When looking for somewhere to eat with a teenager and two younger kids in tow in the Falkirk area the Brewers Fayre restaurant seemed like an ideal choice. The restaurant is set in the less than idyllic setting of a motorway intersection with views over to Longannet powerstation but I knew from a visit many years ago that there was a play area to keep the younger kids amused. Family friendly restaurants are generally the last place I would choose to eat if I was with a group of adults but since the boys are prone to be a bit loud and hyper I knew I could take them to Brewers Fayre and didn't have to worry too much about them making a noise or their appalling table manners!

Brewers Fayre is a chain of restaurants serving traditional pub grub in a family friendly environment. I had been to the Kincardine Way restaurant once many years before when my own daughter was small and while the food wasn't brilliant it was reasonable enough and the play area was good. Upon entering the restaurant it was like stepping into a time warp, the place was looking decidedly dated and shabby and in need of refurbishment. The room was a bit dark and gloomy despite it being a sunny day and all the lights being on.

We were seated immediately near to the kids play area. The play area is pretty good, it is a bit shabby like the rest of the place but that didn't stop the kids enjoying it. There is a huge climbing structure at the back of the room housing slides, tunnels, slides and ball pits and is suitable for kids up to 10 years old. There is also a TV set with a VCR player and a bunch of films and an area set up for painting and other craft activities. The member of staff looking after the kids was really nice, she spent a bit of time talking to the kids and supplied a plaster and sympathy for a grazed elbow!

You have to go to a counter and wait in a queue to order your food and either pay for it in advance or open a tab using a credit card. The choice on the menu is not great and the food seems a bit heavy with no salads available. The typical pub choices of shepherds pie, sausages, fish and chips, scampi, pies, chicken or curry were available with only two vegetarian options. There is a Sunday roast offer but we were told there was no turkey on the day we visited. Expect to pay around £7 to £10 for a main course. A kids meal costs £4.50 excluding a drink for two courses and has the usual burgers, nuggets, pasta or pizza served with chips and beans.

There was a long wait for the food to come out and when it came it was far from impressive. The kids were happy with their choices of chicken nuggets and spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread but the adult meals were pretty awful. My fish and chips was overcooked, the thin fish fillet was lacking in taste and had a rubbery texture and the chips were too brown and the peas cold. My daughters chicken burger was fairly nice, a full chicken breast in a bun but it had the most pathetic salad garnish I have ever seen consisting of the outside slice of a tomato and a single piece of shredded lettuce and it was served with coleslaw that was so creamy it was inedible. I really did not enjoy my meal, it was probably one of the worst fish and chips I have ever been served.

Once the main meals had been finished the kids were desperate to go and play again so I ordered the desserts. A small dessert is included for in the kids meal and adult puddings will cost around £4. One child chose ice cream and jelly and the other an ice cream sundae and they allowed you to order a small dessert from the kids menu for £1.50 so my daughter also had a sundae. After 25 minutes of waiting we went to the counter to enquire where our desserts were and shortly after they brought over one dessert which we had not ordered. We had to remind them what we had ordered and then they brought them out fairly quickly, unfortunately one of the sundaes came in a bowl with a big sharp chip on the rim so it had to be sent back and a new dessert brought in its place. You cant really go wrong with ice cream but I noticed that the jelly was from one of those ready prepared pots which has a really weird texture.

The restaurant was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday lunchtime which is normally a peak time for dining but I've got a feeling the locals know this place is horrible so stay away. That peace was shattered when a birthday party came in. The kids in the play area at first but then the kids food was served in the main dining area and you could hear the kids singing and chatting and they played kiddy pop for them too which soon grates on the average adult's nerves.

The service we received was lacklustre at best, the restaurant seemed to mainly be staffed by teenagers who only attended to customers when they were not comparing the size of their hangovers, needless to say we did not leave a large tip for the poor service we got!

I would recommend that you avoid Kincardine Way Brewers Fayre. The restaurant has gone downhill since my last visit a few years ago and sells rubbish food which is served by hungover teenagers in a dark and dismal room. You can't really get much worse than that.


General Info:

Kincardine Way
Bowtrees R'bout
Houghs of Airth
Falkirk
FK2 8PJ

08701 977099