California Native

If you went out on a blind date with California Native you’d probably leave the night thinking how could something so good looking lack any substance and be so disappointing?
You see everything on the surface is great, you walk through the doors and this place has an awesome fitout with a great vibe. The guy that greeted us at the door was friendly and seated us promptly. A+ on that front, so you’re thinking initially that you want to turn this into a casual dating situation. Yeah I like to move fast, when somethings right why wait?
Complementary corn chips and salsa come out, and you’re really starting to like this place, I mean who doesn’t like free chips and salsa? No one — that’s who! Now you’re thinking «have I finally found the ONE?»
Then the cheery staff take your order and you’re just salivating over this amazing meal that you’re going to have… And you keep waiting… Waiting some more… Aaaaand some more. Suddenly only half the tables’ meals come out and everyone without their food sits watching the poor souls who have food awkwardly decide if they tuck in or wait for everyone else.
When you finally get your meal, it’s big, yes sir it’s impressive — it looks real good and you tuck in. Oh, oh, oh… And this is where the real disappointment starts setting in. The tacos were so bland and unimpressive I took two bites out of each and then with the most dramatic way possible let out a disappointed sigh. I’m going home alone tonight, I did not find my soulmate restaurant. I’m reliably informed the chowder was acceptable, however my heart is broken and I shan’t return.

We went there when it first opened. We were not impressed. Food cold, coming out at different times,(Hey staff, we know the difference between Tapas and an Al La Carte menu) Drinks that were ordered never arrived. We put it down to «teething problems» of a newly open venue. We decided to let the venue settle in and iron out their problems. Wrong. Food is now very bland and generic i. e no spice or taste, we ordered extra chilli for our nachos. This was not delivered until we asked for them about 5 mins after meal arrived. Staff more interested in chatting to each other than checking on their patrons. One positive is the portions are a very good size. Would not recommend this restaurant.

Being touted as Brisbane’s newest Americana/​Cali/​Southern American restaurant bar, I was expecting another hole in the wall dark hipster joint full of greasy burgers and chicken wings, such has been the craze of late. So imagine my surprise when I walked in to a massive well-​lit restaurant with ambient music and families with kids. It was Sunday lunch, to be fair.
But despite what the name California Native suggests I was actually faced with a primarily Mexican menu. And a damn fine one at that! You have all the staples such as tacos, enchiladas, nachos, jalapeño poppers, chilli fries, et al… mixed in with a few «American» choices like the Wagyu beef burger, seafood chowder and banana splits.
Only 6 weeks old and the place was already pretty popular for a Sunday. We strolled in with no booking but the owner told us they were getting pretty busy at nights and reservations would quickly be necessary.
Prices are good for the generous serves. You get complimentary home made salsa verde and corn chips on arrival. Bottled water is waiting for you on the table. The wait staff are attentive and keen to offer suggestions. I’ll definitely be back. Good for large groups too.

My family and I visited California Native for my Mum/Brother’s birthday. A family friend recommended we give it a try (after being for lunch earlier in the week).
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love the restaurant it turned out to be a horror of a night.
The cons:
— food took over an hour and a half to come out
— whilst waiting for dinner, rounds of drinks took ~20mins to arrive
— when the food did arrive, it didn’t all arrive at the same time and half our table finished eating before the other half had received their meal
— a number of the dishes arrived almost inedibly cold
— the food pricing seemed disproportionate to the value of the meal
— the service we received was less than acceptable
The pros:
— the décor looked the part and evoked a sense of excitement when we arrived
Overall, California Native has a lot of work to do. Unfortunately based on my first visit I would not only put it in the «wouldn’t visit again» category but I would also go as far as to actively discourage others from trying it out.
Whilst I can understand there are bound to be some initial teething issues, if these aren’t balanced correctly by managing customer expectations and friendly customer service, unfortunately the whole thing falls apart. When you pay good money to get to/​from a restaurant and for the food, you expect the experience to be one you will remember for all the right reasons. Unfortunately our experience will be remembered for all the wrong ones.

Checked out California Native, on 420 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo recently. It’s a brand new eatery & bar that offers American & mostly Mexican cuisine ranging from Tacos ($ 8), Nachos ($ 11-​$ 15), «Big Hero» Salads ($ 18-​$ 21), as well as Starters ($ 8-​$ 14), such as «Chilli Fries», and Mains ($ 18-​$ 32), such as the «Pasadena Steak con Queso». The décor is very funky, with lots of Californian & Mexican memorabilia, a cactus garden at the front, retro posters, artworks, an old wash basin converted into an art piece with a «day of the dead» theme, and the centrepiece, a lit-​up Californian Maple tree. We were here for lunch, & overall it was a little «hit & miss».
The hits: The food was all very tasty and filling, that we couldn’t even order dessert! Awesome. The complimentary fresh made corn chips with salsa dip. A great way to start.
The misses: Some of the staff, lack the friendly vibe & passionate disposition, of working in such a cool venue, that you get at other cafes/​restaurants. This includes just checking in from time to time on the customer & communication when delivering the food to the table. Making a reservation was also a little frustrating, in that no one picks up the phone, and when they finally
return your call hours later, it’s too late. They are still new and finding their feet I suppose.
That being said, California Native is definitely a great place to take your family for a («family friendly») delicious meal, and even drinks with friends on the weekend to sample some Mexican Tequila, or the Californian Wine & Craft Beers, as well as the Californian — themed cocktails. We will definitely be back to try eveything else on the menu! We ordered (to start), the «Mission Viejo Taquitos» ($ 12), a slow cooked beef rolled in a corn tortilla. Yum! The journey in Mexican yumminess continued with the 3 Tacos ($ 21), slow cooked chicken, pork and beef. Mains, were the Montery Bay Toasty Fish Sandwich ($ 24) with chunky fries. Best fries we’ve had in a long time. So light, crisp, & not oily. The fish sandwich was a massive serve, buttery & melt-​in-​your-​mouth superb. We also tried the Baked (chicken) enchilada, wrapped in corn tortilla with Spanish rice, black beans, salsa & oven baked cheese, served with a house-​made enchilada sauce & sour cream. Delicious! So filling. Based on that food, we will definitely come back and try the rest of the menu.