Astronomer — Restaurant in Braintree

I wouldn’t have even given a star if the option was there. Booked a table for 5pm for two adults and a baby on a Sunday. Wasn’t told when sat down whether someone came to order or if we had to go up. Turns out you go up to the bar you order which we had to guess. Decided what we wanted by 5:15, to then finally have finished the transaction at 5:45 on the receipt! Waited in a one person queue, which was already being seen prior to going up. There were two servers so two people being seen. Waited 20 mins in queue to have order made as the girl with glasses behind the bar decided to leave and make a coffee/tea with the machine and just left. I then had to through having to go through what I wanted again for 10 mins due to mistakes when reciting back at the end of ordering.

Even when I sat down I looked at the receipt and still had mistakes and had to go back up to try and rectify. I’m 8 months pregnant and diabetic, so within 10 mins I took my insulin thinking my food would not be much longer than 30/40 mins. 20 mins after this (so 30 mins after ordering) the children starter only just came out, so had to eat some of that due to feeling faint and light headed due to going into a hypo. No one explained to us that it was “busy” or “sorry for the wait” so didn’t think there was an issue. Until after an hour of waiting for mains, we asked one waitress (who was the same one who was making a coffee at the bar when I was trying to order) walking past how long it’ll be and if she could go and check. She never came back which I don’t really understand, even if she was going for break she could’ve said rather than just not coming back. Saw her on the way out afterwards our the back with a group of at least 4 people smoking so I guess that’s where she was going before. Not really professional.

Asked another woman who said she would go and check after waiting 15 mins for the first girl to come back, she then took 10 mins to go and check and then came back to say 5 minutes. Still no apologies or explaining the reason for the delay. 20 minutes passes and still no food!!

Literally two hours after sitting down do we finally get our mains! baby was going mad, I didn’t feel too good due to the insulin and a really hungry friend. I understand if it was completely rammed but it wasn’t busy at all, and it probably didn’t help that I saw two birthday cakes being brought to tables and two or three waitresses going over to sing happy birthday! If it’s “that busy” then maybe you shouldn’t be taking away waiting staff to do a birthday song!

The food was awful, I ordered the steak from the mix it up sizzler section, at a medium cook with a steak sauce. The steak sauce was stone cold and unfortunately I hadn’t checked before pouring it all over my steak. I then had to wait for a waitress to walk past before I could explain what happened as it ruined my steak due to temp. By then, I’d already eaten my chips and coleslaw. My friends chips were cold and steak was well done rather than medium rare - but he didn’t want to complain and didn’t tell me until after we left because he knew I was not feeling great due to the low sugar. I then had the steak replaced for myself, and wanted it medium as can’t eat too much red meat due to pregnancy and bacteria, to the new steak coming out as basically rare! The sauce which was supposed to be on the side, came on top already poured and barely any on top of the steak. We literally ended up just walking out. Wasted over 2 hours with shoddy service, poor food and was really annoyed and frustrated. Even my baby didn’t want to eat her food so we all had to come home and rustle up something. But we didn’t have much in due to being away for a couple of days and not getting back before Sunday hour closing for supermarkets and thought we’d treat ourselves.

Point of the matter, avoid! Really...

Popped into here after a few hours at the discovery centre. Was expecting it to be busy. No it wasn't. Was informed that they had had a fire in kitchen a few days before so limited menu. No problem with us. We had a small dog with us so sat in the bar area. (Party of 4 adults to children ooo and not forgetting the small dog). Hubby and son ordered drinks and the bar and daughter in law was given printed out menu. Grandaughter ordered of kids menu and the rest of us of normal menu. After a bit of confusion at till with a young chap getting stressed. He walk of and spoke to the chef coming back and just asking anything else. Son and daughter in law had the vegan mushroom pie with mash potatoes peas and gravey. Hubby had the chicken tikka curry and I had the chicken tandoori on the hot plate. Well the mash hard, the gravey cold. The Only thing that warmed it was cutting the pins and letting the steam out. Hubby's curry had hardly any chicken and as for my dish the veg was stuck to the hot plate and would even say half a chicken breast on plate. However we were all starving after 2 hours at the discovery centre we would have eaten anything and I think we did. OK we thought maybe dessert will be better. Hummmm I had the horseshoe doughnut.......very very sticky. Didn't eat the top off it. Hubby and Granddaughter had the mini brownie. Again very sweet overly warmed and hard. Granddaughter didn't eat hers at all. Son and daughter in law shared the crumble. Custard was like water. I always thought that a hungry horse was one step up from a weatherproons but now I think they are a few steps down. Only went because it was on way home. In future will avoid the place. Staff weren't much better as spent more time chatting at bar...but with limited customs what else did they have to do...

Update: 4 years later I visited with my family and had some food I’ve gotta say I have seen this place come on leaps & bounds.

Much better good quality, clearly some refurbishment has taken place but it’s very dated

Bar queues can be a bit long but great to see things improving!

(Updated my rating from 1-3 stars)

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I go here every now and again, the location is great and is a nice place to have a pint.

On a Friday or Saturday night? Except to queue for a beer for a considerable amount of time. There's simply not enough staff from what I can see. Most of the staff are pretty friendly but seem overworked.

Smoking area offers a heater, outdoor seating and a family of rats. As a rat owner myself, id estimate the age of the rat I've seen there at around 2 years old. (Which is quite old for a wild rat!). Though living a great life eating rubbery steak, I think some pest control is in order.

I've seen these rats on multiple occasions (over the period of a year+) and it seems to be a bit of a running joke around Branocs tree punters.

Steak? Please don't bother. Unless you like it to have the consistency of a homeless man's leather boot, id give it a miss.

A while ago I had a long black hair in my food from this restaurant, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt at the time

A year on and nothing has really improved from a food perspective.

I took a photograph of the egg I was served. I've never seen a brown egg white before.. The yolk was cooked so much it had the consistency of an orange powder.

Taking it back to the bar wasn't really an option due to huge queue times. Also attached is how they...