A Successful Harvest (Harvester Pub & Grill)

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Harvester Pub & Grill
Date:	26/06/09 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unlimited salad, pleasant atmosphere & staff, fresh & delicious food, good prices

Disadvantages: Can get rather busy

I must admit I have a thing for chain restaurants like this, so when I find one that's good quality and reliable I often stick to it when I want to go out for dinner and not burn a hole in my purse!

... What is Harvester? ...
Harvester is a chain restaurant with hundreds of outlets over the country. They're similar to Beefeater in that the pub-restaurant will have it's own name, such as The Timberdine (in Worcester), though I don't think they get as much press. You can find maps and information of your nearest Harvester on their website, along with their menus and nutritional information.

The basic premise of the Harvester chain is to provide healthy quality food at reasonable prices. The best bit about Harvester that sets it apart from other chains is its salad bar; regardless what dish you order you can help yourself to the salad bar as and when you fancy. These places are typically just on the outskirts of most cities, which I think is a good thing because you can park up in their carkpark and enjoy yourself away from busy shopping areas. Harvester's have a restaurant area, and usually a separate bar area, so it has the feel of a relaxed pub where you can enjoy a few drinks or some food, or sit in a slightly more formal dining area. There is usually an outside area too, providing seating and tables.

If you choose to sit in the restaurant area, you will be seated by a member of staff, and someone will come to ask you about drinks and for your order. Whilst the food is being prepared, you can help yourself to the salad bar. After you've eaten you'll get the bill, and can pay via cash/card and choose if/how much to tip.

I've found that each Harvester I've been to has been well-kept and clean, from the tables and the bar area, to the toilets. The general standards around the restaurant/pub always improve your visit, and it's good to know that although the dishes may be cheap, the food and place itself is not cheap or tacky.


... The Menu ...

Harvester, like Beefeater, has 2 main menus depending on what time you visit them. The earlybird menu is available until 6.30pm, where the main dishes are cheaper. Post 6.30pm, you get a slightly larger choice but the prices are slightly dearer. That said, the food is still very reasonably priced. The last time I went, dinner for two plus alcoholic drinks and desserts cost under £20. The desserts I had were free - it's worth checking their website as they often have an offer you can print out and take with you, for example a free dessert (Sundae Best ice-cream) with any main.
The menu is varied and flexible, which is probably why I think so highly of it because you can go for something simple without getting confused by fancily-named (no, I'm not sure 'fancily' is a real word) dishes with additions you don't want.

The Salad Cart - This is usually well-located in the middle of the restaurant area. There are a range of separate sections with tongs for each, giving a good choice of fresh salad and some sauces, including lettuce/onions/corn/peppers. On the top of the cart are two baskets of bread (usually one white and one brown), along with packets of butter. To the side of the cart you'll find dishes and plates.

Starters - from soup and fresh melon, to chicken wings and prawns.

Mains - Their signature dish usually involves spitroasted chicken, which you can either have plain or with spice/sauce (eg. Piri piri/bbq). There's a selection of pasta , (a few curry dishes after 6.30pm), burgers, fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as the good old grilled favourites like steak.

Platters - A selection of items from the menu which are great for sharing.

Sides - Reasonably priced additions to your meal, including onion rings, chips, corn on the cob and garlic bread.

Desserts - There are some very tempting chocolatey and sweet options, such as ice-cream, brownie-skewers, cake and profiteroles, and some healthier alternatives like fruit skewers (which you can liven up with some chocolate dip!). The desserts are, in my opinion, slightly expensive when you consider you can get a main course for £5 (but I find this to be the case in most restaurants and food chains). For example, their Sundae Best is delicious and you get plenty of it, topped off with a delicious sauce (try the Devonshire toffee...lush!) which costs £2.49. The fruit skewers are £3.49 and brownie skewers are £3.99, which is a tad pricey, but this doesn't make a huge difference when you add it to the price of the rest of the meal because the rest of the food is relatively cheap.

Children's Menu - aka the YG (young guests) menu for those under 10, each dish priced at just under £4.

Pub Menu - A slightly smaller selection of dishes for those that wish to eat in the pub area.

Drinks Menu - As well as the usual drinks you'd expect from the bar (soft drinks, spirits, wine, lager etc), they offer a range of Costa teas, coffees and hot chocolates to round your meal off.

... The Food ...

I've only started going to Harvester since last year, but every time I've been I've always been very happy with the food. It's served relatively quickly considering it's usually quite busy and it's hot when it reaches you. Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've never had reason to complain so far. The food tastes like good quality and goes down very easily! It tastes fresh and healthy, and I always make a few trips to the salad bar to top up on red onions (I'm addicted!). The bread at the salad cart is warm and delicious, and the salad is frequently topped up and generally looks very fresh and appealing.

The portion sizes are quite generous, so you definitely get your monies worth.

... The Staff ...

I've always found the staff at Harvester to be very polite and helpful. If you have any queries about the menu, they're more than happy to help. If there's something you want to swap or not have on your plate, just ask and they can usually arrange it. Ie. If the dish comes with fries but you want mash, or if it says there's sauce ask for it on the side/without it. I feel very comfortable asking members of staff for help because they're willing to help you without you feeling like you're nagging or being a pain.

... The downsides? ...

I can't really think of anything negative to say about Harvester as I've never had any problems, but I guess the only thing I would say is that it can get very busy. Although the staff try their best to keep the salad cart topped up and serve you as quickly as possible, I've been once or twice when things have run out. For example, the last time I went they ran out of white bread rolls for a while (luckily, greedy me had already taken mine!). But on the whole they're very organised so I can't complain about anything too minor.

... Overall ...

I would definitely recommend Harvester if you want a delicious tasting meal, some healthy fresh salad, a yummy desert, perhaps a few drinks, and an overall positive experience without a large bill at the end of it!

Summary: A good choice for reliable food at a good price :o)