The Stanley Arms — Restaurant in West Lancashire

Place is nice enough although we were in the “marque” at the back of the pub. Bit on the cool side with a wind blowing, wish we’d brought coats as outdoor heating wasn’t working. Staff were friendly and efficient. Unfortunately the food was sub-standard. Half chicken meal sent back as the chicken was significantly over cooked. Honestly, you could find more moisture in the Kalahari desert on a sunny day. Replacement meal of gammon arrived as other 3 guests were finishing their dinner. The gammon required such significant mastication I can only think it had been inadvertently replaced with the bottom of someone’s shoe. Sent it back and decided not to go for “third time lucky”. Other meals were lack lustre. Mixed grill was over cooked with the accompanying deep fried Cumberland sausage being positioned at the “Iceland’s” end of the food spectrum. At some point my partners very cheesy lasagne must have been introduced to meat, but it was a fleeting introduction as the meat had clearly moved to pastures new. It definitely hadn’t turned up in our other guests steak pie, which was more pie than steak. Double (triple?) cooked chips were the best part of all the meals and, in terms of food quality, were the only thing that differentiated them from the nose bag that Wethspoons serve. Deserts were in the main, very good. Choice of beers is also very good. You may be thinking at this point I’m a bit of a moaning sod, but I honestly never ever send food back. I would rather suffer and never go back to the restaurant. This time is pretty much a first for me, unlike the meal which doesn’t even deserve a Desmond (Two/Two for the uninitiated). You also might be correct in thinking that this place has a great Google “ranking”, according to other reviewers, and indeed the place was jammed full when we were there, so they must be doing something right, they just weren’t doing it...

Positives first: The chips are amazing. Proper home cooked chips. Pricey but decent size portion and so nice. Kids meals although a bit over priced were nice.

Unfortunately that’s where it ends for positives. Table was not ready for our allocated time so had to wait in way of the door with a baby in a buggy & a disabled family member. Roast dinners only option for 2 courses for £20. Which is annoying as I didn’t want 2 courses.

There is nothing really on the menu below £20!!

Roast beef dinner consisted of beef sliced so thin it was almost translucent. Half the plate swimming in thin gravy. 4 roast potatoes completely flavourless. White cabbage and carrot and swede again no seasoning at all. You only get a Yorkshire pudding on the roast beef dinner!! If you choose any other meat you don’t get one and have to order one at £1.50 per Yorkshire pudding!! Why?!?!

The plate was that sparse we ordered extra mash which low and behold came and was completely flavourless. No butter or cream or salt & pepper. When paying £5 for a portion of mash I’d expect it to taste pretty great not lukewarm and flavourless.

The open fire was on full roaring & the place was heaving it was so, so hot. No windows were open. Surely there is a H&S limit on how many people can be in there.

Getting attention of a server was near impossible. Waited for over 35min for dessert order to be taken by time it had got there I had, had enough and I left as it was unbearable to be in a place so hot, stuffy & crowded. I would never return to this place. Ridiculously over priced way below average food, and so crowded it’s unbearable. We did get the mashed potato & a coleslaw removed off the bill for...

Been coming here for many, many years. 3 months ago I gave this place an outstanding review, but for the past month the food has gone completely down the tubes. Chips are inedible, very hard, so much so that a friend of mine broke a tooth. Scampi are soggy and cold. The youngest of the staff are a little bit rude in rushing you even if the service is slow (slow service is never a problem for us because we loved this place and it's usually worth the wait). You just start eating your main and get asked "are you going to be ordering desserts?" Don't know what's happened. Food and service used to be 5, but not anymore, 2 at best. The older staff are still fantastic though. I think if the food can be brought back up to previous standards and the younger staff get more training we will be able to return and go back to recommending to family and friends. For now though, we will no longer be returning and will take our usual family...