Toby Carvery Romford — Restaurant in London

We visited Toby Carvery at 17:00 on a Sunday. We’d booked a table but still had to wait to be seated. Restaurant was packed. We got seated, and ordered drinks. Cutlery on the table was filthy with remnants of old food in between the fork prongs. I had to swap for new cutlery. We then moved to the Carvery. We spent 45 mins waiting in the queue to be served. Uber and Deliveroo orders are simultaneously being served and prioritised on the counter next to the queue. Once we got to the front of the queue, meat portions that were carved were stingy, most of the meat was dry, as it had been sitting under the hot lamps for ages, the beef dripping roast potatoes had run out and no one was in a rush to replenish. Veggie section was filthy with food scattered everywhere. I witnessed a server spooning mashed potato and accidentally spraying mashed potato all over the counter and floor and not bothering to clean it up. Gravy station was also messy. We had ordered a kids meal of meatballs and pasta which they had run out of. They offered us Mac & Cheese instead, but when the portion came it with a side of beans, was shockingly minuscule. Nowhere near enough for our 6 year old - it may serve a 2 year old, but the portion size is embarrassingly small for any child older than that. We had to get a separate plate of pasta from the counter to supplement the meal. After our main, we ordered desserts. Big mistake. About 10 minutes after they took our order, the waitress came out and advised that they have run out of one of the desserts and asked if we’d like to pick something else. After that It took another 45 minutes for dessert to be served. We enquired with the waitress after about 35 minutes only be told that the kitchen is making them, and that there had been a problem with the kitchen, hence the delay (wouldn’t it have been courtesy to have come and informed us instead of being left waiting and wondering?!). When desserts finally came out, the portions were again on the small side. One of the desserts we’d ordered failed come out with the rest and we were bluntly told “We have run out of the brownie, sorry”. So after waiting 45-50 minutes for a dessert, someone just simply doesn’t get one, and also doesn’t get the chance to choose anything else? Shocking service. No real apologies. The staff don’t care, management clearly care even less. Toilets are filthy and not sanitary. We have visited this particular restaurant several times in the past but after this experience we all said this time...

This is the second time I have visited this place, first time was not a bad experience however on my visit on the 17/12/24 I was met with such rude behaviour from the server Leanne. I asked her if I could get a new plate as she was very handed with the serving and therefore, dropped the turkey onto where the gammon portion was being held and I explained to her that I strictly don’t eat pork and then proceeded to tell me that it is gammon not pork. Honestly I don’t know what’s worse dealing with someone so incompetent or the fact that she tried to gaslight me into thinking that gammon was not pork. I explained to her that the turkey has dropped on the place where gammon is served and instead of just getting me a new plate she decided to put the turkey aside and keep the plate however there is already a cross contamination of food and I did ask for a new plate nicely even trying to explain to her that I don’t eat pork. She then was frustrated, got another plate and said to me that I can’t request for another plate just because the turkey fell off the fork and according to her not on the gammon. If she wasn’t rushing so hastily maybe we would have avoided this whole mess in the first place but to have the nerve to tell me I can’t ask for a new plate when I am paying for my food, after already asking nicely for a new plate is super unprofessional. She then proceeded to tell me that she hoped I didn’t think she did that on purpose??? Like did I say you did it on purpose, I never insinuated that for a second and then proceeded to tell me that she doesn’t understand why I’m asking for a new plate after countless of explanations. Honestly very disrespectful behaviour of Leanne I hope she reflects on her customer service skills because that is no way to speak to a customer who is PAYING...

I've given this review one star because it won't let me leave a review without a star. We were there because it was my birthday. It started out badly. My dad doesn't really drink, but every now and then he enjoys a Malibu and lemonade, so that is what he ordered for his drink. The waitress said it is showing no stock. My dad said what about in your drink stores, right next to the bar. She then asked the girl behind the bar to check stocks. We were told there were none in there. Was there enough left in the bottle behind the bar, to make one drink? No. Ok, so my dad was a little put out and had a J2O. Then we got our dinner. My dad had the beef, which he left on his plate, some of it partly chewed. He had to spit it out because it was so tough. No one came near nor by to ask us how our meal was. When the waitress finally came to our table to take our plates away, my dad commented on it, and was told 'well it can be a funny bit of meat'. Not the response we were expecting. Do we want dessert? Yes please. Oh I need to tell you that we have no ice cream and no custard. The two staples for any of your desserts and you don't have any. No dessert for my birthday then. Can we have the bill please? It came. Fifteen or so minutes later, we told the lady behind the bar that we were only waiting to pay our bill so that we could get this poor night over with and go. She said that we could pay it there. I made a comment about the poor service and she said, 'well it is a busy night'. I looked behind me and held out my arms, indicating as to where were all these people. Most having left quite a while ago. I can honestly say that I have never really had a good experience in the Romford Toby, and if it hadn't been more convenient for one of my party, I wouldn't have booked...