The Barley Mow — Restaurant in Borough of Runnymede

It is not often I have to go back and edit a review, however the service received in here in March of 2014 was so far below what I would deem acceptable, that I felt I had to.

Decided to pop to the Barley Mow for a lunch on the first hot day of the year in March 2014. Upon arrival it did not seem overly busy for a Sunday lunchtime. There was a bit of a delay at the bar getting drinks ordered, and we were informed that there was about (at least) a 20 minute delay ordering food. This was fine as it was a nice day, and we were all in no rush and as we'd found a table outside didnt mind enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.. We ordered the food in two transactions, one straight after the other, giving the same table number.

We finished our first round of drinks and one of our number went back to order two more - Unfortunately he was waiting to be served for around 15 minutes (we were close to sending out search parties when her turned up again). At this point we'd waited about 40 minutes for the food. Shortly afterwards three of the five meals ordered (those in the first order) turned up. The other two of us waited patiently while our compatriots ate.

Once they had finished, I returned to the bar to find out where our meals had gone to (this was over an hour after we initially ordered). The lady behind the bar went back to check the order, and informed me that 'it was to be prepared next'. Over an hour and they hadn't even started preparing it yet?! I was dissuaded from cancelling the order, partly by being told that it wouldn't take long to do now, and partly wanting to stick it out on principle.

At this point our fellow diners unfortunately had to leave to return home, so two of us sat and waited for our meals. About 15 minutes later the food arrived. One order was wrong and had to be returned to the kitchen (another wait while that was corrected), and the portion of chips that had been ordered had gone Missing In Action sometime after being ordered and paid for.

During our experience here, we heard numerous other people cancelling orders after hour + waits. One couple reportedly had called to reserve a table for Sunday Lunch, and canceled their order after an hour wait because their food was nowhere to be seen. Had it been a particularly busy day, then I could understand the wait for food, however it was no busier than a normal Sunday Lunch day.

Overall, the experience was completely poor, and I would not return here for a meal again. I feel that the new owners of The Barley Mow have done the town of Englefield Green and the patrons of this once lovely little eatery tucked away on the Green, a great...

I come here with my in laws. They are semi regular and it’s been very nice. Lunch mostly. Then it all went quite Pete Tong tonight. We ordered around 5.45 and our starters turned up in a timely way. Dinner took longer than we expected so we asked about it. The server said he’d check. We asked again. Then we asked again about 6.55. And it transpired that the order hadn’t gone to the kitchen. We’d expected to be done by now and indeed the post cricket crowd were in and it was busy so we wondered if we should leave. We decided we should eat, so we re-ordered. I spoke to Tom, the manager who was nice, offered the table drinks and actually had the food ready mostly immediately as at some stage it was realised and the order processed. I did suggest some focus and communication when it’s going wrong might be sensible. The food did arrive promptly by about 7.05. Mine twice. (They forgot the egg as advertised). At this stage a competent young gent with a beard took charge of our table somewhat recognising that the experience was in the pan. One of our party had ordered the mackerel. It was overly oiled. One could see, but they were hungry. A mistake, as they couldn’t manage the amount of oil added to the potatoes and mix veg and felt nauseous. We asked for a bucket just in case one of our party vomited. Luckily this did not occur and matters were held down in an eye watering manner. As one of our party said, the steak was very good. We couldn’t face dealing with more staff or managers, and I felt the stress levels were either bad for my heart or hatching ulcers, upon reflection we were all ok, so we escaped promptly. Will my local in laws be back? Probably not. But over the 70 plus years of being here, in Egham, the Barley Mow has had ups and downs. On a sudden downward curve it appears. Could do better. Or appalling. It’s not how it was...

We visited The Barley Mow near Windsor today, hoping to enjoy a casual bite to eat. From the outside, the pub looked charming and inviting – a classic country-style pub that caught our attention from the road. Given the positive online reviews, we expected a good experience. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations.

To start with, the staff were friendly and professional, which we appreciated. However, the quality of the food was quite average and seriously overpriced. A standard burger cost almost £17, and we had to pay an extra £1.50 just to add cheese – making it more than £18 for a very ordinary burger . The burger didn’t feel freshly cooked, more like pre-prepared, and the portion size was underwhelming for the price. The fries were chunky but overcooked and greasy, and the portion was small — served in one of those tiny metal buckets that look better than they perform.

To make things worse, even a simple soft drink (a lime soda) cost nearly £3, which is excessive compared to most pubs we’ve visited across the UK, where this would usually be around £0.5–£2.

The atmosphere was also quite mixed. While the pub’s exterior gives off a quaint, country vibe, inside it felt more like a random dining space without much character. The overall vibe wasn’t particularly welcoming — a mix of locals and people constantly coming in and out to smoke, which was quite unpleasant while trying to enjoy a meal, especially when smoke drifted in every time the door opened.

In short, we wouldn’t recommend The Barley Mow. It may look like a charming stop from the outside, but the food, pricing, and experience don’t match the expectations or the reviews. There are plenty of better-value pubs with much better food and atmosphere nearby – this one...