The Exeter Inn — Restaurant in North Devon

They advertise very clearly that their kitchen is open till 2:30 Wednesday to Saturday both on their website and the signs out side and inside. My partner and I were looking forward to having a meal there, we arrived just before 2:10 to be told the kitchen is not serving anymore. I enquired about when their kitchen normally closes, to which they told me it’s 2:30 everyday other than Saturdays (the day we visited), when they happen to close at the exact time we arrived. It was an outright lie based on all the information they provide. I would have rather they told me that the kitchen staff can’t be bothered to make anything else for the rest of the day. Very disappointed by their dishonesty.

UPDATE in response to inaccurate response from the establishment: the information provided by the establishment in response to my feedback is false. Nothing was explained to me - they merely checked with the chef if the kitchen is still open, the chef said no to them and they cascaded the information to me. I asked what time the kitchen normally closed, they told me a false time as explained above. There was nothing more to the interaction. If they did give me the information they stated in the response to my feedback at the time, that is an entirely reasonable explanation and I would have accepted, maybe stayed for a drink and then sought another place for food. No reasonable person would have cause to complain if the kitchen staff was overwhelmed at the time.

In response to the 1 star rating, to justify: I couldn’t give it anything for food becuase I wasnt served it. The one star for the service is completely justifiable because of the instinct to give false information and is further justified by the fabricated story you provided in response to my comment. And the complete lack of willingness to accept you made a mistake and to improve on it. For the atmosphere, I gave 3 stars provided for atmosphere. Googles review tool turned that to a one star overall.

I must say, I’m incredibly flabbergasted by the disrespectful tone and inaccurate content of your response, hence the very detailed update from me. The whole point of a review process is for the establishment to find ways to get even better and customers to make a sound decision about where they spend their hard earned money.

I strongly urge you to reconsider your approach to dealing with feedback.

Rather than a fabricated story, an apology in response to my feedback would have been appropriate and an excuse for the inaccurate information given to me when I visited (maybe you were rushed and didn’t think through your response), and a commitment to think through the information you provide to customers in future. Or, if in fact you do close the kitchen earlier on Saturdays, like you told me, then provide a commitment to update the signs outside your establishment and the details on your website.

The main thing you should take from this is to find ways to be better rather than putting effort into trying to discredit honest feedback. You should note that people who spend their money in your establishment have worked hard to earn it, so having access to honest reviews will help them make informed decisions and will help the establishments meet the good standards that hard earned money of their...

Disappointing Experience at the Exeter Inn Pub

I visited the Exeter Inn Pub with my husband and toddler on a quiet Saturday evening. We had enjoyed our previous visits, but this time was a real letdown.

My husband and I both ordered the fajitas, priced at just under £19 each. When the food arrived, we were shocked at the portion size: only two wraps, three slices of pepper, three slices of onion, and a small amount of chicken. For the cost, we expected much more.

When the wait staff checked on us, we expressed our disappointment. The manager intervened, claiming we each had a full chicken breast, but offered to bring more. A small dish of plain shredded chicken was brought out, but without any additional vegetables or wraps.

Our toddler had sausages, which he enjoyed, and he was well-behaved throughout our visit. The staff were lovely and complimented his behavior, but the same manager we had spoken to made an unnecessary comment about him being badly behaved and swinging on chairs. This was completely untrue; he was under our care and not being disruptive at all.

As we left, a staff member ran out to return our son's forgotten water bottle. We asked her if she thought our son had been badly behaved, and she confided that the manager was just in a bad mood because we mentioned the portion sizes and was looking for a reason to complain.

While the other staff members were wonderful, the portions are small for the price and the manager made us feel extremely unwelcome. We won't...

No way does this pub deserve four, there was nothing about The Exeter Inn that was short of five out of five. What a find!! You couldn't find more of a "country pub" if you tried. In every detail. And the food!!!

We arrived as a party of four without a booking and we were welcomed. I mean positively welcomed not just 'I suppose I can squeeze you in'.

The owners (as we discovered, the NEWLY ARRIVED and very experienced owners) Steve and Hazel have already made the place their own. TA readers can IGNORE previous reviews and ratings) They and their staff are speedy, attentive and have a relaxed friendliness that you only get when everyone knows what they're meant to be doing. No hectic, rushed, stressy faces and voices here! And the FOOD!!!! :)

Thank you for your hospitality Steve and Hazel. I can only WISH that you were...