The Grog & Gruel — Restaurant in Great Britain

We had a fun day out exploring The Highlands today. Looked up this restaurant and were excited to try it.

We came in out of the rain and when we got to the top of the stairs, realized they were not yet open, but should be open in another 5 minutes for dinner, so we waited.

When the woman came to open up a little after their posted start time, she just went on in amd started working. So I gave it a couple of minutes and asked if the were open, she said she needed to wait for some more staff. I asked if we could sit at a table to wait (was completely empty). She said no, she had to wait for more help to arrive and that we could go downstairs to the bar to wait.

Im not sure if it was racism, because we are American, or just a lack of compassion or reasonableness, but I found that to be a poor response when it is past opening time. My mother in law is in her 70s,l and stairs are a challenge for her. So going down and up the stairs isnt a great choice when there is an empty restaurant we could sit and wait in. The woman who opened passed us on her way in so should have been aware. She, my wife, and sister-in-law are all people of color, so it wouldn't be the first time that they had received poor service for that.

We waited for a bit longer and three other young women showed up to work. As soon as they walked in the door, all of them burst into laughter. This leads me to believe it wasnt just a lack of awareness or a mistake, but bad intentions.

We went across the street to Ben Nevis. Even though they were busy, they were happy to recieve us, had good food, music, a lively atmosphere, and most importantly, they didn't treat us in any way like an inconvenience. They also had a diverse staff and are a single story. So if you are a POC, or of a certain age, Id go to Ben Nevis if you...

Unfortunately, our visit to this restaurant was disappointing, and both my friend and I left feeling unsatisfied with the food and overall experience, especially considering the price we paid. While the menu had a great variety, especially for vegetarians, we noticed that most of the options (particularly under the Quesadillas) were marked as ‘spicy,’ with no indication of whether adjustments could be made. This limited my friend’s choices to just one or two items.

I ordered the chicken and bacon salad, without the bacon, and was quite let down when it arrived. The chicken appeared to be pre-packaged chicken (rather than fresh) and cold, making it difficult to enjoy. For £14, I expected something much more substantial (freshly, grilled chicken for example) than what felt like a £5 supermarket meal. We even saw another customer return her fish and chips because the chips were cold.

As for drinks, I ordered a whiskey with soda water—a favorite of mine when traveling around Scotland—but this one fell short. I’m not sure if it was the whiskey or the soda, but I could barely finish half of it.

The service was also underwhelming. Although it wasn’t particularly busy, the bartender seemed rushed and twice turned away mid-order before I had finished speaking.

Ultimately, we didn’t finish our meals or drinks, paid the bill, and left for a reheatable meal and a bottle of wine from Morrisons, which, sadly, was...

In an attempt to remain relevant they have remodeled, which I cannot fault. In doing so, somewhere along the way they reoriented their identity as a Tex Mex joint. They no longer server traditional Scottish meals beyond pies (which aren't pies, they're filling with a pastry stuck on top). Their haggis balls were the worst I've had, full stop.

On a Wednesday around dinner they were slammed and service was slow. Their beer selection was varied, very tasty, and seemed to be well kept of what I sampled.

To be fair, I cannot fault a restaurant for attempting to remain hip and popular with locals and hold on to relevance in the demographic paying their bills. What I can fault is that they have not obviously rebranded in keeping with their offerings. Their beers and whiskeys certainly represent traditional Scottish fare as they advertise, but the Tex Mex and the space given it on the menu is a schizophrenic disjoint. I did not travel to Scotland and a traditional Scottish pub to sample food best tried in Texas.

I mourn the absence of haggis as an entree, and I wish I could have just had a traditional meal with multiple options to the selection. Combined with other disappointments, I wouldn't return except for beer. It has become a place for Americans who don't want to experience anything outside of America. On the plus side, their staff seemed receptive...