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    Fat Dog

    4.1 (85 reviews)
    ModerateCafes, Bars
    Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Fat Dog Photos

    FAT DOG ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Fat Dog

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    Reviews With Photos

    French toast with homemade hashbrowns

    This place is a 10 out of 10 from the atmosphere and the food and drinks you will not be disappointed. Me and my wife were staying in Rotorua for five days and we've had breakfast here twice. That's how good it is. The customer service was top-tier and if you are a fellow copy lover, like myself you will enjoy this place. They also serve fresh pastries.

    Chai latte
    Elodie T.

    A solid breakfast place with quick and friendly staff and a charming style! Love the look of the handwritten menu (and if you have a hard time reading, they do have the menu printed out). My family and I ended up going there two mornings in a row. The first morning was a quick breakfast - had mostly muffins (huge!!), coffee chocolate cake or bagel (never had a marmite & cream cheese bagel before and it was delicious!) Second day was a bit slower pace since we had more time so we had some of the larger breakfast plates - bene, mushroom on toast and the corned beef hash. I mostly ate my corned beef hash and can't speak much on the others (although the hash brown with the bene with really good! Not what Americans would call a hash brown but just as good - more like a block of potato with a soft interior with a crispy outside). My hash was delicious - legit the perfect breakfast with the gooeyness of the egg, creamy hollandaise and saltiness of the corned beef. A+ Drinks were solid and straightforward. My only criticism is that their chai is made with syrup :(

    Cranberry carrot tea
    Brenda S.

    Food is fresh and all delish! The fat dog is gobup order they bring it to you go up to counter to pay. Casual food. Next to it is the fainting goat which I could not find on yelp. Delish too! I had cauliflower wings very good. Dude salad is an entree salad so big! Service is fantastic,

    Avivi W.

    Love this place! Such a cute theme and the waiters were all so sweet and nice! The place is very clean and they provide a bunch of condiments! The food is delicious, especially the fat juicy sausages! 10/10 recommend!

    Jonathan S.

    We came into Fat Dog Cafe for lunch on the recommendation of my sister-in-law. When we first arrived, the restaurant was quite busy, but we were able to find a seat. After a quick scan of the menu, we went to the register to place our order. We ordered the Classic Kiwi Fish & Chips, Tropical Fish Burger, Crispy Coated Wings and The Wings & Ribs Combo. So far most of the food we have had in New Zealand has been fairly bland and not very flavorful (not much sugar, salt or seasoning) for American tastes, but to our surprise, Fat Dog Cafe, pumps out really delicious food and the serving size was decent for American standards. Small portion sizes in New Zealand has also been one of my observations, but not here! We actually had to request boxes to take leftovers back to our hotel to finish later. At first, I thought the prices were slightly steep for the type of food they offered, but when I saw the potion size and tasted the food, it was worth it! When in Rotorua, this is a must try!

    Hot chocolate with marshmallow and cookie!
    Michelle L.

    This review is really just for their hot chocolate. I have never ever seen another place serve hot chocolate with a marshmallow and a small cookie! I think this might be the best hot chocolate I've ever consumed. How can chocolate syrup and steamed milk taste so good!! Aside from the hot choco, this looks like a nice spot to relax and study at. I really like the decor inside. I would definitely come back for another hot chocolate if I visit this part of New Zealand again.

    Fat Dog Salad with Chicken
    Vin S.

    Fat Dog looks like a fun local place with good food, but my salad was disappointing. Not only was the price on the high side, but the ingredients were not impressive and the chicken was drenched in satay sauce, basically drowning out the formerly crispy lettuce, which was completely wilted from the hot satay sauce. Also, the salad portions were modest and definitely not "huge", as another reviewer said. I was still hungry after eating every bite. I did see someone with a large burger and another with a giant plate of fries. So maybe the idea of huge portions would apply to the grilled items. But the salads are definitely not the forte this place. If you're looking for a great salad, move on...

    Three Little Piggies Burger and the massive tower in the back is the Bollox Dog
    Kendoll C.

    Hearty juicy burger. Unique ingredients, I had a pork burger mixed with black pudding, which made for the best kick I've had in a NZ burger. My toppings were massive, I definitely got dirty eating this haha Open Wide! The fries were crispy, and the basket felt endless. I was using the burger topping juice to dip fries in : ) My husband got the Bollox burger which was a ridiculous stack of burger perfect after a long day of hiking. The spiraled beets on top were a new ingredient I quickly fell in love with. I wanted to order some to add to mine. Definitely worth a visit. The staff was also super friendly, they gave a free muffin to a toddler, and helped me google stuff nearby since I was a lost tourist asking about whereto go.

    Fat Dog Cafe & Bar
    Randy T.

    Extremely large portions, share a meal! We just wanted a small lunch, luckily we had decided to split a burger. This thing was huge!!! It had 2 large patties on it with a side of chips (fries). It was really good. Service was normal. Good place for a good lunch. Fries were really good as well

    Buddha Bowl with falafel
    Ali H.

    Ordinarily, I would shy away from any place with "fat" in its name, but I ventured in here for lunch. The menu is vast and I chose the Falafel Buddha Bowl. It was pretty good - falafel, coleslaw, tomato salsa, avocado/pea mash, hummus, and tzatziki (with flat bread - but I left that off my order). It came quickly and was very fresh. I enjoyed it, although the falafels were quite dry. They would have been impossible to eat without the sauces. I would come here again though - it's very popular, but no trouble getting a table as it's spacious.

    Anchisa P.

    Famous brunch spot in Rotorua - Overall, standard good - had the classic breakfast with eggs, toast, sausages, hashbrown - everything is cooked well but does not leave a particularly memorable impression - Large portion - Good coffee and very friendly service

    pork belly (dinner)
    Alice T.

    This meal was just what I needed after a few days of lackluster meals. After walking down Eat Street and not really seeing anything that drew us in, we continued onto the street behind Eat Street and found Fat Dog. I liked the coffee house and relaxed ambiance, and I was surprised to find they offered entrees and not just burgers and sandwiches for dinner. We ended up getting the pork belly in broth with bok choy and rice noodles (28NZD) and the lamb shanks with kumara (sweet potato) mash and roasted veggies on gravy (30NZD). Both entrees came out piping hot and, as true to the other reviews, in a huge portion. The food was delicious and reminded me of something you'd find at a tasty gastropub, not at a low-key cafe. The lamb shank fell right off of the bone, and the dish had the perfect amount of veggies to meat ratio. The pork belly had a crispy, caramelized layer on top as the bottom sat in broth and rice noodles. If we didn't already have breakfast provided through our accommodation, I would definitely be coming back here to try their extensive list of drinks, breakfast, lunch, dessert, and bakery items.

    Beer batter fish & chips! Yummmm

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    3 years ago

    The owner is a very nice guy and helped my two homeless friends Paul Denino and Sam Pepper. Great restaurant that serves high quality food!

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    3 years ago

    Very good. Nice big meals for hungry men. The avocado toast was yummy with ciabatta bread. Very fun atmosphere with lots to look at.

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    4 years ago

    This place was average but I'll give it five stars for being next to FTP Vegan Eats..

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    Review Highlights - Fat Dog

    The BLAT was more of an open-faced sandwich or stack, and we made a mess eating it, but enjoyed it thoroughly.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Fat Dog - cafes - Updated May 2026

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