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Sawtell Hotel
- +61266531213
- 51-55 First Avenue, Sawtell, New South Wales 2452, Australia
Published:
July 21, 2024
About Sawtell Hotel
Modest rooms in a busy pub with a popular restaurant, plus free Wi-Fi & outdoor seating. Set in the beach side village of Sawtell and a 2-minute walk from the bus station, this lively pub with rooms lies 10 km from North Coast Regional Botanic Garden and 2.6 km from Bongil Bongil National Park. Offering shared or en suite bathrooms, the simple rooms come with free Wi-Fi, and some face out onto the wooden verandah. There's a popular restaurant offering seafood, pub grub and pizza. There's also a beer and wine store, and a buzzing bar with outdoor seating.
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Sawtell Hotel Reviews
What a great spot! Great location, atmosphere, service and drinks.
Will definitely be going back for more drinks and food. Lovely staff. A bit disappointed in the Oysters, expensive and quite small really.
Overall though, loved the place. Thanks so much
- Desmond Morgan
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Very busy, but great food and good service ...nice work...
- Jerry Martino
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
This pub is fantastic. Great fit out and ambience. The staff are amazing. They were so helpful with children. If you are on the Coffs Coast make it a must to visit because it’s a great little pub..
- Matt Clarke
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
This hotel has been refurbished, it's absolutely amazing ... New heaters, stylish decor and a really good menu ... So so well decked out now, it's such a good vibe ... The main street is phenomenal anyway with a nostalgic feel and amazing trees .... Really impressed with the transformation ... The food is well priced and amazing ... You won't be disappointed 😁
- Laura Galloway
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
The food was just terrible and gross. Not worth going to this place for food or drinks. Quite disappointing and was a waste of money. We had a big group of about 10 people and a few of us had problems with our food. One person got the crumbed lamb cutlets and the meat smelt sour as though the meat was spoiled and had to take it back. Another person in our group had the seafood parcel which was completely misleading. We thought when it said “parcel” that meant like a fisherman’s basket or a few different types of seafood on a plate. The menu didn’t say anything about the parcel being a pastry. But it turned out to be a sausage roll with mussels, prawns and fish. The mussels and prawns were chewy and the combination tasted awful. It shouldn’t be on the menu, it just doesn’t work. Myself and another person in the group had the rump steak, it was so chewy that we didn’t finish it and just ate the chips. The salads were dry and didn’t taste very fresh. We also got a few entrees, the garlic bread, spring rolls and chicken wings were nice but the pork belly bites were overcooked and chewy. For how expensive the meals were, the quality was just not there and I don’t think we’ll be eating here again. The drinks were also expensive as well. We looked at getting a mojito cocktail for $18 but saw someone else order it and it was just in a normal glass nothing special. So we got a small vodka and lemon lime and bitters, it cost $9.80. I don’t normally do negative reviews like this but this experience was really bad and felt strongly about saying something. And I’d hate it if someone else experienced this as well.
- Debbie Sengstock
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Taylor has been the absolute highlight of my night, always letting me know about the club offers such as the petrol voucher draw. Always a great smile and happy to assist customers in anyway. Great bar staff. She honestly a sweet heart, made my night very enjoyable. :)
- Lauren Toth
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Sawtell hotel had nice food. The staff are friendly. The food was a little bit slow coming out on our last visit given the place didn't have many people, but have visited other times and the food service is not too bad.
In winter, it's quite cold- even inside. But in summer it's nice to sit inside or outside!
- tony smith
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Nice feed, friendly crowd, pleasant staff, a great first visit.
- Tanya Dugard
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Newly renovated with a broad menu not forgetting pub classics.
Wonderful atmosphere in a superb location
- Troy Symmons
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Just want to say how absolutely lovely the staff here are. Had a minor hiccup with dinner. And they insisted to rego the entire meal. And compensate with drinks and desserts. Highly recommended. One of few places that actually make you feel like they care
- Terry Woodcroft
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Just dropped in for lunch (Tuesday special, rump steak $15!!!). Absolutely amazing meal at early 1990’s prices. Honestly felt like I was in a time warp when the meal came out. Steak came out cooked exactly as I had requested and it was a large, hot and perfect. Crunchy chips and good salad made the meal complete. Top rating, very happy and I’ll b back!!!😊😊😊
- Scott M
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
It was busy at the hotel but waiting 1hr 15 mins for food is a bit long! And we only got our food because we asked about where it was, they told us it had already came out! Obviously not if we are asking about it?|They gave us 4 free drink tickets for our wait.
- Charde Negus
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
I recently had the pleasure of dining at the Sawtell Hotel, and I must say, it exceeded all of my expectations. The food was amazing, making me want to come back for lunch two days in a row!
One dish that genuinely stood out to me was the grilled barramundi. The perfectly cooked fish, with its succulent and flaky texture, was an absolute delight for my taste buds. The flavors were expertly balanced, and the dish was presented beautifully. It was a true highlight of my dining experience.
One aspect of the Sawtell Hotel that impressed me was how well they catered to children. As a parent, it can sometimes be challenging to find a restaurant that offers suitable options and keeps the little ones entertained. However, the Sawtell Hotel went above and beyond with their children's menu and activity packs. My kids thoroughly enjoyed their meals and had a blast with the activities provided.
Overall, my experience at the Sawtell Hotel was exceptional. The food was outstanding, the service was top-notch, and the attention to detail was evident. Whether you're looking for a place to enjoy a delicious meal or a family-friendly establishment, the Sawtell Hotel is definitely worth a visit.
- alex goodsir
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
I’m not disappointed, I’m just mad.
My friends and I were kicked out because one of our friends was not 18 even though we were all old enough to legally supervise her.
We were only told of this detail AFTER we had spent lots of money on ordering food and the dining experience. Our food was put into take out containers and we were escorted out of the venue. We were not provided with any sort of takeaway cutlery (my friend ate her pasta with a stick) and we found a hair in our food. Not only that but my friend was yelled at in the bar when she was grabbing a glass of tap water, as she had left her ID back at the table.
The customer service was terrible and we were treated terribly. Even though we were suffering from THEIR inability to provide legal details.
Definitely will not be returning or recommending ever. One of the worst experiences of my life.
- D Monkey
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
I live close by and used to eat here every day, but it has gone rapidly downhill. The food is expensive and ingredients often terrible quality. I've had old dry schnitzels, plastic in my salad and rotten greens before I stopped rolling the dice here. There are way better places to eat in Sawtell! Trust me, save your money and stomach and support one of the great local businesses, not this franchise pub owned by a 'consortium of publicans' trying to milk all the locals through their dodgy gambling scheme.
Some of the staff are genuinely nice and helpful, but unfortunately, their efforts are outweighed by the tactics of upper management.
- Jessica I
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Hello, |I'd like to let you know of the poor service we received tonight. We ordered drinks from the bar, 2 cocktails, and had to wait 36 minutes. We were not the only ones. By the time our drinks were ready, we had finished our meals. No apology was given to us by bar staff for having to wait this long. |Bar staff were rude and dismissive, serving customers from all around the bar, not the line of customers who were lining up (and had been in line for a good 15 minutes). There were multiple customers behind us who noticed this and were becoming very frustrated with this service.
- Sophie Braithwaite
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Had the most unpleasant experience dare I say, a few of my friends came to this not so fine establishment for a nice dinner outing. One of my friends (who is over 18) went up to the bar to get WATER and was rudely yelled at by the staff because her ID was at the table, starting off very strong you can see. Once we’ve ALREADY paid for a meals the MANAGER came up and ask for all our IDs, one of our friends was underaged however we were not seated near the bar, we were told to leave the restaurant and they’ll put our food into takeaway, we were escorted out by three massive men however my underaged friend was picked up by the collar like a cat and got absolutely BOOTED out like I mean her arms and legs were flying in the air. After brushing off dirt from her the chefs personally gave our food, lovely right? WRONG the chef spat in each of our food and giggled while trotting off leaving us with no cutlery just to finish us off. There was even a HAIR, dare I say it could be pubic, within the pasta. We all had to eat our meals like absolute cavemen whilst my friend burnt each and eveyone of her fingertips off by eating her freshly cooked schnitzel, she is now in hospital and who knows if her fingertips will come back. All together pretty mad and disappointed.
- Kurt Justice
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Had an early dinner with my family. We had a great experience in service and the food was well worth the price
The little one enjoyed the ‘Kids Spaghetti’
I had the ‘Sunday Roast ‘ and it tasted so delicious!
Many thanks to Heath for the amazing service and will definitely return next time me and my family are in town
- Tali Abbasi
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Great food, nice atmosphere. Worth a stop 🛑 Specials board always has something interesting - highly recommend.
- C T
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Great atmosphere with gas fires and plenty of TVs. And they put on the AFL for us.
- No NoNo
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Eaten here many times, food is always nice little on the smaller portion size compared to the price point. Increase portion sizes or lower prices, either would get it to 5 stars for me.
Great seating options, inside, in the bistro or outside on the sidewalk. Dogs welcome outside, friendly atmosphere and prompt service. I'll be back!
- Sandra Shlemon
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Delicious food and great service ESPECIALLY from Josh who always goes above and beyond.
- Owen Davies
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Ate here twice, meals were outstanding, restaurant quality and great service.
- Brett Jackson (bj)
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Ate dinner here last night. Quite pricey, but you get that at coastal locations I guess. We ate the Snapper which looked nice and tasted reasonably fresh. Oddly, my wife's tasted slightly better (ate her leftovers as I was uber-hungry). Roast carrot sides were delicious. Kids chips were very fresh and crispy, which my picky son appreciated. Friendly, helpful staff and nice enough eating area. Unfortunately one of the many TVs visible was playing music videos, which these days can often contain visuals not suitable for children. One scene in particular had my daughter in tears and having nightmares that night. I never actively watch music videos anymore, but I see plenty at my gym back home and, without context (i.e. I'm listening to my own music through headphones), it's truly bizarre what folk call art in that format these days. I have seen many things which kids should not be viewing. At all.
- Jill Morris Sly
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
As a regular patron of Sawtell hotel for Wednesday trivia (for the past 2-3 years)
I am appalled at the gross price hike in drinks. Last night, without warning, we were charged $16 for a large house shiraz.
Last week it was $12.50.
I see on your website this morning 20th June,the listed price is still $12.50.
What is going on?
Toormina hotel still has Thursday special nachos at $14.50, yet at Sawtell we are asked to pay $5 more ($19.50). Why?
I'll be interested in your response.
Not happy at all. I am thinking of rallying the regular teams to boycott food at drink at your venue.
Jill Sly
Your following question indicate you are targeting visitors not supporting locals.
Therefore you can ignore the responses to those questions as they are not applicable.
- Clinton Lindsay
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Amy always has a beautiful smile on her face, its a great experience every time i come to Sawtell Hotel, she is always welcoming and makes me want to come back, she is such great hostess along with the others. Her outstanding effort to make patrons feel comfortable puts everyone at ease with her fantastic hospitality and makes people want to come back
Regards, Clinton Linsday
- Joanne Carter
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
Always a great experience! The food is consistently delicious as well as a great price point , selection and portion sizes. The atmosphere is relaxed with super friendly staff. Special thanks to Amy and Heath for remembering us and our drink orders when we arrived each time on our most recent holiday in Sawtell
- Mr G (Big Dub)
21 Sun 2024 at 07.39 am
A great pub with an awesome atmosphere. Great selection of food and drinks.
Plenty of space inside and out.
- Heather Hamilton