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?

There's somewhere near where we live that does the most incredible roast dinners. Honestly never had a meal like it. I cook a good roast myself and there's always something not quite right about some elementwhen we eat one in a pub or restaurant. This was perfect in every way. I'm not sharing though as it's hard enough to get a table as it is.

It's always the Yorkshire puddings - pub / hotel ones are always too dry, hard, and cold. It's obviously a side effect of being made in advance of course, not that they're bad chefs per se, but I've never found one that can hold a candle to my mum's (I'm still perfecting mine ) which is the perfect combination of hot, crispy and fluffy.

I know what you mean about the roast potatoes too. Often very pale and more boiled than roasted (although still often a bit hard). I can see they've been shown some fat at some point in the process but not nearly for long enough!

I have had some amazing beef at Sunday lunches out, however.

I like carveries where you can serve yourself, otherwise you never get enough gravy and it's too dry.

It's nearly always the roast potatoes that are a let down in a pub. Some of them seem to think that saturated fat is the devils own food and roasties are so often dry and unappetising.

Also no roast is complete without cauliflower cheese.

Lived in Brighton years ago and came here to say it's the only place I've ever had nice roast dinners in pubs! (Veggie option in my case but still lovely)

I wouldn't class a home cooked roast as an 'easy' meal. It's not technically difficult, but getting seven or eight different things ready-but-not-overcooked at exactly the same time is really stressful, even with a double oven.

I've only had 2 incredible pub roasts in my life. Now prices are so much higher, I can't see us going for one for a while.

Catering for vegetarians alongside a roast dinner isn't too difficult.
I normally do a mixed mushroom pie of some kind, like large field mushrooms and a few shallots, roasted briefly in butter and garlic and put into a pie dish with puff pastry on top, baked and served with a rich gravy made from red wine, madeira, soaked dried porcini mushrooms and their liquid, a little creme fraiche and splash of soy sauce.
Can all be prepped beforehand and just baked at the same time as the Yorkshires, while the meat rests.
Obviously this wouldn't work for vegans!

Chances are that the pub had been let down by some of its kitchen staff, and they were doing the best they could in the circumstance. it often happens on occasions.

We went for a meal on Valentine's Day once, and the food and service were terrible. We were one of the last to leave the pub later on and the landlord came over and apologised, saying that all three of his waitresses hadn't turned up for work that evening, and nor had one of the two chefs. So he, his wife, and the one remaining chef had been running around like blue-arsed flies trying to cook and serve all the customers. When there should have been 7 staff, they only had 3, and of course being Valentine's Day, the restaurant was fully booked.

Totally agree. There a few things more disappointing than turning up at a pub looking forward to a lovely pub lunch, only to find they're only doing Sunday roast.

Leathery roast potatoes and underseasoned Yorkshires cooked without enough fat are major problems with pub roasts IMO.
The meat can be ok but the vegetables are underwhelming, unseasonal and dull. This time of year they should be using sprouting broccoli or spring greens, plus root veg like parsnips, carrots or swedes. It's not difficult to have a pan of buttery mashed swede or honey roast parsnips to hand instead of tasteless courgettes, French beans flown in from Kenya or flabby mangetouts. And there's no excuse for the ubiquitous and dull frozen peas in any meal I'm paying for.

Generally speaking I’d agree with you.
A couple of weekends ago, a had a dismal roast in a chain pub. It was barely edible.
But about a month ago, we went to a cute little free house pub, right out in the sticks, and it was genuinely one of the best roast I’ve ever had. We did wait a long time for it after ordering, but the quality of it when it arrived made it worth the wait!! I was pleasantly surprised, as I normally don’t hold out much hope for pub roasts

@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.

Yeah I agree with this.

A roast dinner has to be cooked and then dished up immediately to be good.

Roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings in particular need to be cooked fresh but even veg is much better cooked fresh and dished up.

I have had quite a few roasts in different pubs, restaurants and carveries and they have all been pretty crap. Some were recommended by friends or family but they were still no good.

Me and DH love cooking and our roasts are (we think) delicious. We don't think they are difficult at all.

I do think if you are a pretty decent cook you find most restaurant food disappointing. When people rave about a restaurant and me and DH find their food at best disappointing and at worst crap then I wonder what their cooking is like or if they do actually cook much.

We rarely eat out now and, if we do, it is almost always Indian. Even then sometimes we say to each other "we could do better than this"

Try the Bird in Hand in Lovedean. Delicious food.

You’re not wrong. Nothing beats a good home cooked roast dinner. I just can’t be bothered to cook on a Sunday anymore.

Depends on the pub. I've had some lovely ones in Yorkshire & London

I'm with you OP, I've never had a roast in a pub which was as good as I could have made at home.

Woah. Brighton Sunday Roast is VISCOUS.

Entertaining reading, got some popcorn now...

Depends where you go.

If you go to a cheap place then it’s likely going to be crap.

Iv had some great roasts this winter but I haven’t paid less then £18 for one adult roast.

I've never had a good pub roast. Although I do like Toby Carvery if that counts.

I never eat out on Mother's Day for this reason! Quality takes a dive as restaurants are so busy.

I've had plenty of good roast dinners out.

Also avoid the chain pub roast. I don’t know why anyone would expect a nice roast in a chain pub.

Independent country pubs are much nicer.

I had amazing slow cooked roast lamb at a pub local to us and it was delicious but they had run out of roast potatoes which was an outrageous crime disappointing. However I often think my own or DH roast potatoes are nicer than pub ones.

Pubs like Toby Carvery id avoid at all costs if you actually want a nice meal. I would rather starve then eat a roast from there.

Agree. They are generally disgusting