Review Smith & Mckenzie Steak House - Hamilton

Absolutely to die for! Service was exceptional, with attentive, efficient and friendly service staff. The Steak was amazing (We had the Signature slow cooked, and the 500g on the bone) absolutely delightful. The steaks were like butter, so tender and full of flavour. The vegetables than came with mine had an astounding flavour and crunch, and the blue cheese mornay! I could eat that by itself! Highly recommend. Taylor (our initial wait staff) is also very knowledgeable, efficient and has an energy and vibe that scream green flag!

Great food with decent portions, well presented and quite tasty, meat was tender and juicy and dessert was sweet. The onion rings weren't as good as they were before which was a major let down for us, nonetheless less it was still very good.

We were treated by friends. And what a treat it was. We started with a piping hot bread and frothy butter which was delicious. I had a 200g steak done to perfection and just enough for me to leave space for desert. The chocolate Brownie was recommended and did not disappoint. We paired this with The Butcher Shiraz - my new favorite red wine ! We will be back.

Regularly visit Smith & McKenzie, my go to for a Friday night drink and dinner! Always have brilliant food, the staff are great and the whole place has great atmosphere with the fantastic live music on Fridays. Definitely recommend visiting. Great local bar.

Absolutely the Best Steak in town! We went to Friday night Steak night and had the eye fillet with roast potatoes and prawns on the side, they were the biggest yummiest prawns I've had in a very long time! Absolutely worth every cent, all of the food was amazing and absolutely delicious! I Highly recommend this restaurant, you will not be disappointed.

I reserved a family of 19 for a grandsons birthday party, mostly children. The staff were wonderful and very helpful. The pricing was amazing for the children, and the food was delicious. I have a range of ages of children, between 12 and 1. They all ordered the $24 children combo, which included pork belly with mash for the main, banana split for dessert, and a traffic light for the drink. I have big grandsons who can eat like adults and they were full after their meal. I ordered a beautiful chicken, mushroom pasta, for $28. It was so huge that I had to give my left overs to 2 of my children who were struggling with their steak and burger meals. The facility itself was beautiful. We were near the fireplace, which was lovely and warm. Heaps of parking and nice bathroom facilities. I highly recommend this place for lunch and dinner.

Prime rib and lamb are amazing! Atmosphere is very nice and cozy. One thing that was disappointed is that baby high chair had to be washed after every use.

Food was extremely slow to come out which we anticipated, but then our mains turned up before our starters. When we queried where our starters were they simply offered to remove the starters from our bill. A little disappointing! Of course we didn't expect to pay for the starters that we didn't receive but maybe a complimentary drink would have been a nice gesture. Otherwise food was delicious as always and great atmosphere.

Had family birthday dinner here during the festive season - xmas. Food is decent. Wish there was red wine jus for steak sauce options. ♥️

Atop quality place for a special occasion. The food was to die for, the staff very pleasant & helpful & we had a curtained of area for our party of 10, all seated around a big square table. Linen napkins even! Just excellent in every way! Beware the skinny couple outside who con people though. It’s a target area for them, I’m told by a local, who met them there some 6 months ago. He’s quite the actor, & his story was different this time round.

Writing on behalf of my family from overseas. They said the best T-bone steak, perfect amount of seasoning and very tender. Enjoyed all the food and suited their purpose. Raj was excellent as was Kylie.

Went with a large group and we had the buffet and one dish was broccoli and cauliflower and cheese sause, veges weren't cooked and cheese sauce was like water. Shrimp salad was soggy, browie was doughy and un eatable as well. As for the dust that was all over the cabinets and items on display, i think they have lost future business. The meat dishes were nice and the potato bake was delicious, but for me i wont bring my family to this establishment not after this meal.

It’s nice. Expensive for the quality and quantity of food you get, but there was nothing I disliked. Nothing I enjoyed a lot either. It was so so. The service was friendly though, and the interior is clean and has nice decor. Very family friendly.

Cool atmosphere and staff are super friendly. If you like steak then this place is deff for you! Steak is delicious and cooked perfectly. Also the bernaise sauce is so good. Will definitely be back!

After hearing good reviews from friends, I decided to take my children out for lunch. I really like the layout of the restaurant. With its high ceiling and multiple windows it looked open and spacious. I liked the deco and it had a good vibe. The service was good. Both waitress' were friendly and polite. We waited and acceptable time for food, about 30 minutes. I ordered a steak sandwich which was good. I thought it lacked a strong flavour that a nice sauce or relish could have added. Also, my meat had fat on it that I had to cut around which, required disassembling of my sandwich. But, the girls food was perfect and such good serving sizes. The chocolate brownie was amazing. So yummy and chocolatey with beautiful raspberry coulis to counteract the sweet brownie and white chocolate crumble. All in all, it was a very nice lunch at an affordable price. So happy we tried here.

Great service, meals and drinks came out very fast even when the place is chocka, 10/10 on the scotch fillet! I’ll definitely be returning very soon.

Captial D for Delicious. <br/>For a birthday celebration with 18 people it was perfect.<br/>The staff were welcoming which is always top on my list.<br/>Totes recommend, it’s a goodie.

Superb! Service’s amazing! Food crème de la crème. Waiters so polite and patient. I love how they interact with diners. Recommended! Though could do extra meat would be perfect! Definitely it’s a go to in any kind of event!

Had dinner here and the steak was AMAZING. I've definitely had better service though. We were left waiting with empty plates and drinks for long periods and no one was particularly friendly with a couple of servers who were bordering on rude. Maybe if the servers went through the desert special and were a wee bit more attentive it would be 5 stars

Loooooved their food 😍😍 Me and Partners Steak were cooked to perfection!! Hard to find a Restaurant that cooks steak to how I like it, it's always Overcooked. But this Lil Beauty...Loooved<br/>😍 The dessert, Chocolate Brownie was to die for 😍😍😍😍 Def going back here for sure!!!

This place is fantastic!!! Amazing service, beautiful food, lovely atmosphere and great value!! Definitely going here again!! My husband got the eye fillet with garlic sauce and mushrooms as a side. He was in heaven and he's a hard man to please! I got the chicken balotine which was beautiful! We shared the candied apple brûlée as my husband doesn't have much of a sweet tooth.....he was shovelling this down!! Can not recommend enough!

I have been this restaurant three times. This is the first restaurant I came after I had arrived New Zealand.<br/>The foods cannot say very well. But the just keep good service. Every dish is clean and enough to get full.<br/>I don't recommend steak but I absolutely recommend lamb shoulder,it's really nice and have good garnish, not over dressed not overcooked. And I prefer their pasta with lamb meat.<br/>I don't recommend the chocolate brownies, just too sweet. But the ice cream is really nice.<br/>If you trust the list you can try, their service is worth of their price and food.

I wouldn't normally submit a review based on dessert alone but everything here was so good I felt I had to say something!<br/><br/>My friend and I came here for dessert and ordered the macadamia cheesecake and the plum and ginger pudding. The pudding was delicious - that denseness that you want in a winter pudding, but lightened up with the tangy plum ice cream and vanilla bean. Friend reported that the cheesecake was delicious too - smooth and very moreish.<br/><br/>I found our service here to be wonderful - a great balance between attentive and not over the top. They seemed to be managing a busy Friday night really well. The whole experience has left me certain that I'll return for dinner next time.

Niece's Review<br/><br/>My mac & cheese was amazing. It was very cheesy and creamy.<br/>I quite liked playing up in the children area. I drew some pictures and I watched a movie.<br/><br/>Isabella

Great food with great atmosphere, service was good, not amazing but good, I did however have great service from a male staff who does the bill at the end, steak is yum majority of the time I go! Love the new upgraded sides they have! Will recommend to all who's looking for steaks in Hamilton.

Went for dinner with friends. Had a bit of a wait for the table, to order and the food. But the place was busy and the staff were friendly. All good, no complains there. But the food was a let down. The steak was average. I ordered the Spanish rice, wondering why it wasn't called paella. Realised that it was too bland to be paella!!! Won't be going back. Can think of better places around town serving similar cuisine.

UPDATE: I dined on a grabone voucher a few weeks back in their bar venue on the other side. The food and service was terrible. Fried and blandness, not worth your money at all! <br/><br/>Great venue, service, steak and desert! However, I do agree with Khoa Le as I felt it was a touch overpriced. 5 stars for the brownie. Would defiantly return for the desserts :)

Easily one of the worst restaurants in Hamilton. Service is always extremely slow, staff are curt bordering on rude. Food is massively over rated and very expensive. I have been forced to go about five times for friends or families birthdays and am continually disappointed. I have no idea what people see in this place.

The best steak in town. Went here with my flat mates and we all loved it. We will be definitely coming back. The steak was cooked to perfection for all of us. Friendly staff too

Foods Great! Its a busy place so try get in early. I think its the better steak house than the rest in hamilton, customer service is good. :)

great service,very nice steaks. You do pay a little more but well worth it.<br/>7 people there for a birthday and  all enjoyed the food,even a small gift for the birthday boy.<br/>Will be back for sure

The food is great! I would absolutely recommend the special Matariki dish, available only for a short time and is in the running for an award! Very clever dish! The Banoffee pie is amazing!

The steaks are nice for sure. Maybe just a tad overpriced for the Hamilton market. Everything else is decent. Been here 3 times and the first 2 times the service was good but the third was a bit too slow for my liking. The desserts however are really well done.

Very enjoyable dinner. Steak was cooked to perfection with a wide range of sides to select from. Great atmosphere, with friendly staff. Service was fast and no issues with food. The place to go in Hamilton for a great steak.

I've been to this place a few times. Always with the same friend that visits from Tauranga on the rare occasion. I've only ever been here for the brunch and so far so good. The big breakfast is fantastic. Service was good. I even came here on my birthday and they gave me a cupcake with a candle which was a nice gesture. Excellent food ????

Average, my, wife, mother, father, brother, sister, their spouses were disappointed with the staff and food. Feel ripped off

Staff are nice and friendly and the environment is lovely. <br/><br/>We ordered the Eye Fillet and Scotch Fillet that we both rated each 4/5 and 4/5 consecutively. <br/><br/>Might go back again, but not to try these same dishes.

Came down from Auckland for a business meeting in Hamilton and was recommended this restaurant by a friend for dinner. It came with quiet a reputation and boy was I disappointed, I mean it describes itself as cutting edge, maybe by Hamilton standards it is. Service is poor, staff look unhappy, bordering on miserable, food (apart from the steak) is barely above takeaway standards. I ordered the T-bone medium rare with sides of mash potatoes, carrots and vegetables of the day. Despite being a reasonable quiet night, it took about 40 mins to get to the table, T-bone was overcooked and cold, mash potatoes were nothing more than a plate of butter, I'm not sure if there were any potatoes in there, carrots were absolutely drowned in more oil than fried foods, veg of the day was nothing more than a basic bowl of beans also covered in oil. I'm surprised that I didn't have a heart attack during my dinner, food is totally average. For the 60 plus dollars I paid for my dinner and a glass of house red, I was thoroughly disappointed. Have no idea how this restaurant won a supreme award a couple of years back, bad food, bad service, no smiles!!!! Will not be coming back in here and will not be recommending to any of my friends in case I lose them!!!

This restaurant is the most beautiful place to eat food is excellant service is great go there often friendly staff worth the price The steak is cooked to perfection and there squid is to die for i can't fault this place

It's a family/bar restaurant. Our party of 6 enjoyed the night out - atmosphere was relaxing and staff friendly. We found the portions served on the generous side and in hindsight we didn't need the entrees! No room for desserts. While prices are set at the higher end -we didn't feel the cost matched the standard of the meals ordered. Wouldn't go back in a hurry.

This restaurant prides itself on being a great steak house but my steak was over cooked and dry. We also had to wait way too long for our meals. Meals were also overpriced. We were given a $20 credit but I wouldn't go back.

Our party of 5 had a very memorable night at the Chophouse. I couldnt fault the service or the food. We all left very happy with our night out and would recommend the Chophouse to anybody wanting a night to remember

Was not a fan of their mains but the chocolate brownie was insanely good - 10 points for the brownie. Service was not that great the night we went in a group which was suprising because they were not very busy &amp; seemed to have plenty of staff on.<br/>Pretty good .... Just not excellent. Would go again but wouldnt make it a priority.

Great meal, well cooked steak. Awesome atmosphere, would definitely recommend going to check out this amazing chophouse!

29th March 2016<br/>Dinner for two. Staff excellent. Food very good. Worth a visit. Now 4.5 stars!!<br/><br/>16th March 2014<br/>Visited as below some time back. Reducing the star rating by one to FOUR starts for this visit. I am a generous person, maybe it should have been THREE stars!<br/><br/>The girl waiting on us did not want to be there. Never smiled. The first thing she said to us was "are you ready to order". No chat, not engagement with the customer, not interested in getting the drinks in first. Hopeless or untrained.<br/><br/>Food - steak was very good. Food around it could have been better i.e. the side dishes. Covered in oil or butter and only just enough. "Seasonal Vegetables" (plural) was in fact non plural and some green beans only.<br/><br/>Girl tried to charge us too much on the way out, but we were onto it.<br/><br/>It would seem to me the consistency of service delivery is in question for this place.<br/><br/><br/><br/>29th September 2012 - This review I gave FIVE stars.<br/>Quality comes at a premium I guess, and you will pay more here. However, I did have the best steak I have every had, so can't complain!! Service was spot on, and environment was very nice.<br/>If you are not too budget conscious - go! :)

I had my 21st in the upstairs function room at Smith and McKenzie. They were so helpful and tried to cater to my every want and need. It was a great night and had no worries as they delivered excellent nibbles right on time and even put up with the noise! Thanks!

A-mazing! Staff were helpful and the meal was fantastic! Steak was cooked perfectly and had a great wine to match. Was worth paying a little bit more for the great meal and service. First time I have been here and will be back for more, loved it.

I ordered the New York Strip steak which said it came with goat's cheese and bacon macaroni with a panko crust. Sounds delicious, right? Wrong! I was so disappointed when my meal came, nearly $40 for steak, potatoes and about a tablespoon of macaroni with only 1 tiny piece of bacon to be found and the consistency of dry scrambled eggs, I was less than satisfied! At similar restaurants you get to pick how your potatoes come, and get salad and extras included. <br/><br/>The service was excellent apart from a small drinks mishap. The atmosphere was good, nice and busy! The steak was yum enough but I just can't see how they justify their prices.

On Sunday had lunch at Smith &amp; McKenzie, good food and good service. Restaurant was quite busy we were advised before we ordered there would be a 30 minute wait on our meals, no problem to us appreciated been given the option of ordering or going. Even though busy service was efficient. Food was good, my wife has a pasta from the $15 lunch menu which was really good, my Friend and I ordered from the main menu which was also good, prices reasonable, we would go back.

We went back here to celebrate a family birthday. After a 75 minute wait and two apologies (one with some bread) we finally got our meals. There were plenty of waiters but the cooks didn’t seem to cope with the orders. My daughter had the prawns missing from her Fish of the Day and some of the shrimps in my Seafood Pasta were barely defrosted. The pasta seemed to lack some basic seasoning. Although the manager was apologetic he didn’t seem to know what he could do about it!!! We won’t be going back. It’s time some restaurants stopped charging exorbitant prices for nothing special.

BEST service in the Tron, by far! The team are smiley, happy, welcoming, attentive and make you feel like they actually like you being there! Other restaurants, bars and cafes, take note!<br/>Also BEST steak I've had ever in the Tron!

only good things to say,<br/>i have been here more then once and keep going back for more<br/>i love the layout, love the food, and the friendly staff top it off. i think the food is at a very fair price and you should leave having had a good experience.

I really enjoyed my first experience here back in 2010 so made the effort to visit again. When we first walked in, there were a few ladders right there. They have some new lights going in (i dont know why they dont do that before they open or <br/>I had the Fish and Chips, they were alright although the fish wasn't the nicest, it was a bit smelly too. I enjoyed my salad with it though.<br/>My partner had the Steak, Eggs and Chips, his Steak was grisly and not the nicest cut, his eggs were done perfectly and he absolutely loved the gravy that came with it! <br/>And my son had the French Toast, it was ok, definitely different than other french toasts we have tried, the yogurt that came with it was AMAZING.<br/>Our water was disgusting and even my son (who is 4) said it tasted like paint which it did!! That was gross but the waitress was quick to bring us new glasses and water.<br/>The service was all good. The first time i came here with a friend, our waiter was amazing, the food and everything was exceptional and i had raved about it to my partner! It was a real let down.<br/>Everything was just average, we spent like 60 odd dollars, we could have spent less going somewhere else for brunch and actually felt satisfied. I don't think we will be returning in a hurry.

One word "WOW" <br/>1st time for us won't be the last!<br/>4 meals &amp; 4 VERY happy customers! Shock horror as i always find fault!<br/>Heather the waitress was friendly &amp; helpful...these days thats hard to find!<br/>Loved the open kitchen so you can watch the chef work her magic!<br/>Great wine &amp; drinks list!<br/>Hassle free parking always a bonus!<br/>Sooooo much choice for everyone on the menu!<br/>Attention to detail A+<br/>Presentation of meal 5 star<br/>Portion size of meals BIG but had to also try the award winning cheesecake.... just DIVINE!

Stunning restaurant with an awesome open kitchen and an opportunity to see the chefs at work.<br/><br/>Have visited on several occasions and am never disappointed. Beautiful food and great service every time. <br/><br/>A steak is a must when visiting and although steak prices are all in the thirties, absolutely delicious.<br/><br/>Can be busy so make sure you book, especially on the weekend.<br/><br/>A much better restaurant than its cousin Iguana.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here!<br/><br/>I was trying to decide on what to order and the waiter suggested I taste the blue cheese sauce on the steak that I was contemplating on, but was unsure about the sauce.<br/>He brought out a little sample for me to try- a little thing to do but made a big impact on our dining experience. (and the sauce was AMAZING)<br/><br/>The garlic bread was also top-notch!<br/><br/>The staff were extremely friendly and helpful- which made the difference!<br/><br/>Will definitely go back

First time ever at this restaurant and I would certainly want to go back, atmosphere is rather different and quite nice, with a big open fireplace, service was good and so was the food, have to recommend the garlic bread, was delicious, and way too much for two people, but somehow we managed to scoff the lot down, the downside was getting our car wheel clamped,however thanks to this restaurant, they made sure we were unclamped at no charge, thank you so much, would have ruined what was my husbands birthday treat and a wonderful experience at your restaurant, will be recommending, but warning people about the wheel clamping, cheers

when i first walked in the doors i was impressed.<br/>the atmosphere and the decor are really good.<br/>like the straightener in girls toilet idea.<br/><br/>the downfall was my meals. just overall bland.<br/>biggest disappointment was my drinks.<br/>ordered a apple martini off their menu.<br/>wasn't the greatest, thought they should know how to make something on their menu ya know? but though i would keep trying.<br/>ordered some drink that had a mint garnish.<br/>drink came with what looked like an entire mint tree in the glass.<br/>we ordered altogether about 6 drinks.none of which were finished and i actually sent one back.<br/>not once did the waitress ask about the drinks or meal or apologise when i told her to take drink away.<br/>all in all unsatisfied especially after hearing all the awesome reviews.

Great family restaurant, good food at the slightly higher side of the market and 50x better than the old Cobb &amp; Co that used to be there..<br/>Food selection was good, food well presented and full of taste and well propositioned. Open kitchen which made for an interesting perspective and you can watch your meal being created.<br/>We had a issue while we were there and the professional manner this was dealt with was outstanding by both the duty manager and our waitress 10/10.. We will be going back

Been there several times, overall thought it was good until... a meal that wasn't prepared properly was 'comped' with two complimentary coffees. I couldn't eat the meal as a vital ingredient was missing and affected the overall quality of it. In saying that I have seen them handle difficult customers exceptionally well, unfortunately being polite with my complaint resulted in being treated like a fool and my concern not been taken seriously. Can't be bothered paying higher end prices, and only get taken seriously if I behave like a dick. Being rude is not an acceptable way to treat service staff but it seems to get you somewhere at Smith and McKenzie

Smith and Mckenzie: Worth a look, but don’t get your hopes up.<br/><br/> First impressions – good accessible parking, within two minute’s walking distance of the restaurant / bar, and quite distinct from Hamilton’s other restaurants in the city. On this basis alone, it’s worth the trip.<br/><br/> On entering, it is not clear where to wait for a table, and the wait time was a little too long – it appears the restaurant has one host to seat customers, and she was rather busy, as it was a busy night when I went along.<br/><br/> Eventually I was ushered to the bar – there were no tables immediately available to me, even though I’d called ahead.<br/><br/> I felt a little lost, as there were a couple of fairly large bar areas – was I lost and forgotten?<br/><br/> But no, eventually I was seated, and ordered a very nice vegetarian starter and aged eye fillet.<br/><br/> It should be said that Smith and McKenzie’s has a particularly good wine list, possibly the best in Hamilton, and a very good selection of food items, all reasonably priced.<br/><br/> The food came out in good time, the seating was comfortable, good quality fittings, and the starter was quite divine – particularly the smell!<br/><br/> The main was – well, average, to be honest. Wait staff informed me there were only roast potatoes with the main so I ordered mushrooms alongside – and they were quite literally both alongside, with both individually plated.<br/><br/> Presentation was good for the eye fillet, and cooked to my liking (blue) but was tough and sinewy, which was odd, given the claim that the meat had been aged for 28 days.<br/><br/> Desert was very nice – I had chocolate explosion, a tasty chocolate mudcake, icecream and whipped cream.<br/><br/> Coffee and cheeseboard – again, very nice, a good coffee and a good sized cheese and crackers portion, with dried fruit alongside.<br/><br/> But as always, my pet hate – one choice of cheese on a platter – again, no smaller multi-portioned cheese offerings; when will restaurants learn, customers want more than one cheese to eat with crackers!<br/><br/> Music was set at a comfortable level throughout, with a good range of romantically themed low-key blues / rock numbers.<br/><br/> Temperature was about right, and staff were courteous, prompt, and efficient.<br/><br/> My overall impression – quite a big place to come and dine, not that intimate, but well-spaced tables help with that; a good mix of high and low tables, nicely appointed and attractive bar areas, professional staff and reasonably priced food.<br/><br/> I would say Smith and McKenzie’s is great for groups, with the speed of service and the quite extensive wine and food menu, and the reasonable pricing – but I was unimpressed with their eye fillet, which lacked flavour and was a bit tough.<br/><br/>nzreporter.com

Smith and Mckenzie hosted a private function for me which included sixty guests, this was sorted in one meeting and the result was a very successful evening. All staff were helpful and professional the food was excellent and the prices fair. I would happily recommend this venue and the feedback from my guests was equally encouraging. Top marks thank you very much for a memorable evening.

Amazing customer service, great atmosphere and excellent food! - .......a MUST

This restaurant was recommended to us so we thought we would go to the movies and dine afterwards. We tried to book a table but were told they do not take bookings. The girl said she would pt us at the top of the list for a table when we returned.<br/>We returned at 7pm. The band in the bar was a bit loud so we moved around to the restaurant side where it was possible to talk. As promised we were found a table within 15 minutes. One of the features of the restaurant is you can see the kitchen and the food being prepared. There were plenty of staff working and all were friendly even though they were busy. You could not fault the service.<br/>The menu is mainly steak orientated with various cuts. We had a large loaf to start with. My wife went for the seafood while I chose the pork. I think I must have been given half a roast. The food was beautifully cooked and you are given very large portions. As a result we did not sample the desserts. The meals were reasonably priced and definitely value for money. I would have rated a 5 if the music wasn't so loud.

Good food and service - definitely will be back again.

One of the best T-bone steaks I have ever had, with a delicious sauce and side. Highly recommended for steak fans.

Very slow service. A busy restaurant, but plenty of staff hanging around the service areas. Had the scotch fillet, which was delicious, if a little over-cooked. Good wine list for the area. Probably better for a bigger group, to keep you entertained while you're waiting for service.

Terrific food, excellent service, steak cooked just as ordered, good wine selection. We don't get there much because not often in that prt of town, but definitely recommend.