please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We visited the Hankridge Arms early on Thursday 17th December as a special treat before taking our young son to see the new Star Wars film.
We arrived at 5.30pm and were welcomed and we ordered a beer that they recommended. We then waited a further 40 minutes before our order was taken so in the meantime decided to have another beer.
Oh we've run out of that one!. There was about 8 others in the pub so that was very, strange. Our food was served over an hour after we arrived
I had cod & chips (£14.95). It wasn't cod - it was pollock. Was asked if we need any sauces. Asked for vinegar which might as well have been served in a bucket. I wanted a little salt which when picked up drained its entire contents on my dinner. Hows the food? we were asked. I told her about the salt and she said she'd replace the meal. We were now rapidly running out of time. It was then that the pub was consumed by smoke from two open fires - a common occurrence as the waiters thought it was funny. We went to pay & leave. Not one bit of apology (nor a small discount) so we paid in full.
This is when things turned to the surreal.
The manager over hearing this decided that he would take US to task and said that we'd been offered a replacement meal. He would not accept that we had no time so I reminded him about the lack of beer, smoke etc. Our family is now outside the pub with the ranting manager in hot pursuit.
Got into the car when by small son said that he was frightened by the managers actions - he's now yelling at my wife through the car window.
Enough is enough.
I got out of the car and faced him to which he backed off. Got back into the car with him still ranting and watched him follow us into the road as we drove away. The manager is obviously quite mentally disturbed and wants serious professional help before he hurts someone.
I spent Friday wondering if I should call the Police. I'd love to know who owns the pub as I think they should know.
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Called today with the aim of having lunch and wandered through to look at the restaurant seating when a waiter boomed out 'Can I help you sir?' I merely replied that I was looking at the seating to which he very aggressively stormed 'WE ALLOCATE THE SEATING IN HERE!!' Needless to say we walked out, never to return.
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HOW MUCH? £4 for a pint, sod that, I thought and walked out leaving the pint on the bar and the barman insisting I have to pay.
Went to the nearby Sainsburys and got 3 x 500 ml bottles for £5, and people wonder why so many pubs are closing down.
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Good food but a bit pricey no doubt reflecting the expense account clientele from the nearby business park. Our waiter was extremely aggressive, when asked what the choice was on the two courses for �10 he boomed 'Nothing sir, its not available today!' So why was it on the menu? He later reached to clear a colleagues plate well before he had finished his meal as if to get us out. I later discovered he was the landlord! Plenty of other pubs around is all I can say!
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Good food, well presented and delivered by an extremely well trained competent team.
I am a fan of Badger Beer and bit of a real Ale snob so the very well kept cask Ale is a joy. In my opinion the Beer, Food and service is value for money after all you get what you pay for, don't you!?
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I agree with Sharif. We had a large family meal here on a Saturday evening a few weeks ago - 7 adults and 6 children. Excellent menu, great food, good choice of drinks, and really helpful friendly staff. There were 2 other family groups in at the same time and the staff were coping with us all really well, as well as all the other diners. So glad we didn't go to a "family" place where the food is often lousy and the staff often no good, as my family all had a great evening. Really enjoyed Hankridge, would recommend it and return again.
beech - 31 Jul 2011 22:02 |
What means "Godsmacked"?
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Im am a little godsmacked with reference to the previous comments !!, we always use this pub as our "half way lunch spot" on our return home, and in all total honesty, we cannot find any fault with the food or the prices, although they do not do a childrens menu, everything is available half price, and it makes such a change to see decent food rather than sausage and chips If you want cheap tack, go to the harvesters !!.Our sunday lunch was fabulous yesterday, very busy ,happy smiley staff, well done, and we will see you next bank holiday.
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I used to use this place on occasion.
Those occasions will not arise again.
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Paris, thanks for this information.As always I accept you views as bone fida. This pub caters for two customer bases : shoppers knackered after the weekly shop, or corporate visitors to the local cheap skate hotel chains who are on expendse accounts. I am of the former. I will not return to this pub again unless under extreme duress.
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I thought I had been short-changed.
"How much was that pint of Hopping Hare?", I enquired.
"�3.75" came the reply?
�3.75 for a pint in Taunton.
I won't be rushing back in there for a while.
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Stopped here one lunchtime with a couple of colleagues after a meeting in the town. Given its location in a retail park we were pleasantly surprised when we found it wasn't a VIntage Inn/Beefeater etc, etc. The decor is typical faux-gastropub but it was very clean and tidy.
The bar menu (piece of damp paper) consisted of a choice of three massively overpriced sandwiches complete with the Chef's name emblazoned upon it. His apparent celebrity was out of kilter with the fact that we weren't asked how we would like our steak cooked. So queue the arrival, about twenty minutes later, of three well-done steak sandwiches. Sauces were offered reluctantly and a request for horseradish greeted as if we'd asked for Unicorn milk.
We left thirty-five quid lighter for three sandwiches and three soft drinks. At least we got a smile off the barmaid in the end.
Could be so much better.
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Had a lovely sunday dinner in here last week-very nice plae to eat and drink-the staff were particularly friendly and attentive-well worth a visit.
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There has been no change of owner, but a new manager has been installed. Seems OK, and the place was rammed yesterday, so I settled for a liquid lunch.
No harm in that. Occasionally. (My GP says.)
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This restaurant has recently been taken over so we decided to try it out. I went on Saturday night with two friends and the food was absolutely delicious. The chef is excellent and the portion sizes were good, we were too full up for pudding, but the pudding menu looked lovely. We sat next to the log fire and had coffee in the bar afterwards I would definitely recommend it for a good meal, the best place in Taunton I've been to for a long time!
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A quiet post shopping beer somewhat spoiled by the barmaids insistance in polishing brass while I was supping away, making everything smell of brasso. Cant these things be done when the pub is closed?
Otherwise a pleasant enough place and good beer too.
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Nice place to go to after the rigours of the weekly supermarket shop.
The beers were fine and the food looked good.
A nice place for a relaxing beer when all aound seems like mayhem
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Lovely old 16th Century building, good atmosphere and food, could do with this place nearer to town which is sadly lacking in old fashioned pubs with character.
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YoYo, this building used to be Hankridge Farm House before the retail park was built. Once inside it feels like on old country pub as you say, I quite like it, good ales too.
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We ate here the other night and the food was pretty good. The ales were Badger and Fursty Ferret. The building itself could be an old country pub, but as previous writer mentioned it completely surrounded by the modern shops, superstores, and car parks of the shopping center by the motorway junction
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Nice pub, food looks good and the beer (Hall & Woodhouse) are O.K.
Pity its stuck right next to a supermarket car park
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Hall & Woodhouse flagship in the area, friendly , good ales, average wine list. Good food in restaurant
RJB - 16 Oct 2004 14:26 |
