Often pass by here along the A35 and decided to stop for a mid morning breakfast, feeling particularly hungry after an early start. Thinking back on my experience, I might well have left quite quickly, as there were some ominous signs, but appetite insisted I try.
As I took to my seat, a large group of two young families were anxiously looking around for their orders, clearly irritated by a long wait...frequent gesticulating at their watches and obvious long stares to the servery area were a good indication, along with their deliberately loud mutters. Other disappointing signs were several tables cluttered with unfinished meals...clearing away is always an important matter in well-run eateries and does much for the greeting that successive customers are met with on entering. The 'unfinished' aspect was significant, too...it wasn't just a couple of plates, it seemed to be the majority, on a number of tables! Why?
Anyway, I persisted, particularly as a happy, pleasant young man dressed in a chef's outfit (a little on the grubby side, maybe) arrived at my table and asked what I'd like. I think there were about three sizes/variations of full cooked breakfast and I was going for the middle, but found myself drawn into adding a couple of extra items, too. The young man quickly pointed out that for just a few pence more I could have the largest version...that included all I was seeking plus even more. Now he didn't have to do that, and I was grateful, and took up the suggestion.
I explained I was on a bit of a tight schedule and politely wondered how long it might take...not least as the large group I'd mentioned above were just about to receive their meals and were looking frustrated and cross. He said I was the only meal now waiting to be cooked and he would get straight onto it. Lucky me.
As I waited, two couples from a table near the far window stood up and left, not stopping to pay or speak to the staff. There table was clear...no dishes at all..and they were clearly also very irritated, I assume that no-one had come to them to take their order. They were certainly seated there before I arrived. Things weren't looking too good for Pit Stop and its restaurant management!
My massive plateful arrived embarrassingly quickly, almost catching me unawares. Served by the young chef himself, with a smile and a breezy 'Enjoy!' As I surveyed it all, salivating, my emotions were a little confused....my experience seemed to be okay but plenty of others were less than impressed...and, to confirm this, one of the mums from the large group was very calmly, but deliberately, taking her fish and chips meal to the counter to complain that it wasn't cooked in the middle! Oh dear. I looked down at my meal, again, fearing a problem.
Speak as you find...whether I was just lucky, or what, I don't know. I quite enjoyed my huge fry-up. The cost, for a very big oval plateful, including tea, £11.99. The constituent parts, like the sausages and bacon, weren't the tastiest or top-grade, but it was all cooked well enough and I felt the chef had done a sound job with the ingredients available. I polished it off, clean plate, no complaints.
Perhaps I was fortunate in that, somehow, I seemed to get served quickly and my meal was alright. I felt for the others.
Whenever you stop at a road-side 'watering-hole' it's probably because you're ready for something and, inevitably, you'll enter looking forward to satisfying that need...in a pleasant and enjoyable fashion. If you can't eat the food, for whatever reason, or you don't even get as far as being served...you leave, really disappointed and still in need of sustenance...and where do you go...the next place up the road? What will it be like?
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