Extremely Disappointing Experience at Ocean Basket Springfield, Durban – Absolutely Appalling Food and Service

We visited Ocean Basket in Springfield, Durban, on Friday, 9 October, for supper and ordered the platter that was on special. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. The quality of the food was absolutely appalling, and we left feeling disgusted and thoroughly dissatisfied with the entire experience.The food was virtually tasteless and poorly prepared. The prawns had absolutely no flavour and tasted as though they had simply been boiled. The garlic butter sauce was an unappetising, thick clump of goo. The calamari was over-fried, while the squid heads were still pink and soft despite our specific request for them to be deep-fried. Even the mussels contained water, further highlighting the poor standard of preparation. We raised our concerns with our waitress, who, in all fairness, was the best part of the entire experience. She was helpful and professional enough to call the manager to our table. Unfortunately, the manager's response was equally disappointing. She appeared completely uninterested in our concerns and offered nothing more than a dismissive, "I'm sorry, we'll try better next time," before walking away. She subsequently sent the waitress to our table with two ice creams, which did absolutely nothing to address the issues we had raised or compensate for such an unacceptable dining experience. What makes this experience even more disappointing is that we regularly visit Ocean Basket at Suncoast and have always been satisfied with the food and service there. We therefore expected the same standards from the Springfield branch. Instead, we were served a meal that was far below what one would expect from an established restaurant brand.This was not only a complete waste of money, but also of our time. The quality of the food was unacceptable, and the manager's lack of genuine concern made an already unpleasant experience considerably worse. A sincere apology, a willingness to listen, and some accountability would have gone a long way. Unfortunately, none of that was forthcoming.This was our first visit to Ocean Basket Springfield, and it will most certainly be our last. I made this very clear to the manager before we left. Based on this experience, we have absolutely no intention of returning.Ocean Basket may have a good reputation at other branches, but our experience at Springfield was nothing short of appalling. Management should take these complaints seriously, because customers deserve quality food, professional service, and a genuine effort to resolve problems when things go wrong. An utterly disappointing experience that has left us disgusted and completely dissatisfied. We will never be returning to Ocean Basket Springfield.