I truly hope that I'm not eating horse! (Hungry Horse)

Member Name: emmachilcott

Product:	Hungry Horse
Date:	09/06/09 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, convenient and the kids seem to enjoy it.

Disadvantages: Suspiciously cheap!

The Hungry Horse chain of pubs are a well known and established brand and they can be found all over the UK. As luck would have it, our local Hungry horse restaurant is only a 10 minute walk away from where we live, which makes it a really convenient alternative for when I simply can't be bothered to cook. Having said that, our visits are few and far between, and I am always a little bit nervous whenever we visit.

I guess that we go back every now and again because I feel comfortable with the children being there and because of the reasonable prices. A family of four can easily eat and drink for under £25, and nine times out of ten, everything is fine, so why do I view each of our visits with such trepidation?

I can't help but question how they manage to turn everything out so cheaply. You can get a 10oz rump steak on a massive plate with all of the trimmings for £6.99. I would struggle to make this for less at home. I know that they buy in bulk and so probably get large discounts, but they have large overheads, and staff costs to cover, so they must be paying next to nothing for the food. The drinks are also inexpensive compared to a lot of other pubs, so they can't make their money here. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but something very suspicious is going on here!

The quality of the food is adequate, and you really do get exactly what you pay for. I'm not complaining in the least, because if I want gourmet food, I should go to a gourmet restaurant and pay gourmet prices! This is simple, traditional "pub grub" for want of a better phrase. I tend to avoid the steak, as even though it is good value, in my experience it is usually cooked badly, and quite chewy however it is prepared. I usually stick to the basics, like an all day breakfast, or a burger, where they can't possibly go wrong, and so far I have been pleased with my decisions! The menu is quite comprehensive and I can imagine that there will be something for everyone. There is a good range of vegetarian meals, and salads which are very substantial. The dessert menu covers everything, hot and cold, and even though I'm not a dessert kind of person, I am sometimes tempted by their famous Candymania delight which is definitely one to share between the whole family but comes in at only £4.99

Every Wednesday there is the "curry club" where you can get a curry and a pint for £4.99 - much cheaper than a takeaway, and at various times of the year, there are many other special offers. We very regularly get money off vouchers in the post, which usually prompt me to go - I'm not sure if we get them because we live close by, or if everyone receives them? At the moment (and it looks like a long-term offer) you can get two meals for £8 all day, Monday - Friday. We usually take up this offer for my sons as they are a bit sick of (and feel too grown up for) the children's menu, however having said that, I have seen worse children's menus in the past at much higher prices.

Children have their own brightly coloured but less than inspired menu, where they can get a pick'n'mix meal for £3.99. This consists of the main bit - sausages, hotdog, burger, fish sticks, and chicken fillet, then the "potato bit" - chips, mash, twists or jacket potato, and then the side bit - beans, peas, salad or carrots. This is all a bit average, but on the reverse of the menu they can get different things like pasta, curry and pizza from £2.99. Their own desserts and drinks are available at reasonable prices.

On occasion, I have found the tables and the menus are sticky and dirty, so I would question what the kitchen looks like if the front of house is unpleasant, but sometimes you are simply better off not knowing! I have had one bad experience and this was regarding mashed potato! It was clearly powdered and on this occasion, it hadn't been stirred or dissolved properly and tasted terrible. If a chef can't prepare instant mash, it's a pretty poor show!

Some of the tables have small TV screens right next to them, which I personally think is bad idea as there is a time and a place for TV, and at the dinner table just isn't it in my opinion, especially if you are dining out as a family. Maybe they are just trying to distract you from the quality of the food!

We generally have to queue for quite a while when ordering our food, as the same member of staff who takes the orders, also gets the drinks. I appreciate that this is keeping costs down, but at peak periods, an extra person behind the bar would make the world of difference.

In the bar area there are large screen TVs which regularly show important sporting events, and there are pool tables and fruit machines. The drinks prices are very good and so if you just want a pint, there are worse places to go!

I really do have mixed views about this place, but all I can say is don't expect too much, and you won't be disappointed!

Summary: I wouldn't recommend this for a special occasion, but its fine for tea!