[GiRTh]

I've been getting really poor service recently. I can't believe the number of shows on TV about food and restaraunteering but I cant seem to find a restaurant that can get an order right. My relatives and friends, who live abroad, have all commented on how expensive eating out is in this country and on how poor the service is. Who has any stories of good or poor service?

[Sunny_01]

We are lucky enough to have some very nice restaurants locally who always manage to provide the greatest customer service. I have been to a few on Newcastle though that are not so great.

We went to one Greek restaurant in Toon that was awful, the food was warm not hot, the order was half wrong and the waiter was indifferent about our complaints. He only became interested when I said we would not be paying our bill unless something was done to improve our overall service.

[GiRTh]

Refusing to pay always gets they're attention. I've been kicking off with waiters so much these days that I'm trying NOT to complain. It's hard I can assure you.

[Mrluvaluva]

I once went to a Chinese restaurant, that is situated on the water in a local dock. I was horrified to see a cockroach run accross the table. They were very apologetic and we got some free drinks, but I have never been back since!

[Legend]

A couple of weeks back we got given two extra meals as the waiter brought them to our table along with our order ... I didn't complain.

But no doubt the people who didn't get their food weren't happy with their wait so I doubt they'd praise it.

[~Kizwiz~]

My brother works for an environmental health company and covers lots of eateries in London.

He was once doing a job in China town and discovered that instead of beef, this restaurant used pidgin instead.

There was another time when he went to do the vermin control in a busy Pub. My brother pointed out that there was mice footprints in the congealed fat in the frying pan. The woman just turn the hob on, melted the fat and said "what footprints?"

Needless to say, he knows which restaurants to eat in

[GiRTh]

Originally posted by ~kizwiz~
My brother works for an environmental health company and covers lots of eateries in London.

He was once doing a job in China town and discovered that instead of beef, this restaurant used pidgin instead.

There was another time when he went to do the vermin control in a busy Pub. My brother pointed out that there was mice footprints in the congealed fat in the frying pan. The woman just turn the hob on, melted the fat and said "what footprints?"

Needless to say, he knows which restaurants to eat in

I dont even want to contemplate that kind of thng.

[Tom]

I never eat in pubs because they are usually dirty. I'll only eat in restaurants that I'm either familiar with or that have been recommended to me.

[~Kizwiz~]

I once ordered a salad...... and a snail popped out of a leaf.

I guess that means it was pretty fresh

[_Max_]

I went out last night and was given then bill before id even finished my main course. i just said "no thanks ill sit here for as long as i want"

[Chri$]

On my sisters Birthday we went to Cardiff for a Meal out to a place called 'Bella Italia'. My sister was waring a New white top and Jeans she has than day and my mum ordered Coffee ad then the water Came with it and Spill it all over my Sister and She hates the Smell of coffee and it was Boiling hot.

The Server man diffident give us Discount, Free Coffee, Nothing and when we got home my sisters leg was red hot because of the burn lol

But food wise Ive been Lucky in every Restaurant I have been to in any Country

[Shaun]

Most restaurants around here are very good, there's nothing really to complain about.

Occasionally you get the nasty member of staff who looks as if someone's just slapped them with a fish, but that's not much of a problem.

London, now that's a different story. Went to a Chinese restaurant last...July, for a friend's birthday, and the service, price, quality of food were all awful.

[Christina]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva
I once went to a Chinese restaurant, that is situated on the water in a local dock. I was horrified to see a cockroach run accross the table. They were very apologetic and we got some free drinks, but I have never been back since!

Oh my gosh x

[Christina]

Luckily most of the resturants ive been to were ok xx

[Conor]

In a Chinese restaraunt near where I live (a weird name I could never spell lol) we were all up at the Athletics tracks annual Christmas dinner thing and the food was good, but the prices were like Ł3.00 for a jug of water?? Ł6.00 for a cup of tea?? Ł65.00 for a mini (4 person buffet)??

All other restaurants I love, and I love eating out! Hate all that proccessed McDonalds junk and Pizza hut. Only fast food I love is probz a Subway Luv em!!

[GiRTh]

Conor's post reminds me of a point I want to make.

I'd rather spend over 15 quid on a main course or 5 quid than anything in between. I think the restaurants where the main courses are 7-12 quid are the ones that are letting the industry down. I also think that pub franchises need to take a serious look at themselves. I live less than five minutes away from one of those pub franchises. I try to avoid the place because I've had so many bad meals there.

[Retroman]

On a slightly related subject...
Ive noticed a lot of poorly set up takeaways around the country, usually seeming to be run by turkish/curdish/greek people etc, that always get the orders wrong in some way or another.

The only thing they even need to concentrate on is getting the orders right, but a lot of places either forget to send you something, or send something you didn't ask for. Or in extreme cases, send you somebody elses meal >_<

[GiRTh]

Originally posted by Retroman
On a slightly related subject...
Ive noticed a lot of poorly set up takeaways around the country, usually seeming to be run by turkish/curdish/greek people etc, that always get the orders wrong in some way or another.

The only thing they even need to concentrate on is getting the orders right, but a lot of places either forget to send you something, or send something you didn't ask for. Or in extreme cases, send you somebody elses meal >_<

Agreed. Also, a friend of a friend does a similar job to Kiz's brother. He tells me that good chip shops are much cleaner and better organised than most take aways.

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Tom_
I never eat in pubs because they are usually dirty. I'll only eat in restaurants that I'm either familiar with or that have been recommended to me.

That is not my experience of pubs, I even have a website devoted to eating meals in pubs

Pubs are mostly owned by national chains so have good standards to live up to.

The one place I eat just about every week is the Fox and Hounds on the West Road out of Newcastle.

[Harry!]

Loves the Harvester in Portsmouth!

[GiRTh]

Originally posted by SticksThat is not my experience of pubs, I even have a website devoted to eating meals in pubs

Pubs are mostly owned by national chains so have good standards to live up to.

I dont agree at all. Just about all of the poor service I've had recently has been in pubs. As I posted earlier, I live five minutes away from an Embers pub. It's dire. There is no pleasant way of putting it. UItter sh*te. I've complained so many times I can't even remember. It used to be good but now I dread going in there. I think the franchise pubs are one of the problems within this industry.

[Retroman]

The Brewers Fayre? pubs are rather nice...
They're all of a good standard from what ive seen.

You can quite often find rather posh looking pubs that serve food in the middle of nowhere too, but I suppose it all depends on your personal experiences.

Carvery's are nice too.

As for the chip shops comment, Id second that.
Seaside chip shops especially, as well as chip shops all over the country that have won awards for being so well run.

One in Skipton that has an eating area outside, with benches overlooking a river, a spotless place with fast service for example.

Never seem to see that with takeaways, not even sure if they get awards at all?

[GiRTh]

Originally posted by Retroman
The Brewers Fayre? pubs are rather nice...

Brewers fayre are OK. I wont include them with the other franchise pubs.

[Hugo]

I L O V E eating out

[Dan_]

I don't often eat out in Stevenage, aside from the Harvester there's not exactly many places that have a good reputation, so me and the family often go to some of the little village pubs in the surrounding area and they all seem to be of a very good standard.

There was an article in the local paper this week about the local authority going around all the restaurants in town and marking them from 0-5 on hygiene and I was shocked by the amount that were on the lowest level.

I've had two really bad experiences with restaurants here.A couple of years ago we went to the local Indian and as I cut apart the chunks of chicken you could see that they were uncooked, they must've only been in the oven for a few minutes.

The worst one was at the local beefeater.I went out with the family to celebrate my Auntie's 40th birthday and I was the only one out of the 6 of us to get the right order! Most of the food was also stone cold or just undercooked.My dad complained and the manager was just so sarcastic and unhelpful and basically told us if we didn't like it we could leave,which we duly did and never returned there again.

I think the only thing well cooked in the whole restaurant was the sunburnt waitress!