The Royal Oak — Restaurant in Stafford

I go there regularly most weekends with my family. We have food and it is usually really good. So i thought why not book the party room for my mums suprise birthday party. So i booked it and payed for it in FULL in august. The party was in November. So the day before the party comes. We receive a phone call saying that they have to cancel it due to a water pipe leak. They had been closed all week. They had not been in touch. The DAY BEFORE THE PARTY they made contact. No apology. So i had to try and find another venue the day before the party for a Saturday night! Nightmare. I went and collected back the full payment i had made for the party room and the manager had to let me in due to them still being closed. No hello. No apologies. Did not say one word to me. So that made me even more upset about how i was treated. An email was sent to the brewery which another manager replied to. Did not apologise for the manager i saw in person. Did not apologise properly for the let down. All that they said was that they ‘feel sorry for their staff being payed minimum wage on the run up to Christmas’ what has that got to do with my party room being cancelled? And them letting me know less then 24hours before the party was meant to start? Yes, stuff happens and a water pipe leak cannot be helped. But them knowing all week and not saying anything until the day before. And them even saying sorry? And saying they feel sorry for their staff? Yeah i get you might pay them minimum wage because you pay them pennnies of your thousands. But not feeling sorry for me who had hired a dj (£380) , been planning the party for months, buying decorations, inviting friends to the party to keep it a suprise? So much for not feeling sorry for your let down customers! And some of my guests showed up to the oak still as they had not got my message about the venue change! Rubbish communication. Rubbish ‘apology’ email. Rubbish Management. I will not be recommending you in the future for anything. Failed me. Failed my guests. Failed the suprise birthday party....

It's to simple to say AVOID. This place is horrible, horrific and horrendous. We pulled onto the car park after detouring through Stafford; following diversion instructions away from an accident on the M6. I would happily (knowing now, how bad this place is) have sat in the traffic and tolerated a bored 2 year old, than visit this establishment.

As it was we stopped, ordered food with the intention to sit out the worst of the traffic and give the little man a chance to stretch his legs.

The restaurant was empty, no surprise once you look close. The high chairs were filthy, the first table was sticky, so was the next and so was the next..........etc, etc, etc. We finally found one that was tolerable and proceeded to clean it.

We ordered food and waited, within a microwaveable amount of time the food arrived; I believe cooked from frozen and was some how over done.

It was delivered to the table by the most slobbish of waitresses that threw the plates almost into our laps and stomped off, back under a bridge I think; to await the Billy goats.

To say we finished the food as quickly as possible was an understatement, three mouthfuls and we were gone. Im sure Houdini would have struggled to make it vanish any quicker.

As we were leaving the mobility mob were just pulling on to the frontage for i assume their big Friday night blow out, (que cut scene from the 1979 film quadrophenia but with the 4x4 scooters) all apparently incapable of moving until, the realisation that a que was forming at the bar; to which each and everyone of the scooter arrived clan channeled there inner Usain Bolt and covered the doorstep to bar (10ish steps) in a staggering 8ms (blink and you've missed it.)

The sign outside advertises sizzling, I believe it should be re-branded to scamming as it's safe to assume this would be a dwp investigation team's regular haunt............it won't...

Arranged a family get together of 4 on a Wednesday 19:30. I ordered surf and turf. The meals where brought out and waiter did not hang around. Noticing the kitchen had left off the mushrooms we had to go and find the waiter to ask for them. They were swiftly brought in a small sauce jug. He again left before we could also tell him that the kitchen had also left off the onion rings. Again we had to find him and ask for them and he swiftly brought to the table. He left without checking on the meals quality and without apology. After finally being able to start my meal I found the steak to be well done after ordering this medium rare. We informed the waiter again who returned the dish in full to the kitchen. He returned very soon after trying to give me back the same dish with the explanation that the chef said it’s just the light conditions and that the steak was in fact medium rare and a replacement would not be cooked. I refused the explanation and the dish was taken away. The waiter returned with a cash refund and no apology or offer of another meal.

I find this kind of response highly unacceptable. Clearly the chef is in adequate in cooking a steak, the waiter was likely put in a difficult situation being told to return the dish but should have the suitable front of house management in place to ensure suitable customer service. Whilst 3 of my family ate I went without food. Using the app to order drinks even the snacks on offer were limited and drinks arriving in alternative branded glasses. Finally at the end of the meals we saw the correct customer service from the taller of the 3 bar staff who helped clear the table. Asking how our meal was ‘first time asked’ . Clearly this staff member had no idea of the issues as it was his first engagement with us. He was very apologetic though.

We will not...