The Black Horse — Restaurant in Brentwood

NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY! Visited the black horse restaurant in brentwood this evening with my mum who had drove quite a long way to visit myself in the area my sister and brother in law who also brought their infant aged 2 years. My brother in law and sister visit the restaurant regularly and have had nothing but praise for the restaurant and it’s staff, tonight however one particular staff member has completely put us off from visiting ever again and I would not recommend this establishment as family friendly. FAMILIES STEER CLEAR!! The restaurant has no rules on children accompanying their families to eat. My just two year old niece is just learning how to behave and going through the steps of every young infant, instead of walking up and down chasing her around the restaurant or enduring any tears while she sits and waits for her food to be served my sister decided to sooth her with playing her favourite tv programme from her phone, we could have only been in the restaurant for around 10-15 minutes at which point a very stern and agitated waitress stormed over to our table looked at my niece in a very distasteful manner and screamed “turn the phone down will you? Not everyone in this restaurant would like to listen to children’s programmes” rolled her eyes and before we could even reply as it took us a couple of seconds to fully register how she had just spoken to us she stormed off. While still trying to register how she had spoken to us, she came back to serve the table directly behind us and started to shame us to the other customers. This was extremely distressing for my sister as mother she has high and lows and to be shamed and looked down upon by two adult customers and a staff member at a restaurant where a certain amount of diplomacy and manners are expected it was absolutely disgusting. I decided along with the rest of my family that we had been made to feel extremely uncomfortable and that we should leave. Before leaving we asked to speak to the waitress and also a manager, I think we spoke with an assistant manager and herself, my mother expressed how uncomfortable she had felt by this, my sister on the other hand could barely speak instead she took her two year old infant and sat in her car crying for the best part of 20 minutes feeling ashamed. I expressed to ‘Linda’ the waitress that the manner she had spoken to us in was completely appalling and that if she would have spoken politely and asked perhaps with a please and thank you there would have been no problem with what she had asked, of course we would respect other customers around us as they should respect us also, we were on our own table minding our own business and we did not need to be spoken to or humiliated in that manner because the child accompanying us was watching Ben and Holly from a mobile phone. To my amazement she then seemed she wanted to argue she sniggered and said well the other customers said to me well done, re affirming that she had been talking about us and shaming us to the customers behind, what kind of staff does this while serving people at a restaurant? My sister is completely distraught and humiliated. Thank you Linda a big round of applause to you, you have humiliated a mother, ruined a night out for our family, so you most definitely deserve a well done. Absolutely disgusting behaviour and I will not recommend nor step foot in this restaurant ever again! And I would recommend that families most certainly steer clear unless you want to be made to feel completely innapt as a parent. Also the restaurant was not a library and it was not quiet people were chatting as they should, enjoying themselves drinking at the bar and filled with laughter, I’m sorry one child’s programme on a small mobile phone completely distrupted the ambience of the restaurant and that we needed Linda to speak to us in such an appalling manner, shame us to other customers and then instead of perhaps apologising and perhaps saving the day no continue...

I booked a table especially for my mum as she hasn’t been to this pub for 35 years and is looking to move back to the area. I had to call and book as the website wouldn’t allow me to book a table. Not a biggy. Just a mention.

I explained to the guy who took my booking that it was a special family get together for my mum and if there were any decent tables that would be wonderful. The guy said “leave it with me” I have never been to this pub before now.

We arrive Saturday at 6pm table was for 6:15 so we ordered a bottle of wine and was told there was no ice. Shame, but things happen. Wasn’t the end of the world and we all laughed it off.

We were lead to our table which was ok. Just by the bar so was busy. We ordered two prawn cocktail style dishes and the pate for starts. The pate was average however the prawns in maionase sauce and a couple of old dried bread sticks were vile. Prawns were ropey and dry also.

I ordered the steak n ale pie, there was hardly any filling and a massive mound of sloppy veg on the side. Horrid. The lamb shank was ok. However the fish cakes were diabolical and very dry! Again....

We continued to consume our wine which was nice. After around sitting at the table for nearly an hour(tipsy at this point) my mum jumped out of her seat! Above her head the ceiling had sprung a leak! Water had gone all over my mum we called the waiter and he moved what was left of our meals covered in roof water to a table by the bar! Which was dry at least however right next to the main pub entrance where there were was now a queue of families starring at us and our food that had been badly thrown on the table. As you can imagine We sobered up very quickly, ordered coffees and paid well over £150 for the meal...

No apologies, no discounted bill for our experience. I didn’t complain on the evening as we just wanted to get gone: however staff were polite. But just didn’t seem to be very interested in us as customers, the staff were very stretched and seemed a little fed up.

There was no cheese board either! Apparently they had ran out... probably done us a favour actually.

Bit upset as it ruined our Saturday...

Christmas day. Our visit was ok. On arrival there were alot of people waiting g to be seen by the front of house. We were waiting around 15-20mins before we were seen. As I have worked as front of house I picked up on the fact your young lady never addressed anyone as she came over. I was always told to address anyone who was waiting with acknowledgement even if I was busy just to let them know I would be with them as soon as I could. We were then seated. We waited 40 mins before we asked if our starters were ready. To which our server said they were big prepared and would be a couple of mins. We then had a young lad bring over our mains. I had to explain that we hadn't had our starters Our server said there had been a mix up and to apologise we could order a drink on the house. We understood and although dissapointed we took the free drink offer. Our food when arrived was lovely I can't fault my choice at all. My Dad loved the soup. Our mains were lovely also. Dessert then followed. My mum chose the trio of cheese cake. We were a little bewildered as this was not cheesecake as we would expect. No biscuit base just 3 balls of the cream cheese filling. The best part of any cheesecake in our opinion is the firm biscuit base. Therefore mum was a little disappointed. As we left my dad paid the drinks bill. It was only when we got home and I asked him how much he paid that he gave the receipt. I then realised that our server had charged us for "free drinks" This can happen as I know but it is so important that the bill is checked before giving it to a table as its small things like this that make people leave feeling their experience was dampened. I know it was Christmas day its a very bust day for all staff and appreciate that they are working hard when really they would want to be with family. Just a few tweaks on our visit would have made all the difference. Over all we enjoyed our visit. Just a couple of things we were...