Tesco Cafe — Restaurant in Scotland

I had the unfortunate experience of visiting this place on Sunday 13/04/24 with a friend of mine. I’d had a heavy day the day before, drinking copious pints of Guinness in Melrose and Galashiels so was looking forward to a nice cooked breakfast.

Upon arriving, we stood waiting to get served for about five minutes whilst a young female member of staff completed ignored us and seemed to be wiping down the same surface over and over again before doing the same with some bottles.

Eventually, a male member of staff with the charisma of a pencil eventually asked us what we wanted. I asked for a ‘big breakfast’ but requested the tattie scone, beans and hash browns be substituted for a couple of eggs. At other places I’ve eaten, 90-odd percent of the time, this is fine, but not at the Tesco Café, Galashiels. Oh no, they don’t do substitutions. I told Mr charisma of a pencil to forget it and took a seat whilst my pal ordered.

Hungry, I thought I’d go down stairs to the main shop to get something to eat instead. I purchase some cold Italian meats and some cheese and took my food back to the café where my pal was eating his miserable looking excuse for a breakfast. I ate my meat and cheese with him at the table which I have to say, was very enjoyable. After I’d finished my food, an older lady came over and said in quite a surly manner, I couldn’t eat food not purchased in the café in the café. “Too late” I said, “I’ve already eaten it.” Besides, I’d bought it in the main Tesco shop so I couldn’t see the problem. It’s not as if I’d brought in my own food and eaten that.

I politely informed her that had my simple request for the aforementioned substitution be accommodated, I wouldn’t have had to go and get the meat and cheese from the main shop. Their inflexibility was the cause of my alternative dining choice and I let her know that.

Needless to say I won’t be back to this soulless, unaccommodating excuse for a café. Ignorant, uninterested and inflexible staff along with awful looking ‘food’ make this place somewhere to give an...

The food was reasonable, but the service im afraid to say was not good. My partner ordered, and was told what he wanted was included in a breakfast so he said ok. Not knowing what a breakfast was. When they delivered a plate full of meat (both of us are vegetarian) we were obviously quite disappointed...we were made out to be wrong ourselves and when my husband asked what can be done, told that they would take the meat off and add an extra potato scone! 🤨 So we had something completely different to what we initially went in for, and paid for half of what we ate basically! Any decent cafe would just realise theres been a miscommunication and make what we ordered but not here. The saying "the customer is always right" definitely does not apply in this cafe 🙄 shame because the staff in the actual store and pharmacy are the loveliest people i have ever shopped with and i am and will continue to be a loyal customer in this Tesco store. Just quite ashame about the cafe experience, but theres plenty great places nearby so dont be put off visiting the store, there are brilliant restaurant's and cafe's within meters...

Absolutely disgusting service from the staff! Rude is an understatement. Ordered food for myself my partner gran and 2 kids they charged us for the order and told us 10/15 minutes, an hour later I ask about the food they haven't even started cooking it! When the food came I had to send 2 items back as 1 was the complete wrong food and the other was covered in sauce which I asked not to be! Will NEVER visit here again! And as for the member of staff that was extremely rude to us she needs to retake her customer service. Unsure on the woman's name as her name badge...