Toby Carvery Clacton-on-Sea — Restaurant in Tendring

Visiting family at Clacton today we had all booked in with yourselves for our Sunday dinner which having visited many of your chains before thought we would have the same wonderful experience. The lady who seemed to be incharge was very friendly and gave us a lovely welcome, we were early for our booking and so we were told we could get drinks which we did.

While ordering our drinks we was "shooed" away by a member of staff called Shane which we found was very rude! Even the barman was shocked and asked us to stand back where we were originally standing to finish paying for our drinks. We was seated and then qued for nearly 30 mins to get our food and at certain intervals were were approached by this Shane who "shooed" us again to move and was continually telling us to move or stand elsewhere while quing ....this member of your staff needs to go on a customer service skill training course as this is extremely rude and unnecessary throughout our visit to the point other customers were also getting told to shooe with hands waving! Having worked in customer service and public industry for many years this is absolutely disgusting and many employers would not have this what's so ever, I know I wouldn't in my business. The staff serving the food were fast and efficient and the quing set up was entirely set up wrong it was like being in line for a sea front ride which needs to be addressed as the space between guests tables and the quing barriers were not of legal requirements and blocking fire exit doors also.

All other members of the staff we found were friendly and food was lovely but I feel that if your member of staff named Shane is not placed on a customer service training course he would be better being placed behind the scenes in the kitchen as he is not the type of person any company would or should have meeting, greeting and interacting with customers for them to want to come back . Food -10/10 Staff and atmosphere - 10/10 Shane 0/10 - needs...

9 of us went to Clacton Toby. My family are locals and recommended it.

Firstly we are Toby regulars but this was my first time at this one (and last) the guy who took us to the table was very polite and nice couldn't fault him at all.

Clacton Carvey is grubby it needs a deep clean and the toliets were disgusting 🫣 Even the glass I received for my pint had old food stuck on the side of it?! Probably from a dishwasher.

The food was terrible everything was overcooked and looked like it had been heated up under the hot plate things for some time. The potatoes and peas were truly shocking.

The meat portions was like we were on rations back in the War- thinly cut and real lack of it, which was very disappointing especially as everything else was so bad. Yorkshire puddlings were the only decent thing.

When I received the bill for over £100 I had to leave as I was going to refuse to pay it due to the extraordinary poor quality (this is something I've never done anywhere before) my wife didn't want to make a fuss espically as it was with my family who live locally....... so she paid it!

It's completely put me off going to a Toby ever again even thou the ones local to us have always been good and are generally clean. I won't give Toby another penny. Even one my kids said on the way home "I don't like Toby anymore"

Maybe because this is a seaside one and they get alot of day trippers for a one off they haven't invested in it so much, I strongly suggest you do.

Forgot to mention the salt pots that were solid totally shocked as tried 3 and all the same.... if you only do one thing about this review please 🙏 look at your...

This is a beautiful Restaurant in a prime seaside setting with payable parking adjacent that is fully refundable, with indoor & outdoor seating that has absolutely amazing staff as from the moment I arrived until the time I left I was treated with the utmost respect & was made to feel very welcome & was never made to feel uncomfortable by being alone.

I arrived for my reservation as this was my first time visiting Essex, I was greeting with a warm welcome by the young man at the desk who took me to a table by the window that if it had been earlier, I would of been able to see the sea, my server was attentive and looked after me throughout, I ordered my drink and was told to just go up for the carvery when I was ready, when I got there I waited for the Chef as I was the only person there, when he came out he was as friendly as the other two members of staff, he asked what I'd like, I asked for pork & turkey, he cut a slice of pork, then went to cut some turkey, but didn't seem happy with what was left visually, so he asked if I was in a hurry as he was going to get a fresh turkey which was unbelievable, he arrived back and carved me a good portion of the turkey & apologized for the wait, the rest of the produce looked almost empty with the exception of the cabbage, I took what I could, but when I got back to the table sadly it was almost cold, but it was still very tasty, my server came to take my plate away and managed to talk me into dessert which I NEVER eat, I'm so glad she did as the chocolate brownie & ice cream was delicious, overall I can't wait to go back next time I...