To say that pub roast dinners are crap?

[ThreeRingCircus]

I know I'm being a bit unreasonable as you can't make roast potatoes etc to order so they're always going to have to be reheated at a pub..... probably the same with Yorkshire puddings but we went out for a roast for Mother's Day yesterday and although it was delightful in that I didn't have to cook the food really was disappointing.

Roast potatoes that aren't crispy on the outside, yorkshire puddings that are too soft, weird thin watery gravy and never enough of it. I don't think I've ever had a really decent roast at a pub even when it's a good pub and it's cost a fair bit of money.

I genuinely think I could have saved the £60 pub bill yesterday and bought a load of Aunt Bessie's stuff for a tenner and done it at home for zero hassle and it would have been a lot nicer.

Are there magical pubs out there that do amazing roasts or do I just need to accept that if I want a decent one I have to cook it myself?

I can only assume you don't live in Brighton, Pub Sunday roasts are in a league of their own here!

Fantastic where I am too. Poor you op.

Most of the pub roasts I’ve had in leafy parts of London have been fantastic. I always read the reviews online and check out the reviewer photos to pick my venues carefully though

That's the problem with being a good cook. I only feel impressed eating stuff I can't do properly at home - Chinese meals being the best example.

I've never had a good roast potato when out.

Yanbu. A friend recommended a decent local pub claiming their roast was "amazing". Underwhelming.

I think there are very few that are good, only the good carvery ones, not the chains but independents/family run places. We've got one near us which serves fantastic food!
Chains cut corners too much.
There aren't many that are as good as a roast cooked from scratch at home.

I've found that food quality in pubs/restaurants often takes a nosedive on 'event' days, such as Mother's Day. Christmas can be the same. I suppose they're under massive pressure, churning out meal after meal of the same thing, and usually for reduced margin because so many people are either there on a deal or have booked a package.

There's very few places I will eat a roast out near me but there are some that can do them properly.

@Damnloginpopup

That's the problem with being a good cook. I only feel impressed eating stuff I can't do properly at home - Chinese meals being the best example.

I've never had a good roast potato when out.

Blowing my own trumpet, but I agree with you. I must admit that I can't get excited over a roast dinner, and would far rather go for an Indian or Thai meal than pay for something I can make a better job of at home.

I don't overly enjoy eating out if its food I can make easily at home. I like eating out to be special food.

I always find pub lunches in places aimed at walkers, bikers etc (Snowdonia, Peak District etc) to be excellent, if a bit too over large. Including roasts

I’ve had plenty of good pub roasts, my local one is amazing.

I’ve had lots of bad pub roasts too though, I find you really do get what you pay for.

And I agree with PP that Mother’s Day/ Christmas etc aren’t days for quality when eating out. It’s too ‘one in one out’ and the food is usually rubbish even when it’s usually a nice restaurant.

Yanbu. I have had lots of lovely pub meals but never a good pub Sunday roast.

There is one pub near me that serves a lovely roast. Everything else is a bit crap. Especially when they serve up peas you could demolish a house with. A deep fried roast potato. Not nice.

They're either absolute rubbish, or really really expensive and average to good. And they are ALWAYS too stingy with the gravy.

There are some good ones around me, but mine are better so I begrudge paying for it. I feel the same about eating steak out, I'd rather go to the butcher and buy an amazing steak and cook it exactly how I want without paying £40 odd for the privilege!

Ive found they either do good meat or good potatoes but rarely both, and the veg tends to follow the quality of the meat.

This is why we never eat on Mothers day, Valentines day etc. The quality always suffers. Our local pub used to do a brilliant lunch but it shut down because of covid :(

We stayed at home yesterday with some M&S dine in for 2 deals instead.

That's the problem with being a good cook.

I'm only an average cook at best, but as PPs say, that's the problem with the chain pubs - and also some independents - that cut corners. We have some wonderful local places that do proper Sunday roasts and charge a fair price for it accordingly.

Anywhere that frozen roast potatoes/chips etc. are considered an acceptable norm - rather than a substandard quick substitute that you grab at home when time is tight/energy is low - is not somewhere that I'd return. It's the same as the places that effectively microwave you a ready meal (having deliberately waited 25 minutes to give you an illusion of a chef slaving over a hot stove) but charge restaurant prices - why on earth wouldn't I just do that myself at home and save £££s?

I understand if places offer a roast meal as one option of many on a Thursday evening, but when it's Sunday and half or more of the (adult) diners at a busy place are having the roast, I just find it unacceptably lazy not to have proper roast potatoes and the rest on the go. Unless they're charging an unrealistically cheap price, that is - if it's a £5 roast meal, you probably are only getting what you pay for.

I agree, i am not a particularly great cook, but i have never had nice gravy or roasties out. I especially don't like carveries, queueing up for mediocre food that has been sitting there for who knows how long, no thanks.

And they are ALWAYS too stingy with the gravy.

Yeah, what is with that? How expensive is gravy anyway, that they give you a dribble and look astonished when you ask to have a normal amount?!

There's a couple of local pubs that do a brilliant carvery, never had a bad one. I have never cooked a roast dinner at home.
We go on a Saturday as Sundays are too busy, and I wouldn't go on Mothers Day.

I agree. I can get so disappointed when eating out.

But I love not cooking and cleaning and all of the faff so see it as the pay off for that!

@ThreeRingCircus

I know I'm being a bit unreasonable as you can't make roast potatoes etc to order so they're always going to have to be reheated at a pub..... probably the same with Yorkshire puddings but we went out for a roast for Mother's Day yesterday and although it was delightful in that I didn't have to cook the food really was disappointing.

Roast potatoes that aren't crispy on the outside, yorkshire puddings that are too soft, weird thin watery gravy and never enough of it. I don't think I've ever had a really decent roast at a pub even when it's a good pub and it's cost a fair bit of money.

I genuinely think I could have saved the £60 pub bill yesterday and bought a load of Aunt Bessie's stuff for a tenner and done it at home for zero hassle and it would have been a lot nicer.

Are there magical pubs out there that do amazing roasts or do I just need to accept that if I want a decent one I have to cook it myself?

It depends whether you are going out for the social experience or the quality of the meal, I suppose. I used to like Browns nut roast dinner but I reckon it has had it's day now. My roast dinners are legendary (obviously!) but have taken years to perfect. When I see young people always out for a roast every Sunday, I do wonder how they will ever get there if they shy away from cooking what is a fairly easy meal in many ways.

YANBU. Fortunately for me DH is an amazing cook. Unfortunately that means when we go out, things like roasts always seem completely sub-par. I find pub roasts and pub steaks should always be avoided. I generally find that pub roasts have dry, overcooked meat, soggy potatoes and Yorkshire's and either overdone or underdone veg with thin, watery gravy. I'd much prefer to stay at home and peel the potatoes and do the washing up than pay for a pub roast!!