The Regal - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Cambridge

Visiting a mate at the Cambridge Uni, never been to Cambridge before but there's ALWAYS a 'Spoons.

Proceeded to use the app to order my usual (pint and a burger meal deal)

I placed the order but needed to use the loo, I informed one of the servers behind the bar that I'd placed an order for my table and if the pint and or food arrived and I wasn't there, I was in the loo. (At this time it wasn't busy and it never got any more busier than when I first entered.)

Got back from the loo and the table had been filled (4 top), went to the bar to let them know someone had sat on my table and if I could change my table and have my food sent there from the kitchen.

The barman that served me (who also happened to be the same one I informed I'd placed an order but was about to use the loo) was quite churlish and moody, he seemed to be OK serving guests he served before and after me, though. He had to be reminded that he needed to pour me a pint to go with my meal, almost gave me a pint that had been started and sat by the taps for a good 5 minutes and then the pint he DID bring had been sat on the bar since I'd placed the order, (10+ minutes?) surely it should have been a fresh pint? He was also quite indignant in asking to see a receipt for the order placed though I think this was more from a personal than professional place.

I placed my order via the app at 13:24 and I'd waited almost an hour for my meal and no sign of it.

I'm from Leeds, originally and I've been frequenting Wetherspoon pubs almost as long as I've been a chef, just about 30 years.

This is without a doubt the WORST service I've ever had in a Wetherspoon's pub.

And so to compound and finish off the UKs best review of a Spoons I went to the bar to request a refund for the burger I didn't receive after waiting for an hour to be told (by someone that was obviously a supervisor and not management), that I couldn't/wouldn't receive a refund because the burger had been sent out and returned while I was waiting in a queue to tell the server behind that bar that I was no longer at my table. He begrudgingly agreed to send out a fresh burger, rather than my receiving the burger originally ordered over an hour ago, and then to add insult to injury the burger STILL went to the wrong table when it eventually came out.

If I'd been a mystery/secret shopper, this would have been low marks across the board, and that's before we even get into the state of some of the cubicles in the toilets so early in the day on a Sunday.

I should make it VERY clear, I have no qualms about 'Spoons or the food, it is what it is, 2 stars is a standard. But it truly is some of the worst service I've ever received in a pub and I've spent a good 12 of my 30 years as a chef working in...

【STAY AWAY from this place】This place is such a shame for Cambridge! It seems that they are in nice location, having a lot of visitors so they don't need to worry about customer service at all. Totally impolite and rude security staff bullying customers. 5 days ago we went for a trip to Cambridge. We had a fantastic time there and the place was very beautiful until we came into this pub which almost ruined our evening. We ordered a few drinks and desserts and it was all good in the beginning. But after a while a security guy came asking for our IDs as he said it was 9 o'clock. We all had our IDs apart from my girlfriend. Security guy said it's "policy of Cambridge" that all people should have IDs after 9 o'clock regardless if they drink alcohol or not (she was having coffee). That security guy asked my girlfriend to leave IMMEDIATELY. I also asked what about the drink she hadn't finished. The guy said that didn't matter: she doesn't have ID so she has to leave right now. But that is not the thing that made us unhappy. It's his attitude. My girlfriend showed her railway card but security said he wouldn't accept it (even though it had photo and date of birth), then she said she had photo of her passport on her phone and whether he would accept it. He could just say No. But he said "I have a lot of photos on my phone too, would you like me to show you some?"! That is so unprofessional. We were shocked by the way they treat customers. But we didn't want to argue, so we just left without finishing our drinks and went to other place. After that I checked reviews left by other people about this place and found that we were not the only ones got treated like that. And that's not the end of the story. On our way back we passed the place again, I wanted to write down the name and address of the place so i could leave the review. And we saw security dragging a customer on the floor our of the pub! What a shame! I don't know what happened there and the person dragged out of the pub might had really done something wrong. But I still have to say that I've never ever seen anything like that in England before... security pushing customers out of the place like that, dragging them on the floor. Needless to say that I will never go to that place again and will never ever recommend it to anyone. Avoid...

Even by Wetherspoon's standard this place is bad. After what felt like an inordinate length of waiting and much gesticulating, I eventually managed to sttract the attention of one of the, seemingly, totally uninterested members of staff. Not to go into fine detail, subsequent events unfolded as follows: The said member of staff did not know which drinks were included in the, so called, "meal deal" and suggested that I should check, myself, on their online ordering site.The first three dishes I tried to order were unavailable. The first pint of beer I was served was badly off. Which they did acknowledge and agree to replace. When it arrived, the food (a beefburger) was, at best, nondescript. Next, I ordered a pint of IPA (India Pale Ale) beer, which, when served, was a very dark coloured beer, and clearly not a pale ale. When I complained that what she had served me was not a pale ale, she contradicted me by stating that it most definitely was. To which I approached the bar, pointed at the badge and informed her that the letters "IPA" stood for India PALE ale, and that what she had served me was definitely not a PALE ale. At this, the manager, having overheard what was going on, approached the member of staff, told her to refund my money and not to serve me further. When I asked me why he was refusing to serve me, he said that he didn't like my tone of voice and that I should have been more polite.

Considering the absolutely appalling level of service, the ignorance of the staff, the badly depleted menu and wrong or bad products I was served, I honestly believe that my manner was exceptionally reserved. I never shouted or, prior to being ejected, swore. For sure, I expressed my dissatisfaction in a forthright way. Which I think, considering the circumstances, was not unreasonable.

Evidently, the staff were untrained and lacked any enthusiasm. However, this is surely down to the poor leadership and motivational skills of the manager, who, in addition to these failings, failed to maintain his stock levels, couldn't keep a good pint of beer, and clearly didn't know the difference between a porter and a pale ale. I can only assume that he was skillful at hoodwinking his interviewer when applying...