I grew up in Stoke on Trent and got out as soon as I could. So when I heard about the Taybarns phonemenon and decided to try one out, it was with dread that the Stoke branch came up as the closest to the part of Cheshire I live in.
Oh well, I thought, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The first good thing about Taybarns in Stoke is it isn't!! It's near somewhere called Talke off the Potteries "D" Road (otherwise known as the A500). Cue poor joke: "How do you get a monkey to talk(e)? Answer: Put him on a bus a Burslem" Sorry!!
I'd heard horror stories about queues, yet I was amazed to turn up on Sunday at 1pm to find space on the car park, no queues and plenty of tables to sit at. £8.49 each and you are away.
The choice of food was excellent. Highlights include the battered fish, the carvery and the chilli (although the latter did run out). And a lot of the food appeared to be home cooked, the main exception being the soup, which I saw being poured out of a big pre-heated bag.
A word of advice: The top-up as many times as you like fizzy drinks are best avoided. They are gassy to the point of making you bloated after just one. Best stick to a glass of J20 or another still drink and you will get your monies worth out of the food.
I managed three starters, two main courses and a dessert and drove back home very contented. And my normally hard to please teenage daughter was enthusing about the feast she had too.
I did n't expect to like Taybarns Stoke, but I did. Recommended!! read more