The restaurant is conveniently located in the Broadmeadows Square shopping Centre, so parking isn't a problem. The place is large and well laid out, with plain tables and wooden chairs. There is also an upstairs dining area, probably for private functions and busy nights.
Menu is the usual fare for the La Porchetta franchise. We were seated quickly and were able to order one drink. After that, it was very difficult to order another. Staff were nowhere to be found, so we had to go looking for them.
When it was time to take the orders, the staff had great difficulty in understanding what we wanted. Not because of language barriers, but a complete lack of knowledge of what we were asking for.
I tried to order a warm chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing, but the waitress didn't know what vinaigrette was. My colleague ordered a ceaser salad, but with iceberg lettuce instead of cos lettuce. Again, no understanding by staff. Even the pizzas that were ordered confused the staff.
After ordering, the wait was fairly lengthy, and wose still, no drinks could be ordered because..... you guessed it, staff went missing.
When the food arrived, it was as good as any of the La Porchettas we have tried. Taking advantage of the waitress' presence, we ordered drinks again, but some orders were forgotten and again the waitresses disappeared.
Empty plates sat on the table for 20-25 minutes without being cleared, so we piled them up on the table to give them a hint.
We took the chance and ordered coffee, but just for a change, things were a little bit quicker. After the coffee, we waited for the bill for another 10 minutes.
So, if you don't mind waiting to order drinks, to place your order, have your tables cleared and the bill presented, La Porchettas Broadmeadows is the place for you.
Otherwise, don't bother. On the night (Wednesday), there were only 4 or 5 other tables busy, so it's not like they were flat out or understaffed.
We'll go to Niddrie or a pub somewhere for our next function and give La Porchetta Broadmeadows a miss. read more
