Thames Waterside Bar And Grill — Restaurant in Bristol

So I am not one to complain however when I’m paying $100 for a meal I have certain very obtainable expectations for the food.

I will say it was forth of July so maybe the cooks/workers were celebrating just as much as the guests were.

My husband and myself went with our 2 boys (2 years old and 6 years old) so naturally I ordered their food when I placed the appetizers in.

The calamari was rubbery and had no flavor at all and the shrimp was just as bland we had a couple bites of each and were done with that.

I double checked about the kids meals (chicken nuggets/fries & mac/cheese) she she put it in and was waiting. So we ordered our meals.

The kids meals came out along with our meals maybe she forgot to put them in before I’m not sure. The kids meals were cold not even room temp but cold. The Mac and cheese was so soggy (Bow tie pasta with some sort of melted cheese sauce) again gross & cold as well. The kids ate the chicken nuggets and fries because I mean they didn’t care & were hungry but didn’t touch the Mac and cheese I didn’t blame them.

I ordered the pesto chicken pasta well it came out like a soup (& I am not exaggerating) it had enough sauce for like 5 dishes the pasta which was now soggy was swimming underneath. I just don’t even understand how it got past a chef and a waitress if I saw that as a waitress I’d be like I’m not giving this to them this looks nasty.

My husband ordered the fish tacos they were hot so that’s a plus but again no flavor, very bland.

So I asked to speak with the manager because I mean it wasn’t just 1 thing it was literally everything that we ordered was terrible in different ways.

The manager came over and I explained everything to him and I said “I know it’s forth of July and maybe your chefs are celebrating too “ (trying to make light of the conversation) but as a business owner myself I would want to know if someone has a terrible experience because well I want people to come back especially if they are paying. Well his response was “maybe the manager is drunk too” I mean I chuckled and thought to myself hopefully he was just kidding but I don’t think he was. He then told me “he would take care of the bill” we got the check and all he did was take off my pasta dish.

I honestly was shocked and looked at my husband and said well we won’t be coming back. It was terrible food and after paying $100 we left hungry.

Again it was forth of July so maybe they were celebrating and didn’t want to work which I totally get! However when I’m paying for it I just wish it would of been better or “taken care of”. I won’t be going back there again.

Also, the bathrooms were GROSS! I felt more dirty walking out of there. Again it was forth of July so maybe they had a lot of drinkers upstairs which I totally get, but just take a peak to see what your restrooms looks like. It was bad and I felt like I was...

This place had been a favorite for years. We speculate that they either have been sold and/or are cutting corners.

The setting right on the water is wonderful, and service has ranged from very good to excellent. However, bad food and other issues do not compensate for that.

Our first visit for the season was a few weeks ago.

My partner got a lobster roll that was a disappointment that did not even taste like lobster. I got the steak-and-cheese, which was average at best.

I simply choose to not drink alcohol, and I find regular soda too sweet. However, a health issue requires limiting my diet soda intake.

We returned for dinner last night. I did not want Diet Coke because of the health issue and because I did not want caffeine that late in the day.

Our server told me that they usually have bottled flat water, but it took a bit to learn that they were out.

I asked for seltzer and received what they told me was that beverage. It was a weird water that had electrolytes and minimal bubbles. It was room temperature at best.

I had to ask for a glass. At that point, I did not want to make an issue of the fact that they brought me one with ice, which defeats the purpose of ordering bottled water.

I always have enjoyed their pizza. My partner ordered the sausage pizza that looked very odd and had a mountain of melted cheese. Only a couple of pieces gotten eaten. We took the rest to go but ended up through it out outside the restaurant.

I ordered the ribs. They came out room temperature at best. I liked the sauce, but the ribs themselves were not at all fall off the bone and tasted odd. On top of that, the cole slaw was a weird looking salad that I did not even try,

My partner speculated that the ribs were microwaved.

On top of this, I requested wet naps and was told that they were out.

I am the more fussy and vocal one in the relationship. My partner was on the edge of complaining last night.

Dessert was another source of unhappiness. I LOVE the cheesecake that Thames has served for years. I was told last night that they no longer sell it.

On top of that, the bathroom smelled far worse than could be attributable to someone before me having an issue. It smelled like the essential outhouses in the middle of national forests.

My partner and I were in total agreement that we enjoy eating out in Bristol but will be going to one of the many other restaurants near Thames...

I really wanted to leave a positive review but I just can't after yesterday's dining experience. Something has changed because the food is not how I remember it. The only thing this place has going for them is the atmosphere and scenery. We made a reservation for outside dining. We arrived 15 minutes early and waited until a table was ready, which was totally fine as we were early. After waiting 20-25 minutes we were brought to our table. This was the beginning of our horrible experience. This table was outside, barely, and was right next door to the kitchen. Really this table shouldn't even exist. Your view is obstructed and you get all the kitchen noise. After our drinks came we saw 3 other tables open up so we asked to move and the waitress, who was very nice, did help us move to another table. Food and drinks were overpriced, which is expected based on the location. What was not expected was the small portions. I ordered the seafood casserole thinking I was bringing home leftovers. Nope...not the case at all. Very small and as for the bread crumb topping, that was scant. the rice pilaf was very plain, dry, and undercooked. My husband got the fish and chips and instead of being fried to a golden color it was fried to a dark brown color. Definitely should have brought it back, but then I'd be eating my meal first. His side of coleslaw was about the size of a tablespoon. We saw other diners get the fish and theirs had better color so maybe it was just our luck. But why serve that? Clearly it was overcooked. We were going to pick up a gift certificate while we were there, but decided to skip that. If you want atmosphere, there are lots of other restaurants nearby with better tasting food...