Restaurant Review: Cobb & Co

IMPRESSIVE: Cobb & Co is an ideal place to take the family for a meal. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER 211014AW04

Cobb & Co opened in Rotorua in March this year after being missing from the local restaurant scene since 2009.

The new premises was previously the site of restaurants, such as Sizzlers, Breakers and Kurious Kiwi, but seven months since the opening, Cobb & Co is still buzzing.

"The Cobb" had a long and proud history at its former site on Hinemoa St before tough times forced its closure. Many a memory would have been made at the restaurant and it's fantastic to see it back in Rotorua under new ownership filling the gap for a quality family restaurant in our city.

The food is family-friendly, affordable and hearty. The menu (available for prior perusal on their excellent website) is extensive with a range of prices from $20 burgers to steaks in the early $30 range. Children are looked after with a tots' menu including dessert for those aged 1-3 for $5.90 and a children's menu for those aged 4-12 for $12.90 (including cool desserts shaped like bumble bees, crocodiles and caterpillars).

Seniors are given a good deal, too, with two courses for $21.50 and three courses for $27.50.

In all honesty, I was expecting the food to be nice but a little on the average side but was pleasantly surprised.

My friend and I took along our 4-year-olds to make the most of the family atmosphere and none of us were disappointed. A Pink Panther was ordered as my own childhood memories of going to Cobb & Co in Christchurch came flooding back.

I ordered the Angus Pure Scotch 300g with creamy mushroom sauce ($34.90) and sides of garlic prawns and crispy onion rings. It was served with salad and fries.

The steak was perfectly cooked and delicious. The mushroom sauce was amazing and the garlic prawns and onion rings made me feel spoilt.

My friend ordered the Cobb Carnivore, which is 200g Angus Pure Rump steak plus five of Cobb's Country Ribs ($33.40) with mashed potato, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. She was more than satisfied and ended up having to take a doggy bag home.

The kids had nachos and fish and chips and chowed them down before running off to the kiddie play area to stare at the big fish tank and play with the toys.

The service was fantastic. The restaurant was packed (although the staff said it was a quiet night for them) and there were plenty of staff catering to our needs. They were conscious of big tables ordering ahead of us and the need to get the children fed as quickly as possible. A scan of the familiar faces on the staff shows the owners have done a good job plucking some of the best hospitality staff from the city.

Overall I was very impressed with Cobb & Co. The fit-out is true to how I remember it as a child and the facility is an added bonus for Rotorua with its three separate areas that can accommodate functions for between 20-150 people. Added extras like toys and PlayStation for children and free Wi-Fi means this restaurant ticks all the boxes.