please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Chances of a decent pint in Redhill even less now, with all the handpumps ripped out of this place. Especially if you want some reasonably priced food to go with your beer.
Well done Toby. Never has a Wetherspoons seemed so alluring.
|
After a recent refurb, little has changed, except you now queue for the carvery in the opposite direction. I was so excited I nearly dropped a sprout.
The food is still good value, but go at a quiet time to avoid the chronic understaffing. I recently waited 10 minutes to be served, there was just one girl behind the bar, and still 2-3 people in front of me, when I heard the dreaded words, "I've just got to change the barrel..."
Time to admit defeat and move on. Sort your staff rotas out, Toby! At quiet times there's more people behind the bar than in front of it.
|
Same as any Toby carvery. Good value for money.
|
As others say, the carvery is great value before 7. As you'd expect, it gets busy Sunday lunchtimes, so expect queues, and noisy kids running around. On the plus side, since the staff have become mostly eastern european, the service friendliness and quality has improved remarkably. In past years, on some occasions you'd approach the bar to place your order and it seemed as though you've walked into some raging domestic from the way the staff spoke to you despite you only just arriving. So it's refreshing with the new staff to consistently have a better service and experience all round. If you've been in the past and been put off returning, give it a second chance and see for yourself.
|
Several years on & the staff are still allowed to use their own clock, set quite a few minutes early. Puzzle why Toby head office allow this.
Ok it lets the staff go home a bit early. But the cost to the customer hits when the guy before me was refused a 7pm carvery deal as their 'staff time' clock said it was past 7. The 'Toby Time' clock cheated him of about �12 (he didn't want to make a fuss in front of his 3 guests). I paid for the 7pm deal some 2 minutes later after pointing out the real time on the till. Doubt either of us will ever have a warm 'regular customer feeling' for the place.
Well done for getting the real ale back though
Enjoy the 'yorkshire comedy pudding' charade mentioned below; The staff are forced to try and dump a half plate size balloon of deep fried flour & water froth, onto your empty plate before you start.
Re name; Perhaps it's because I remember the 1960's & fizzy tins of party beer, but I was physicality unable to invite a friend to meet me at 'The Toby'. Perhaps the brand owners will have to wait for my generation to die off before their continued investment in the 'Toby' name pays off. To me is remains naff devalued brand name. At least stick a small 'Laker's Toby' sign out to give us squeamish ones a less embarrassing alternative?
|
It's a carvery, what do you expect? fine ales and meat dripping?.. jesus man let the poor eat out in peace!
|
I think TWG has it about right. For a chain pub/hotel the service is above average, carvery good value (before 7pm) and a decent pint of London Pride for �2.25 make a qualified recommendation. Especially as a couple of years ago there was no real ale at all.
And yes, everyone still calls it The Lakers so why can't Toby?
|
TWG misses the point yet again. This is a restaurant/carvery in a hotel. The 'pub' is just a less profitable aside, a typical uninspiring hotel bar. Init.
|
I very much echo the sentiment of RPAdam, who rightly points out that although one expects it to be entirely given over to "family dining" given the Toby Carvery branding (it'll always be Laker's to me), it does at least manage to operate reasonably well as a pub. It does attract customers looking for just a drink and who aren't necessarily eating, and the bar area - although rather heavy on the pine - is both pleasant and clean, featuring a selection of keg lagers, cider, stout, and even a couple of real ales (London Pride and Deuchars but hey, one doesn't take even these for granted in a venue like this). Actually the latter wasn't the best I've tried, but it was competitively-priced at �2.15. Even the Pride was only 10p dearer.
Service was efficient. I daresay the grub is reasonable as it does seem to lure a broad cross-section of folk even at ungodly times and I believe Tobys to represent good value. The main building itself dates back to the 1850s and has been thoughtfully refurbished; there is a series of comfortable dining/drinking areas with suitable decor that fits the traditional exterior reasonably well. Pool etc is available. I don't know about the hotel element tacked on to the rear - living in Redhill I'll probably never need to use it, although a couple of Italian friends of mine stayed there at New Year in 2007 and found it reasonable enough for the price.
It is sad that a once venerable venue with a clear local link has been re-branded into a fairly identikit pub-restaurant with a generic name. But it isn't worst example of its kind, and actually offers a little more than one might expect. Obviously for better ale quality and retained character go across to the Home Cottage, but if it's a hearty meal for a large group you need, this could cover it. And better a Toby than being closed or converted to housing.
|
eaten here a couple of sunday lunchtimes. for �8.50 for a roast not at all bad not as good as my wife's but hey that would take some beating! beer is good and service is fine. bog standard but you pays your money and you takes your choice. I turned down the 'yorkshire comedy pudding' - server look bemused!!!
|
I wasn't expecting much, but at least the place operates as a pub as well as a carvery restaurant. Some rather uninspiring chain decor inside, but there are quite a few wooden benches out front which are pleasant enough if the sun is shining. Greene King IPA at just �1.95/pint and London Pride at �2.25 (and the latter was perfectly acceptable). Two other plus points - it is less than a minute away from the station (with direct access to platform 3) and out of sight of Redhill's rather hideous town centre.
|
yum yum yum toby carvery erm yum :-) 7/10
|
re biggest yorkshire pud I've ever seen comment below.
The system is for the carver to take a plate immediately place in the middle 'the giant yorkshire pud' (2p of cheap flour, fat & air). It will appear on your plate even if you ask for turkey. He'll then arrange slithers of meat around what little plate is still visible.
A good game is to refuse the pud & enjoy the chef having to follow his script by picking one up and saying 'are you sure?'
|
This place is slowly growing on me. Not just for value for money but go there a few times and the staff and regulars will chill out and speak to you ..... really, I promise it happened!
|
agreed. the food is good and plentiful but has all the atmosphere of a john major pea pushing contest. go for the grub not the ale!
|
Fantastic carvery served all day and for a very resonable price the biggest yorky puds I have ever seen. I must say I use this place as a eating house not a pub but the beer prices also seem resonable. Great for a sunnday treat with the family, give mum a day off visit the toby.
|
My nephew worked here (for a short while) he used to have to translate Portuguese for the bar staff (he doesn't know Polska) but jacked as the manageress made him sell out of date beer (he says). Beware the pikeys for the cheap Sunday lunch they are the ones with big keeper rings and the toddlers with frilly socks patent leather sandals and hoop ear rings, Oh jack russell in the Datsun pick up out back but handy when waiting for the Mrs to pick you up from the station
|
Near Redhill Station so handy if you have some time waiting for a train.
Better than some the pubs near the Bus Station.
denis - 12 Sep 2005 10:14 |
