cheap bin food (Peacock Lodge Restaurant and Bar (Newchapel))

Member Name: The pub Food Guru

Product:	Peacock Lodge Restaurant and Bar (Newchapel)
Date:	08/04/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: hungover and 18 then this is your place

Disadvantages: everything else

I first visited the Peacock in 2000 and found it to be an extremely depressing affair. Poor service very poor food and atmosphere of a wild crèche. With no intention of going back. When it was suggested that we take our Mother out for lunch by my sister; she suggested the Peacock! My thoughts and suggestion were to find somewhere completely different after my previous experience. After a few web searches I found one review which was highly complimentary right down to the last minute detail. (on this website) My oh my! was this the same place I went to all those years ago. Could it really of improved that much? New owners / new management? Did the reviewer have any personal relationship with the restaurant for such a glowing appraisal, was there a bit skulduggery going on here?
Who knows on the skulduggery front but I do know now whether it had improved after that Sunday.
Firstly must say staff were very courteous and helpful throughout and coped very well with a busy day, one of your busiest I'd guess. Car parking suitably adequate, always a bonus not having to walk miles to find a space. The cleanliness of the premises is good including the toilets. I think that sums up the good points. THATS IT!! Lets be honest and frank here

Right the not so good points and the downright atrocious.

There were a lot of people round us in the restaurant complaining about the length of time waiting for food. Now we were in no rush and had a table booked for 8 . We ordered some garlic bread for everyone that arrived in aprox 20- 30mins. Ordered three garlic breads with sauces, got four, oh well not a problem it was eaten anyhow after waiting. One was delivered with the wrong sauces. Again not the end of the world and, nothing wrong with a bit of variety I say.
Main dishes were ordered as follows.
3 hamburgers, 3 lamb roasts, one 16oz steak (medium, Rodeo) and 1 x mixed grill. Lets start with mine first the steak 16oz Rump. I asked for the rodeo style and cooked medium. It wasn't cooked medium but well done. The reviewer I mentioned earlier, described the steaks as being tender? No it wasn't. Not mine that is. More like cooked Liver! Which was sort of disguised under a 'lake' of BBQ sauce. Normally any sauce would come in a separate pot / jug or on the side of the plate? NOT poured over the whole plate. It was swimming in it; there must have been something like a 200ml of it. The steak was certainly cooked to death but had been drowned just in case anyone thought it might have any life left in it!
I can assure you the 16oz Rodeo steak was DROWNED, DEAD and not coming up for air anytime soon! The accompanying onion rings, which there was two, both stone cold with two greasy, also stone cold mushrooms? Is heat optional on the menu?
The mixed grill was quite reasonable I'm informed but for the same individual price have tasted far better quality in produce.
The Hamburgers. You know I actually wished I had chosen one myself. Had a bite and very tasty and more than ample. Full marks.
The lamb roasts? Simply appalling an inexcusable to be served as they were.
Vegetables? Carrots broccoli, cook for 10 -12 minutes depending on required firmness. 8 minutes Al dente. Does a customer need to tell the "chef" here how to cook vegetables? They must assume that all your customers are over the age of 85, lost the sense of taste and teeth years back. Absolute mush that obviously then had been left out under hot lamps or reheated forming a volcanic crust. Peas? Remember the bit about customers having no teeth? Well if they have the ' Peas' regularly I'm wouldn't be surprised to find denture cream on the menu soon. Hard as marbles Yorkshire pudding? pre packed gritty grease holder. Stuffing? Just a larger marble to the peas. Roast potatoes? Roasted and roasted and roasted again just for luck. Charcoal lumps more like. Lamb? Where was it? Oh yes there it is hidden! In the shadows of the 'pre packed gritty grease holder' Yorkshire pud. If the menu states lamb roast, you would assume lamb is not an optional extra but the main dish. But was that a bad thing? Who knows as the meat was simply vastly overcooked again? No chance of getting food poisoning from undercooked food here. Although charcoaled food can be carcinogenic? Really the roast dinners are just inedible and certainly not be served to anyone let alone paying customers. Because they offer a two for one deal it doesn't mean they can serve up 50% of the food in such a state.
I can only see their business strategy is pile em' high to the rafters, get them in get them out. That's pile customers high not the onion rings! Now they could say 'they we are full regularly so I must be the exception to complain?' Just the three tables around us may beg to differ?
When I went to pay the bill the lady behind the counter just said £111.10. I had to ask to see the bill. Do they have customers who don't check the bill or don't normally get given one ? So I asked for one, she did look a little perturbed. The extra garlic bread wasn't charged thankfully.
We aim to be the UK's Best Managed Pub Business where "every customer recommends us to a friend" and we are committed to offering the best customer experiences." - Spirit group web site.
That maybe the groups aim but the peacocks own aims I can only suggest after our experience are "let them make do and see if they complain?"
The mains courses did take 90minutes to arrive after ordering. I didn't mind as good food takes time. That's good food!
I'll remind my sister to book anywhere else but the peacock next time.
Simply, may I suggest just visit a local Beefeater or even a Harvester to understand about customer service and food quality.

I wrote both to the management at the peacock and to the spirit group if they would like to reply to my comments. Since writing to them 3 weeks ago . . ?
guess what nothing no reply whatsoever. Like I say get 'em in get'em out!

Who would i recommend to visit this place? If youve been out on the lash with your mates the night before hand and you fancy a hair of the dog and wait around for something to fill a hole then this is your place. Cheap but atrocious food. The hamburgers are the exception though, so just right for a group of mates to talk about the previous nights exploits over a beer and a burger on the cheap.

Don't go here intending to have a decent meal unless you like BBQ sauce though. I still await the owners reply but lets say i won't hold my breath.
Sorry but AVOID LIKE AN STD!

Summary: AVOID!! there much better places just up the road