to wonder why the hell someone would CHOOSE to go out for dinner at Frankie & Bennies

[GetOrfMoiLand]

It has got to be the worst restaurant on earth.

And it's not even cheap.

Vile food, and every 20 mins the lights dim and 'happy birthday' gets sung out the loudspeakers.

It's up there with Harvester and Bella Pasta in my opinion.

We went to a Marstons franchise pub last week, 2 lunchtime meals for £10, (was quite tasty actually) but nearly fell down at the price of 2 x OJ & Lemonade - £7.90!!! Bloody hell no wonder they can afford to do cheap food...

Everytime someone suggests something like this in our house, I can't help but think "At over £60 for 6 of us, I'd rather buy better food during the week and live like kings in our own house"

I visited Chiquito's a couple of times in my yoof, but never contracted food poisioning, possibly due to the copious amounts of Tequila I consumed.
After a pitcher of Margaritas and several slammers the Mariachi band sounds pretty entertaining

There is a F&B near us, newly opened, and we shall never go as long as I'm breathing.

Never been to Nandos, Harvester, Toby and their ilk.....I just can't spend that much money on shite.

Food poisoning DOES NOT take 12-24 hours, I had a curry for lunch from a Pakistani stall in Dalston with a friend once, and we were both ill within an hour or so.

Depends on the type of food poisoning. I cant remember the exact details but certain types only take an hour or so.

The one you get from milk/cheese is quick. I am a veggie. I got terrible fp from a quiche that had been in the back of the car in the sun.

It took two hours max.

Not sure if it is food poisoning but after virtually every time I eat out in any restaurant I need to go to the loo within the hour, and I mean really go. (sorry if tmi). Which makes me wonder what goes on in the kitchens of even the best eateries.

wacky warehouse is far worse.

I once wrote 'clean the grill' in the ash/filth on my plate off a steak.

We'd waited so long I couldnt be arsed sending it back.

£5 is a miserly tip on a £60 bill.

Been to Frankie & Benny's once at sil's behest for a family birthday. Of course the children loved it but I will never be going again out of choice.

Had a truly grim experience at the TGIF in Bath a few months ago. As a veggie, I'm well accustomed to being served inedible food in chain restaurants but the vegetable quesadilla was beyond anything bad. And I'm a greedy bugger non-foodie type who normally eats ANYTHING provided I haven't had to cook it first!

For any Bath locals or visitors (at the risk of sounding revoltingly poncetastic ) I can really recommend The River Cottage Canteen. DH and I had the most amazing meal there one lunchtime - main + pud for only £10 each. It's v. child friendly, good sized portions, the food is superb and is cheaper than Nando's, Ask etc.

The service is sweet and willing but can be very slow and disorganised. Last year, someone actually walked into the office and stole the safe from under the noses of staff and customers. I kid you not! link HERE!

We go to F&B's for the breakfasts. 2 big breakfasts for a tenner plus coffees and the last time we went they gave us the childs breakfast for free.
The one near us also has an open kitchen so you can watch them throw everything in the deep fryer

We have lots of nice little country pub/restaurants in the villages near us but to get to them one of us would have to drive and if we are having a night off from the children then usually we both want to drink and not have to pay an astronomical taxi fare, so when it's just the two of us we go to our local beefeater, they practically know us by name and the service and food is always amazing.

Shit posted before telling you my F&B story!! Was in there with my sisters and cousin last week and there was a very loud, very public proposal. The woman was made to stand on a chair whilst all the staff shouted for everyones attention, when the whole restaurant was watching (a packed to thr rafters Saturday night) he got down on one knee. It was quite sweet actually it got us all talking about how we were proposed to. My sister got quite tearful at it but she has pregnancy as an excuse!

That'd have been rather akward if she'd said no.

Or perhaps even awkward.

I've never been to F&B's. I imagine it's the type of place that asks if you want milk with your Americano

The "risotto" at F&B's is basically luke warm sick on a plate, utterly vile. And TGI Friday's - what's with all the whisky sauces??

Had a conversation with 2 colleagues today where they expressed surprise that I had never been and said "You MUST go, it's fantastic"!

They said they like the relaxed atmosphere and simple food.

I had to laugh when I read this title. We have a few franky & bennys round here and all apart from one have been terrible. We went to our local one at the weekend just me and DH. I got the meatball spag bowl and he got meatball calzone it was horried the meatballs was realy soft and tasted uncooked. I wornt be going again any how

There is a certain type of food poisoning that occurs that quickly, but it is very, very rare.
If you get sick within a couple of hours it is probably an allergy or intolerance.
The bacteria need time to multiply, you see.

I agree - it's shite. But I've had to go three or four times at my DCs insistence, just to make sure it really is a shite as I thought it was.

Good God - if he chooses to PROPOSE in F&B, surely, surely, you run the other way?

Having said that, however bad F&B is, it is better than Nandos.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of food poisoning and makes you sick in 1-6 hours www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000227.htm

Nandos is dirty fast food. You know what you're getting, and it's cheap. BUT it is at least cooked to order using fresh ingredients which sounds like more than F&B do, by some of the accounts here.

What is F&B exactly - is it fast food? Or a restaurant?

Whoever it was who asked where the F&B is in Gloucester - it is between the B&Q and Tesco, on the site of t'old cattle market.

See, classy

See I knew I wasn't the only person to hate this hellhole.

Is F&B a retail park thing then?

This thread is to blame for my unhealthy take away dinner. DH is just walking up to Nandos now to bring home a stack of chicken and corn. Can't wait

Oooh I LOVE harvester - though I have to go to a certain one cos the other one near us is shite!

Used to like F&B (10 years ago!) but it's gone downhill since.

Also like bella italia/pizza express/ask/zizzi, cafe rouge, wagamama and sizzling, ember inn and vintage inn pubs. But then I'm a cheap date... as long as the meat, chips and choc dessert are good I'm happy

Crazy yes I think most of them are in shopping malls/out of town.

I had a Nandos at the weekend - chicken & pineapple pitta and salad for £8. Cheap and cheerful.