop Project Hazy with middle of the road ABV, making for a pleasant afternoon sipper. Motueka and Riwaka from Mac Hops were tasting brilliant and bright, pillowy and smooth. Great ambiance inside with the wicked hop shaped lamps hung over head. If you're looking for an easy-to-drink, prickly, and aromatic IPA, Eddyline will be sure to please your palate quite readily.

We came in on a Tuesday during the Xmas/nye holiday week (when a lot of things are closed) and they…read morewere pretty packed. The poor staff was cracking to the best of their ability and they were all really friendly and accommodating. The food was great! We got the spinach artichoke dip to start and it was super creamy. We each ordered a pizza, but one of the pizzas was a special order and the kitchen staff called it a "Frankenstein" pizza. We ordered a Hawaiian, but asked for no pineapple and to add Brie cheese. We also asked to switch the marinara sauce for the garlic sauce. So it was definitely one of a kind and delicious! We didn't really partake of their beers, but I had a cider and it was lovely. We had a wonderful time here

We were searching for places to eat in Mapua near the wharf. Spoiler alert, not much choice unless…read moreyou're willing to pay for the view. We decided to check out The Sprig & Fern Tavern which has 10 locations in New Zealand (Nelson, Tahuna, Richmond, Brightwater, Motueka, Wellington, Petone and Christchurch). We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 8:30pm). There was live folk music playing! There's a nice outdoor patio with plenty of seating, just watch out for the mozzies. Service is friendly and sweet. Make sure to walk up and order at the bar (for food). For food, the menu is split into snacks, salads & light meals, mains, burgers, pizzas, desserts and a kids menu. For drinks, there's an assortment of wine, craft beer and cider. - Mango and lime cider ($5.50 NZD glass) - didn't get much lime flavour but this was decent. Almost tasted like juice. - Berry cider ($5.50 NZD glass) - this had some berry flavour to it but it didn't leave much of an impression on us. - Fish of the day ($24.00 NZD) - the fish was a gurnard (described as a mild white fish to us). We got it grilled and it came with hand cut crispy potatoes, mesclun salad and house tartar sauce. Tartar sauce was tasty! Gurnard was nicely cooked; tender, flaky and well seasoned. Even the crispy potatoes were just as described. Two big portions of fish too. - Meat lovers pizza ($21.00 NZD) - marinated pork, merguez lamb sausage, streaky bacon, onion jam and house BBQ sauce. I don't get why NZ pizzas all have this tube squeezed sauce on them. Not a fan. The pizza was average; what you'd expect from a brewpub. Crust didn't any texture or bite to it. Better than we expected, especially coming from a chain brewpub. 3.5 stars.

An unexpected gem at a roadside brewery/ taproom that we almost did not bother with until another…read morelocal highly recommended them. Afterall, even though they advertise as a taproom, they are operating off license and are therefore unable to serve full-sized pints. However, they do offer a tasting free of charge with no pressure to purchase any of the numerous cans or riggers in the fridges afterward. We were offered small tastes and WOW it was mind blowing! Most offerings were pale "unfiltered" pales and NZ-hopped pilsners but they were tasting FRESH, crisp and bright. The Green Mountain IPA with Nelson sauvin, Mosaic and Pacifica hops was especially sticky with some ripe, lemony notes. The wife-husband duo, Jason Bathgate (previous head brewer of award winning McLeod Brewery in Wellington) and Monica Mead, are previously from Vermont, USA, so this style made sense. The other favorite was the Bathgate Pale with ultra bright citrusy notes, its pale format making for an absolutely crushable beer. Safe to say, we purchased many a can for takeaway, even taking a chance on 2 DIPA's that weren't on tap anymore, the Chuck and Pitter Patter DIPA. Crazed craft beer nerds we may be, but enthusiastic ones at that, having returned from the land of hops with HIGH praise for this little brewery in Riwaka/ Motueka.