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?

@Afrodizzyak

It's the ambience you pay for, not the food.

You might. It’s all about the food for me.

So you're slagging off the gravy then saying there is not enough of it? Er, right.

There’s only 2 really good ones here and we have a lot of nice pubs for other food, both expensive and tables are hard to get. They do huge portions, amazing roasties and loads of proper gravy (you get extra in jugs unlimited).

“Occasion” roasts are almost always overpriced shite though. I avoid them like the plague. We are having our Mother’s Day meal out next Sunday deliberately, far cheaper and less busy!

I agree, I was even underwhelmed by the Hawksmoor offering - I've never had a good roast potato out

@Sandinmyhooves The only problem with roast dinners in NR2 is choosing which pub to go to. Even my vegetarian parents bicker over which one to choose.

YABU
Our local pub in north London does the most amazing Sunday roasts I've ever seen!

@sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea You can’t beat the golden triangle for Sunday pub grub.

I agree with you and live in a leafy part of london with fantastic local pubs. They are ALWAYS disappointing.

Definitely not. There are some fantastic ones around where I used to live. Have recently moved and found somewhere else which I need to try out but then there’s always the old trusted favourite, Toby Carvery 😋 Ooh, I really want a carvery now.

I had an amazing pub roast on Sunday. I was surprised as i normally don’t have that good experience but it was tasty. Sorry yours wasn’t good.

YANBU they're often disappointing. The worst bit for me is those Yorkshire puddthat look huge and impressive but are actually all soft and tasteless

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.

I love a good roast and do them at home, actually I tag team my carer, he does the roasts and Yorkshire puddings, I do the other veg and the meat.

My carer is quite limited in his cooking abilities apart from roast potatoes and YPs (that I taught him to make) but for my birthday last year we got a roast from Iceland and just followed the instructions on the packet and it wasn't half bad

It was relaxing and very little washing up.

There's a reasonable carvery near by but I think most pubs just have frozen or vacuum packed food.

I would agree that most of the chain pub roasts are pretty grim, but there are plenty of independent pubs that do a great roast.

It also comes down to what your own standards are - our local chain pub is always busy on a Sunday despite their soggy veg, use of frozen roasties/yorkies and gravy granules, so I'm guessing the folks that go there aren't that great at making their own. If I pay for a roast at a pub, I want it to be at least as good as my own, if not better!

Toby carvery.
🤣🤣
Bloody awful food.
Tbh most pub food is diabolical. Roasts are one of the worst culprits. We like to cook so always find most meals out to be a poor substitute for what we eat at home.

My local does a get your own, the meet and potatoes are served, but you help yourself to veg and gravy. It’s all home cooked and decent food with flavour. It’s not posh but at £11 it’s excellent value

North Yorkshire here. Pub roasts are great

Agree op, there are only a handful near me. One pub is very good.

So fed up of reading shit like this.
Millions of mums going out for dinner on Mother's Day because it's the only day they not 'allowed' to cook.

Why could your do/dh not make dinner? Or your dc if they're old enough?

We would never usually go out for a roast dinner, in chain restaurants they are usually rubbish, independent pubs can so,etimes be ok, their used to be a fantastic one, that we went to once or twice when visiting a local attraction. We are used to DH cooking a roast dinner, never been matched, so we wouldn’t go out for a roast dinner.

Our local pub roast is to die for, I nearly did actually shovelling in delicious food so fast I almost choked !!

A pub with a carvery is the best!

@halfsiesonapotnoodle

A pub with a carvery is the best!

I completely disagree. Sorry.

Carverys in Yorkshire don't seem to have that problem ime.

@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.

Best cliche Mumsnet post ever!! You win this round @Damnloginpopup

@ThreeRingCircus great pub roasts round here, I refuse to cook one anymore as our local pub roasts are so delicious. It’s worth the extra £££ not have to wash up. I’m sorry that’s not your experience.

There are a few places near me that do a gorgeous roast dinner but elsewhere, I’ve had some awful ones.

The best:
Good quality ingredients, ‘proper’ gravy, a choice of meat cooked to perfection.

The worst:
Either places that try too hard (the rarest, bloodiest beef), one roast potato and some sort of purée smeared in the plate.
Or,
Cheap, straight from the freezer Ingredients with a jug of bisto on the side.