Review Thunderbird Cafe - Wellington

I really enjoyed my smoothie here. Atmosphere was great, looking forward to trying a Bailey's hot chocolate soon!

YUM definitely one of the best caesar salad i’ve had and the burger was juicy

Went in for a Keto breakfast and wasn't disappointed! Eggs Benedict were cooked to perfection and the coffee was great. All staff were super friendly and helpful, definitely be visiting again when in Wellington again.

Decent breakkie burger. Can't really complain about anything. Food was good, water is free and the coffee was alright. Just a good average café

Nice food, Polite staff and great customer service. A must try place. A+++

The coffee was spot on, and the breakfast burrito was amazing! Good venue with a fun and unique atmosphere. Friendly staff Great location Well priced

This place has been a favorite of mine for a while. And whether you drop in for a takeaway coffee, or sit down and have one of their meals or snacks, makes no difference. Either way the service is brilliant.

I had breakfast here recently, the scrambled eggs on sour dough were fantastic. The breakfast burrito was fresh, hot and very tasty. Next time I'm in Wellington I'll be making a point to stop for another visit.

Best keto slices !! Lemon coconut KETO slices are soooo rich and creamy and delicious 🤤🫶🏼

Relaxed environment, friendly service and yummy food, and the coffee was good. Fluffies for the kids were received well. :)

Kitsch paradise in the middle of the city. Tasty Tex mex flavours. A, great brunch spot with plenty of options

Great atmosphere and good food. Got chicken burger and it was very filling. Only giving 4 stars as we never got our water we asked for before ordering

Really happy with the service hear. Great keto friendly meals. Also, I accidentally left without paying for my meal and I rang them 30mins later and they were very understanding and allowed me come back to pay a little after their closing time. Can't wait to return, just have to remember to pay for my meal before leaving next time.

Amazing tex-mex cafe near the center of the city. Helpful staff, quick service from the time an order is taken to table delivery. One of my go to places on Wellington for breakfast.

Stumbled across this funky cafe for brunch today. Waited a while to get served and then to receive our food. However we did enjoy our breakfast burger with curly fries (sadly no frings). Coffee hit the spot too.

Awesome Bacon and Egg Buttie on a Brioche bun although the coffee was a bit cold. Staff friendly and service quick

Food was not too bad but the service was bad. The waitresses were friendly. I wanted a different meal but they kept coming back to the table to say there’s no ingredients left for my first order. And I keep having to change my mind.

I had a fried chicken burger with fries and it was soo average. The chicken was flavourless and dry, and the coleslaw was minimal without any distinct flavour. They make their own BBQ sauce but I could barely taste that either; the most dominant flavour was the bun, so that's saying something. A $4 side of fries was well overpriced for a handful of fries, so next time I'll just go to Burger Fuel.

Very poor customer service!!! After getting my mealpal. I sat and talked on my mobile. Then someone asked me tonleave because I ordered a mealpal. Other restos don’t do that. I was on my phone and she didn’t even wait for me to finish talking. How rude!!! POORLY DONE!

Excellent food and fast efficient service. My only gripe is that the price is a good third or so higher than other equivalents. If not for that, I would be giving it five stars

Ordered a fried chicken burger with a side of curly fries. Food took a long time to arrive. Chicken and fries were a bit soggy. Bun had way too much butter. You can definitely get better burgers elsewhere.

Personally, my experiences at TB have been great. The meals a decent sized and priced accordingly. Love my chicken and the team do a great Southern Fried chicken burger/meal.

a very cool place, well decorated and i tried their fried chicken burger and iced mocha, both were delicious and i would definitely come back

Totally worst experience. They post a deal on GrabOne, but u should be aware that the voucher just can be used for main and selected drinks! And don’t wish they’ll mention this to u! They just seduce u heading to the store and such ripped off ur money!

A decent cafe in the heart of the business district. My wife and I went here for a spot of lunch a few days ago.<br/><br/>We both had the burger with a side of curly fries. The burger was delicious, a slightly sweet bun, burger held together well, not overpowering with sloppy condiments, but just right. The curly fried too were delicious and crispy. Good selection of 'America' soft drinks too, Dr Pepper, Cherry Cola etc.<br/>The one thing that let it down was the staff thinking they were 'too cool for school', and didn't look like they wanted to be there.

Recently been therefor lunch  .Food was average and service wasn't great.We were sharing food and we had to ask for forks and knives or even for extra plates.Surrounding wasn't really clean. Lots of flies around and even we had to ask to them to change the salad because of the flies in.Public toilet would maintain lot better than this place.Experience wasn't great overall.

Coffee was Ok, home made muesli wasn’t crunchy although the rhubarb was nice and well balanced between sweet and sour, the eggs on toast were fine though not memorable, prices are very decent indeed.<br/>

stopped in today for a couple of coffees over a work meeting. Service was good, friendly and prompt, was empty in the afternoon though so that helped. Coffee was nice, smooth and not bitter which is great! decor is really interesting. i used to like the art for sale idea but now it looked like a few kids made bunting which was hanging up. Nice enough all the same. would happily return and will have a bite to eat next time.

Despite the appearance Thunderbird's 'man scram' is actually quite tasty! Coffee isn't too bad either and had quick friendly service on my quiet Sunday morning visit.

My partner and I recently had breakfast here, we had to wait about half an hour for our food as there was an issue with the kitchen but as an apology when I went to pay the waiter took our drinks off the price which was lovely! Food was nice , my partner had the big breakfast and I had the eggs benny, eggs were soft and runny and the coffee was excellent I ended up ordering a second one. <br/>

Busy Friday night take outs. Fast and friendly service and great atmosphere (live music) while we waited. My husband and I loved our meals!! Thank you so very much!!

Great food for a great price. Loved the atmosphere and how quickly we got looked after, even though the place was packed. Neat menu which was loved by both the kids and adults.

Came to the safe for Sunday brunch and it was rather quiet. The place's quirky deco matches its menu which contains common kiwi and Mexican items as well as some interesting items. My ordering of CAPTAIN FELIX’S FISH FEAST was really nice. The coffee was pretty good too.

Went in for lunch during the week I ordered the thunderburger and some buffalo wings the burger was a standard burger nothing special no real flavour, the wings were coated in what looked like a dry spice rub however again there was no real flavour all I could taste was chicken. My friend had the BBQ chicken and bacon burger the chicken was ment to be covered in a BBQ sauce but it tasted like tomato pasta sauce. The service was great, seated and served fast and the food came out quite fast. I'd rate the entire experience a 2.5 the service was great but the food was nothing special. I'd go again to give them another shot and will try something different but at the moment I wouldn't recommend it to my friends.

went in on friday, didnt book a table so was ok to wait, we sat at the bar ad then told there was a table, the place is very small so your banging into people and squeezing by. we sat down and the previous peoples plates and drinks still there, this is  a personal gripe of mines,  you had to wait to be seated so it wasnt as if somebody was going to take those seats and could be easily cleared in 2 mins as opposed to letting us sit there and wait for someone to clean. food when it did come out was nice enough, ordered chicken burrito and beef burger.

Slow service or no arrival at all. We came here for the second time to give them another go but it was no different. It's a cool venue and they have friendly staff. And so are a lot of other places that are more organized..

i come for my coffee fix here most mornings. I like their coffee. The environment and ambience is pretty bohemian. I love their Frings as well. Pretty good. I would recommend this place for a quick caffeine fix.

Fabulous service - mostly due to the fabulous owner/manager Nicky. The menu is definitely on the heavy side which I sometimes struggle with, and I wish they'd give you more Guacamole with their corn chips, however overall this place is fab. Great snickers milkshakes, and do try the queso!

Good place if you want sole food. Milkshakes are amazing!!! Had a few things here and all been yummy. Food is what you pay for.<br/>Would go again if walking past

We keep coming back here because of the amazing burritos and tacos. However the service is always rushed and the staff often lose track or forget orders, even at quiet times. The coffee and smoothies are average and overpriced but there is always great baking. Overall nice food and unique atmosphere but overrated otherwise.

Excellent food and great service even though the place was quite busy and there was only one girl to wait on the whole place. Would definitely eat here again.

The curly fries were delicious and could closely rival Sweet Mothers Kitchen. $7.50 did seem a bit pricy for the portion size. <br/>I also had a sip of my friend's snickers milkshake which was good, even better they offer soy milkshakes, something you don't often see. <br/>I love the interior of Thunderbird, there's so much colour and cool things to look at. <br/>The menu was extensive and the food I could see at other people's tables looked good, I'd definitely like to go back for a full meal. <br/>It was busy at lunch time so we had to wait a bit but that was ok because we weren't in a hurry.

Awful food and awful service. Staff seemed more content to natter amongst themselves than help, food portions were small for the price and also overcooked. Should have known better than to visit a restaurant with kitsch everywhere. Would have been better off going across the street to Viviant.

Service was appalling. Whilst deciding what we wanted to eat we were approached and told they would like to send their chef home and could we hurry up and order. We only got there about just before 8pm and supposedly they shut at 9pm. Whist eating our meal they were packing away tables and chairs around us. Making us feel very uncomfortable. Wouldn't have mind if they had mentioned all this before we decided to sit down and eat here. We felt<br/>nothing but a nuisance and would have rather taken our business else where. Food was fairly average. Buffalo wings weren't battered either.

One of my faves as a business traveller in Wellington. Straight down the line Texish Mexish, with Wellie warmth! I'm back every time for its honesty!!<br/>

So I may have had a slight hangover and been in need of a good solid breakfast... And Thunderbird delivered!<br/><br/>The staff were very friendly and that lovely morning coffee smell filled the café. <br/><br/>The service was quick and the food was good. A spicy omelette, with lots of flavour and just the right amount of heat for breakfast.<br/>

Went here for an early lunch so the service was pretty fast, and the staff were very friendly! The meal was delicious, I ordered the Enchiladas, delicious flavour combination however I found that the tomato paste on the enchiladas was a bit to heavy for the Enchilada but this was my only fault. All in all great experience and will definitely be back!

Went to Thunderbird for lunch today. We had toddlers with us, so were happy to see they had a kids menu to order from. Unfortunately, what we got was a ridiculously spicy plate of kids nachos which the kids obviously couldn't eat. And without the sour-cream it was meant to come with. When we told the waitress, she didn't offer to fix the problem & said a very hurried sorry.<br/>Expensive considering the kids didn't eat.

Not quite as good as SMK which I believe has similar ownership but cool nonetheless and it is in a more corporate part of town so focus on speed important. Good eats and very cool staff. Fun atmosphere.

Went to Thunderbird for brunch today with my other half.  The cafe was surprisingly empty, only three tables had diners, and so we chose a table in the window.  It hadn't been wiped down or the cutlery canteen removed, and it stayed that way throughout our meal, even when the waiter came to take our order.  They were clearly feeling short staffed, there were no newspapers (crucial on a Saturday morning) and things looked a bit untidy; the excellent manager came in halfway through our meal and cleaned up the place, and the usual great Thunderbird vibe was restored.  I think a lot of Thunderbird's success is probably due to her personality and energy.  <br/><br/>He ordered the big breakfast, I had the breakfast burrito with added bacon, and we both ordered milkshakes.  The milkshakes were fine, but nothing out of the ordinary (I've had their Snickers milkshake before and would recommend it, so long as you don't want anything to eat - it's very filling).  The breakfast burrito was excellent - perfect balance of black beans, scrambled egg and cheese.  There was only one piece of bacon in the burrito, and as it was a paid-for extra a second piece would have been appreciated, so I could taste it.  I wouldn't bother getting the bacon next time - the burrito was enough on it's own, anyway.  He was a bit disappointed with his big breakfast - only one strip of streaky bacon (well done as requested, which was appreciated), a thin sausage, heavily-salted home fries, although the poached eggs were well done, with nice and runny yolks.  We both tried the baked beans that came with his meal, and agreed that the chef had a heavy hand with the smoked paprika - it was too strong for our tastes - but that may just be us, the beans might be really authentic.<br/><br/>So a bit of a mixed bag today, which surprised me - I've been for lunch many times, and never had a bad meal.

I used to really rate this place... But in the weekend it seems to strive for consistency in the opposite fashion. Poor food, poor service and poor value.<br/><br/>Seemed to forget to cook our meals and only realised after 30 minutes of waiting and watching other tables receive food ordered after us. <br/><br/>The actual food was average, and seemed pretty expensive for what was dished up.<br/><br/>A shame, as this used to be a good place to eat....

Had a decent Sunday brunch here. Breakfast burrito with the works was delicious - and huge! Despite having a healthy appetite I only managed half if it. Staff were happy to pack it up for me to take it away, and it was still tasty later that day.<br/><br/>Also had a breakfast smoothie, which was ok but nothing special.<br/><br/>Waitress was friendly, and gave us warning that a large group had just ordered so there would be a slight delay on our food.<br/><br/>Coffee was good, although they forgot to warm the milk as requested. Shocking :)<br/><br/>Price wasn't too bad considering it's city centre.<br/><br/>Would go again.

Ventured into this establishment for the first time a few days ago and never again. <br/><br/>Once I navigated my way to the counter through the sea of tacky wannabe hipster decor, I was faced with the task of craning my neck to read the drinks menu, which was pretty much on the ceiling. Michael Jordan I am not.<br/><br/>Due to the clutter it was almost impossible to see what was on offer until I saw a pile of menus at the far end of the counter. I wandered toward them, and had not even touched the menu folder when I was BARKED AT by a young staffer that the kitchen had closed.  At 2.15pm. Customer service and basic courtesy and manners were clearly lost on this girl - perplexing as to why such a person was hired when they lack these basic skills that ought to have been instilled at a young age. <br/><br/>Perhaps next time someone takes interest in the menu and the kitchen is closed, she should politely advise of this and then suggest alternatives i.e. cabinet food available, instead of simply yelling "THE KITCHEN'S CLOSED!"  We were so taken aback by her rude tone that we timidly ordered two takeaway coffees and couldn't wait to get out of dodge. <br/><br/>The coffees did not redeem in any way, shape or form - we weren't even asked if we wanted chocolate or cinnamon on top, and the milk was burnt, giving the coffee a very harsh, thick texture.  The worst coffee I've ever tasted in Wellington which is shameful in itself, and teemed with the outrageous lack of manners in the serving girl has led me to give this establishment the lowest score possible.<br/><br/>Thunderbird Cafe is an absolute joke.

A little let down by this place. I really wanted to like it, but there was nothing great about it. The food was overly-spicy which kind of ruined the experience, it may have been the salsa. My enchiladas had barely any chicken. None of us finished our meals because our mouths were on fire. Our mains arrived too soon after our starters, and the coated/fried chicken was almost tasteless, even though the menu talked it up greatly. The blue cheese dip had a thick layer of oil on top which was gross. I did enjoy my cheesy dip though.<br/>I would return, but just for drinks and snacks. Friendly staff and atmosphere nonetheless :)

Thunderbird is not my favourite coffee place in Wellington, but I do come here fairly often when meeting up with friends as this tends to be middle meeting point of our work places.  the food here has an New Orleans feel to it, who's sister cafe is Sweet Mothers Kitchen on Courtenay Place.<br/><br/>Thunderbirds offers a good selection of counterfood and food from the menu.   Lunch times is when they are most busiest with all the local office workers coming here for lunch.<br/><br/>Please refer to my website for an indepth review.

No where should charge $4.20 for a piccolo - espresso with dash of foamed milk, especially this place!!!! Walked in and it was rather empty but most of the tables had dirty coffee cups or food on the table, so it was hard to find a clean seat. The staff weren't busy they were chatting and laughing behind the bar. Had to move some coffee cups for us to sit down. $4.20 for a piccolo so I changed my order to a flat white which was the same price but double the size. When the coffee came it just tasted like burnt milk. Would NEVER recommend this place. People say it is like Sweet Mother's on Courtney Place - what an insult to Sweet Mothers.

Sad! The most chaotic and untidy restaurant I have been to in a long time! Food was dissapointing. I mean runny bubble & squeak.<br/>Curly fries were great. Breakfast burrito with the works $19 severly lacking. 8 hours to digest. Bathrooms were gross and is usually a reflection of the kitchen.

I am a Thunderbird regular, however this review is about their Wellington on a Plate menu. We went in on a very busy Friday night and had the set menu after reading about it on the WOAP blog and their Burger Wellington offering which we shared between us. The pate is probably the best I've had since moving to New Zealand. Very rich, smooth, and full of flavor. The bourbon chicken breast was wonderfully charred on the outside but still juicy inside. Yum! However, the star of that plate is the ribs. The blogger really got it right there. Seriously, a pile of those ribs could easily have been the meal and I don't think anyone would complain. Not just the best ribs in New Zealand, but the best ribs I've had anywhere including North America. WOW. <br/><br/>And then there's that burger. We live for Wellington on a Plate and its burger competition. Its now 10 days in and I've had 12 burgers, including all the superstars. This. This is the best. There's no pretension and they don't try to make up for a second rate or tiny burger by giving me colourful paper or a weird plate to eat off. Just an enormous burger packed full of flavours and texture. The Southern fried crayfish is juicy and crisp, as are the shrimp, and there was a lot of them. The sourdough bun had been toasted crunchy but was still soft and chewy inside. Loved the lettuce and the mayos were both distinct and full of flavour. One is obviously made with Tabasco (hope I can recreate that one at home!) and the aioli was perfectly lemony. This is definitely my winner. I don't normally bother writing online reviews but after those ribs and that burger, Thunderbird deserves some accolades.

I travel for business so I always like to check out new eateries and review them as honestly as possible. The Thunderbirds name attracted me, nice decor / theme. The staff were pleasant enough. I did order a juice and coffee, requesting the coffee came out with the meal, but they came out at the same time. The coffee was AWFUL. An undrinkable flat white which I left after only having a couple of sips. However the food was above average. Nothing stunning but the eggs were poached to perfection with some very tasty sausages on the side. Glad I went there once but it's too average to go back or to recommend to others.

Love this place! I work nearby so would consider Thunderbirds my local. I love the crazy decor, cheeky banter from the staff and the owner, Nicci, always makes every visit worthwhile. I dine out regularly, and am a bit of an Americanophile, and find that while there are a lot of cafes in Welly trying to copy Thunderbird's food, no one does it nearly as well. The Fried Chicken is a must, but you have to get past their Pulled Pork and Venison Pie first. Its almost always packed to the rafters, noisy, and chaotic (a downside for some, but the regulars like me seem to love it) so maybe some other locals need to get over themselves or stick to the boring wine bars.

Recommended by a friend as one of the best café in Wellington so I decided to call and book a table for 13 people for lunch today. I called at 8.40am and was told to hold for 30 seconds, I waited 8 minutes and all I can hear were people laughing in the background, they left me hanging!! I tried calling every 15 minutes determined to book a table but either the person who put me on hold never did hang up since my original call at 8.30am or the café were too busy that they took the phone of the hook. After 3 hours of calling with no luck we have decided to book elsewhere. I guess this supports some of the previous reviews in regards to customer service at the café, I was hoping to prove them wrong unfortunately not.

We managed to dine here today and being Mothers' Day, and every other cafe in the vicinity being fully booked, we did feel fortunate to get seated reasonably promptly. It was busy and the wait for food was inordinately long but giving credit to them they were very apologetic and gave us a round of drinks on the house. The food was good and well received by all. Would only go back if it wasn't so busy as waiting over an hour for food is too long.

Good coffee and food is OK. Some of the staff are friendly but some others are so so incredibly rude. Not a nice customer experience at all.

I am beyond disappointed. Terrible terrible. Worst service I've ever been unfortunate to encounter. Food was awful, timing was ridiculous, and the prices were absolutely disgusting. I will never come back here.

Fantastic customer service and delicious food. I requested a whole pecan pie for an office event and Thunderbird Cafe were more than happy to help. The pie was baked fresh in the morning (still warm when I picked it up), was absolutely delicious (the staff demolished it in about 2 seconds flat), and the cost was very reasonable too. Two thumbs up for Thunderbird!

The food served at Thunderbird is astounding, always fresh, hot and tasty, the only downside is that every now and again there is a little bit of a wait due to popularity which is forgiveable. From the chilli cheese scones, berry muffins and coffee in the morning to the Margaritas, fried chicken and gumbo served in the evenings I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience there.<br/><br/>Keep up the good work guys.

I have never had anything but excellent service, coffee &amp; food here. Sure it's not silver service, but it's a cool little cafe where you will be remembered and can depend on some pretty stellar conversations daily an a variety of subjects. The staff are a crazy mix and clearly have fun with each other. As many previous reviewers have noted, it gets crazy busy and sometimes there's a hiccup, but Nicci will kill herself to make it right and there's not many places that do that any more.<br/><br/>I highly recommend the Fish Stack, anything with their pulled pork, they do a killer burger that I've never managed to finish and the best onion rings I've had anywhere in the world. Keep it up Nicci and co!

Have been here a few times, the service has been good and its a nice place. I do think that value for money could be a lot better though, the burgers are on the pricey side $10 for basic beef and then around $3 to add cheese, onion rings, bacon etc. I got a basic burger with cheese and onion rings so around $16...the dish doesnt include chips so thats just for the burger which is slightly bigger than a slider...In saying that though it was tasty. My wife got the california rabbit and that was also tasty but on the small side. I summary, service good, food tasty but not substantial so a bit pricey.

We had lunch at Thunderbird last week for Wellington on a Plate. We ordered the two course lunch menu that came with a glass of wine. I also asked for water (three times) but after one hour and two courses gave up on asking again. I had beer battered squid rings with housemade roulade for my entree. There was a huge amount of batter on the plate but the squid underneath went well with the roulade. I chose the pulled pork sandwich for my main and also enjoyed the accompanying purple potato salad. Thunderbird's environment is both homely and quirky. It's also very busy and can get quite hectic when full. However, the staff were really friendly, right from my phone call to book a table through to our warm greeting and service during the meal.

My favorite cafe in welly, hands down! Good vibe, super friendly and helpful staff and AMAZING food! The place is always jam packed, what better proof do you need for a choice cafe. Curly fries, quesadillas and snickers milkshakes are where it's at. Couldn't recommend more!

I LOVE this place! I've only been living in Wellington for a few months, but Thunderbird has already become a firm favourite and a "go to" place for coffee breaks and for lunch. The FOOD is fabulous (I've NEVER had a bad dish or a disappointing experience), the place is always busy and fun, and the staff are just beyond amazing! Don't alter a thing Thunderbird - you're all rock stars!

First time to Thunderbird Cafe and I'm very impressed. The cafe was recommended to me by a friend who said she has never had a bad meal - and I can see why.<br/>Our order was taken by the owner who was absolutely lovely. Fantastic, welcoming service - a real delight!<br/>I ordered the Chicken Burrito and it was amazeballs!<br/>Decor is quirky and far more welcoming than some of the uptight cafes in the Wellington area.<br/>So impressed that we are now planning a girls dinner night just to taste the Dirty Milkshakes!<br/>Really impressed and highly recommend to all.

I was in Wellington staying at Ibis for the weekend from gold coast and popped across the road to grab a little something on the go for breaky! I decided the scones looked amazing and when told chilli, cheese &amp; rocket I was sold!! Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my scone and all time fav all press coffee :)<br/>The scone was amazing &amp; light and flavors were delicious together!<br/>I also ate brunch here Sunday with my family and we all loved it! I had the corned beef stack- incredible !!<br/>I work in hospo and i really appriciate good service &amp; food. the staff were super friendly &amp; easy going and I would highly recommend it to others :)

Went to Thunderbird under a friend's suggestion and was pleasantly surprised!<br/><br/>Firstly, the service we received was stunning. Our server was very friendly and we felt really welcome into the café. All the staff we dealt with during our time at Thunderbird were very kind and cheerful- it really set up for a great experience!<br/><br/>I love the look of the place- a slightly funky (in almost a visiting-your-wacky-Aunt's-place kind of way). We also enjoyed the live music that was on offer (a bit loud, but I enjoyed it regardless)<br/><br/>I ordered an Americano coffee, curly fries and a slice of pumpkin pie. I wish I had ordered the chilli cheese fries (but I neglected to see the sign on the wall!). Price-wise, I found Thunderbird to be good. It is slightly cheaper than many other all-day-brunch cafés, and drinks were fairly priced too. <br/>The coffee was one of the better Americanos I have had in Wellington. The curly fries were also great- served with a delicious chipotle sauce. The serving size was a bit smaller than what I expected, but the price was fair enough to justify buying two servings. The pie was good- not the best pumpkin pie I've had, but it was a generous serving and had a good spice taste to it. <br/><br/>I was really happy with my experience at Thunderbird. It's a bit out of the way for me, but it's somewhere where I'd be willing to walk the extra distance to go to. It's become one of my favourite cafes in Wellington, even though I've only been once! I'd love to try some of their dinner meals!

Used to go more than twice a week now go once every couple of months.<br/><br/>Pros:<br/>Great people, delicious food. <br/>Cons:<br/>Too smaller portions for the price and too slow.<br/><br/>Mostly stopped going because food takes too long given the time I have when I'm in this part of town.<br/><br/>Nothing beats their curly fries though and the coffee has never missed a beat. (Breakfast burritos are awesome)

I've been here twice now, the food is pretty average, bland, small portions, comes with nothing, burgers come out on metal trays!! the wait time is exceptionally slow but the curly fries are awesome.<br/><br/>I don't like the tables or the decor, the place does feel really messy and a bit trashy looking - that is my opinion and whenever I see it it's packed so they must be doing something good - or Wellington has let its standards drop

Haven't left a review before - but I had the Chimichanga at Thunderbird yesterday and felt compelled to tell everyone amazing it was! Delicious crispy outside with tasty spicy chicken filling.. I literally can't stop thinking about it. Also the service was great, coffee superb, curly fries and chipolte mayo to die for, and that chocolate chip cookie was out of this goddam world. Take me back!!!

Not sure when the last reviewer Vance went, however it must have been opposite day. Been to Thunderbird 20+ times over the last year and have never had an experience anywhere close to what Vance described. Service is always friendly and fast. Been there on days where Thunderbird is jam packed and the staff works like a well oiled machine grinding out coffees and food without missing a beat. If Thunderbird made it a habit of keeping people waiting for their coffee/food there wouldn't be so many regulars including myself.<br/><br/>Breakfast enchiladas with chorizo are awesome and the 9-11AM half price breakfast burrito is a steal. In fact the menu all around is one of the freshest and most eclectic I've found in Wellington. I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes for the food to be delivered to the table. <br/><br/>Consistency of the coffee there is also very good (as it should be in the NZ coffee capital). It says a lot about the quality of a cafe when you see the same staff day in and day out. You always know who's making your coffee and cooking your bacon egg buttie.<br/><br/>Definitely recommend this place for a coffee, snack, or meal.

Am actually from Australia and I really enjoyed the Cafe, prompt service for lunch, and really great quick service meal. So good I came back for tea that evening for Southern Fried Chicken, salad and mashed potato was great. A great bonus was the Blues and Roots band that was playing in the evening so I hung around and had a few drinks. Great friendly service and I will be telling all the SAINTS fans that next year when they come over to call in.

The worst eating-out experience ever in NZ. I took my family there for lunch on April 20th. I ordered Langford (steak on toast) and my wife ordered breakfast burrito with fries on the side. We specifically asked fries on the side so our daughter can eat them (we explained she had some severe food allergies). 40 min. later, we were about to leave, the food came out. My steak was partially cooked--one side medium, the other side raw, even pink on the surface. Onion rings were burnt too. My wife got the burrito with fries stuck in it. A poor couple behind us who were there before us were still waiting for their food. Don't even go near it if it remains open any longer.

Without a doubt one of my favorite places to go in the city. The service, coffee and food are excellent and amazing value. I come several mornings a week for coffee and a scone (possibly the best in Wellington) and at least one day for lunch (it can be crazy busy, so as others have mentioned before me, plan ahead if you're in a hurry). There's a huge amount of choice on the menu, but my favorites are the fish pie, chilli, any of the burgers and their onion rings. I love that the staff know the regulars and it only takes minutes to get my morning caffeine fix because Brendon is making my coffee as soon as I walk in the door. That kind of service is worth its weight in gold.

Maybe the staff need to work on their service or maybe, just maybe, the diners need to work on hardening the f**k up.<br/><br/>The cafe is busy. Really busy sometimes. If you have issues with slow or rude service, speak up! I hate it when people gripe about something, but then don't say anything to resolve the issue.<br/><br/>Restaurants and cafes need to hear feedback, and a review site is one place you can let your violent and passionate hate flow. However, another route you can take is to let your server or waitstaff know! They're in the service industry and should be catering to please you. Passive-aggressive behavior only comes back to haunt and not help you, dear diner.<br/><br/>That said, cafe workers should realize that there's a certain expectation of niceties when working in the SERVICE and HOSPITALITY industry. A smile goes a long way, and sometimes, an apology with an "I'll get right on it" will work wonders.<br/><br/>I like this place because it's no-nonsense. It's run almost similar to a fast-food establishment, but with a lot better food. <br/><br/>Their vegetarian burger is the best in Wellington. Hands down. They've got tasty curly fries, too.<br/><br/>I'm a devoted carnivore, but I end up ordering the veggie burger every single time because I know it'll be delicious. They should definitely think about entering it into the Burger Wellington competition.<br/><br/>Evenings are much more delightful without the lunch time crowd rushing to get their meals in under an hour.

I went here with some friends last week and had a great night. The meals are very reasonably priced, especially given the large portion sizes. There is a lot of choice on the menu and there was something to suit everyone's tastes. My friend is gluten intolerant and it was fantastic to see so many gluten free options on the menu. The staff were friendly and attentive. The only disappointing part of the night was the fact that we were the only diners in the place. I hope this was just a slow night because this cafe deserves to be busier.

What a cool place! We were staying across the street and very tired Friday night, so mainly tried them because they were “there.” So glad we did! Fried Chicken and Crab Cakes were simply awesome, as were the curlie fries and onion rings. Really decent live music made our night! Came back for Saturday brunch mainly just for the crab cakes, but also tried the Monty Cristo because it sounded too ridiculous to be believed (deep fried ham sandwich!). It was awesome! Stopped in again today (Sunday) for an early dessert and coffee. Service was always fantastic and welcoming and food fabulous and cheap, so don’t let the odd decor put you off! We’ll definitely come again next time we’re in Welly.

Went here before wow, and couldn't have asked for more. Awesome atmosphere, live music which was really entertaining yet non intrusive. Megan our waitress gave by far the best service we have had in Wellington and the food was stunning. Fantastic effort from the team under extreme pressure!

Food was good, staff friendly. However one thing that really stood out amongst my table of 6.<br/><br/>Young bloke eating his breakfast behind the counter - close your mouth buddy.<br/><br/>American girl carrying peoples tea/coffee milk etc against body apposed to a tray or in her hands (spilt it too).<br/><br/>I know cafes don't always go for uniforms and Thunderbird seemed like a casual place (which I'm all for) but take some pride in your appearance and what you wear.. this can set a precedent for customers.<br/><br/>Not taking a dig at the staff - as they were all really friendly its the standards allowed in this establishment that let them down.<br/><br/>Cheers

I'm a regular at Thunderbirds and enjoy its funky, laid back style. I saw the recent less than stellar reviews and wondered if it was the same place I had lunch at yesterday! In fact, I ate lunch there on the 31st and we waited less than 20 minutes for two cooked meals at the busiest time of day. Both the blackened fish and nachos were up to their usual spicy, delicious best. My experience is the service is always friendly and delivered with a smile, and they actually care about your experience, which goes a long way in my book! The place is always busy for a reason - its good!

Their service is so ridiculously slow, we walked out after 30 minutes. Have eaten there once before, servings are small and pretty average. Even the line to pay had over 10 people waiting, there seemed to be only 4 people staffing the place, one in the kitchen, one at the counter, a 'maitre d' and a waitress. Annoyed as had taken my friend there for birthday lunch, was her first visit and needless to say she won't be going back there either.

Such a huge disappointment. Went for lunch. Took 47 minutes to get a burritton that had enough beans to feed a small starving nation. It took ages to find the 4 tiny bits of chicken. No one bothered to come and advise how long the wait would be. Would not recommend or return. If there was a minus for stars I would rate -2

We were staying across the street, so our initial visit to Thunderbird was more convenience than anything else. I had the Fish Stack for breakfast, he had the mushrooms on toast with bacon. The Fish Stack was simple and just divine. Yummy potato hash, gorgeous smoked fish and a perfect poached egg. We both LOVED the creamy mushrooms. Service was great, even if the decor is a little different. <br/><br/>Liked everything enough to come back for dinner on Friday. We shared curly fries (spicy, very hot and yum!) and margaritas (we were surprised by how awesome they were). I had the fried chicken and he had the enchiladas. My chicken was hot and crispy with a spicy/sweet dipping sauce and the enchiladas were obviously good since he didn't offer to share. Dessert was key lime pie and a really gorgeous, sticky gluten free chocolate cake. That cake is what took it from 4 *s to 5! Good enough that we came back Sunday before going home. The only disappointment in three visits was coffee that was just ok.<br/><br/>The place is definitely funky and not silver service, but it doesn't pretend it is either. They're obviously just having fun with it and I find that very appealing. I'll definitely come back for more next time we're in town.

Had dinner at Thunderbird this evening, what a great place! The two young waitresses were absolutely fantastic and bent over backwards to accommodate us, great food too and fast enough for us to get to our movie on time, definitely be telling everyone I know to check out this cool as place in an otherwise boring part of town.

Really poor service. Blonde waitress was flat out rude. Rude enough that I will never go back and rude enough that I will happily tell anyone who is willing to listen how bad the service was. <br/><br/>Any review I could make on the food would be skewed by my negative feelings over the service, so in the interest of impartiality, I won't comment.<br/><br/>Did I mention the service is poor?

Oh boy this place is terrible. Most of the waitresses just don't care, but the blondini is actively rude and hostile from the moment you walk in! Bizarre.<br/>We went for brunch today with a group of friends, we all agreed we would never go back. The menu was very boring, almost every dish was pretty much eggs on toast with no exciting twists. If you wanted to make your meal more interesting the sides/extras were super expensive. "Chorizo" sausage was actually cheap chipolata. <br/>The food was really bland and the coffee was luke warm. I can't believe it's still operating as it is really that bad. I reckon the owners must have no idea how their staff treat the customers. REALLY BAD!!

I have given up on this place. Had breakfast there every week for one year and have had hard poached eggs twice in the last month. Despite requesting 'runny please' she will not listen and thinks she knows it all. Agree with all the negative reports and our business is going elsewhere. Expresso Republic where have you gone?

The little cheeseburger they sell just needs a little mustard and that pink sauce to become the best hamburger I've had in NZ, and the only one I have developed a craving for. It tastes the closest I've found to the grilled burgers you get in US diners. Simple ingredients put together well.<br/><br/> Don't spend $25 on a waygu beef burger elsewhere, this is better.<br/><br/>Service has always been very good, the people are friendly. The interior is a little dark and cafeteria like but I'd nearly given up on finding a decent burger so that makes up for it.

Update: Really thought I couldn't love my local lunch place more but then they made RED VELVET CAKE! Its to die for. The only thing I could possibly rate them down for is ruining my diet.<br/><br/>Love this place! Come here several times during the week for coffees and lunch. Love that I can get Tex-Mex without American sized portions. The baking is first rate too, especially try the brownie or key lime pie. You'll thank me. <br/><br/>The design is odd -I think its supposed to be kitschy, but still needs some tweaking. If I were to fault them on anything, its that the food lacks a truly authentic depth of flavor. Example, the breakfast enchiladas are cooked in a plain tomato sauce instead of in a chile sauce. <br/><br/>Love that the staff recognize me and thats probably one of the things that keeps me coming back. That and I'm addicted to their pork burrito.

Food is good, coffee is good and the staff are efficient and friendly<br/><br/>Overall a good experience

Hi<br/>Went for the second time to Thunderbird on Friday for lunch. Nikki is great. Be prepared to wait for the food as it's not quick, and portions aren't large but food is great and really tasty. I'm taking hubby there tomorrow for brunch.<br/>

A cold drink and a tasty-as bread roll from the cabinet, whilst filling in time today. I like it ! Great, friendly atmosphere and vibe. I 'Checked in' on my facebook &amp; recommended to my friends. I will be back !

Love this place and its fun food but near work - finally! Nikki is cool and you can tell there is a nice vibe amongst the staff and it rubs off talking to them. The food is delicious and they've got busy lunch hours down to a fine art so I've never worried we've been forgotten about. Yay Thunderbird Cafe!

Loved the atmosphere, the food and the service. Sweet Mothers in the corporate end of town - finally a place with some personality in an otherwise bland corporate street.

Went for dinner on Saturday. Wouldn't go back there again. Service was friendly. Ordered fish and chips, fish was over cooked and the chips were not hot and fresh. Other order was a salmon basket, small portion but not bad taste wise, totally different presentation than the fish and chips plate. Ordered 2 spirit drinks which came out with no ice, when asked if we could have ice there wasn't any! - glasses on table for water are plastic, not very impressive at all.

Just read the latest reviews on staff at Thunderbird. I have found them to be wonderful. However I appreciate that little blondie doesn't smile much but her service is great. Maybe thats the way she is but she does look lovely. <br/>I am a regular there for breakfast and sometimes dinner and enjoy the food. I just love the fish, potatoey thing for breakfast.<br/>Friday nights with music and cheap beer etc are so fun, pretty laid back after a busy week.<br/>Perhaps instead of complaining on here you talk with the owner, I'm sure she'd appreciate.<br/>

Thunderbird is a firm favourite of mine. In fact, it has become a regular haunt for Friday lunch and something definitely to look forward to during the week.<br/><br/>Thunderbird have a vast array of counter food, ranging from ready made sandwiches and rolls to slices, flans and cakes. The menu is a nice mix of snacky type food to full on meals. The food itself is great, not the usual fare that is trotted out at other cafes. The curly fries and swamp dip are a definite hit. The prices do not break the bank and are value for money.<br/><br/>The cafe itself has a lovely cheerful and casual atmosphere and its always busy. There are extra touches which make Thunderbird extra special; the staff remember you, often stopping to have a chat and they take bookings.

Awesome cafe, great place to chill. R E A L L Y good coffee. Nikki is a wonderful hostess and staff are onto it. Friendly as you would want, but not gushy. Cool decor, central, funky not trendy. <br/><br/>Food is tasty, hot, with lots of choice, and there's plenty. Yum. <br/><br/>Help yourself to water, or give a wave if you need something else at your table. Very relaxed which is great. <br/><br/>Lovely.

Wow, I'm really surprised by all the negative reviews! Who's writing these?<br/><br/>I've been several times now and I've always enjoyed the experience. The staff are extremely friendly and service is prompt. A good selection of counter food (I recommend the apple pie) and something different from all the other places in the area.<br/><br/>It's now replaced Sierra as my local. I'll be back again this afternoon!

This place is horrible. I wish I'd read the reviews before going there.<br/><br/>The service is slow and the staff seem to have no idea what's going on. The food is overpriced, the portions are very small and bland. The restaurant itself feels very awkward to be in, sort of like you're doing detention in school.<br/><br/>AVOID.

This was the second time I have been here for lunch, and both times I have been very pleased with both the service and the food. My tacos were delicious, as were my partner's burritos, and the chilli con queso we shared was fab. ALSO the chili hot chocolate was wonderful. We are mystified by the bad reviews below.<br/><br/>Here's my coffee rating - *****<br/>(that's five stars, not a swear)

Beautiful food, excellent service, decent coffee. How is this place not packed all the time?

Six of us went for breakfast yesterday.<br/>Started off well with the waitress moving tables together to make setting for us all 10/10.<br/>08:30 on Feathers ton Street is cold, no sun, cafe was very cold, had to ask for the door to be closed.<br/>Checked the breakfast menu, was not quite sure how the $5.00 for extras worked but thought I would give it a go. Asked if I could "choose" a combination, no problems.<br/><br/>Was a bit.. odd and not very welcoming when the cutlery and napkins arrived in a stainless steel cylinder/vase and it was help yourself, trendy maybe, but not personal touch.<br/><br/>Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon.<br/>Looked and tasted fine, eggs, 1 rasher of bacon, 1/2 a tomato &amp; 6 button mushrooms in sauce. Presentation was nothing to rave about, but it was breakfast.<br/><br/>Then I paid and realised how the pricing for extras worked.<br/>Two scrambled eggs = $5.00<br/>1/2 tomato = $5.00<br/>1 rasher of crispy bacon $5.00<br/>6 button mushrooms $5.00.<br/>(Nothing else, no toast or hash-brown or any garnish)<br/>Breakfast with the above items $20.00!!<br/><br/>Get a grip owners, we are spoilt for choice in your area and we go for breakfast each week.<br/>Not to Thunder birds again.<br/>$5.00 for 1/2 a tomato is a ripoff.<br/>$5.00 for 1 rasher of bacon is the same.<br/><br/>It your returning customers you need in business..<br/>sadly that will not be us.

Rubbish Cafe! Did not enjoy this stale meal at all. Will not be going back. A waste of money, very expensive considering the food is not eatable. They need to work on serving good food and service and adjust the prices. Burgers were small and expensive and served with nothing else. The food in the cabinet has been sitting there for days.

If I could give this place zero stars I would!!! Worst cafe in Wellington. It will be closed within the next 2 months.<br/><br/>Absolutely the worst food and service I have ever had. Coffee is CRAP! it tasted like coffee flavoured milk. So bad I told my friend (who I arrived before) not to order one. The food is revoulting! I did not even recongise the "Fish and Chips" when it came to our table. It looked like it had been dug out of the dump. <br/><br/>Service was the worst I've ever had. About 5-6 staff on and no one clearing tables, they were standing around chatting behind the counter, items missed off our order, smoking in the entrance way and we had to go up to the counter to ask for anything.<br/><br/>I would never ever consider going back to this cafe. It was the worst food and service I have ever seen. We should have walked out when the food came to our table, it look disgusting! <br/><br/>If you are looking for good food and service go to Leuven across the road or D4. Thunderbirds is CRAP!!!!!!!!

I went to Thunderbird on a Saturday with my husband for lunch. We found the service to be attentive and casual which suited the ambience.<br/><br/>The food was delicious. The curly fries were as good as those at SMK and we both had the burritos - the chicken was delicious but the pulled pork was PERHAPS a little bland, but still good.<br/><br/>We will definitely be back.

Wow! So disappointed! Being owned by the same people as Sweet Mothers Kitchen, and the handful of positive review found online, I was expecting great things. I am now convinced the reviews online are from the owners themselves or family and friends.<br/><br/>Two of our guests got there before us, and had a coffee. That cup was still sitting on the table an hour later.<br/><br/>The food was bland, for Mexican based food, I would have though there would have been a little bit of kick, or at least some flavour. The fish looked like it had been in the fryer too long, and a cheap supermarket patty would have given the cheeseburger a tiny bit of flavour. The tiny portions didn't really help either. <br/><br/>The number of staff matched the number of diners, so service should have been excellent. Empty drink bottles sat on our table until we left, and no offer of dessert to finish our meal.<br/><br/>I don't think I will be back.

This place is a very similar atmosphere and menu to Sweet Mother's Kitchen, I believe they are owned by the same people. I am a big fan of Sweet Mothers, particularly the quesadillas, curly fries and milkshakes! On the night I went to Thunderbird with my friends they had run out of milkshakes and didn't have quesadillas on the menu! Much to my disappointment! I ordered the nachos and I will be honest, they were not the best nachos I have ever had. The salsa verde tasted a bit odd to me. The curly fries and margheritas were great though! I think overall I probably prefer the menu at Sweet Mothers although I am keen to go back to Thunderbird and sample some of their other dishes.