Great Kai, huge!! Fresh and tasty, u feel like family as soon as you walk in! Quick service too!…read moreLove their simple non nonsense theme. If you want great food this place is perfect, they even have a vegan option!!

We had a very reasonable lunch here yesterday on our way to Waitomo., It was pretty different…read morefrom what the Lonely Planet described, but that is on the guidebook, not the restaurant. (weak beer list, for example) I had a plate of ribs with barbecue sauce, while my wife ordered sticky chicken. She was, I am sorry to say, a bit mean to the restaurant -- she has asked whether the sticky chicken was spicy, and was told that it wasn't. Then when it arrived, she expressed her discontent but repeatedly refused their offers to bring her something else. What really impressed me was how persistent but the waiter and the manager were in trying to make things right with her, despite her refusal to accept that. New Zealand nice meets midwestern stubborn.

The best meal I had in New Zealand! The pork belly bowl was absolutely delicious. It was so fresh…read moretasting and the pork belly was perfect. It wasn't greasy--it was airy and the perfect consistency. I keep saying perfect because it was just perfect! The toastie was also so good and the fries were tasty! The service was warm with plenty of drink refills. It's the perfect stop after a long day at the glow worm caves!

Tucked in a little yard on the Liardet str, food truck with the elusive name Gamma Ray's offers…read moreurban culinary delights: burgers, sandwiches, shakes. Such an eclectic crowd there, but all hype and fancy. Personally I am not a burger eater, but experts with me suggested that the bun was pleasantly soft and onions were caramelised the right way. As a food lover I noticed that the taste was well balanced. Meaty version had good quality generous hand made patties inside, meat-free versions were creative and full of flavour. Enjoyed it!

You wouldn't expect a simple store would produce some of the tastiest fish and chips I've ever had…read morein my life. The Hoki is so juicy and tender with a fantastic crunchy batter. The chips are outstanding. I've sampled a lot of chips aka "frites" in Belgium where they were invented and sorry my Belgie friends. These are much better than Belgian Frites. Crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Add some Watties Tomato Sauce and you've got a fantastic meal wrapped Kiwi style in paper.

We had 2 hours to kill before our flight from Taupo to Queenstown...we didn't know that Taupo's…read moretiny little airport had no security check or lines. This British pub made for a nice place to relax. Ploughmans serves great traditional British fare and drinks at very reasonable prices. The service was friendly with the very funny and chatty waitress. The interior is clean and full of traditional British decor for genuine ambiance. $25NZ Fish N Chips...traditional deep fried British deliciousness served perfect British chips and side salad. $25NZ Venison Pie...hearty and packed with tender venison wrapped in warm flaky pie crust, heaven! Also served perfect British chips and side salad.

After days of road tripping and site seeing, we needed a place to unwind and relax. As we were…read moreconsulting our hotels list of restaurants that delivered or did take out, we found Ploughmans to be roughly a mile away. Hello walking shoes. Rounding the bend we approached this quaint little, dark wooded cottage with string lights on the patio. While there were few cars in the lot, we ventured in because the take out menu sounded awesome. It was definitely quiet inside with a few patrons at the bar, leaving us the dining room to ourselves. Well, us and our very talkative server. The Hubster had the steak special, which he claimed to be very good, especially for the price. Me, I went with the Ploughmans burger because very few places in the states use beets as a burger topping. I had to see what all the fuss was about. It did not disappoint. The burger was perfectly cooked and the beets added a great flavor. All in all, if I were back in Taupo, I'd go again and again. PS kudos for being close enough to our hotel so I could utilize the wifi to check in on yelp. I'm loving the New Zealand badge!

I've worked at 5 star burger restaurants before. and this little take away spot can compete with…read morethem. Amazing hot dogs and burgers, huge portions, good price. owners are very nice and honest. call ahead though to make it faster for pick-up. I wish this place opened up a restaurant in California where I live. They owners would become millionaires if they expanded. ONE LOVE!!

Good good feed!! Tasty chicken.. good burgers.. not amazing…read moreto die for.. but hearty and filling. I would've like it served in traditional American baskets or plates but everything is served in paper containers. Still, guys are cool and even served us extras after their closing time.

Finding a place to eat in Taupo proved to be quite difficult. After the morning out at Wairakei, we…read morewere ready for lunch. We'd passed Pauly's Diner the day before and it looked promising. It's right next door to The Juice Station. We dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon (around 1:30pm). They've got tables both inside and out. The guys working inside are super chill and friendly. They explained the menu and then let us take our time deciding. Hilarious that they're closed Tuesday but on the hours sign, it says Pub Day! Work hard, play hard right? The menu is small but it's all about the burgers. They also have fried goods, shakes and a kids menu. There's a lunch deal (11:30am to 3:00pm, weekdays only). You get a burger, fries and either a can or water ($15.00 to 17.00). - L&P (lemon & paeroa) can - not too sweet. Hint of lemon. - Roast chicken sub ($12.00 NZD) - with gravy cheese and mustard. Lucky for my dad, they had a batch of cheese-less gravy. He really enjoyed his sub. - Fish lunch deal ($17.00 NZD) - fish of the day, herb oil, lettuce, jalapeño mayo and pickled red onion. Forgot to ask what type of fish it was but everything was delicious. Perfectly battered, flaky and the herb oil (almost like a basil pesto) was tasty. - Chicken lunch deal ($16.00 NZD) - Southern fried chicken (SFC), coleslaw and honey butter. The fried chicken was perfect; crispy, tender and nicely seasoned. The slaw was nicely balanced (little bits of celery added a nice texture). I don't go for burgers much but Pauly's Diner hit it out of the ballpark. We were delighted with their version of American burgers! Better even.

After a few hours on the bus traveling from Auckland Airport, Burger Fuel hit the spot. I'm not…read moresure if the location on Yelp is accurate since it doesn't show on their website, but this is where I ate when I was in Rotorua. Burger Fuel is a burger chain in New Zealand with 1 store in Sydney and some in the Middle East. They try their best to offer "healthier" and fresher burgers. And yes, their burgers are pretty tasty. This burger joint is modernly decorated and bright inside. There's plenty of seating for a large or small group. If you're not a burger person, they have plenty of sides from sweet potato fries and milkshakes, even with soy milk! I chose a Vegan V-Dub sandwich: Pumpkin, carrot, chickpea and ginger pattie, beetroot, salad, relish and an aioli sauce. Yum!!! I love me a good veggie burger. I washed it all down with a dairy free caramel mylk-shake. Sigh, I wish the US had more burger places like Burger Fuel, though I know food tastes better outside of the US because of all the additives and crap they put in our food. I guess I will have to satiate my burger craving by trying to re-create BF's V-Dub. Do you think they'll give me the recipe?!

Great burgers for a great price! Not the best burger I have ever had but definitely much better…read morethan any other fast food burger. I'd say it's a big step up from fast food but not as fancy (or as expensive) as the "gourmet" burger. I wanted to try a chicken burger but their options were super limited and they all came with bacon. The point was to go with just chicken for my meat. But oh well. After we put in our order we noticed a sign on the table advertising what looked like the limited edition burger which sounded amazing: chicken breast with creamed corn and melted cheese. Yum!! I ran up to the counter right away and asked to change my order but our burgers were already being made. Which I guess is a good thing when your food is prepared right away. Plus we were pretty hungry so we decided just to eat our original orders. The burgers were great. We ordered the Bio Fuel which basically was all about the fried egg. I highly recommend this burger especially because it was delicious!

One of the best cafes in Raglan. Great coffee and food and a light, relaxing decor and good street…read moreseating if you're into that.

I stopped in for lunch here with my boyfriend on our way to Hobbiton one sunny Sunday. It was busy…read morebut we were able to snag a table outside. The service was attentive but not necessarily friendly. I ordered a kombucha and the grain bowl, my boyfriend ordered a burger. I was happy to find a place that catered to both of us, as I'm vegan and my boyfriend will eat anything. It's rare to find a place where we can both get something we want. The food and drinks came out quickly and everything was really good. The grain bowl was hearty and filling, and my boyfriend ate his burger in like 2 minutes. The restaurant is really cute, I loved the casual beach vibes. It's very Raglan :) We paid inside before we left and I bought a raw caramel slice for the road. It didn't make it too far down the road, I ended up eating it only 5 minutes after we got in the car. It was rich as, super caramelly and chocolatey. Absolutely 1000% amazing and exactly what I needed to finish off a great meal. My boyfriend and I split the bar, which was a great idea as I couldn't down something that intense after a huge grain bowl. We were both full for like 7 hours after our meal here, it was so good and that raw bar really hit the spot. I think the food was fab, but we didn't get the excellent service that it seems others got here :( Still, I'd go back if I was in Raglan!

Like the other reviewer before me, as an American abroad I too felt a patriotic duty to visit the…read moreDeluxe Diner - and it did not disappoint. The Deluxe is slathered in Americana, and even a visit for a coffee offers up a feast for the eyes. The food is not too bad either. The portions are American sized (huge) but the menu is very kiwi. That said, it was well worth the visit and we came back the next day for breakfast too!

Because I can't quite describe all the reasons why I adore this place, I'm going to post a list of…read moreall the reasons I love Deluxe Diner. - Chocolate Milkshakes - a cabinet of pies, new selection each day - A list of delicious sundaes - Burger in a bowl - Cherry Coke - Curly Fries served with gravy - Collect points - Friendly and accommodating staff - passionate chefs - delightful 50s decor - Buttermilk Pancakes - Smoked Salmon Bagels - Plate of the Day - Free wifi - their infinite list of sides