OK Diner — Restaurant in South Derbyshire

Where on earth do I start?! 🤣 Honestly.. everything was so bad it was actually comical! If I could give less than one star I absolutely would! Me my partner and my two teenagers were chuckling to ourselves, it was abysmal! We spent an amazing day out at alton towers, and with a 4hour drive in front of us we decided to pull off the motorway at the next services for food before heading home. We arrived at 6pm, at 6.15 we were still stood at the entrance waiting to be seated. In a diner that more than likely has around 30 tables, there was only 3 tables with customers. So. Not exactly rushed off their feet. We were apologised to for the delay, they were very understaffed (i counted 8 members of staff) and Finally we were seated, on a wet table by the clueless waiter. We then waited a further 15 minutes to have our order taken. My partner ordered the big burger they have advertised on the wall, to which the waiter replied "I don't think that's on the menu, it's just part of the decor" 🤣 It was in fact on the menu, but had absolutely zero resemblance to what was advertised! So another burger was ordered, which as expected was awful too! Milkshakes!! Let's talk about milkshakes! .. it was just milk.. that clearly we were expected to "shake" ourselves. All "flavour" and ice cream was in a huge lump stuck at the bottom of the metal cup they brought out to us. Laughable really! 55minutes later, our food arrived.. my daughters breakfast was terrible, she forced herself to eat the toast and beans.. my sons chicken burger was hard and extremely dry, and my burger could have knocked out the army of staff working if launched across the room! We had ordered a side of jalapeño bites.. which when served to us was in fact 2 tiny little lumps, that even the waitress didn't know what they were! After forcing ourselves to eat some of what was in front of us, just to try and fill our bellies for the long drive, I asked for the bill and my family went out to the car to wait for me. I asked what i can only assume was the manager for the bill.. 15minutes later, I asked again! Paid and left! I genuinely felt as if I'd been sat in alternate universe for the last 2 hours of my life..and actually sat asking what had just happened! They even have a sign saying "what? You expected good service AND good food?" We in fact received neither! It's called the OK diner.. that is a very dramatised representation of an absolute joke of an establishment! Sad really, as it had so much potential! The place in itself Is decorated lovely, the location is perfect and the menu is above what I initially expected, just a shame they can't produce the service and food youd at least expect

The NOT...

Strange to see there are people who had exactly what I had and thought it was good...

We had two Bigger Breakfasts. They come with one slice of bacon which is somewhat less bigger than I'm used to but fine. It was okay. Sausages are chipolatas and fairly disappointing. The rest was... okay.

The service was horrific, and matches every other time I've visited. We, and almost everyone else waited ten minutes or more at the door to be seated, often without so much as a, "with you in a minute," certainly no apology for the wait, and that'd be irritating any time but given there were open clean tables as we waited, particularly bad.

The "unlimited refill" coffee came in tiny mugs which would be fine if there was someone going round topping it up, but we got one, and had to ask for it. The amount of time we sat at the table with nothing to drink and nothing to eat was unreal.

I genuinely can't remember the last time I saw such a badly run front of house. Bar one young lad who seemed friendly enough, the staff milled about aimlessly with the two senior women running it apparently entirely uninterested in the concept of customer service.

We had to ask to place our food order and come time to pay we waited with empty plates and mugs with a card on the table for over ten minutes, finally called someone over, they left the receipt with no card machine, then when they finally brought it, stood there entirely uninterested in us, or our payment.

Literally the worst dining experience I've had in years, and not exceptional, because it pretty much matches every other time curiosity's gotten the better of me with this place.

Awful, awful, awful, experience.

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Worst customer service we have ever experienced. I don't know what has happened in the past month since the glowing reviews about the "lovely staff" but that is NOT what we got. We were approached by who I believe is the manager with no welcome, just "how many?" No smile, nothing. She looked annoyed when we told her 3. She couldn't find us a table so suggested that we take a table for 2 and stick a chair at the side of the table while we wait for a booth to empty. Just pointed and walked off, no menus given to us and we're left waiting. We had to find a menu for ourselves and waited a good 15 minutes for someone to take our order for drinks, we ordered food while we were at it in case it was going to be another 15 minutes before they came back to do this as well. When the poeple in the booth next to us had finished and left, we quickly sat at that table incase they had forgotten that they had offered us the table as it seemed as though they had forgotten we were even there at this point. As we sat, one of the waitresses taking a nearby customers order, shouted at us to go back to our table very rudely "err can you go back to that table please", we explained that we were told we could sit here after the others had left she then said "yeah I need to clean it just wait". This girl must think she's a dinner lady in a primary school because that is how she made us feel like children daring to leave the table without being excused. For that we got up, told them to cancel our order and left to go somewhere else. I'm not expecting The Ritz hospitality but basic manners in this place are nonexistent. Might I recommend the Apple Tree at Barton Marina? The food and...