The Railway Hotel, Southend on Sea

I have to say, I was amazed to read that this pub has been refurbished because it looked to me like it's not been touched in decades! It's a big ol' pub with a shabby wooden floor, disused cocktail bar and ancient chairs/tables - not what I was expecting. However, it has a charm of its own, even if a little odd. Old 33rpm records were being played and there was an eclectic of punk/artist types when we visited, including an eccentric gentleman who was sporting the sort of hat only the mother of a bride would wear, complete with netting.

To be fair, we sought out this pub not for its decor, clientele or drinks (though if you want an orange juice it'll be freshly squeezed), but because we'd heard it had a vegetarian menu and on that score we were not disappointed. Prices were reasonable and portions good. As for the grub itself, it was absolutely delicious. For this reason I'd say that first impressions are deceiving, because while it might not look a bit rough round the edges, its food makes it a hidden gem. We travelled a fair way to try lunch at the Railway Hotel but we'll definitely be back.

I'd score it 10 for the food and 4 for the decor, but the food outweighs the surroundings so it's an 8.

26 Sep 2011 13:03

The Swan, Brentwood

We visited on a Sunday afternoon, only about half the tables were occupied but we waited 50 minutes just for sandwiches. The female bar staff were polite, friendly and the chap who brought the food over apologised for the wait.

We visited again on a Monday afternoon, when a different set of staff were there. We ordered the same sandwiches and enquired as to how long the food would be. The barman checked with the kitchen and told us 25 mins. The cutlery I was given was dirty and when I asked for replacements I was told, "I can't make any promises but I'll see what I can do." How reassuring.

After waiting for 35 mins and noticing that there were only three occupied tables in the whole place, I went to ask how much longer the food would be. The barman who'd made the earlier smart-alec comment told me I was wrong about the wait time his colleague had given me for food. His attitude was rude, sarcastic and dismissive. When I said we were running out of time before we had to go, he said, "Whatever."

When the food finally arrived, my sandwich was wrong. The barman didn't apologise or offer to get me the correct one. He literally swooped the plates off of the table and walked off, saying "I'll tell you what, you can have your money back and go."

To our absolute astonishment he wasn't finished there. He said we'd not waited as long as we said we had, "because you've been talking about it for the past 10 minutes for a start" On the contrary, I had the till receipt to prove we were telling the truth. His colleague then appeared and agreed that what I'd said about the food wait time and what I'd ordered was also true. Again, no apology and nothing but hostility and sarcasm.

All we'd done was give this place a second chance after receiving very slow service the first time around. We'd made a point of finding out how long the wait time was and we'd allowed an extra 10 mins on top before asking about our order. We'd not shouted, been rude or unreasonable, yet the way we were treated was absolutely appalling.

We eat at pubs and restaurants at least twice a week, and have done so for many years. This pub goes down as the worst customer service we have EVER experienced.

The only reason we give this pub any rating at all is because the staff on our first visit did at least have manners.

13 Sep 2010 17:14

The Lobster Smack, Canvey Island

A lovely building, but we tried three doors and still couldn't get in! The barmaid had to open a door for us, so not the best of starts.

We went for lunch, based on the strength of reviews on this site. Sadly to say, we left very disappointed. Firstly, the menu asks you to go to the bar to order but when I did the barmaid said she would come to our table. She followed me through... then left us waiting. She stopped to serve other people who had arrived after us who'd made no previous attempt to order, so I thought this was rather rude. We also had to watch as others who came in ages after us were served with their meals first. We had to chase up a starter that had not been put through to the kitchen and I had to remind them about a side order that didn't arrive.

The food is dead cheap (�1.85 for nachos, �3.99 for gammon, egg & chips) but I'm afraid you get what you pay for. The gammon and curly fries were both overcooked and my cheese bap looked as if it had been stored way too long in the freezer because its texture was revolting and its top half just broke off and disintegrated into dried-up pieces. I think even my dog would have turned his nose up at it.

We drove a long way to have lunch at this pub but we certainly won't be going back. One of the worst pub meals I have ever had.

2 Jan 2010 15:21