TGI Fridays Lakeside Quay

It might be a chain, but consistency is key and unfortunately on this occasion the service was a miss. Food wise, nothing really to complain about. What I ordered tasted fine. Their menu however could do with a makeover. If you’re not hungry for a burger then the other options are somewhat quite limited. I think what annoyed me the most was the service (or the lack of it I should say). Despite the restaurant being super quiet when we got there, staff were nowhere to be found. Most were standing up by the kitchen pass chitchatting amongst themselves instead of looking out for guests. On the plus side, kids eat for free so it’s a pretty good deal if you’re planning on taking the family out without having to break the bank.

Such a shame the service we received today was, without a doubt, the worst we have ever experienced at a restaurant. Ordered our meals which included 2 adult starters, 4 mains and 3 child mains. We was given the option to have our children's meals come out with our starters, which we agreed with. We waited over 45mins for the children's meals and 15mins later 2 mains randomly arrived. This was shortly followed by 1 starter and 5 mins later the 2nd starter arrived (the starters were both nachos). 10mins later the last 2 mains still had not arrived and we just watched as the waitresses walked around in pairs with one dish between them. During the 3rd round of happy birthday songs whilst waiting for our last 2 mains, impatience and curiosity took the better of me and I approached the kitchen which was heaving with dishes under lamps. I immediately spotted our 2 main meals before the chef (on his phone) challenged me stating I shouldn't be standing there. I explained our group had been waiting a long time to complete our order, I could see our meals waiting and the waitresses are walking around in pairs prioritising birthday songs over serving meals. The chef tried to dismiss me stating the meals I pointed out were not mine but I could see a receipt by the plates that had not only our starter meal listed but also our table number. The waitress hurried over and I returned to our table and the meals I picked out under the lamps were (unsurprisingly) served to us. Warm, but not hot. The waitress attempted to apologise for the service but damage was already done. None of our empty glasses, starter bowls, cutlery or plates were cleared at any point. We stupidly ordered ice cream for our children and that took 15mins for 2 ice lollies and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. As we prepared to leave, we had to check through all our plates, bowls and glasses to make sure we weren't leaving any of our possessions. As we left we saw the table next to us was just as neglected of clearing. We were handed a bill totalling £190 for 4 adults and 3 children and it was, quite frankly, a complete waste of money. We always tip and always clean up after our children, but after the blatant discourtesy we were shown, we just weren't in the mood, we wanted out and won't be coming back.

Keira is the best! Very accommodating to our needs, constantly checking we’re okay and brought us amazing drinks as-well as giving amazing recommendations. Couldn't ask for a better server and being served by her before can confirm she is consistent in her capabilities as a fabulous worker!