The grumpy thread

[High Jetter]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

Why has eating out got to be so fucking difficult, overcomplicated and underwhelming these days? People wonder why hospitality has turned to shit, I think this is why..

Recently soured by a sub-par visit to one of my favourite branches of Harvester pubs, I thought I'd pop into another one of my old favourites - Pizza Hut. Their margarita (was) unbeatable. Subject closed

Firstly greeted with a queue out the door, yet 70% of the tables were unoccupied 🤔 - the flustered manager pops out asking all of us waiting to bear with them whilst the tables are being prepared, fair enough. 

Got given a menu, and he said to scan the QR code on the menu. Ok? Firstly connected to the internet and signed up to all the tosh required for that, after doing this, the page loaded and I was prompted to download and install an app on my phone. From there, it said we need to order our food in the app and pay contactlessly, in order to do that I needed to setup Google pay on my phone (it's a Xioami. No chance. Not happening. Never will. End of) - and then link Google pay to the app. Once all that is done, we order on the phone and it will be brought to us. 

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!

Fuck that, I asked to be served by a member of staff. Begrudgingly, they did.

Why is this the way forward and why does it have to be so fucking complicated to order food in a restaurant? The guests next to us spent about 10 minutes faffing about trying to get an internet connection, by the time they had ordered, our food was served!

Food was absolutely fucking awful, I've been served better Pizza in Wetherspoons for half the price including a pint... They only brought out one margarita which always seems to be the most popular, when they did it was basically cremated and dried out. The other pizzas looked like they'd been sat under the heat lamps all afternoon. 

Other guests were similarly miffed, with a couple of them demanding refunds for the lack of supply at the buffet. So it's not just me being a grumpy git I don't think. 

Spent £45 on lunch for three people and honestly would have been better off going into Iceland in the same town and buying a couple of pizzas for less than a tenner and having them at home.... 

The only places I can actually count on now is the local Wetherspoons and the couple of village pubs which I frequent who serve top quality pub grub. When out of area, I don't think I'm going to bother any more unless it's a Spoons which you can usually count on getting the same standard no matter which one you go to. Oh, and Greene King which is pretty decent, but far more unpredictable.

(Very long) rant over. Fuck chain restaurants. 

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Yup. Use local indy, ideally bistro or family-run. Chains rarely have enough pull.

[Spiny Norman]

Must admit I wouldn't entertain all that palaver just for a shit pizza when I can buy one from Lidl for £3.99 and do it at home.
Any time I eat out it's either the Italian or curry house in town where they know me by name or the local Chinese where the 'family run' ethos extends to the school age daughter waiting the tables.

[Timewaster]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

Got given a menu, and he said to scan the QR code on the menu.

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Probably a clueless manager has taken the head office direction to encourage people to download the app a bit too seriously.

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 31/12/2022 at 08:48, Timewaster said:

Probably a clueless manager has taken the head office direction to encourage people to download the app a bit too seriously.

 

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I was wondering if he's totally short staffed so has the front of house people cooking the pizzas?
Have to admit we went to a chain place in the summer (not having gone anyplace since the first lockdown) and were very disappointed - not sure if our tastes changed over the proceeding two years or what but, now, it's into Tesco/M&S - grab a big fillet steak (8oz will do both of use) mushrooms, asparagus and back home. 

[Bren]

Woke up this morning feeling incredibly ill.

Tested positive for covid. Just like last new year.

[sierraman]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

Why has eating out got to be so fucking difficult, overcomplicated and underwhelming these days? People wonder why hospitality has turned to shit, I think this is why..

Recently soured by a sub-par visit to one of my favourite branches of Harvester pubs, I thought I'd pop into another one of my old favourites - Pizza Hut. Their margarita (was) unbeatable. Subject closed

Firstly greeted with a queue out the door, yet 70% of the tables were unoccupied 🤔 - the flustered manager pops out asking all of us waiting to bear with them whilst the tables are being prepared, fair enough. 

Got given a menu, and he said to scan the QR code on the menu. Ok? Firstly connected to the internet and signed up to all the tosh required for that, after doing this, the page loaded and I was prompted to download and install an app on my phone. From there, it said we need to order our food in the app and pay contactlessly, in order to do that I needed to setup Google pay on my phone (it's a Xioami. No chance. Not happening. Never will. End of) - and then link Google pay to the app. Once all that is done, we order on the phone and it will be brought to us. 

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!

Fuck that, I asked to be served by a member of staff. Begrudgingly, they did.

Why is this the way forward and why does it have to be so fucking complicated to order food in a restaurant? The guests next to us spent about 10 minutes faffing about trying to get an internet connection, by the time they had ordered, our food was served!

Food was absolutely fucking awful, I've been served better Pizza in Wetherspoons for half the price including a pint... They only brought out one margarita which always seems to be the most popular, when they did it was basically cremated and dried out. The other pizzas looked like they'd been sat under the heat lamps all afternoon. 

Other guests were similarly miffed, with a couple of them demanding refunds for the lack of supply at the buffet. So it's not just me being a grumpy git I don't think. 

Spent £45 on lunch for three people and honestly would have been better off going into Iceland in the same town and buying a couple of pizzas for less than a tenner and having them at home.... 

The only places I can actually count on now is the local Wetherspoons and the couple of village pubs which I frequent who serve top quality pub grub. When out of area, I don't think I'm going to bother any more unless it's a Spoons which you can usually count on getting the same standard no matter which one you go to. Oh, and Greene King which is pretty decent, but far more unpredictable.

(Very long) rant over. Fuck chain restaurants. 

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I haven’t even got contactless so I’d be fucked 🤣

[hairnet]

  On 31/12/2022 at 09:27, Bren said:

Woke up this morning feeling incredibly ill.

Tested positive for covid. Just like last new year.

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party animal bastard

hope you dont be too shit for long

 

[MikeR]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

Why has eating out got to be so fucking difficult, overcomplicated and underwhelming these days? People wonder why hospitality has turned to shit, I think this is why..

Recently soured by a sub-par visit to one of my favourite branches of Harvester pubs, I thought I'd pop into another one of my old favourites - Pizza Hut. Their margarita (was) unbeatable. Subject closed

Firstly greeted with a queue out the door, yet 70% of the tables were unoccupied 🤔 - the flustered manager pops out asking all of us waiting to bear with them whilst the tables are being prepared, fair enough. 

Got given a menu, and he said to scan the QR code on the menu. Ok? Firstly connected to the internet and signed up to all the tosh required for that, after doing this, the page loaded and I was prompted to download and install an app on my phone. From there, it said we need to order our food in the app and pay contactlessly, in order to do that I needed to setup Google pay on my phone (it's a Xioami. No chance. Not happening. Never will. End of) - and then link Google pay to the app. Once all that is done, we order on the phone and it will be brought to us. 

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!

Fuck that, I asked to be served by a member of staff. Begrudgingly, they did.

Why is this the way forward and why does it have to be so fucking complicated to order food in a restaurant? The guests next to us spent about 10 minutes faffing about trying to get an internet connection, by the time they had ordered, our food was served!

Food was absolutely fucking awful, I've been served better Pizza in Wetherspoons for half the price including a pint... They only brought out one margarita which always seems to be the most popular, when they did it was basically cremated and dried out. The other pizzas looked like they'd been sat under the heat lamps all afternoon. 

Other guests were similarly miffed, with a couple of them demanding refunds for the lack of supply at the buffet. So it's not just me being a grumpy git I don't think. 

Spent £45 on lunch for three people and honestly would have been better off going into Iceland in the same town and buying a couple of pizzas for less than a tenner and having them at home.... 

The only places I can actually count on now is the local Wetherspoons and the couple of village pubs which I frequent who serve top quality pub grub. When out of area, I don't think I'm going to bother any more unless it's a Spoons which you can usually count on getting the same standard no matter which one you go to. Oh, and Greene King which is pretty decent, but far more unpredictable.

(Very long) rant over. Fuck chain restaurants. 

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First thing I always do when entering a food place is scan the tables , are people eating and chatting or waiting with drinks , do they look pissed off .... Exit ..

Spent a lot of time working in the care system catering for 15 covers or so on my own  ,or working the canteen at lunch . so it's not the hardest job for a team who should be trained and able to do the job  . 

[sierraman]

Half way through building a greenhouse from old Upvc windows, the fucker has been kicked down mid build by some absolute cretin. I’m normally quite a reasonable person but on seeing that I could honestly have killed them with my bare hands. 

[cobblers]

If you want a nice meal out somewhere, avoid every chain. It's nearly 2023 ffs, harvester, Weatherspoons and pizza hut have been absolutely lousy for a good twenty years. 

Any restaurant or pub chain sends all the profits to investors, they have a team of people trying to work out how they can save 2p per meal etc, they're all a race to the bottom. 

At least an independent place generally has someone interested in making a nice meal, and it's usually the owner who directly benefits from the food being good and bringing customers in. 

[fairkens]

Shame because Pizza Hut in the 90s was a decent place, or maybe it just appealed to my 10 year old sensibilities. TGI Fridays similarly circling the plug hole

[cobblers]

  On 31/12/2022 at 15:09, fairkens said:

Shame because Pizza Hut in the 90s was a decent place, or maybe it just appealed to my 10 year old sensibilities. TGI Fridays similarly circling the plug hole

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Yeah, I have fond memories of both places but I think I was a pretty young kid who would be easily pleased by anything that wasn't a frozen pizza from kwik save. 

McDonald's and KFC are genuinely better food than most of the sit down chain places.

[EyesWeldedShut]

TGI opened up in London back in 86/87 when I was working @ Covent Garden and, right from the start, it was queued out and up the street Thurs-Sat nights away. We sampled it on a quiet night and were utterly underwhelmed. Mind you, that was 36 years ago so it's maybe improved?
Better food, drink and company were to be had at The Walkabout Club about 150 yards away.

[Bren]

  On 30/12/2022 at 13:01, GrumpiusMaximus said:

@Ghosty was speaking to an ex-fireman the other day (he was my AA recovery driver) and they absolutely do reserve the right to barge cars out of the way if there's a serious fire and they can't access.

We have the same problem here on our estate.  It's a new-build place (four years) and cars chronically park all over the road despite every house and flat having at least one parking space.  I'd say about 70% of people decided that they'd rather park on the road right outside of their house rather than use the space that's behind their house, the car port they have, etc.

I am waiting with glee for the day that there's a fire (obviously without anybody getting hurt) and all of the cars get barged out of the way.  That day will be glorious.

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I live at the bottom of a cul de sac. Been here for twenty odd years.

My neighbours are lovely - but I want to move.

It's the traffic - it must be the only cul de sac where you could walk out into the road and get knocked over.

Many of the elderly residents that  were  here when we moved in have passed away. Now we have families with 2/3 cars. Plus there is always somebody having work done - vans and wagons trying to get through cause lots of issues. Fairly common for somebody to have their car bumped - us included.

There are too many cars.

[Bren]

  On 31/12/2022 at 15:00, cobblers said:

If you want a nice meal out somewhere, avoid every chain. It's nearly 2023 ffs, harvester, Weatherspoons and pizza hut have been absolutely lousy for a good twenty years. 

Any restaurant or pub chain sends all the profits to investors, they have a team of people trying to work out how they can save 2p per meal etc, they're all a race to the bottom. 

At least an independent place generally has someone interested in making a nice meal, and it's usually the owner who directly benefits from the food being good and bringing customers in. 

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I posted a few weeks ago about beefeater. Dire. These chains are passed around on the stock market - it's why they get worse.

[MikeR]

  On 31/12/2022 at 16:06, Bren said:

I live at the bottom of a cul de sac. Been here for twenty odd years.

My neighbours are lovely - but I want to move.

It's the traffic - it must be the only cul de sac where you could walk out into the road and get knocked over.

Many of the elderly residents that  were  here when we moved in have passed away. Now we have families with 2/3 cars. Plus there is always somebody having work done - vans and wagons trying to get through cause lots of issues. Fairly common for somebody to have their car bumped - us included.

There are too many cars.

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Our cul de sac is the same , I am sure some people try to hit 60 before having to brake over the 100 yards or so , a take off ramp would see some land in the next town !!

 

[mitsisigma01]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

The only places I can actually count on now is the local Wetherspoons

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Try the one in Horsham, you can get frozen , raw and cremated all on the same plate 😕

[hairnet]

  On 30/12/2022 at 20:44, RoverFolkUs said:

Why has eating out got to be so fucking difficult, overcomplicated and underwhelming these days? People wonder why hospitality has turned to shit, I think this is why..

YES.

(Very long) rant over. Fuck chain restaurants. 

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this happens in premier inns

beef brewers etc next door and they have the menu in the room and some food listed but mostly its qr code for the proper menu - also they dont list prices that instantly gets a FRO

used to pick places that had pubs resturants next door now i look for places that dont but have lidl aldi close buy sandwich etc stuff

much like the SVM (TM) did a bike thing a long time ago where we meet at hungry horse

while it was a nice ride out to it the food went downhill = CBA and rather spend ££ on petrol or going somewhere so not done one of those in maybe fifteen years

this place here has a toby and im no fan of roast dinners (ref xmas) but i went to the maccys instead and also £££ for brekky when i can maccys for 4 quid

many tea many rice cake

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 31/12/2022 at 16:42, mitsisigma01 said:

Try the one in Horsham, you can get frozen , raw and cremated all on the same plate 😕

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Don't think I've ever been to that one but Eastbourne opposite the train station and Burgess Hill have never left me disappointed

Keep meaning to try the other one in Eastbourne, used to be a garage I believe

[mitsisigma01]

Horsham one used to be a shit hole ..... Still is ... Just with slightly less sticky carpet 😕

[mitsisigma01]

I've been to many Spoons all over the country, unfortunately Horsham is the worst by far ☹️

[Bren]

  On 31/12/2022 at 17:48, mitsisigma01 said:

I've been to many Spoons all over the country, unfortunately Horsham is the worst by far ☹️

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The powder monkey in Exmouth takes some beating.

[cobblers]

At Bamburgh castle in the camper tonight, they have a few spaces in the 250+ space car park for you to stay overnight. Empty car park with maybe three or four people in it in total.

Some fucker comes and parks their van directly next to us, 2 foot from the sliding door. Literally the whole fucking place to choose from. 

I went out and warned them we'll be in and out slamming the door all night (dogs on steroids and needs a piss every hour). "no problem" they said.

[Stanky]

  On 31/12/2022 at 18:43, cobblers said:

At Bamburgh castle in the camper tonight, they have a few spaces in the 250+ space car park for you to stay overnight. Empty car park with maybe three or four people in it in total.

Some fucker comes and parks their van directly next to us, 2 foot from the sliding door. Literally the whole fucking place to choose from. 

I went out and warned them we'll be in and out slamming the door all night (dogs on steroids and needs a piss every hour). "no problem" they said.

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Let their tyres down, then move your van - just to make sure they don't follow you 

[High Jetter]

  On 31/12/2022 at 16:51, RoverFolkUs said:

Keep meaning to try the other one in Eastbourne, used to be a garage I believe

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Indeed it did, one I knew well back in the day and keep meaning to post about. It's been a 'training' spoons for years, service can be shit at times, food has been ok for us on the few occasions we ate there. The Duke of Devonshire (was Diplocks pub & Calebs night-club years ago) has better food IMHO, especially the burgers which are great.

[Wack]

Shit like this makes me grumpy 

Back in March I inadvertley clicked an ad on Facebook for DVLA services 

I was just clearing messages from African tarts looking for a man, any man when I found they'd messaged me 

Now it's either a scam or worse they can get you a driving licence 

Obviously I didn't ring the number but I wonder how many did and might be driving amongst us 

[Stanky]

  On 31/12/2022 at 20:23, Wack said:

Shit like this makes me grumpy 

Back in March I inadvertley clicked an ad on Facebook for DVLA services 

I was just clearing messages from African tarts looking for a man, any man when I found they'd messaged me 

Now it's either a scam or worse they can get you a driving licence 

Obviously I didn't ring the number but I wonder how many did and might be driving amongst us 

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I understand your frustration, but when was the last time your licence was checked by a traffic cop? For me, it was the christmas of 2003 when I was 'Des' taking some mates home from a gig and the police stopped me shortly after I left a pub carpark and breathalysed me. I passed. Since then, having done probabaly 150k miles over 20 years I've never need to provide any evidence I have a licence, am insured or have a valid MOT.

There is literally nothing stopping you from getting behind the wheel with no licence, and virtually zero chance of ever being caught out unless you are involved in a major collision. I'm amazed anyone actually bothers calling them? 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

  On 31/12/2022 at 17:52, Bren said:

The powder monkey in Exmouth takes some beating.

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Used to go there with my Gran.  She loved it.  She lived in Exmouth for over 30 years...

Interesting* fact.  The character played by Brad Pitt in 'The Big Short' visits a fictional pub in Exmouth to make the trades at the end of the film.  In reality, Ben Hockett (called Ben Rickert in the film) actually made the trades (and thus £55 million) whilst at the Powder Monkey as it had a reliable WiFi connection and he was on holiday in the area.

[Metal Guru]

  On 31/12/2022 at 08:48, Timewaster said:

Probably a clueless manager has taken the head office direction to encourage people to download the app a bit too seriously.

 

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Went to a Chinese restaurant in Blackpool about a year ago , they were attempting to implement a similar system. My wife , who works as an IT consultant, started helping them get it working properly.

Tight bastards didn’t even give us a free meal even though they’d had £500 worth of free help.

[hairnet]

*weeps softly