The Railway Inn

Mother’s Day lunch was a horrible experience, apart from the young waitress, who was only trying to do her job. The co-owner was unpleasant, rude and argumentative when I discreetly complained. There was no apology, and she charged us for the meal that was supposed to be free for our two-year-old, despite our paying for drinks, three starters, one kids’ meal and one main. We all still needed to eat. She argued about everything, including the food and my son choking, saying it wasn’t her problem. She showed no concern or remorse. When I mentioned the diet pepsi tasted odd, she dismissed it, saying she’d served eight others that day. We went to The Railway Inn with four hungry children and were seated in a tired conservatory in a run-down, unclean place. At £15.95 for three courses, the Mother’s Day menu cost what I’d expect at a reputable restaurant, but there were no other diners at 1pm, which should have warned us. The place smelled of old, reused chip fat. Starters were poor but just about edible: lukewarm garlic mushrooms with bland sauce that seemed like packet mix, bland chicken goujons, and my starter came with what seemed to be smart price part-baked baguette. The mains were worse: badly undercooked meat, watery tinned veg, soggy roast potatoes and what seemed more like smash than mashed potato. My hungry 10-year-old bit the meat and choked, so we put on our coats. I told the waitress at the bar I wouldn’t eat my meal but would pay for the drinks, starters, one main and the kids’ meal we were meant to pay for. We had two kids’ meals, and our other child’s should have been free, as they had confirmed on arrival that under-3s eat free. The co-owner claimed the veg wasn’t tinned, the bread was freshly baked and the meat properly cooked because they’d used a thermometer. I have photos of the food and will post them on here, TripAdvisor and elsewhere. I’d also realised the 5-star ratings mostly come from people she knows, some reviewing more than once, and she has reviewed her own businesses on here, TripAdvisor and Facebook. That seems unfair and deceptive to people like me who were just trying to find somewhere nice for Mother’s Day. It was the worst meal, place and service I’ve ever experienced. Avoid it. So disappointing and unpleasant.