Rusty Pelican Bar & Pizzeria

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The Rusty Pelican Bar & Pizzeria in Matakana has a separate bar and restaurant.

With a modern fresh new look, we cater for all needs - from a game of pool and a beer, through to corporate functions.

We have an emphasis on sports (seven large TVs), a full garden bar out the back (all enclosed), plus street-side seating.

Set menus available for private functions. We can also cater off-license (food and alcohol) for outside functions.

The Rusty Pelican seems like a reputable restaurant but I had one of the worst serving experiences I have ever had in NZ - mainly because I walked out after 15 minutes. I was horrified to be told they did not serve tap water (as they have a fundraiser on bottled) and was then told to put away my own home filled bottle of water as they do not allow BYO water.
I refuse to contribute to the wastage that comes with bottled water in a nation where the tap water is as good as it gets and the option to contribute to the charity separately and just get a glass of water was not available.
I was really disappointed with their lack concern for their clientele as well as their lack of any sense of host responsibility - this was clearly shown in the duty managers attitude when we tried to discuss this with her. I don't care if this is illegal or not. It is immoral.

I visited the Rusty Pelican on a recommendation from a trusted friend and suffice it to say that I was not disappointed. In particular I enjoyed the Alabama Popcorn Shrimp and the awesome Brandy Snaps dessert.

A wide selection of affordable pizzas and a delicious range of desserts is only the beginning here. I really enjoyed the easy going atmosphere with my girlfriend and appreciated the excellent speedy service provided by the staff.

Delicious yet cheap pizzas plus a whole lot more. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere, what more could you ask for? Unfortunately the service was somewhat slow, it was a busy night but perhaps they could do with more staff.

Fantastic restaurant, superb menu plus great value for money. I’ve eaten at the Rusty Pelican three times now and it never fails to disappoint!

Superb value for money, menu has heaps of options and the portions of food are very generous indeed, no corners are being cut at the Rusty Pelican, the real deal for sure. Have recommended to many people.

Excellent selection of food on the menu with the highlight being the pizza of course. Unfortunately my ‘Honey BBQ Bird’ pizza took rather longer to produce than I had anticipated however it was very much worth waiting for so can’t complain really.

The newly introduced Popcorn Shrimp is very tasty indeed! The menu is extensive and the food always fresh. The Rusty Pelican also have a games room which is fantastic for the kids.

If you are in need of a pizza look no further. ‘Meat Works’ has got to be my favourite. Helpful, friendly and patient staff plus an excellent relaxing atmosphere make the Rusty Pelican difficult to beat.

Rusty Pelican is a local favourite for me having visited regularly over the past few years. The pizzas are cooked to perfection with very generous toppings. Superb atmosphere and very reasonable pricing.

Matakana is a fantastic area to visit should you ever find yourself in Auckland and Rusty Pelican is surely one of the best places to dine there. I found the staff to be exceptionally helpful (my friend has a few special dietary requirements) and the food absolutely delicious, especially the Nutty Hen pizza. My only criticism would be that the service was a little slow, it was certainly worth the wait though!

I have been to the Rusty Pelican before and always enjoyed it- however went again tonight and encountered terrible food and appalling lack of service.I ordered a pizza and my fiance ordered Calamari. The meals arrived quickly and we were impressed by this - until I had a slice of pizza and found the base completely uncooked. I considered sending it back to the kitchen, however my partner had already started his meal and I did not want to send mine back and then have to wait for a new meal to be bought out, so I ate some of it anyway. After we had finished our meals, we sat there with the empty plates in front of us for about five minutes - nobody came to take our plates or ask if we'd like a dessert. We returned our own plates to the kitchen. Might I add it was not a particularly busy night. There were empty tables and quite a few of the wait staff appeared to be just wandering around aimlessly.Upon going to the counter to pay, I mentioned to the Hostess that the pizza had been uncooked - I work in customer service myself and we always appreciate customer feedback as a chance to improve, so I had remarked about the pizza simply to let them know, not to complain. The hostess was shockingly rude about it - she remarked "Well you ate it, didn't you?" in a very rude tone and then questioned why I did not send it back to the kitchen? I explained why and she stated everybody loved their pizza's and I was the first to complain. She asked if a waitress had checked on us and I confirmed they had - however we were asked by the waitress if we'd like a drink refill. At no time were we asked how our meals were or if we enjoyed them. She then stated that it wasn't her problem and I should have sent it back to the kitchen myself. Her whole attitude seemed to suggest she thought I was lying. Then before we had even finished paying, she made a phone call without excusing herself. No thank you for our custom there.Upon reading reviews of Rusty Pelican, I see bad service is a recurri

My experience here was nothing but pleasant.
Great pizza's and good service. I love matakana and the Rusty Pelican is great place to visit when your in the neighbourhood.
Its got a great feel about the place and i know i will be visiting there again.

When driving past the Rusty Pelican in Matakana, we saw a huge sign “2 for 1 Pizza, Tuesdays” so stopped to get a bite to eat. After ordering 2 pizza’s wine and beer and querying the total price, we were told by the very rude manager/cook that the pizza deal was only available after 5pm and that he was too busy and was giving them away at that price anyway (there was only 1 other customer). We checked the sign again, no mention of the after 5pm condition or that the manager was so obnoxious! He did however want to make the point that he was soooo successful he didn’t need our business anyway. Certainly left us with a bitter taste in our mouths!! Jaffa