The Engine — Restaurant in England

Disappointed doesn't even cover it.

We first came here went it newly opened and we really enjoyed ourselves food was good and staff were friendly fast forward to April 2022 nightmare

First of all we booked a table and was told that first come first served because of ramadan, fair enough it's a busy time, we didn't mind waiting for the food.

The table was dirty I asked about 3 staff members if they can wipe it down and each time I was told "we will", they gave us dates and fruit to break our fasts which was a nice gesture though the dates were rock soild I could of chocked on it.

I asked for a glass of water to break my fast only having drank out of it did I realise how disgustingly dirty it was 🤮

Back to food, so we were told first come first severed, we were probably the third ones there and mind you the people who arrived before us were in groups of two including us.

The owner/worker not sure who was throwing a party because as soon as he took our order he went back to ordering the chefs around for his party, several men arrived much later and headed straight up stairs and that group was given priority over everyone else people who had been waiting longer then us.

Food was horrible salad looked days old we didn't even touch it, mash was stiff and looked burnt, I got a lamb gigot well done and it was rock hard to the point it took me ages to cut into and chew and worst of all it kept getting stuck on the roof of mouth like weirdly cooked food sometimes does, it was beyond salty aswell, same werid texture with the chicken wings we ordered and we asked for lemon flavour that's all you can taste, it was that overpowering, we also had a pasta side again tasted werid and my friend commented saying it tastes like it's gone off so we didn't touch that either. The only thing that tasted good was the rice and sweet fries and that's only probably because it was out of a packet.

Atmosphere was tense staff were stressed out and arguing with each other it was awkward to say the least.

Massive disappointment won't be back...

I have rated this establishment a five because I have been such a regular visitor over the past couple of months. I have always been treated with warmth and professionalism in what is a very relaxed and comfortable environment. The food is first rate and accommodates my coeliac requirements with ease (no specific options but a wide variety of choices are available for someone who knows what they can eat). I find the choices to be healthy, if desired, quality always and extremely tasty. Everything from standard burger to gormet comprising pure lamb or beef. Likewise there is standard fish to gormet salmon or tuna steaks. The lamb, beef steak and chicken options are all sensational. So one can choose a diner or restaurant experience from the same menu. All quality at reasonable prices. The weekday lunch specials are particularly good value as is the chicken roast (Fri, sat, sun all day).

This eatery encompasses the very best of Luton diversity. The owner has deliberately preserved the history of the site whilst embracing it's current development as a multifunctional unit. This is reflected in the many separate spaces cleverly combined into a unified whole within a relatively small space. As is seen in the menu diversity, surely where else can one enjoy the best of shisha or maybe Yorkshire pudding . Cleaver building interior design means these diverse areas and food experiences are seemlesly accommodated, at all hours of the day, in a welcoming and unified space. Sit at booths in front and look up towards the top of the windows to enjoy original leadlighting, centuries old, and lovingly preserved by the current owner. As you enjoy your Yorkshire, consider a Turkish tea, or was that shisha. Themed party areas also provided. This smallish establishment encompasses so much variety, choice and diversity yet is never confussed in it's presentation and function. Surely it deserves some award for all it offers to the local surrounding community. Well done proprietor, I can tell it's your beloved baby. Much success...

Just got back from 'The Engine', venue was very clean and tidy, you could smell the shisha in the restaurant but what do you expect being part shisha place! I didn't mind the slight fruity smell, was actually quite nice 😁

Went as a family of 4, 2 adults 2 kids! Got a booth, which was big enough to fit 6, so very spacious and comfy!

Staff were very nice and friendly, and very helpful!

Food: Ordered Steak (Well Done - Yes, that's how I like it) with rice and chips!

Steak cut chips were fresh, in a basket, but luke warm, like they had been made and then just sat around waiting for the rest of the food to be ready.

The steak, Beef sirloin, was quite thick, a bit too much gristle for my liking, and was medium rare from the middle! Not what I asked for but was ok! It was also luke warm, not sizzling which is what I expected from a £15 steak.

The rice, was plenty spicy, anyone who says they are not spicy enough should be in an Indian restaurant not in an American Diner! They basically tasted like a medium version of biryani, very fragrant and plenty of spices, but no meat in them, just bits of veg, which was great!

The salad was very fresh, not a lot of it bit just the right amount to go with the food!

The portion itself was huge (that gets 4 stars) more than enough to fill you up and not leave any room for dessert, at least not for me! I could just about finish it!

Kids Meals:

Ordered popcorn chicken meal and chicken tenders meal, kids got a whole plate full of chips which was way more than they could finish, so again massive portions, and plenty of popcorn chicken and chicken tenders to fill them up! They were happy with the food!

Overall a good experience, but because of the location and food being just warm it got 🌟 🌟 🌟!

Service, Cleanliness and Food Portion gets 4 🌟🌟 🌟 🌟

If your up for some shisha and then a decent meal afterwards, this is the...