Mr A's Patio Restaurant — Restaurant in City of Langley

My friends and I came in from Vancouver for lunch. This was the destination dining experience for our Saturday road trip to Langley. I wanted to try this place after I visited as a filming site for a movie with Owen Wilson (I forget the name, but I didn't forget the ambience and vibe of the restaurant).

What a total throwback to our childhood! The brass/gold handrails and sconces, the tapestry embroidered chairs, the muzak being played overhead, and the food options. Everything was very nostalgic. The food was exactly what we were expecting but with a inventive twist: mango coconut curry salmon (never heard of this combination) but absolutely loved this surprise and it was plated next to the staples: beef stroganoff, chicken penne, roasted potatoes, raw vegetables, ice berg lettuce, bacon bits and various creamy ranch dressings to name a few. The tandoori chicken was VERY good and was well accompanied by an Uncle Ben's (ish) spiced yellow rice. We wanted to sit in the glass-encased garden patio (hence the name) that we all grew up with via Wendy's restaurants of yesteryear, but all the tables were taken. Just as well, we got a great view of the entire restaurant. The service was fantastic, exactly what I would expect at a buffet. Don't let other people's review fool you. The clientele of the restaurant (on a sunny Saturday afternoon) were mostly older adults in suits and fuchsia suit blazers.

Then dessert time came after we stuffed ourselves with two whole plates of childhood classics. My favorite sweets were these bright neon colored cakes; one was a yellowish-green and the other matched the older woman's fuchsia dress suit as mentioned across the restaurant. The lemon-lime also stimulated a flavor memory of the smell of your Dad's 1990's barbosol shaving cream you would apply to your 7 year old face, and the fuschia one, a stimulating raspberry delight. Both cakes were as light as a piece of paper, but rich and full of emotion!

A resident ghost visited us from a table of older men, maybe in their late seventies from across the restaurant, who wanted to pass on his nephews business card to our friend Erin to set up a blind date. When, later, all three older men piled into a bright red mini cooper and drove off into the hazy afternoon heat coming off the tarmac of the never-ending avenues of Langley, I knew this restaurant experience would never be forgotten. There is something very Lynchian about this place and I hope it never changes because I would love to come back for their roast...

Lunch buffet on Saturday. Ok tasting food, but hot foods were way too greasy/fatty.? I hate it when fat is added to food excessively without adding to the flavor. There weren’t that many food options but for the price, it is very decent. There was stewed lamb (tasty but very fatty), baked salmon in creamy sauce (again greasy/fatty which is just too bad for a baked salmon) rice pilaf (too much added oil), a penne pasta (very fatty), hoisin chicken, roasted potatoes which was way too greasy and not even roasted well. For foods that’s not fried, I am not sure why there is need to add that oil. The lentil soup was great, tasty and wholesome, and the only hot good not laden with fat. There were warm plain bread rolls, a life saver for me.

Cold food consists of a salad bar - romaine, leaf lettuce, your hardier veggies and a variety of dressing and toppings to customize which is nice, bean salad, cold noodle salad, coleslaw, asian style salads, devil eggs were nice to see but too bad they were bland.

Dessert bar - cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, pumpkin pie, Nanaimo bar, brownies, a couple other types of cakes/ mousse cakes. The cheesecake and chocolate mousse were ok, others were too sweet.

After eating the meal, we felt full and bloated but malnourished and unsatisfied as the food was just too greasy and there were not enough quality protein and starchy dishes. I also ended up eating 3 plain bread rolls instead of the rice or pasta to avoid the grease.

Drinks not included in the price but not a problem for us as we always drink water anyway.

Atmosphere was nice. Large windows overlooking a nice green golf course. Really enjoyed the sunny day views.

Service was ok, not great. Staff not coming around to fill water glasses enough. Hubby ran out of water and went to the bar to get his own jug.

Unfortunately, we won’t be returning unless they improve quality of the food. Too bad, I was excited to find a new favorite spot that’s...

Let start with the parking. We arrived Sunday morning 9;30 reservation This parking lot is always busy as we observe a staff member parking next to us right up front next to the handicapped

At the reservation desk I asked "do you allow staff to park right in front "man at desk "yes staff can park where they want.Well I guess guests can park three blocks out on street and hike in.

My friend went off to restroom and the same man "follow me to your table" I see my friend back at reservation desk and finally comes to the table. Paul would not let her in ...."my friend is seated" Paul's reply "Well she probably just walked in and sat there " No your other rude host took her to the table..

The chairs are hard as bricks as all the padding is gone the carpet is gross must be 30 years old.The coffee cup with lipstick on the rim was a lovely added touch.

Now for the food the roast beef looked wonderful and delicious everything else looked delicious

Nope the roast you could not cut server brought us steak knives at our request..she should have brought us new teeth as you could not chew through this very thin piece of beef. Curly fries limp old and cold sausages anemic looking bacon was brittle it shattered when you bit into a piece. Pasta you choked on it was so spicy. The highlight was waffles.

The desert selection was huge however it was not refilled at any point and it was all factory made Good effort on their part but a complete failure.

Over the years we have gone 3 -4 times a year. We had not been for quite sometime and we sure will not be back,until we hear from others that Newlands has renovated cleaned up their staff manners,and most of all made a huge improvement in their food.

We did ask for the seniors discount and that was met with "well cannot ask you if the discount applies. Do your servers look at a child and charge full price? No i think not,they use their...