The Back of Beyond - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Reading

Poor quality of food and appalling customer care experienced at The Back of Beyond, Reading.

Part of a group of 3 I ate at “The Back of Beyond” in Reading. I ordered your BBQ Chicken Melt with chips at £9.90. I attach a photo of the sad looking plate of food that arrived. The portion size is inadequate in all respects (a single small chicken portion, too few chips and too few peas) whilst the presentation is poor. This is not what I have come to expect from Wetherspoons.

I raised this with our waiter and was told that this was what I had ordered, so I took my plate to the bar and escalated my complaint with your duty manager (Sam). Sam took the plate off me and led me away from the bar to an empty table near the kitchens. He then explained that there was nothing wrong with my food, he said he had sold thousands of BBQ Chicken Melt’s just like this and that I was the first to complain. This was not the response I expected. I said that the dish looked more in keeping with a children’s portion – so I informed Sam that I was still very unhappy and that although I would still eat the food, I would consider publishing a photo on Trip Advisor and making a formal complaint to Wetherspoon Head Office. Sam raised his voice and became very agitated at this point, he picked up my plate and initially wanted to take my food back into the kitchen. There followed an uncomfortable stand-off where Sam refused to let me have my food. He relented only after I had explained that I had already taken a photograph and that he was only making matters worse. He then offered me an alternative dish (“anything from the menu”). I said that I felt it too late for that. I said that I didn’t want to wait for another dish to be cooked and that at this point I would rather just eat my BBQ chicken. Sam continued to show his irritation, protesting that I was not allowing him to put matters right - so I suggested that he might apologise for his behaviour, acknowledge that the food as delivered was below par, and look at addressing the original issue of portion size.

Needless to say there was no apology, but after circa 10 minutes I received a plate of extra chips and a bowl of peas but no extra chicken, all delivered by Sam who continued to protest that in his view there was nothing wrong with my original meal. I repeated my original assertion. Sam once again became very agitated accusing me of being unreasonable and abusive. I thought at one stage that he was about to ask...

Updated review 29/12/2023.

Popped in for a 'Fiesta' meat free burger and a pint of Leffe Blonde.

Since when has the equivalent of a 3oz burger patty been a premium 'Gourmet' burger, which I've always assumed to be the equivalent of 6oz - especially for £11.11!

(Images 4-6 highlight this)

If you have downsized the meat free burgers, then please ensure that two of them are present in a 'Gourmet' burger. If I had the meat equivalent, then two 3oz burgers would have been present!

I know times are tough, however please don't take the mickey!

Sorely disappointed at paying another £2+ for what I thought was a premium burger, only to be presented with a basic wafer thin burger with topping.

Check your order upon arrival to ensure it is right!

Original Review...

This is my local Wetherspoons branch and have been here MANY times over the years.

Popped in on Xmas Eve for a beer (a pint of Bradfield Farmer's Belgian Blue) and ended up having a Beef Madras Curry meal with it.

No issues with either the meal (that was on offer for £8- something for Xmas) or the beer.

That said, the main issue I have with this branch in general is the customer service and attitudes of certain staff members.

Although I had no issues on this visit (due to a friendly Duty Manager and Team Leader being on), there have been times when the service provided has been downright rude by certain staff members - and management.

I've been in well over 100 different Wetherspoons branches over the years (a good number have been reviewed on here) and the Back of Beyond has to rate amongst one of the worst for staff attitude that I've been in.

Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of good staff members and Management here, however they are let down by some other staff who couldn't care less and certain Management who have let 'power' and their ego go to their heads.

With a fair number of Wetherspoons branches across the country going to the wall, you would have thought looking after their no1 asset - the customer- would have been of some...

WRONGLY ACCUSED AND BARRED.

I have been coming to this pub for around 30 years for meals and drinks. Probably every couple of weeks.

I went in yesterday with my daughter. We were meeting friends for a meal. The Duty Manager came up to me and said I wasn't welcome in the establishment. I was shocked and asked why, he said I had been identified by a members of staff as being involved in an incident earlier in the year, dancing on the table and starting trouble and the police had to be called. He said it was either me or the person looked like me, so there was clearly an element of doubt. IT WASN'T ME.

I explained that it wasn't me and I had been coming to the pub for years and in fact was in there two weeks prior and several times before that since the beginning of the year so why was I not asked to leave before if it was me. Why leave it months since the incident to bar me? I am 50 years old and have arthritis and there is no way I would be getting on a table dancing, there is no music in there to dance to anyway. The Duty Manager was not having it. I asked to see the CCTV which he said couldn't be viewed for a week. I said if the police were called surely they had a name of the person and they could check my ID. He said no. It was completely bizarre and I was humiliated and accused of something I hadn't done in front of my child, my friends and their children and an extremely busy pub. It was very upsetting. I tried to explain and the Duty Manager ushered us out and said we were barred. He also refused to give his name when I asked.

I had also ordered drinks and he said I would get a refund in 3 days.

I am so upset and disappointed to be treated like this in a pub I have been to...