The Crown Inn — Restaurant in Wales

I can't tell you how annoyed I am that I have to give this place one star, but I have to to leave a review. Today 4 of us made a quick stop for lunch. our elderly parents decided on a jacket potato each, they got as far as eating a few mouthfuls to find that the potato was partially frozen and very watery. The waitress offered to reheat or to get them newly cooked potatoes(apparently they come frozen, so much for the "home cooked" food sign!) Anyway, the parents asked for fresh jacket potatoes, and the waitress ordered them from the kitchen. Half an hour later, no sign of the food, we'd finished our meals which were acceptable, asked where the 2 potatoes were, apparently they were finishing the other orders that were placed after our original order, don't forget, this was just 2 jacket potatoes! Another 15 mins went by and we decided we didn't want to wait any longer as dad is diabetic so we needed to find some food for him pretty pronto. Said to the staff that we couldn't wait any longer and asked for a refund for the spuds, the staff refused this very reasonable request because the chef had just put the food on, 45 mins and she'd only just put it on! Asked again for refund and was refused again by an extremely patronising waitress. I can't believe the complete lack of customer service in this pub. 3 stars for the food that was edible, zero for customer service. Stay away, and head across the road to the Lamb and Flag.

I've just read your reply, you have completely lied. We were never told that there was a large party in front of us. You are correct that we didn't tell you that dad is diabetic because we didn't think that getting a jacket potato would take 45 mins. When I asked for a refund I was told that the food was in, not that it was ready. Mum and dad had eaten the cheese and as soon as they noticed how cold the inside was we called the waitress over. I really don't appreciate you blaming us just to make your reviews better. I most certainly did not wave my hands at your staff, and I'm not an aggressive person. This is the first bad review I've ever given a restaurant, but felt I had to on this occasion because your customer service was so bad. I'm not surprised by your reply trying to take the blame away from yourselves given the level of service you provide. If that's the story your staff give you when you're not there (we asked to speak to the manager, but were told they weren't there), then I suggest you find out the true facts before blaming people who dare to give you...

VERY DISAPPOINTING Advance checking of the menu, we stopped here, enticed by the sound of the Duck on the menu. Served with mustard mash and roasted root vegetables. We both ordered it - it duly arrived. I went to take the first mouthful and was immediately put off by a rather unpleasant aroma. Taking the first mouthful confirmed there was something ‘not right’ about it. It was an unappetising grey colour and extremely tough. The fat on top had not been seared at all and was flabby and did not taste good. I normally love duck fat. When the waitress enquired how everything was, I said I didn’t like to complain, but the duck did not taste right. In fairness she did offer me another one but we were running tight on schedule and could not wait for another to be cooked- and by that point I had been somewhat put off. I did however eat the vegetables. My son’s portion of duck was equally grey and incredibly tough but at least did not have the ‘off’ smell. The waitress went and spoke to the chef who declared there could be nothing wrong as they came from the same ‘pack of 2’ I fail to understand what point that made - I can’t imagine where the ducks are butchered, anyone bothers to ensure pairs of breasts are kept together from the same bird. At a few pence less than £20 each for this meal, I would have expected the duck to be cooked properly- ie fat scored seasoned and seared and the meat cooked slightly pink. These duck breasts were badly over cooked - We asked for the bill and were surprised to be charged for both meals. The waitress, though polite, was not particularly apologetic and the extent of her customer service was to deduct £10 from the total bill. Not commensurate in my opinion for the ‘main event’ of the meal being inedible in my case, and unpleasant to eat in my son’s case. These things happen - but it is the way an establishment handles it which makes all the difference to customer experience. I felt they did not...

We looked at the online menu and decided to book a meal for Sunday evening. The actual menu was much more restricted than the online one. I ordered fish and chips and when it arrived the fish batter was burnt and the fish inedible. It was was like string. I returned it immediately. Meantime my wife’s chicken dish had arrived. There was no apology given at this time. I ordered the chicken dish as an alternative which was described as being served with mash. I requested chips as an alternative and the waitress accepted this. When the dish arrived my wife had finished her meal! It came with mash and not the chips ordered. I turned this down and by now had decided that I had enough and decided giving up on having a meal. The lady in charge said that the dish came with mash and that was it. However the same dish was served to my wife with rice as an option so this contradicted that statement. At no time did she offer an apology for the disastrous service we had received and actually tried to make me guilty for complaining. Worst customer service I have ever come across. We paid for the food and drinks we had consumed and at this the point the young girl taking the payment asked if we had enjoyed our meal. When we explained what had happened she was the first person to offer an apology. I would suggest giving this establishment a wide berth if you are looking for good food and...