Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a lot of changes when I visited Caffe Primo (Café Primo). I resisted updating my review until I had a definitive experience. So, as of today (28th April 2008), I decided it’s time to update this post.
Updated Review:
I’m withdrawing my verdict. I believe that Cafe Primo no longer deserves the title “best cafe chain in Adelaide”. At least, not in my book.
My two main reasons for this:
- Prices have definitely gone up. Minimum price per meal now is around AU$15. The old deals have all disappeared. For that kind of price, I’ve got a lot more options. And, Caffe Primo won’t be topping my list.
- While prices have gone up, quality of the food and the service have gone down. I’ve experienced wait staff trying to rush me off to finish my meal. And, management staff being less than friendly. The garlic bread that I used to love so much has now became dry and tasteless. Really not impressive.
And no, the lame TV commercials definitely don’t help either: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Gah. Seriously?
Well, Caffe Primo folks, the answer to that question now is: Obviously not.
The only positive change I’ve seen in Cafe Primo is that they’ve increased their food offerings in their menu. But, even with more choices, my desire to go and eat there has definitely decreased. And, I’ve stopped raving about the place.
It really saddens me when I see something like this happen to what started out to be a good thing.
OLD REVIEW:
Cafe Primo is probably one of the best cafe chains in Adelaide, Australia. I’m not sure if there are other Cafe Primos elsewhere. Anyway, this is a great place to eat some good food for affordable prices. They have set menus that are divided in to AU$9.95, $14.95 and $19.95 meals.
My favourites from the 9.95 meal are: Garlic Prawns with Rice, Pasta Alla Panna, and Calamari with Chips. From the $14.95 meals: Prawn Gamberi Risotto and Pasta Carbonara top the list. From the $19.95 meals: It’s gotta be the Surf and Turf (Steak with Prawns and Chips). All these meals are served with salad.
Also, lunchtime meals come with a free small sized garlic bread per meal. For dinner, you get a free pancake with cream and maple syrup per meal instead.
I definitely recommend the garlic bread. They’re absolutely yum!
Down sides of the place: It can get really noisy and crowded. So, sometimes, you must allow for some waiting time. And, to avoid getting disappointed, you might want to book seats in advance, especially if you’re going out on a busy night in a popular location.
The thing with Café Primo though is that because of its success and popularity, you can find one nearly anywhere in Adelaide. Just check the phone book for locations and contact information.
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hi just wondering if you can help we love love cafe primo how do you make their garlic bread??? thanx hope you can help!!! cheryl
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Shai Coggins reply on June 9th, 2008:
cheryl: No, sorry. I don’t have the recipe. The current folks at Cafe Primo may not even have it either – seeing as the old garlic bread’s gone. Good luck with your search.
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James reply on April 20th, 2011:
i worked there i know how to do it
first the dough is made simple flour suger salt water and yeast
the garlic butter is simple to make just butter garlic and parsely people it.it also helps having a high class oven that and cook in in 30 seconds if u wanna know anything ill tell ya
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michael reply on September 14th, 2011:
i think you forgot the oil buddy
Darn that’s a shame I hate being ripped off. Last time i went to Cafe Primo I really liked it epsec. their prawn or pasta alla panna dishes and i too got the free pancake. I havn’t had a chance to check it out recently I am curious what new menu they have and hope they havn’t cut the things i liked about it.
I tend to goto South Road Morphett Vale thats in Adelaide Sth Australia.
I have read online that their are a few Californian Cafe’ Primo’s in the USA I wonder what their prices are like lol.
Thanks for the review
love mel
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Shai Coggins reply on June 9th, 2008:
melanie: Glad you found the review useful. I’m not sure if the Cafe Primo in the US is the same as the ones here. Thanks for dropping by!
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My family loved Cafe Primo, but now with menu prices rising and portion sizes getting smaller, it is no longer a weekly outing to dine there.Bring back the old menu and prices and the restaurant will be packed again.
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Shai Coggins reply on June 9th, 2008:
Janet: As I shared here in this post, I can’t blame you for feeling that way. do wonder if it’s a case of growing a business too much, with too little thought. I do miss the old Caffe Primo too. I Thanks for dropping by!
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I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR PREMISES AT MORPHETTVALE. ON THURSDAY 18TH SEPT. AT 10 MINUTES TO EIGHT IN THE EVENING MY DAUGHTER AND I HAD FINISHED SHOPPING AND WENT TO CAFE PRIMO AT MORPHETTVALE, AND IT WAS CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW RIDICULOUS ON A LATE NIGHT SHOPPING NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET REAL AND STAY OPEN TILL AT LEAST TEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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lyn: First of all, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had a bad experience, but I’m afraid there’s no need to shout in an online forum. Putting ALL CAPS is a form of shouting online. Secondly, I do not own Cafe Primo. I only reviewed it. I suggest you call the management of the company to voice your opinion. I do not have any close ties with them.
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Hey Shai,
It looks like your sentiments are being reflected over at Facebook too!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40477987068
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As a chef i lasted 2 nights at Primo rundle st Adelaide,if you eat there be prepared to be very ill!! During the opening night of the Fringe had i not intervened and objected customers would have been served up to 5kg of rancid chicken tenderloins,around 5kg of rancid calamari rings and around 3kgs of the stinkiest prawns i have ever smelt in my 10+ years as a chef. add to this week old lettuce mix,fermenting tomatoes and your chicken breasts cooked then cut up where a raw bloody steak had just been. Yes you have been eating this vile selection. There were no dates on any of the prepped stock and no rotation in place. The chips and wedges that were cooked throughout the evening was foaming so bad the fryers nearly boiled over. Other cowboy unqualified cooks that work there and at other Primo’s tell me that this type of quality control is rife amongst the group. The owners Anthony and Steve are simply greedy unscrupulous operators that care more about there take home pay whilst they rip there customers and also there employees by not paying award wages and proper superannuation payments.These guys took a shitload of cash that night,i predict around 500-600 meals were served that night,many of which would have been warm chicken salads and chicken ceasers and heaps of fryed prawns and calamari that would have been rotten had i not thrown to the bin.
BE WARNED you’ll need the stomach of a jackal to bare the so called “food” they serve at these premises. Oh yeh RATS and cockroaches are rife in there dry store and no they have not called the exterminators because this will eat into there profits.
When i raised these issues with the owner Anthony i was told my services would no longer be required. I was glad to go as no self respecting chef/cook would work in such
a slophouse.
PRIMO? Primo what? Primo salmonella thats what! Take your $$$ elsewhere, and remember when you pay cheap you get cheap ingredients cooked by unqualified cooks in unsanitary conditions ran by greedy operators.
Yes i will be notifying the authorities, i am duty bound as a chef to alert them and the paying public.
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Michael reply on September 14th, 2011:
I can vouch for that too, I used to work at Rundle st Primo as well and the conditions were fairly good until the owner sold up and Anthony and Steve took over. It was really disgusting to see what was happening. these kids have no idea how to run a business. They have no respect for their customers and treat their staff like dogs. I am a experienced chef, and i have never experienced such poor conditions in my life, this place is worse than you see on Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay! I totally agree with the previous statement. they have recently moved to Salisbury now. this is Caffe Primo’s second attempt at this location. When Caffe Primo shut down in Salisbury, Stars Cafe opened, then unfortunately they shut down too, now Caffe Primo have returned with the worlds worst business owner. Where is Chef Ramsay? what a bitter disappointment.
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I went to caffe primos last night at Tea Tree Plaza. Im never going back there again. The food is pretty disappointing, they dont seem to take much pride in serving it and preparing it. Also the food doesn’t seem very fresh. Never order a Schnitzel there with gravy, i cant believe how disgusting the gravy is. So much for their meals to be $9.90, they are a rip off. Yeah i dont mind spending a bit of money when i go out to eat as long as its DECENT, and caffe primos defently isn’t.
The Weightresses are air heads and dont seem to know what they are doing. They also don’t have a positive attitude when it comes to customer service, they don’t seem to try. When a weightress served me my pancake, when she was placing the plate on the table she accidently tipped it up a bit and the cream and golden syrup went all over my napkin and knife and fork. I know accidents happen, no ones perfect but a simple sorry about that would have been good.
Another thing that really turned me off was going into their toilets, it smelt (i know toliets do tend to smell) but this smelt like it hadnt been clean for awhile. and when i walked into a cubical the floor was dirty and the actual toilet wasn’t excatly clean. Have you heard of Hygiene caffe primo!
Ididn’t like the state of the table i sat down at because it wasn’t clean properly, dried up food marks were all over the place. Didn’t look nice.
I Would say one thing that is good at caffe primos is that you get a free pancake with a meal and also your able to help your self to free water near the bar.
i dont know if all caffe primos are like the one at Tea Tree Plaza. But since i didn’t have a great experience there im not going to bother going to any other primos.
thanks for listening
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i didnt get to taste the food as the customer serv ice was so bad at the blackwood Cafe Primo. Thanks to janine. got my orfder wrong then said it was my fault? ? ? Got a refund and got out of there.
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Hey,
My sister and myself dined at Tea Tree Plaza a little while ago… firstly they got her order wrong then they replaced her meal with the correct one and we found 2 bugs in the salad now when we found the first i said to her not to worry as it can happen, but 2 in a tiny salad is crap… so they replaced it with a large greek salad which i was happy with cause i love greek salad…. but soon after receiving it on the table behind us also found one in their meal, so we were a bit put off so we didnt eat the salad.
Service on this day was good toilets are pretty dirty and scummy. But i disagree with you guys on the prices i think that it is reasonable as long as your meal is good and if you don’t mind waiting i suggest complaining and they tend to correct it, the table that also found a bug receive 4 free beers and 4 meal vouchers…….. complaining must be the key to good service and food and im sure if every with complaints informed the manager then things would start to change around there… But i find it funny that i am making these complaits but i am still going there for lunch this arvo.
Thanks
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