The Turks Head — Restaurant in England

We booked a table and I said how many adults and children there would be the chap couldn’t even add 3+5 so that was a great start. I pre looked at the menu online and decided what to have but arrived to find a limited menu. Perhaps this should be on their website. The meal that I ordered was the Spanish Meatballs with pasta, the speediness at which our order arrived was very good and the waitress pleasant enough. The meatballs were awful, I couldn’t even get the fork into the first one it was so over cooked, the rest of them were very dry and the texture was solid, I did complain and asked for something else, char grilled hunters chicken, this was very nice. The glasses were dirty but blamed on the dishwasher salt but wiped off with a serviette as did the lipstick on another glass! On going to pay I had to walk back to the bar area but people coming in the front door were queuing a different way so I had to go outside and join the longer queue but others were coming outside with drinks so I had to keep moving out of their way, despite the boards with messages about social distancing not even the staff were! One member of staff practically brushed against me! I then proceeded to pay after she came back inside and invited me to the bar area to pay again the simple 5+3 sum seemed quite difficult as of course was my choice of how to pay! This particular member of staff was not friendly at all. As for the car park what is it about a car approaching the exit and only metres away didn’t the woman in the white car understand as she drove straight at me and expected me to move backwards past a group who had small children?! I for one will not be going back there in a hurry, government incentive or not!! It’s a shame as I’ve enjoyed many meals...

The Turks head is a regular restaurant that we always look forward to visiting when in Weymouth, however this year was rather disappointing. On arriving the car park seemed to have a lot of litter around the edge, leaves needed sweeping up and bushes trimmed, there were old fridges and scrap metal on one side of the carpark and the kids play area and small animal petting cages were empty and the play equipment had been removed and in its place were nettles and weeds and the gravel where play equipment once stood. The outside tables seemed untidy and dirty with ashtrays needing emptying. There was a table top indoor football game outside that had trim and bits hanging off of it. Inside seemed tired and in need of some love, the local artists artwork was all missing from the walls with empty hooks where art once hung, and the furniture needed varnishing & attention. Other restaurants in Weymouth seem to have used the lockdown time to refresh and refurbish their premises but the Turks head seems neglected & as if it had just sat shut during lockdown. The table and area we sat at smelled a bit of wee, and the back door was broken and damaged. The staff were friendly and helpful (as always) and the food was up to the usual high standard that we’ve come to expect & look forward to at the Turks, hot and tasty and generous sized portions, the menu had a lot of varied choices compared to slimmed down lockdown menus else ware. The donner kebab was lovely, & a meal for 3 adults & 2 kids cost £80 with one beer and 4 cokes and no deserts or starters. All in all a disappointing visit, we’ll be doing a drive by before reserving a table if I can persuade the family to return on our next visit. Sorry, trying to be positive...

My wife and I went for a Saturday lunch with a guest. It was my first visit to the Turks Head and we were impressed by the ambience, friendly and prompt service and particularly by the quality of the excellent starters and mains; the home-made cottage pie in particular was very enjoyable.

Sadly, the whole experience was marred at the 11th hour by the worst dessert I can recall. Advertised as a home-made apple and rhubarb crumble, what I actually received was warm stewed apple and rhubard in a cold bowl, with a topping of glutinous porridge. To me, a crumble crust should have a crunch, not a liquid sheen! I am only guessing that it may have been cooked from cold in a microwave rather than baked in an oven, or kept warm in a steamy environment.

Whatever the background to this culinary disaster, I abandoned it after one mouthful and explained why when the young member of staff came to clear the table. Somewhat to my surprise, she didn't even offer an apology, let alone any compensatory reduction in the subsequent bill. I briefly considered demanding a refund at checkout but decided not to spoil the otherwise good experience for my wife and our guest for such a trivial amount. The pub was by now quite busy and such a demand would probably have resulted in an awkward delay. It was, however, a disappointing end to what could otherwise have been a 5...