Review Sand Dunz Beach Cafe - Muriwai Beach

Love this place. The girls that run it so a wonderful job at keeping up with what can be many customers all wanting something to eat and drink. Tried many things on the menu, loved them all but I'd have to say my favourites were the hot chips, by far the best I've had while travelling NZ and the BLAT Sandwich. Also the Carrot Muffins are divine. The coffee was also a must have for my morning routine. Look forward to coming back in the future.

I recently visited Sand Dunz Beach Cafe in Muriwai and had a good experience overall. The coffee was delicious and the vegan mince and cheese pie was okay, although it would have been better if it wasn't heated in a microwave instead of an oven. The staff at Sand Dunz were also very friendly, which added to the overall positive experience. They were happy to answer any questions we had and made sure our experience was top-notch. Overall, I would give Sand Dunz Beach Cafe a 4 out of 5 stars. While the vegan mince and cheese pie could have been improved, the coffee and the friendly service more than made up for it. If you're in the Muriwai area and looking for a quick bite or a refreshing cup of coffee, this is a great place to visit.

Busy little takeaway n cafe serving the locals of Muriwai. A bit pricey but thats always the case with shops by a beach.

Delicious drinks except for the iced coffee was too strong. We also had a blueberry and cream cheese muffin which was very dry and not much flavor. Didn't like the toilet doors at all, as it says push on both sides which we got a shock from when the door came flying at us rather fast. Other than these staff were friendly

Great for families. A real warm feel to it. Perhaps not the most hip or modern but they serve good food at a reasonable price. Definitely recommend. Photos are of the big breakfast and B.L.A.T burger.

This cafe was a really pleasant surprise. We were expecting boring tourist priced basic food but instead got some really nice dishes. The beans were home made and the coffee was tasty. Even though the cafe was constantly busy the staff were friendly and helpful. An addedadded bonus for Pokémon go users is thatthe cafe is also a Pokémon gym.

Delisious eggs Benedict catered to my eating issues very pleased with everything. Great customer service friendly staff. Will definitely be back again.

After what's happened to this region its a good thing Sand Dunz is now open.. stopped in few times while staying in campground.. would be down on beach early each morning and stop in for espresso an in afternoon hot chips.. Sunday morning cinnamon brioche great with coffee.. all best with everything.. was great to be back 🌿 cheers. A

Had coffee here. Was good. Not busy. Toilets on premise. Food in display cabinet looked good. They sell tip top ice cream here. Seating inside and outside.

Really enjoy our breakfast, will definitely come back again.

Had a fish burger (one with fresh fish) and the chips and they came out excellent.The chips were fresh and not oily at all. The guys who came after us were a bit late and were told the kitchen was closed.

Great place to have breakfast a coffee or whatever takes you fancy.

Great place, good food - always neat and tidy. Friendly & efficient staff.

The most delicious food, fantastic staff and great atmosphere. Thanks guys.

Good sized portions, which was reflected in the price. There were a lot of great looking options on the menu, we would definitely go back to try more.

Wish it was possible to give a 0 star rating for this place. Came in with the family for lunch as this is one of the only places in Muriwai to eat. We came in and ordered $108 dollars worth of food & drinks and went and sat down. We're all sitting there and this old lady comes up to us - assuming she's the manager. She tells us that our 4 year old has to leave the cafe because he was eating chips that weren't purchased from her cafe. So she wanted us to let this 4 year old sit outside and eat his chips while we all sit inside to eat our meals. RIDICULOUS!!! We explained to her that we didn't know where we were going to eat so we bought him some chips before since he was getting cranky. She didn't seem to care and she had this whole idea in her head that the kid had to leave the cafe. Yes, she wanted the 4 year old to leave the cafe!!! I understand where she is coming from BUT we had spent $108 at this shitty cafe can't she let some $3 chips go???? Got into a massive argument and she was so unprofessional and rude. We looked around and most of the other waitresses were just nodding their heads and were shocked and confused because we had spent over $100 and she was telling us to leave. We then just said we were going to leave and wanted our money back so she gave us only SOME of the money back because we had already 'started' on our drinks, doesn't work that way you either give us a full refund or you don't??? Our order was probably the largest amount of money they had made in years but OKAY kick us out x Hope something else opens up in Muriwai ASAP so no one has to deal with this shitty place! DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME HERE!!!! NOT WORTH IT AT ALL :((

If i could give a 0 star review for this place, I definitely would ! Was so unimpressed with this place honestly my experience here was so bad I would never recommend this place to anyone. After having a day around Muriwai my family wanted to stop nearby and get a light meal, so I offered we came here. Little did I know that I would highly regret it. At first when we ordered our meals everything was fine, but as we didn’t plan to come here and it was last minute we stopped somewhere else and got my 4 yr old brother a box of hot chips he could eat so we could eat our brunch meal in peace. After we had spent $108 and took a seat at our table, we had our coffees brought to us ( which we terrible as well ), with the manager coming up to my family and telling us to leave as we brought “ outsiders “ food onto her property. After both my parents arguing with her, I was outraged that a MANAGER of a cafe was telling us to take my 4 YR OLD brother !! to take his food and leave. Yes I understand if we’d just come in here and not buy anything but we spent $108!!! and she was telling us to leave. Genuinely was so mad and have never been to a worse place than this. The place didn’t even look nice but once Muriwai is quite far out there’s nowhere else to eat last minute. To be honest you’d be better off taking a mish to Kumeu or Huapai and getting lunch there.

Very overpriced for the quality and quantity of food. Would recommend eating elsewhere on the way to or from the beach. Service is average..

Average food at a high price. Had the big breakfast. The bacon wasn’t crispy at all and sausage wasn’t seasoned well. Good location though, if anything. Could expand on variety on the menu and more attention to detail with the food.

Menu items reasonably priced and nice clean cafe setting. Service was pleasant and quick! The big breakfast was a generous serving size would have been good with a second slice of toast to go with huge amount of bacon. The french toast had a gf option and also had lots of bacon and cream! Coffee was amazing!

This cafe was a really pleasant surprise. We were expecting boring tourist priced basic food but instead got some really nice dishes. The beans were home made and the coffee was tasty. Even though the cafe was constantly busy the staff were friendly and helpful. An addedadded bonus for Pokémon go users is thatthe cafe is also a Pokémon gym.

A favourite drive out of ours. Friendly staff, good wholesome food, lovely sheltered (from sun and wind) courtyard out back. Coffee is good, though my husband prefers tea!

Came here for the “national” standard of fish n chips, maybe the expectation was too high for us that we think it was only average. Customer service was also abit average for us.

Horrible food. The "hoki" was clearly from a packet of frozen fish, processed into triangles and tasting like soggy cardboard. The rest of the food was even worse. You'd have a better meal eating handfuls of yellow sand off the beach. I would strongly recommend not eating here.

Grabbed a takeaway hot chocolate hoping to warm up after surfing. Location is great, just a minute walk from the main beach entrance. It seems there very strict about takeaway vs sit down customers - each ordered in different place, and no takeaway food allowed in the inside. Service was average - a smile wouldnt have gone amiss :) there was a bit of a wait for the drink - I must have come at a sudden busy period. When I received the hot choc (small size, $4), I found it to be lukewarm and pretty average tasting. They did include a chocolate fish with it which immensely improved the experience!

Absolutely crap food. My partner and I both got sick after eating fish and chips and fish burger !! Such slow service as well.wouldn't recommend at all !!! Please improve !!!

Very impressed with the service & food here. Amazing location (right by the beach) and beautiful food. I got the Big Breakfast w Hollandaise Sauce & a Chicken Burger. Food was real tasty and I definitely recommend it!

Incredibly happy there is a cafe here. <br/><br/>They have drinks you can by while at the beach or while looking at gannets. <br/><br/>Nothing too fancy but one thing that stands out is their icecream! <br/><br/>Great tip top icecream in generous amounts! Photos are of double scoops! I was full just from one!<br/><br/>Highly recommended when at Muriwai!<br/><br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/>Foot Quality: 4/5<br/>Price pp: $4.50 icecream and coffees each<br/><br/>

Best thing about this cafe is the location. Just a few steps from the beach which is super lovely. Other than that, service is pretty poor, no smiles, no greetings or acknowledgement. Mochachino is like a big warm bland chocolate milk in a glass, real shame. Chips were super tasty, just the right crunch, yum! They have a lot of seating and if you score the couches, it is so comfy and relaxing sitting there while you eat and drink. Relaxing vibe, beachside. If they put more coffee in their mochas and more smiles on their faces, epic improvement.

Major throwback to the days when I was little. Whenever we would go to muriwai to get a catch we would always stop here before we head home. And the only food we would buy? CHIPS!!! Great chips! It's been 18 years since I was last there. Good times

They make the best hot chocolates ever with quick service and friendly staff. Great sheltered seating area out the back. I also enjoy grabbing some hot chips after a day on patrol at the beach.

The worst takeaways i've ever had, and the most expensive. The fish is the cheap heat and eat you get from the supermarket, those frozen coffin shaped portions, they were so bad I couldn't eat it. My son ate it and felt sick shortly afterwards. They were $4.50 each, or were offered some for $6.50 obviously the decent ones. I knew they were the cheaper ones but still massively expensive for a takeaway, and then I've never had those cheap heat and eat things from a takeaway, the fish and chips is supposed to be battered takeaway fish, not that awful stuff. Then my son felt sick, he could feel it was the fish, it upset him a lot since he'd been there before and they'd been great. Maybe a change of owner or you have to spend $6.50 for fish. If it's that bad surely they should just take it off the menu rather than disappoint people and make them ill. We certainly won't go back.. love Muriwai beach but wouldn't bother unless you're prepared to pay more, perhaps in the cafe

Sand Dunz offers the best food of all of the West Coast surf beaches. It is usually packed and it is expensive but the service is friendly and the food is good. If we have to choose between Muriwai and one of the other surf beaches that we like better, we usually choose to come to Muriwai as we know that the food is worth it.

Sand Dunz is a fantastic spot to grab brunch and a coffee before a walk on the beach. This cafe serves good honest food, nothing fancy but very tasty.

We were so hungry after the hour long drive to Muriwai, so luckily there's a Cafe close to the beach. Their food are really good but I think that they're a bit too over priced. A lot of varieties from their all day breakfast and other food like burgers and ice cream. Disappointed that they don't offer iced coffee though, it would have been the perfect time to drink an iced coffee during a hot day.

Had this great Chorizo, Mushroom and Bacon on Focacia with salad for breakfast this morning. The most tasty breakfast that I had enjoyed for a very long time. Simply can't praise it enough.

Came here during the first weekend in Spring. And that too a sunny one. So yes, the place was absolutely packed. There was some shelf food which you can get as take away. We decided to eat in. Staff was friendly and before we started placing the order, she told it will take approx 20 minutes. It didn't take too long. Food arrived. Was beautifully presented. Onion rings was really good and crispy. Really enjoyed the Calamari and salad too. <br/>From others with me the burger was satisfying and filling too.<br/>As there's no other option around will be back next time.

Stopped by today for a burger, food tastes good and staff were extremely friendly! Would definitely stop by again! Have a wide selection of takeaway style food as well as cabinet food.

A great Sunday morning spot after a long walk with the dogs on the beach. Food is enjoyable and unpretentious at reasonable prices and portions. This is a regular for me throughout the year and have usually found the food and service to be very good. That said there have been a couple of occasions when the cafe has been busy (and it does get really busy!) that I have noticed the staff are a little stretched and the odd mistake made. Nothing major but on one occasion after an hour wait for breakfast we gave up and went home - we received a full refund for everything without request including the coffee we had had while waiting. Staff were apologetic and professional. Although a shame on that occasion it hasn't put us off. Everyone has an off day.

The Morris Register  Car club  visited Sun Dunz Beach Café on the 17th May for lunch. We were all very impressed with the service, and food. Thank you for having us . We all look forward to coming again

Had a chicken panini and coffee here.<br/>Very satisfying. Liked the chutney that came with it. Friendly staff. Good service. Lightning fast. Thanks. Will definitely call again.

We've been to this cafe twice, once about 5 years ago and then today.<br/>I remembered the food was excellent 5 years ago and we wanted to have a nice brunch again today.<br/>We were happy with the quality of the choices. I  had the chorizo, bacon, mushroom w/sauce, focaccia & salad (added a poached egg), and a regular mochachino. My partner had the pancakes w/banana, strawberries & cream. Delicious!- Total: $37.50<br/>However the prices have increased substantially and portions were a bit small in relation.<br/>Service was ok, but can use improvement. (I got my mains about 10mins after my partner).<br/>I know this place is seasonal, but they need to pay a bit more attention to consistency in quality of service & better portions.<br/>A great place to have a nice meal very close to the beach! Overall, we were happy and will definitely return for another visit.

I never have particularly high expectations for cafes in Auckland. Especially ones far away from town. Overall Sand Dunez was good and gets a solid 3 from me. Even though I've lived in Muriwai for 18 months this is the first time I've tried this cafe and my understanding is that it has changed hands just recently. Today I ordered the chorizo with mushrooms, bacon, creamy sauce, salad with toast. I ordered a large trim flat white. The food was overall good and tasty - the only let down being the chorizo - I think a better quality more authentic version should be used and it should be crisped up a bit more before mixing. The coffee was good, perhaps a touch muddy for my tastes. I prefer a smooth, clean blend personally but that's me being picky. Service was straightforward nothing special. The cafe environment is lovely and I enjoyed viewing all the lovely photographs from local artists. I will be trying this place more over time!

The fish and chips are a bit hit or miss.  But it is a convenient place to go when you are  at the beach. Putting this aside, the service is horrible. I have never experienced anything like it before. Perhaps not all the servers are, but one in particular has a really bad attitude. I was in today and my credit card didn't go through. It said declined. I told the lady that there is no way it could be declined. She told me she had the same problem with another customer earlier and it must be their machine. So I asked if they could put the order through as I had three kids waiting, and I would try again in a few minutes. A couple of minutes passed and a man named "Johnny" came to me with my one year old and said he had to stop the order because my card didn't go through and it is declined. I said it must be be the machine and he said in a loud voice "no, declined means declined!" This was rather embarrassing as there were heaps of people around to hear. Anyway, I went to try again and it declined. He said if he put his card through it would be accepted. I didn't want to cause a scene so I just paid by eftpos. When I got home I called kiwibank regarding this matter and the lady assured me it wasn't my card but rather their system and it would be up and running in a few hours. She said it was the chip in all their credit cards and another way around it would be to sign for the transaction. So I called Sand dunes and spoke to Johnny. I told him what they could do for other kiwibank customers in the next few hours. He said good and then asked what I wanted from him because they couldn't do anything for me. I said that's fine, but I do think you were being a bit rude to me and I told him how I felt. I was very calm and not at all angry. I just said he was unfair the way he handled the situation. Instead of an apology. He said "I don't want you to ever come here again!" and then hung up on me. I just can not believe someone would be so rude and self-righteous. I am going to talk to the owner next time I am in the area. It is sad that they are losing customers because of a staff member who thinks he can get away with treating customers so rudely.

Last place for ice cream before you hit the beach at Muriwai.... good selection of both cones and popsicles, plus options for thickshakes and also normal cafe food. Parking is good, but outdoor seating more aimed at surfers passing through than a leisurely lunch. There is an inside area with cabinet food but we didn't try that.

Went there for a lunch with my boyfriend and ordered mushroom and chorizo on toast it was very yumy, the salad that comes with it is ok, but the portion was waay to small for the amount of money they charge, the coffee was good but too hot.. last time I came here to have th same meal it was much bigger that I almost couldn't finish it, my boyfriend had 1.5 portion of french toast and that was good meal for a good value. The staff is kind of friendly.. I guess depends on the mood

We used to love going here to eat.<br/>Bought our dinner in February along with milkshakes.<br/>Burgers and chips along with 3 milkshakes.$56.50!<br/>Food was terrible and the milkshakes were the pits!<br/>When returning with my milkshake which had NO flavour, the boy serving just tipped flavour in gave it a swirl by hand and then handed it back to me. I asked him to put it on the mixer and he replied he couldn't as I had drunk out of it. I demanded a new milkshake as I had just spent $56.50 ! Response was unprofessional and off putting to ever bother going back to a place that we used to go to all the time. Sad what a change of ownership can do to a business.

Very impressed! Went here this morning for a pre Christmas brunch with my family. All the staff were friendly and accommodating, the food was fantastic and came quickly despite being a little busy and was delicious. I think the new owners have made a great job with this place and their choice of staff, best of luck! Oh, great coffee too!!!!!!1

Unimpressed. Fish &amp; chips with a few extras for a family of six cost $56!!!!! Oh we made the mistake of going on a public holiday so had the privilege of being charged 15% extra. The chips, spring roll, hot dogs were standard price and fair. My biggest issue with the fish and chip takeaways is that they charge $4.50 for HOKI and $6.50 for piece of fresh gurnard. We went for the hoki due to price only to be served pre prepared from frozen hoki fillets that I can buy in the supermarket for $6 a packet of 6-8!! So much for freshly battered fillets of fish. I would be embarrassed to bring visitors to New Zealand and have this served as an example of good food! Uninspiring, expensive and not that great to eat.

I have been to Sand Dunz 3 times and every time I've been it's been a major disappointment. The staff are slow and rude, they got my order wrong (I asked for a Mochaccino and got a cappuccino instead) when I asked them to correct it they said that I asked for a cappuccino not a Mocha (despite me being a Mocha drinker for 10 years - I KNOW what I ordered) the staff member rolled her eyes at me snatched the coffee away and sprinkled chocolate on top before rudely thrusting it back at me. I ended up paying $5.50 for a disgusting (now cold "mocchacino") I will never come back here and I suggest the staff get some customer service training or consider a different career altogether!

Yesterday we were disappointed with our experience at this cafe. We unfortuantely made the mistake of ordering two chicken burgers and one fish burger at the diningroom counter rather than at the takeaway window. Two of us had waited at the takeaway window for a few seconds but as there was no one serving, went through the door to another counter. They were staggered when asked for $56+ for these 3 burgers and between the two of them came up with the cash. When telling me, the third person of this group, I queried it and was told that we'd placed our order at the dining room counter, that the order was underway and unchangeable and that we'd get a totally different meal to just 3 burgers. When our 3 burgers arrived, on plates, with a bowl of chips each, we were unimpresed. My fish was average but most of the chicken was left on the other two's plates as it was tough they said. I've eaten takeaways there before and thought we were taking our English guest to a pleasant eating place but as stated above - it was disappointing and way over the top pricewise. 3 Disappointed Customers

I've been here a couple of times, the cafe food is very nice, albeit a little expensive...I've had the french toast, which was very good, and I've tried the choc-caramel slice, which is tasty. However, I recently had a bad experience with takeaway side of the business. Last weekend (21/03/11) I was there, and I wanted to buy a bottle of diet coke, so I got in line behind one other customer, and waited for about 5 or 10 minutes while he placed his order. There was only one person working the till, and she kept disappearing. Then, a woman with a bunch of children came up to the counter, and stood on the other side, next to the ice cream cabinet, all her children yelling about which flavours they wanted. By this time, the customer I had originally been behind had placed his order and sat down, and I had been waiting for close to 15 minutes. The girl who worked there came back out from the back, and even though she knew I had been there for far longer (a good 15 minutes) than the woman with kids who wanted ice cream, she served her first. The order was long and involved, and I ended up waiting over 15 minutes for a small bottle of diet coke! If I hadn't been so thirsty, I'd have left. Honestly, I will think twice about going back there, as the service is both slow and unfair.

The location is amazing - literally a minute away from the beach. After a day in the sea, some fish and chips were just what we felt like, and the ones we had here didn't disappoint. The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly. Will certainly be coming back next time I'm in Muriwai

Found this to be a very nice cafe! Spacious and modern with the best fish and chips I have ever tasted! Was talking to the staff and there are new owners who seem very friendly. Will be back the next time i am at the beach

Keep on driving. Our experience was not a good one. The restaurant was not busy...at Sunday lunchtime(admittedly should have been a sign!)..but we were hungry. Welcome was non-existent..food was pricey..$16 for soup. Food took 20 minutues to arrive and there were only five other tables occupied. That and the "stack"(big toastie) I ordered was cold(manager said it was meant to be(cold toast!?)..then rolled his eyes as I asked for it to be heated up...with took another 5 minutes.<br/>A thoroughly disappointing experience in both service and food..although the cafe itself is really nice with a warming gas fire and sofa. Sounds like some new staff and attitude is all that is required.