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?

In Edinburgh, The Ox makes fantastic roasts. Mountains of excellent, fresh food and an entire ladle of gravy per person.

I had a couple of particularly memorable roasts in pubs, one in Cornwall and one in Wales. I wouldn't go to a chain type place to have one though. I like it when they have some bits that you wouldn't do for your average roast at home - a bit of cauliflower cheese, red currant sauce or some unusual veg.

I agree with others here— I’ve yet to have a roast dinner out that was better than my own and that’s when I’m cheating too with M&S roasters and Yorkshire’s and bisto gravy granules with horseradish or mustard added. I’m not stingy at all but I do begrudge £16 or so on a fairly average roast dinner with next to no gravy and often lukewarm too — I’ve been to ones that people say are amazing and been very underwhelmed and just decided maybe I’ve got higher standards— 2 best ones I’ve had were actually at middle of the road pricewise carveries , in not very special or highly regarded pubs.

*Not for me or DH. Neither of us eat gravy. We both think it is horrible.

I don't get why people want their food to taste of gravy rather than the actual food or why they want food that is meant to be crisp like roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings to be made soggy by gravy.*

I have met my people/lost rellies. Gravy is only edible if it's a properly reduced stock, or a concentrated jus. Quantity is over-rated. (I do prefer food dry and crisp though).

I never go for a Sunday roast for this exact reason. The ones I cook are far better.

Our local pub which is an independent does great food, and the prices are good too, Everything apart from some of the desserts are made there. There is a chain pub near us which serves pretty generic frozen food but the price does reflect it and tbh it's a pretty ok standard, I wouldn't have a roast there or a special meal out though.

I do generally cook better roasts at home but I really can't be arsed with all the mess and the washing up any more . Plus a roast is really annoying/ boring cooking in that you can't relax for any part of it as it is all about timers and putting on the next thing etc but there is not enough ' chemistry' involved for it to be interesting. G

iven all that I'm pretty happy to eat even a mediocre roast if I don't have to cook it. Also given that I loathe gravy on my roast dinner , I don't care about being given too little. The only time I have a real problem is if the gravy is put on the roast dinner for me, they always put on too much and if it is not an absolutely excellent but very thin gravy then I literally can't eat it . So as long as the gravy comes.on the side and I haven't cooked it I am happy to eat most roast dinners.

I gave up eating pub roasts years ago as I was fed up with being disappointed. It's the sad, dry, leathery potatoes that kill it. So many are pre-cooked the night before

I happen to love cooking roast dinners and hence am a harsh critic!

Often you get what you pay for. I've had a roast in a chain pub for about £10 and it was rubbish. I assume it is all ping and ding with nothing actually being cooked on site, just heated up. I've paid a lot more at a local gastro pub and the roasts are great with really crispy roasties.

Also I think it depends on what you think of as 'good'. Anyone serving me veg that were a bit hard or just a dribble of gravy would not be met with polite reviews.

@HRTQueen

I had a really good roast at Toby Carvery a few months ago it was very cheap but the food was good we all really enjoyed it even my friend who was sniffy about going there

On Sunday it wasn’t too bad I have had better but always the way on big celebration days

Some good places around here

I'm glad there's a few people who've said that Toby Carvery is OK, because I genuinely can't see what's wrong with it.

It's not haute cuisine but doesn't market itself as such and it's quite a cheap option for eating out, but it's all freshly cooked. I often have one for lunch while out and about in the week, because I don't really like the other easy to find options like sandwiches, salads or fast food, it's quick and relatively healthy if you stick to mainly meat and veg and don't pile the roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing high.

It's not like I'm a bad cook either. There's loads of things I'd never or rarely eat out because I can do it at home better with no effort, eg steaks, cooked breakfast, sandwiches etc.

There must be a lot of places selling really bad roasts for high prices for so many people to feel this strongly.