The Alice Lisle, Rockford

I visited the Alice Lisle yesterday early evening with my wife and our two young children. We used to visit this pub frequently several years ago (before it became a Fullers pub) and always enjoyed the service and food and as we were in the area we thought we would drop in for dinner and a drink. It was relatively early on a Sunday evening, around 5:30 p.m., but we were a little surprised that the pub wasn't busier considering it was a Bank Holiday weekend. The staff were courteous and polite and when asked informed us that there were no specials or roasts, offered no explanation, and informed us that all food was as per the menu. The menu looked a little pricey but as we had always enjoyed the food before we ordered cheese and tomato pizzas off of the childrens menu plus a side of chips, and my wife and I decied to share the Smokehouse Board. Before our food arrived a lady at a table adajcent to us complained to a staff member about her steak being all fat and gristle and inedible - she was offered another but declined and it was taken off of the bill. Our food duly arrived and to be fair it was exactly as the menu had stated but did not live up to our expectation. The childrens cheese and tomato pizza (�5.00) was indeed small, made from normal heddar ccheese, covered with halves of cherry tomotoes, and made with what we think was tomoto puree. The side of chips (�3.00) was the equivalent of a large mug full, nice chips but too expensive!, and the Smokehouse Board (which was a cold platter) looked totally unappetizing; to give you some idea the sausage was cold and aneamic, the gherkins - well one gherkin sliced in half, the cellery sticks - well ends of cellery that looked like they had been sat around for some time, and as for the chef's piccalilli! Finished drinks, ate what we could, paid the bill, were not asked if we had enjoyed the food or if everything was alright, incorrectly charged, queried bill, established that others' drinks had been put onto our tab, credited back the difference, staff memeber (perhaps Manager) kept calling me mate, left having parted with �35.00! In summary good place for a drink and for kids to enjoy the play area but will never consider eating there again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

29 Aug 2011 11:03