Frankie & Benny's — Restaurant in England

Not a pleasant experience today ( 29/9/22 ). My husband,daughter and I chose this restaurant over the others onsite at Hempsted Valley. We ordered our meals ( Uni deals ) burger,fries & coke for £8, Spaghetti Carbanara with chicken & New York Cheesecake ( 2 Course set menu £13.99 ) and again from the same 2 Course set menu "gluten free" potato skins and house burger with jacket potato also "gluten free" with gluten free bun. Sounds nice so with thought. 🤔😋 Unfortunately not so every mains had issues - spaghetti carbanara fatty/raw bacon which my daughter picked out and put to the side of the bowl. The chips were cold on the Uni days deal. Both burgers did not taste of beef! My burger was swimming in fat/grease and it fell out of my hand onto the plate,put it together and with my husbands help cut it in half the bun was soaked in grease and I put it in a serviette and took a bite of it and had to spit it out back in the serviette! I thought my dog wouldn't eat that meat. In places it was pink/grey in colour not brown. I explained the above to our waitress and she gave me the menu to choose another gluten free meal from the set menu, none of which I liked as didn't want another burger even a chicken breast one ( as this could be pink to )! 🤢 I ended up choosing the steak salad and asked for my steak to be burnt, at least salad cant go wrong I thought. 😏 I know steak is chewy when well done but least it would be cooked and being sirloin steak hopefully taste better than the burger. I was warned it would take 15 minutes or so to cook the steak to my requirements. It was a little longer and obviously my husband and daughter had finished what they were going to eat of their mains by the time mine had arrived. I had to send it straight back as could clearly see pink bits on the steak slices. Eventually 25 minutes after ordering it my steak salad arrived and the steak looked more cooked. So I began to tuck in, the salad was OK abit to much onion the rest was OK. When it came to the steak most pieces were cooked, they were all so fatty. ( see pic ) over half of the steak pieces had lumps of clear jelly on them. 🤮 I picked out the pieces ( as in the pic ) and ate what I could as I was hungry by this point. I explained to our waitress about the fatty bits and the plate was taken away. Out of the whole meal only the potato skins,soft drinks and cheesecake were edible. 🙄 We asked for the bill and after explaining I wasn't paying for one of my mains we still ended up having to pay £33 for a horrible time and food. PLEASE AVOID!!! This use to be a lovely restaurant with Italian rat pack music playing and great food, it's gone soooo downhill we will never be...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Frankie and Benny's located in Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, Gillingham, and it was an enjoyable experience overall.

Frankie and Benny's offers a diverse menu that caters to various tastes and preferences. From classic Italian dishes to American-style comfort food, there is something for everyone. I opted for their BBQ ribs, and I must say they were finger-licking good! The meat was tender, smothered in a delicious barbecue sauce that had just the right balance of sweetness and smokiness. The portion size was generous, and the meal left me feeling satisfied.

The service at Frankie and Benny's was friendly and attentive. The staff members were welcoming and made sure that my dining experience was pleasant. They promptly took my order and checked in regularly to ensure everything was to my liking. The wait time for my food was reasonable, and the presentation was appealing.

The restaurant's ambiance was cozy and inviting. The interior was tastefully decorated, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere. The seating arrangements provided ample privacy, allowing for a relaxed dining experience. The noise level was moderate, making it easy to hold conversations without any disruptions.

One aspect that could be improved is the speed of service during busy hours. While the staff was doing their best, at times, there was a slight delay in attending to customer needs. However, it was not a major issue and did not significantly impact my overall experience.

The location of Frankie and Benny's within Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre offers convenience and easy accessibility. Parking facilities are available nearby, which makes it convenient for customers to visit.

In conclusion, Frankie and Benny's at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre is a restaurant worth visiting. With its flavorful menu, friendly service, and cozy ambiance, it provides a pleasant dining experience. Whether you're looking for a casual meal with friends or a family gathering, Frankie and Benny's is definitely worth...

Appalling service there tonight. This has been a favourite eating place of ours but we will not be going back. Table was booked but not ready for 10 mins after our time. First drinks order 3 out of 7 people's drinks were wrong. One replacement had to be chased up after 10 mins and they said they had forgotten but no apology. I eventually got my first drink 30 mins after arrival. The starters were fine hence the one star. Main course eventually arrived with several minutes between first and last person. Sauces and sides had to be chased up. One member of the party was told a steak knife would soon be available however, despite repeated requests they had no steak knives available in a nearly empty restaurant. Staff made everything seem like a chore, the service was ridiculously slow, another 10 minute wait for dessert menu. No hot drinks available because despite 7 of us waiting to order our desserts they had put the machine on to deep clean. One member of the team reported a broken toilet flush and a door that wouldn't lock. Maybe if they had moved out of first gear with the service we would have been in a position to have ordered coffees before they started cleaning up around us. General food quality was ok but when spending £250 you want to enjoy the evening. Having worked 40 years in the public sector I would have been disciplined for performance and attitude like that. Don't bother...