On Tuesday evening Michael and I went to a local pub/restaurant for a meal after I finished work, our last opportunity before it closed for a month. It’s a place we go to regularly as an alternative to our other favourite, the Black Dog in Belmont Village; the meals are always very good, the staff provide a friendly and very helpful service, and we have never had a problem, however on Tuesday we had the maddest dining experience ever.
A quick look at the menu and Michael decided to have the steak sizzler while I opted for the chicken tikka masala, however when it came to ordering things didn’t quite go according to plan – and this was the conversation :
Me : “I’ll have the chicken tikka masala please”
Waitress : “Sorry, there’s no chicken tikka left”
Me : “No problem, I’ll have the chicken and roasted mushroom pie with mash then please”
Waitress (having gone to the kitchen then come back to our table) : “Sorry, there’s no chicken pie left either”
Me : “Okay, then I’ll have the steak and ale pie instead”
Waitress (back again for the third time) : “Sorry, I don’t know how to tell you this but there’s no steak pie either”
Now where meals out are concerned I consider myself fairly easy to please, however I was now beginning to feel slightly niggled at having to quickly make a fourth choice so –
Me (after a quick glance at the menu) : “I presume you have fish available? In which case I’ll have the hand-battered cod please”
Waitress (having got halfway to the kitchen then done an about-turn) : “Do you want chips with that or do you still want the mash?”
Now I’ve never ever heard of having mash with fish (rather an odd combination I think) and the menu clearly stated that the fish came with chips, so I don’t know how I managed to keep a straight face when I replied “Chips please”
Five minutes later the waitress was back again and by this time I was beginning to think she was attached to our table by an invisible length of elastic, however –
Waitress : “Do you want garden peas or mushy peas?”
Me : “Mushy peas please”
I really thought she was coming to tell me there was no fish available either, in which case I would have just about lost the will to live, but eventually our meals arrived with no further problems and very nice they were too, even though mine wasn’t what I’d originally wanted. I actually felt a bit sorry for the young waitress having to go between our table and the kitchen so many times but both Michael and I saw the funny side of it and we couldn’t help laughing, especially when we heard the same waitress telling the couple in the alcove behind us that there was no syrup sponge left!
We could only assume that because the place is now closed for a month the kitchen staff weren’t making/cooking as much food as they would normally do so it was just unfortunate that three things I asked for were three things they hadn’t got. Michael did point out one thing though – they have special daily deals and Wednesday is Curry Wednesday so I’d love to know what the answer would have been if I’d gone in that day and asked for chicken tikka!
Oh dear, that must have been getting frustrating for both you and the poor waitress 🙂 But knowing they were about to be forced to close, I can see why the restaurant had cut back on what was available, probably to avoid waste. A revised menu quickly printed on a bit of A4 might of helped 🙄
On the upside – you didn’t have to cook, you helped a local business, AND you had a laugh. x
We actually stopped going to the Black Dog after they reopened in July as their revised menu had been so drastically reduced that there was very little on it that either of us would really have, whereas where we went on Tuesday has kept their full menu. The menus themselves are now printed on paper and discarded after each use – it wasn’t exactly busy in there so I’m sure it would have been possible for someone to go through the unused ones and cross off items as they became unavailable. Maybe I should leave a review and make that suggestion. We did have a giggle over it though – the meals are always really good so we wouldn’t let it put us off going there again 🙂
It’s a really convenient place to go to for a meal after work as both Michael and I pass it on our way home from our individual work places. The meals are always really good, I’ve never had the steak sizzler but Michael’s had it a few times and really enjoys it 🙂
A faulty tower’s experience for you.
We used to drink in the Black Dog after climbing in the Wilton Quarries.
At the time, the 80’s, the landlord, a fellow climber, was quite used to after hour’s lockins. Enough said.
They used to sell Holts beers, cheep and cheerful. Is that still the case?
It’s still a Joseph Holt’s pub though I can’t comment on the beer as I don’t drink. The meals are good though, it’s just unfortunate that their menu has been greatly reduced so we have been going to the other place. Hopefully when we eventually get back to some sort of ‘normality’ (?) the Black Dog will have the full menu back on.
Oh dear. I expect they were using up what they already had to avoid waste during the lockdown. I’m glad you got to enjoy your fish and chips in the end. X
I wouldn’t normally have fish and chips when dining out as it’s something I can get any time from the chippy down the road, I much prefer to order something that I wouldn’t usually have. The meal was very nice though even if it was a quickly chosen alternative.
Life In The Mouse House 
Oh dear, that must have been getting frustrating for both you and the poor waitress 🙂 But knowing they were about to be forced to close, I can see why the restaurant had cut back on what was available, probably to avoid waste. A revised menu quickly printed on a bit of A4 might of helped 🙄
On the upside – you didn’t have to cook, you helped a local business, AND you had a laugh. x
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We actually stopped going to the Black Dog after they reopened in July as their revised menu had been so drastically reduced that there was very little on it that either of us would really have, whereas where we went on Tuesday has kept their full menu. The menus themselves are now printed on paper and discarded after each use – it wasn’t exactly busy in there so I’m sure it would have been possible for someone to go through the unused ones and cross off items as they became unavailable. Maybe I should leave a review and make that suggestion. We did have a giggle over it though – the meals are always really good so we wouldn’t let it put us off going there again 🙂
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It’s great that you supported your local and your tea did sound yummy in the end. 🙂 X
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It’s a really convenient place to go to for a meal after work as both Michael and I pass it on our way home from our individual work places. The meals are always really good, I’ve never had the steak sizzler but Michael’s had it a few times and really enjoys it 🙂
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A faulty tower’s experience for you.
We used to drink in the Black Dog after climbing in the Wilton Quarries.
At the time, the 80’s, the landlord, a fellow climber, was quite used to after hour’s lockins. Enough said.
They used to sell Holts beers, cheep and cheerful. Is that still the case?
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It’s still a Joseph Holt’s pub though I can’t comment on the beer as I don’t drink. The meals are good though, it’s just unfortunate that their menu has been greatly reduced so we have been going to the other place. Hopefully when we eventually get back to some sort of ‘normality’ (?) the Black Dog will have the full menu back on.
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Oh dear. I expect they were using up what they already had to avoid waste during the lockdown. I’m glad you got to enjoy your fish and chips in the end. X
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I wouldn’t normally have fish and chips when dining out as it’s something I can get any time from the chippy down the road, I much prefer to order something that I wouldn’t usually have. The meal was very nice though even if it was a quickly chosen alternative.
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