Toby Carvery Rhoose — Restaurant in Wales

I have visited this particular restaurant numerous times over the years, and while many years ago I would never of given it such a high rating, now, it really does deserve it. Booking is highly recommended, either by phone or on the web even on days you think would be quiet. I've been surprised by how busy it is many times when I thought it would of been quiet!

Upon arrival you are met with 2 car parks, one on the right which is the overflow, and the main car park on the left. If your a blue badge holder, accessible spaces are on the right as you enter the main car park. Unfortunately though there are only two spaces and these are usually occupied. You do not need to register for parking (at the time of this review Aug 2023). As you enter the restaurant you arrive at the Host Stand where you will need to wait to be seated. Choosing to ignore this and find a seat yourself will likely result in you being ushered back to the Host Stand by the female Manageress as I've witnessed a few times which is always funny.

After you have been shown to your table you are required to wait for your server, who will ask you for drinks and what food you are having... most people choose the carvery in which case they tell you to go up whenever your ready, which saves you having to wait if your always hungry like me..

The Carvery counter has the options for the usual choice of meats (beef, turkey, gammon & pork) along with a giant yorkshire, although I have noticed like most things these have gotten much smaller in recent years! There is also a dish of mac & cheese for you to help help yourself from as well, and if your really lucky you get the option of 'crackling' but this goes quickly so best to get there early... Veg options include carrots, stuffing, peas, parsnips, sprouts and cabbage, but swede doesn't appear to ever be an option. Then you have two options for roasties...either 'ruffled' or ones coated with goose fat (very nice but also deeply unhealthy)

After you leave the Carvery counter on the other side you get the chance to drench your food in beef or vegetarian gravy. Sauces to the right include apple, cranberry, mint, etc

For drinks you have the option of 'refillable' (Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi, Tango and Lemonade), or you can buy a non-refillable bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Fruit Shoot, J2O, etc. Of course there are various largers, bitters, beers and ciders available as well.

Food is usually very hot and fresh, but on the odd occasion I've had some food that is only just warm, and veg (particularly carrots) that are extremely al-dente!

Service on the whole is usually really good and servers are friendly and helpful.

I have been assured that the dessert served inside a yorkshire pudding tastes amazing, but I've not tried it myself... The Sundaes are very nice though - my favourite is the Honeycomb Dream!

Would I recommend this restaurant? Yes! Please note that Sundays have a higher charge for carvery than during week. Also, Monday to Friday, if you have a Bluelight card you get 20% by showing them the code/QR code

All menu items mentioned in this review were available at the time of writing but are subject to...

I have never written a negative review before, but due to the complete lack of response from Toby Carvery (the chap I spoke to hung up the phone on three separate occasions and refused to listen), I am left with no choice. The quality of the food was so poor that I consider it to be extortion and exploitation expecting anyone to pay £13 for it. I placed an order for a carvery on behalf of a terminally ill lady, who had been greatly looking forward to it as she has been unable to go to a carvery for several years. We made a huge mistake in telling the man we spoke to that it was for a terminally ill and blind lady, as it feels as if he heard this and decided to serve up the absolute bottom of the barrel scraps, hoping she wouldn't notice.

The turkey was barely identifiable, while the beef was extremely chewy and flavourless - reminiscent of the cheapest slices of sandwich beef, which are almost inedible unless slathered in toppings. The gravy hadn't been cooked at all - it was mere granules and hot water which could have been made at home for a few pennies and simmered to produce a much richer flavour than that of Toby Carvery. The carrots and peas were obviously from a tin and cooked to a tasteless mush, the cauliflower cheese watery in a way that a few miniscule sprinklings of paprika on top couldn't possibly disguise. I don't know if there were any other vegetables as we weren't offered any, apparently their idea of a carvery is watery peas and carrots. No cabbage, no swede, parsnips, broccoli, or anything else one would expect. The mashed potato was completely lacking in seasoning, no salt, pepper, milk or butter, just lethargic watery potato and barely enough for two tablespoons. Charging an extra £3.50 for pigs in blankets is an absolute disgrace - even if they had been included for free, the meal would have been barely more satisfying than a £2 boxed frozen dinner.

We paid an extra £5 for apple pie and custard. The apple pie tasted like it had come from the freezer, while the apple itself had no sweetening, so was too sour to eat, while the custard must have come from a packet - not even cooked on site with custard powder. Nothing about the meal seemed homemade, or cooked on site. Upon phoning up to complain we spoke to a man who was most unhelpful - he refused to speak to the terminally ill lady as I was the one who placed the order, despite the fact she was the one attempting to eat the food, and he said we could only get a refund if we brought the food back. He was well aware that we had paid to have it delivered, and that it was impossible to bring it back as she is unable to leave the house or be left alone due to her condition, hence the reason we paid extra to have it delivered. This was a complete waste of £26.19 including delivery, or £21 for the food alone.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough how poor the food and service were. Shame on Toby for ruining a dying...

I haven’t been to a Toby carvery in over a year. There’s now Stonehouse and Coopers carvery in what used to be South Glamorgan. Depending on what time of day you visit tends to depict what food is going to be on offer. That’s not strictly true though as most of the carvery is replenished throughout the day. So on a Tuesday at approximately 4 pm I pull into a near empty car park on a relatively sunny afternoon.

The sign that says ‘ wait here till seated ‘ I stand at for a while. There are four staff in and around the bar in black uniform. A chef wanders from the table he was sat at back into the restaurant. Another staff member who had been outside for a cigarette then re enters the bar area. Not in black uniform like the others, looked like kitchen staff. Hope she washed her hands? Not one came over to greet me.

So I approached the bar area and waited patiently. Two customers were being attended to whilst the other four or five staff members idly chatted nearby. Then after around two minutes I was served. I asked for a carvery and was then asked where I’d like to sit? My reply was the quieter part of the restaurant where there was no one was my preference.

I was duly shown where to sit and then waited at the carvery for service. At least two minutes passed before a chef, then another chef came from the kitchen. I asked for a beef and pork standard size serving. The chef was pleasant and asked if I wanted a Yorkshire? The veg had been under lamps for a long time. The handles you use to serve were hot and the peas had dried out. The carrots had gone brown, needed a stir, the roasties were almost dry and the green beans were ok. Was never a fan of cauliflower cheese. No red cabbage today. Sweetcorn looked dried out!

After pouring their trademark gravy over my meal I then took a seat in a quiet corner. A server asked if I’d like a drink around ten mins later. None of the women at the bar or restaurant looked like they wanted to be there. It was like you were putting them out. A forced smile, no rapport and the minimum customer service was given.

As for the meal, it was very average. The beef was very tasty, cooked an almost medium rare. I really enjoyed it. The pork was dry, like shoe leather! The Yorkshire pudding was dry and hard. The vegetables were very average and below par. The gravy was as it should be. I had a very lacklustre orange juice and lemonade. It was flat and lacked ‘fizz’, just like the restaurant and the staff. I won’t return and definitely didn’t...