The Golden Lion - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in England

This Wetherspoons establishment disappoints on multiple levels, making it one of the worst dining experiences I've had in recent memory. The first thing that strikes you as you enter is the overwhelming sense of neglect, starting with the worn-out seats that seem to have seen better days many years ago. The upholstery is threadbare, with some chairs even sporting visible tears, exposing the foam underneath. These dilapidated seats not only detract from the ambiance but also make for an uncomfortable sitting experience, leaving one to constantly shift around in search of a less lumpy spot. As you navigate the dining area, hoping to find a clean table, you're met with a sea of cluttered, dirty surfaces. Tables are rarely cleared in a timely manner, often leaving the remnants of the previous diners' meals scattered across them. Plates, glasses, and cutlery are left for long stretches, attracting flies and giving the place a distinctly unhygienic feel. Even when the staff do eventually clear the tables, they seem to do so with minimal effort, often leaving behind sticky patches, crumbs, and smears that make it clear these surfaces have not been properly cleaned in some time.

Adding to the discomfort is the sticky floor that clings to your shoes as you walk, an unpleasant sensation that only amplifies the feeling of uncleanliness. It's as if the floors haven't been mopped in ages, with layers of grime that make every step a reminder of the poor upkeep of the place. This stickiness extends throughout the venue, from the dining area to the bar, suggesting a widespread issue with cleanliness that the management has clearly failed to address. As if all of this wasn't enough, the wait for food is excessively long, even during off-peak hours. It’s not unusual to find yourself waiting upwards of 45 minutes to an hour for a simple order, with no explanation or apology from the staff. This long wait time, combined with the poor state of the seating and overall lack of cleanliness, makes for a deeply unsatisfying experience. By the time your food does arrive, any anticipation you might have had has long since dissipated, replaced by frustration and a desire to simply get the meal over with. Overall, this Wetherspoons is a textbook example of how poor maintenance and lack of attention to detail can turn what should be a straightforward, enjoyable dining experience into a...

Oh dear. I hate giving poor reviews but.... Not the hotel, just restaurant. Compared to any other spoons meal this was poor. Wednesday, so no special deals. OK, that's no problem but I expect a 'fair' effort. Mixed grill. Lamb was missing. I had to go chase for it as we hadn't noticed when it was served at table. When it arrived it was completely burnt and dried out. They'd left on the grill and it was very over heated. Meanwhile, the steak was under cooked and so chewy it's inedible. When someone came around to enquire, "are meals OK"? I said no actually and the reply was, well the meats all have to be cooked to achieve a safe internal temperature. Why ask if you're not going to act on the comment? Such a shame since apart from the mistake of the lamb, the speed of service was it's usual good standard, the pork, sausage and gammon were all good. Yes steak can be tough but this was stellar bad. Why bother with those cuts? Come on Spoons, step up with the cooking please.

Choices; Daughter is vegan. Very limited offering. Not a single dessert. Surely they can manage just one?

Condiments; There was tons of ketchup but only 2 bottles of mayo (both virtually empty), no BBQ sauce (modern young adults love it). I don't expect to buy this as a side order. Overall It was a slow quiet night. Just shoddy from a few parts of the operation. But of a failure - Disappointed.

My usual experience from other visits!! Seems odd giving 5 stars to a franchise chain pub/restaurant but certainly this particular venue has never disappointed with their food (hmm). Steak was very juicy (not this time!) and tasty and you really can't argue with the price (still true). Bar - Great. Plenty of beer choice Staff - Quick but "some" were not too friendly or amenable Food - Quick but variable quality of product and cooking thereof Decor - Slightly tired, but that's because the place is busy and atmosphere excitable.

Only negative was needing to hunt around for condiments and a pepper mill or two wouldn't be a bad idea to have sachets rather than the bland powdered white pepper.

I'll be less confident next time and don't recommend the smaller...

I've been to this particular Wetherspoons on several occasions in the past without problem, today however was the worst culinary experience I've ever had... I'd like to make it clear that the staff are excellent and I hold them in no way responsible for our experience. We ordered 2 ultimate burgers and were told they had no beef burgers of any kind so we ordered grilled chicken burgers instead.. neither my wife or son ate them.. they were extremely slimy on the outside to the point I wondered if the chicken had actually got the train past the 'on the turn' station and the inside was as dry as the overcrowded smoking area in 30 degree heat. My daughters margherita pizza was so undercooked I think it was slid past the oven instead of put into it and my other daughters cheddar melt and tuna panini left me wondering if we were still having post Brexit fishery issues as the tuna didnt seem to be there.. I had a steak and arid fried chips which I did eat as I was so hungry I would have gobbled Tim Martins nutsack if there had been a current covid negative certificate and a small bowl of tartare nearby. The app was down when we got there so I couldn't order from the safety of my table but instead huddled 3 at a time between the very pretty social distancing stickers on the floor as it seems that after 2 pints the lads of rochester want to hang out the back of you rather than hanging back from you.. I saw better social distancing in the 2nd human centipede film. All in all I'd like to thank the staff for all they do as they work hard and keep smiling throughout and I would like to say I'm sorry you have to work in those conditions.. I can only think that since the reopening there has been some changes to supply or something because the food has never been bad in the past. On the up side ... we did get a £3.20 refund from our...