Review Black Dog Cafe - Matakana

I have been here twice and both times have had a really nice toasted sandwich served with a good salad. Good price as well, great coffee and hot chocolate. They have quite an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch. Has comfortable indoor seating. Also there is covered outdoor seating.

Beautiful breakfast and the customer service is great! My son ordered the Salmon scramble - fresh salmon and soooo good! Nice having breakfast here in the open

Friendly service by a gorgeous young lady, a great coffee and a lovely fresh Greek salad, we sat in a protected outdoor area away from the rain. Thank you so much for a great start to our weekend.

Best Mushroom eggs benedict ever. Friendly staff. Okay coffee

Very nice burger for that price....big PLUS is that you can take your dog inside. People were super nice.

Delicious beverages and a nice patio. I stopped here on the way to Bay of Islands. It's fun because it's dog friendly and there are photos of dogs on the walls.

Loved the breakfast, bit overcooked - just a bit, but thats just the way life is. Dad loved his breakfast. We loved the coffee and it was an average price (for what we we've been paying for breakfast and coffees for the last week). Great Staff. Loved it.

Good selection of food. Nice coffee. It was a little disappointing and off putting that the owner was laying right back behind me with her elbow right next to me in my eye line. I commented to the very nice and friendly staff member about it and who she was. She advised me that it was the owner. Not a good look. Good place to go for a nice lunch though.

Excellent product and service from this retailer. Good selection of food, all made inhouse. Sausage Rolls are way too expensive for the size. Dog friendly. Very busy on the weekends.

Nice enough place but the only vegan options were a couple of side dishes which turned out to be very expensive for the very small portion they gave us even though they said they'd give us a larger serving. Also the place could do with a clean. They have a problem with bird droppings and apologised for it but a simple wipe every now and then could have fixed it. It's ok, just not worth 5 stars.

I ordered an ice coffee and had waited for awhile to get served. When I approached the young man working at the cashier he was super rude to me. After waiting 20 minutes I approached and asked him where it was and he said ‘sorry, we’ve been really busy. I guess I’ll make it for you.’ Usually i would understand as they were busy but the people who ordered after me got theirs first. Service could be improved in this place.

Awful service-  rude people. I got my money back and will never return. My advice - skip it entirely. I'm told the review has to be longer - so ....Just don't go here. They suck real bad.Terrible place awful experince... On the other had just up the road Ravish HQ, by the lovely shop Green with Envy are fab. Great baked goods and lovely fast kind service

Perhaps some cleanliness and a better chef would be loving for you. Bought a chicken wrap. Filled with partly cooked onions and peppers. Where's the chicken? Disgusting! Feel the love :(<br/><br/>

Came here with my husband and our black labradoodle before heading to Omaha. Good food and good coffee. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Attentive staff. My third visit

The food was tasty and came out in a timely manner - it was a Thursday afternoon. The fries were to die for. The staff could be a little friendlier.

Lovely food, much better variety then other cafes in Matakana. Service is good, can do with a bit of polishing but the food is what matters.

Had delicious meal here over Xmas but this weekend don’t know what happened. My muesli with berries came out with piping hot berries on it. So my muesli which was more like quick oats then turned in to porridge. It was weird. And everything took ages even though when we were there early not many others were

Called in here for lunch today. What a disappointment. Would not go again. The only saving grace was they offered me a refund. When you order fish cake with poached eggs, hollandaise, grilled tomato and small salad, you don't expect to get two fish cakes, the colour, taste, quality and consistency of those from a chip shop. They had been deepfried. The meal cost $18, and ingredients probably cost no more than $5. A poor experience.  Salad was a handful (if that) of spinach leaves.  It took over 30 minutes to arrive.

Perfect service, nice coffee ,cold drink and fabulous food!!!<br/>Came with my friend,we were really happy spending time over there.<br/>And we will come back!!

food is really good，and looks beautyful outside. Of course the price is valuable . Is good when you guy's coming around,it will be the best place to take rest.<br/>^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^

Ive been in a few times and each I’ve come in I’m always greeted by the staff, the customer service is fast and friendly and the food’s delicious! Will definitely be back again.

<br/>Nice crispy bacon and local bread service with real butter. <br/>Cosy and friendly service.<br/>But so many people was here，and waiting for nearly 20mins for food. That's little bit too long to wait...

Staff are always very friendly every time I go in for coffee or a meal, service is always fast and the food is always a rustic hearty meal that never leaves you hungry, very generous with size so cannot complain at all. The smoothies however lack flavour maybe could do with more items used and healthier options (my partner said) as I ordered the mocha frappe and mince on toast, the mince was seasoned well and my egg was cooked to perfection, my partners meal was also very yummy I'm assuming because she didn't actually let me taste any of it to my disappointment. Over all lovely meal and always a pleasant experience having dog friends all around as it is a dog friendly cafe. One of my favourite local food joints just down the road from my work.

Another early morning breakfast at 7. Customers were usually there for takeaways before work.  I had a bacon & egg muffin; my wife had blueberry muffin which just came out from the oven.  Everything was good. Coffees were hot.  (Food - 3/5; Service - 4/5)

Not a great experience. Unfriendly service, ridiculously long wait on what was a quiet Sunday morning. The staff here need a kick in the backside and work a little faster, smarter and friendlier. Coffee was fine but they desperately need to improve service.

A group of us came for breakfast. Coffee was great but breakfast extremely average. The mushrooms on toast came out with slightly toasted bread, no butter and a slop of mushrooms on the side fora hefty price tag of $18. Eggs bene was also poor. Cabinet food looked a lot better.

Ordered a Bacon and Swiss cheese burger. The bacon was undercooked, the patty seemed to have e come out of a freezer packet and the cheese came out of a plastic wrap. The chips were also from the frozen food section of the supermarket and unsalted. Very unimpressed with the food here. The only redeeming part of the burger was the egg. <br/><br/>Staff were friendly enough and allowed me to return partner's eggs on toast (which were terrible) without fuss.

Basic eggs on toast was horrible. The poached eggs had shell stuck on them and were sitting on the plate in a puddle. The "toast" was untoasted and cold and the butter was in packets (surely it's cheaper, as well as more attractive, to put a pat of butter in a dish?). No garnish.<br/>The chai lattes came out after my partner had already finished his meal (a burger, also mediocre). They were supposed to be spicy but tasted like nothing, aside from the sprinkle of cinnamon on top.<br/>Saving grace was that they did give a refund for the eggs on toast without much trouble.<br/><br/>Absolutely will not be returning.

Food here did not live up to expectations, portions sizes being small and misleading. "Hotcakes with mascarpone cream" was clearing written on the menu, and what later came out was three pieces with store brought can whipped cream. When we asked the waitress, we were given blank stares and no explanation. The presentation of the cafe it'self was quite nice and rustic, which was a redeeming factor.

Yummy hot chocolate. Didn't have time to dine in but the menu seemed to have quite a bit of variety. LOVED the photos of their doggy customers on the wall 🐕🐕

Loved this cafe! Great coffee and outstanding French toast. Friendly service and clean, welcoming atmosphere. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area.

I paid $18 for a Thai Beef salad and all I got was a heaped handful of mesculin leaves, 6 slices of fatty beef and a few bits of crispy noodles. Definitely not value for money.

Great place for a Sunday Breakfast. We have the big breakfast and the pancakes with banana and bacon. Both were q good size and very tasty.

Good place for breakfast - good, quick service and accommodating staff (who were happy for us to shift some tables together outside despite it being very busy. Great coffee and our group enjoyed their food - mix of dishes from the menu and cabinet. I had the scrambled eggs and salmon on toast. Delicious, generous portion and well seasoned. Partner had the full breakfast which was tasty but a bit pricey for what you get. Don't sit outside in the sun - so hot under the plastic white roof!

This is where me and my family always come during the summer before a trip to Tawharanui. Friendly staff, great food and a real lively atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back this summer!

The Black Dog is officially our local.  We have since moved from the North Shore and will be settling into the Matakana life soon.   The black Dog is a reliable cafe which serves excellent coffee every time.  The staff are super friendly and the best part is, they appreciate our four legged friends.  Our Stan the pug enjoys popping in and experiencing the wonderful smells that come from the kitchen.  All food served is prompt, fresh and scrumptious.

Another wonderful,  gluten free friendly choice for a weekend brunch in Matakana. Great coffee or tea as suits and perfect portion sizes, if not a little too much for the smaller appetite. Highly recommended if you prefer a quieter experience for a relaxing meal.

Casual, laid back coffee house with excellent espresso coffees in a comfortable setting. Probably Matakana's favourite coffee shop. Nice breakfast, good pies, sandwiches and pastries.

Good range of food and good coffee. Always buzzing on a Saturday/Sunday. The choice of breakfasts and midday food is varied and the service is friendly and efficient.

I love this cafe. The food is delicious and the coffee excellent. The staff are really friendly and keep the seating area nice and clean. It is refreshing to go to a cafe and see the staff clearing tables as they go. They keep a special little bag of treats for people with dogs and are really welcoming. The cafe is clean and there is seating for inside or out. We will definitely be back again.