The Kingswood Beefeater — Restaurant in England

I don't usually take notice of 1 star reviews as it is usually from someone who has a grudge but I can't give this review anything more.

We have been coming to Beefeater Kingswood (and when it was different breweries) for the past 20 years and are regular customers, visiting at least monthly for a meal.

We booked a table tonight and arrived at the time booked. When we arrived, the man who greeted us, apologised as our table wasn't ready and asked if we could wait in the bar. This wasn't a problem - we ordered drinks and he cleaned and set up the table quickly.

We sat at the table and waited 10 minutes. The server then came to us and asked if we were ready to order. As we hadn't been offered a menu we pointed this out and they eventually were passed to us - another five minutes. At this point, we weren't asked if there were any people with any allergies. My son has a severe nut allergy - fortunately he usually orders the same thing and knows what is safe but this shouldn't be chance considering the current news regarding the child who lost her life from drinking dairy in a Costa.

We ordered our meals asking for some slight modifications - things that we had asked for before on previous visits.

After 45 minutes of waiting, I finally caught the attention of a waitress and asked how much longer the meals would take and if we could order some more drinks. She went to check the screen and told us it wouldn't be long. Then another server (the one who took our order) asked again for what drinks we wanted.

Five minutes later, the food finally arrived. My wife asked for her side salad without sweetcorn when she ordered and this came with an abundance of sweetcorn. Unfortunately, sweetcorn is something that can cause allergies so this should have been treated much more carefully.

I had ordered fish and chips. The batter for the fish was almost white and very undercooked. At this point, we said we were cancelling the order and would pay for our drinks. My children, by this point, were absolutely famished and very annoyed that they would have to wait further to have a meal at home.

It took another five minutes for them to come so that we could pay for the drinks - a minor thing but we were charged for the drinks that we hadn't even touched which we were going to have with our meal.

We usually have a great experience at this pub ut tonight really has put us off. It wasn't overly busy with it being a Thursday evening, we hadn't ordered anything too difficult (without sauce on a burger etc) and it took nearly an hour to come, when it did come it was inedible and then we were charged for drinks we had to leave. A family of five with a baby and we felt extremely disappointed. Unfortunately, we won't be going again for an evening meal. Such a shame after 20 years...

Beefeater is a well-known chain that specializes in hearty, grill-based meals, making it a popular choice for families and casual diners. While the experience was generally pleasant, there are a few areas that could use improvement to make it stand out in a competitive dining landscape.

Food Quality

The food is satisfactory, leaning toward comfort dishes like steaks, burgers, and traditional pub-style meals. While the flavors are good, the menu feels somewhat standard, lacking the “wow” factor that would elevate it beyond the average dining experience.

One area that could use attention is the lack of healthier menu options. For diners looking to make more nutritious choices, the offerings are limited. A few more creative salads, plant-based dishes, or low-calorie options would greatly expand its appeal and cater to a broader audience, especially families and health-conscious individuals.

Service and Staff

The staff at Beefeater are genuinely lovely and approachable. Their friendliness and effort to create a welcoming atmosphere stood out during the visit. However, the restaurant seems to be understaffed, which led to noticeable delays in service. Waiting times for orders, drinks, and even getting the bill were longer than expected, which dampened the overall experience.

To resolve this, Beefeater could benefit from hiring additional team members, especially during peak hours. This would not only improve service efficiency but also enhance the overall customer experience.

Atmosphere

The restaurant offers a warm and casual atmosphere, which is perfect for families and groups of friends. The decor is comfortable and inviting, making it an easy choice for relaxed dining.

Recommendations for Improvement Expand Healthy Options: Add more lighter dishes to the menu, such as grilled fish, quinoa bowls, and more plant-based alternatives. Address Staffing Issues: Ensure there are enough staff on duty, particularly during busy periods, to reduce waiting times and keep service running smoothly. Innovate the Menu: Introduce seasonal or regional specials to add variety and keep the dining experience fresh.

Conclusion

Beefeater is a solid choice for those looking for a traditional grill experience in a friendly, laid-back setting. While the food is enjoyable and the staff are delightful, improvements in menu variety and staffing would significantly enhance the overall experience. With a few tweaks, Beefeater could truly become a standout dining destination.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Good for casual dining but room for growth in service and healthier...

I would like to start out by saying the gentlemen serving us was brilliant and very apologetic and couldn't help us enough but that's were our good experience ends sadly which we never had before after years of supporting Beefeater

So Firstly food, We Ordered 1 x Beef Wellington, Mix Grill with the Sirloin Steak 8ounce upgrade and half rack of ribs with chicken and another Fillet Steak Upon arrival all our meals arrived but the Mix Grill was wrong and had to wait 15 minutes for this to be corrected not end of the world and all our meals were good The beef Wellington was terrible as well but our objection regarding the Beef Wellington was ignored when we mentioned it

After a little while we Ordered deserts again only 1 desert arrived and after 15 minutes of waiting we had to go ask regarding our order again not end of the world but a minor inconvenience

Secondly on the website opening time said 11pm close which was perfect so called up to booked for half 7 and Ordered a taxi for 10:30pm we was not informed during this process that's closing time was changed to 10pm as we would have booked a little earlier During the last 30 minutes of our stay we was informed by a management that it was 10pm close and everyone had to be out by 10pm which was alright so we thought get a last round in by 21:45 as it was our impression bar closed by 10pm

At 21:40 We tried to order our last round but was told we're not allowed because bar had closed despite no one informing us that's it was last round at any point during the night

Again we went to speak to the main management and my aunt who organised the night and has done so at Beefeater and before it was Beafeater on a Christmas eve was spoken to very rudely by the management and was told we had to leave by 10pm not that's bar was closing at 10pm

My uncle then went to speak to management after my aunt was visually upset as she never had any experience like this on a night out and he was met with hostility from the management

The Irony is when we left at 10:15pm after managing to get our taxi changed the Restraunt was still a quater full Our other family who also went didn't get puddings until 10:15pm So the owner of beef eater upset one of the loyalist customers on Christmas eve a tradition we done since Beefeater opened for absolutely no reason at all Was rude and hostile to customers

Absolutely shameful service by the management, A terrible experience on a Christmas eve tradition by Beefeaters management but I want to make clear The other staff members were absolutely...