Back-Inn Time — Restaurant in Chelmsford

Have eaten here several times in the past, but it has been a few years since the last visit and I hope this latest experience isn't indicative of where the restaurant is at. Booked a table for 4 the day before a midweek visit. No opportunity to book online which is a shame but the call was answered quickly the day before. Upon arrival for an 18:30 booking, we were taken to what I can only describe as a "well" area which I hadn't been seated before, which has poor lighting and very uncomfortable pew-style seating. Once seated the service from the young waitress was excellent and attentive. My co-diners ordered chicken fingers and a classic seafood cocktail for starters and initially, the fingers were dry and felt like it hadn't been recently cooked, which was a warning of what was to come. The "Classic seafood cocktail" was very small and again the warning is in the title. the word Classic would apply if it was called a Prawn cocktail, there is nothing classic about the term seafood cocktail but it is actually just a way to legitimise the replacement of prawns with other seafood sources. For mains, I ordered a combo fajita with extra tortillas which was very good but again the very small dish and paper sauce pot provided for the sides were cutting corners with the offering. My companions ordered burgers of various types but all 3 arrived very dry/overcooked along with the bacon and pulled pork toppings. These shouldn't have left the kitchen but it seems that maybe to manage orders the kitchen is pre-cooking these items and then either flash frying or leaving them on the side of the hot plate, to stay warm but also dry out, as 1 may be a mistake but all suffering from this effect is an indicator that there is a systematic issue. It was a shame as when we mentioned to the waitress about the poor quality being the reason we left food another waitress came over and said we should have said pre-bill paying we had an issue but that she would remember our faces when we came back to do I am not sure what in terms of improving the experience but it wasn't a discount for sure. Either way, it was a disappointing and...

My partner took me here for my birthday after reading there reviews. On arrival we were greeted with “do you have a reservation? No we replied. After asking if there was space to seat us, we were sat slap bang in the middle of the almost empty dinner. Moments later a couple walked in with no reservation and were greeted by the same gentleman as us, were offered any seat in the house help your self he said. Only one other person came in during our visit. Looking over the menu it had a good selection. And it stated you could get a doggy bag if you couldn’t finish. My partner being from Detroit was excited to here one of the specials was chowder. We had loaded potato skins with chilli and a small portion of baby back ribs, starter and cheese burger and blue cheese and mushroom burger. We wouldn’t call the skins loaded by any means it wasn’t even full and the chilli was bland unfortunately with beans in it! The burgers were no better then you could make at home. When I asked the waitress for the bill and she completely ignored me then came back and said “did you ask for the bill, sorry you disturbed me! Other then the decor nothing really American about it, food was underwhelming and no need for a doggy bag. We’ll keep looking for the authentic American dinner in the uk but won’t hold my breath. Also add 10% service charge to your bill. Not great customer service unlike what you’d find in a real American dinner. Polite and friendly. Uk rude...

If you ever come to Chelmsford, you really have to try this place. First of all, the interior is lovely and old timey (with a small train going round :D) but hides a nice selection of tex-mex food. And let me tell you, this is some of the best food I have ever had in my life. And I've been to many places! And it's pretty cheap too! I've been going to this place for years, a couple of times a year and it's never dropped it's really high standard of service and food quality. Tonight I had an Oreo Milkshake (so good!) and then I had the Chili. And oh boy did it not disappoint! When it arrives you might be thinking hold on, the portion is tiny! But oh no I had trouble finishing it! But the taste was marvellous. The rice had some garlic butter on it which added a nice touch and the chilli was just the right amount of Spiciness. And the tortilla bits were good too! And then came the dessert. When I saw they had Homemade Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake, I knew I was in for a treat. And that's the great thing about this place. You know you're gonna get good food and yet, they always find a way to surprise you (in the good way). I kid you not, the mix of chocolate, peanut butter and the biscuit base almost brought me to tears! You'll need to make sure to book a table as the place is understandably very popular! But yeah, check it out and to the staff: Please never drop your standards and kudos to the person who made the cheesecake! See...