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“Well, mine was okay...but”
Review of A35 Pit Stop

A35 Pit Stop
Ranked #3 of 5 Restaurants in Kilmington
Restaurant details
Reviewed 10 July 2016

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?

Date of visit: June 2016
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank Bearf00t
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviews (255)
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199 - 203 of 255 reviews

Reviewed 2 July 2016

We were staying in the rooms here so decided to have lunch on site, big mistake!

All the tables were mucky, the menu was filthy, and the cutlery we were given wasn't clean either. That started alarm bells, but we were hungry so persisted.

It took ages for our order to be taken, and it wasn't busy there either (no surprise there). Service was slow, we had to ask if it was table service, apparently it was, but they were in no hurry to serve us, rather too busy chatting behind the counter.

My daughter eventually had her chicken and chips, the chicken had freezer burn and was inedible, totally dry, revolting. My fish was greasy and had half a dozen bones in it, not enjoyable at all. No check back, no surprise, they obviously know the poor quality of food and just hope customers will put up with it. Trying to flag down a waiter proved tricky too.

In summary, dirty, uncared for, revolting food. Stop at the garage next door, grab a sandwich, and keep driving!

Date of visit: June 2016
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
2  Thank Jessica T
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 19 June 2016

Arrived at restaurant hungry , looked OK , walked in and looked busy , found a table that was empty and not full of used plates and waited and waited Jesus ! Got fed up and went to counter and was told to take a seat and waiter would be there, waited longer at this point I said to my wife lets go to the petrol station on the same site and get a sandwich? Due to my wife's hunger she said we should wait eventually we had service . The girl who served us would rather of been any where but there. Food came late and wrong and looked as good as the service . Well let me tell you I had a few to drink the night before and was hungry so I tucked in and I like a full English oily and horrible.
Then to pay. No please no thank you no nothing. Gave table number and to us they got that wrong charged £15.89 should of been £18.99 but hey gave £20 note no change in till so glad to give change from tip jar again nothing from the staff , left and repeated on us both all the way to Cornwall. So unless this place improves would recommend its avoided

Date of visit: June 2016
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
1  Thank debholmes1
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 30 April 2016 via mobile

We stopped on the way to torquay and had a breakfast was lovley and the staff were great too! Reasonably priced aswell would definitely recommend!

Date of visit: April 2016
Thank lewislycan
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 27 April 2016 via mobile

We arrived at the pit stop which looks inviting from the outside. Children wanted to use the toilet which was horrendous a cleaning rota stating it's cleaned by the hour !!!! There was bodily fluid & brown Stools all around the two toilets up the basin and on the walls. The hand facilities wasn't great looked liked they had just sprayed airfreshener around the room. Disgusting.. was greeted by a friendly guy but his uniform wasn't the cleanest quite grubby with old food stains around the white t shirt he was wearing the young lady was nice enough but again cleaned the gentlemen toilet while we was there with her apron on !!! Then surved us our food which was disgusting cod and lasagne which my husband had. And couldn't eat he said the meat wasn't great and tasted abit off. The side salad was frozen so he left it. Me and the girls ate what we could as the cook behind was just standing there watching us. The place was empty apart from a local who seems to visit quite often judging she knew there names. Went to pay for our bill and said I wasn't paying for the lasagne and the gentlemen who cooked it came to the till asking us what was wrong with it. After explaining he got fairly shirty so I said I know what I'm talking about I'm in the catering business my self who serves and dishes nearly 400 students a day and I know what food and heigne was and that all the food wasn't probed or tested in anyway. So he said oh that's fine. When leaving the local lady approached us and said your meal wasn't good I saw what he gave u and I will mention to the owner so even she picked up on our service. Friendly enough place but needs to re looked at and new management with food heigne set in place .

Date of visit: April 2016
1  Thank 12,072,014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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