The Engine Room - Watch Live Sport at Ocean Exmouth — Restaurant in East Devon

POOR TASTLESS FOOD THAT WAS DRY AND CHEAP RUBBISH!! DECK RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING SEA. We are a middle aged couple from Torbay. Decided to try The Ocean Engine Room Exmouth for lunch. Walking in lunch time, we found the place virtually empty. Not making any judgements, deciding to continue. We placed an order, and requested for the drinks and desert to be served with our main meal, bringing everything out together (SIMPLE REQUEST) This was totally ignored and we received the drinks before the food. Ordering basic fish and chips and burger and chips only. Service time was good, but we now know why. Cooked fast, the fries we dry and cheap tasting. Our oily batter fish was covered in so much batter, only to find barley any actually fish inside. The burger was cheap tasting and very basic, with a dry bun, tasting a small amount of onion only. This whole meal was tasteless, bland, dry and cheap to produce. Meals here repeat on you all day, good sign of poor ingredients. We were never asked by anyone, how the food was, even with 6 staff near bar and very limited customers. Our desert (Cheesecake) was also not served with our meal as requested, but the cheesecake tasted absolutely fine and was enjoyed. As soon as we finished our half eaten meal, we found there to be more and more families and children arriving, with small children, this was fine, but the place it was getting loud! This place and eatery reminded us of a typical Weatherspoons, but worse. The food at Exmouth Engine Room was very undesirable. Staff here were young, care free and clearly not trained in customer service or attention to detail. Meal total cost was over £35 meal worth £5 - £7 at home doing it yourself. If it was a tasty, decent, well presented meal, That had taste £35 we would have no issues. Unfortunately it was not, we were Totally robbed!! Never will we return to this place. Leaving the Engine Room, we received a quick, Thank you from staff. This was replied by us, telling them, the whole meal was poor, before leaving. Think twice before wasting your hard earnt money here. if you are use to rubbish bland food, then everything will be to your liking here. Customers who like things such as, customer service, atmosphere, value for money and more importantly...

If (!) there is anyone in charge of F&B here, they should be ashamed. Staff unable to setup a table for a reservation of over a week ago and did so a la minute. Only acted once asked, although another birthday table was already setup with bells and whistles and stood empty for 2 hrs.

Food was below par on all dishes tried. Beef Burger patty was the only highlight from the whole table. Factory made but tasted decent and the texture was good.

Plant based burger a disaster, peas and mash which were crumbed and deep fried, burger buns burnt.

Pizza - looks and tastes like a first attempt by a 10yo in a Food Tech class but not shy to charge £12++ for it.

The only thing that was actually enjoyed without fuss was the damn cold beer which came in the right branded glases, temperature and proper fizz..this is why it's 2* and not 1* - although Peronis had to be repoured for another customer because they were flat ... The wait at the bar was painful.

Maybe team overwhelmed with busy Easter Saturday but it's not a random holiday once in a blue moon, these things you plan ahead and prepare for, stock up and staff up.

Overall a total disappointment with no mention of the birthday that we booked for. Won't be coming again, not even for a beer unless the management pulls their socks up and turns this place around.

Absolute shame and a waste of incredible location and space to run an operation with quality of 1990's where you may have got away with it, people less travelled and less clued up on basic food tastes.

It may be in far remote beach part of Exmouth, which is not the #1 travel hot spot in the UK but that's no excuse and with attitude and quality like that, it can never have hope of climbing...

Firstly, I have had breakfast here, which was excellent. This was the first time we've been for dinner. We were warned when we ordered that there was about a 40min delay on food. OK they warned us. But, while the starter turned up within the 40 mins, it was over an hour after our arrival before our mains turned up (after chasing).

The staff are lovely and were very apologetic. I have absolutely no criticism of the front of house staff at all.

The food was pretty much as expected, I.e. OK but nothing special. But a few tips, which I really hope will be taken on board.

The days of serving food on wooden boards is well past. A shared camembert needs to be on a dish that isn't going to ooze onto the table. Also, provide side plates, so the customer doesn't have to ask. The sprigs of rosemary in the camembert should be just the joined leaves, not an inch of twig. Signature burger, very tasty, but again, on a plate please! The lamb koftas were very tasty, but the couscous was stone cold, and the pittas were only toasted on one side. This made the whole think seem quite dry.

On the whole the food was good but was let down by it's delivery. The staff were lovely, but it was clear that there were not enough kitchen staff to deal with the wedding reception and the normal work load. Perhaps a little more training on timings in a restaurant environment and on how to...