Vinnies Takeaways is arguably an improved concept on the classic beachside fish n chips model, but their execution on the standard fish and chips order during my recent visit had me wanting quite a bit more.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
Nothing more than a small counter, kitchen, and a few seats, Vinnies isn't anything special, but they get the job done. The fish of the day are right there for you to choose from, and I really liked the fact that there was an option to cook the fillets brought in by those who have made a catch of two. I'm not sure how often that actually happens or to what degree the fish needs to be in clean fillet form, but I appreciated the option nonetheless.
One thing I will mention is that Vinnies takes a while for being a takeaway joint. I rolled in thirty minutes before needing to catch a ferry expecting to be in and out in ten, but I started to get a bit nervous when twenty minutes went by and I didn't have my standard order of fish and chips. It came out shortly after, but it's worth noting nonetheless. Single Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
If there's one thing that Vinnies does exceptionally well it's value. Especially given that Paihia is a resort town I didn't expect to find anything cheaper than NZ$12.00, so you can guess my surprise upon finding that my mountain of fries and portion of fish came to NZ$9.00. There's some serious value here. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
It's here that everything came crashing down a bit. Yes, there were a ton of fries here (maybe 60?), but there was an exceptionally small quantity of fish. While the two battered and fried fillets initially looked substantial, I quickly found that these were maybe 70% fried batter and 30% fish, in aggregate containing no more than one and a half very small white fish fillets. With respect to quality, the fries were standard and bland, and the fish didn't taste like anything besides, well, fried batter. Very, very weak showing. No Stars Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
Again I like the concept here, but Vinnies really stumbled with their standard dish in my opinion. Throw some more actual fish in the mix and we might have some repeat visits. No Star Granted. read more