Sommer Roy
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My Hubby and I recently saw the Grumpy George's relaunch featured on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The owner's newfound knowledge and food looked amazing so we decided to give it a try! We've never eaten British cuisine before so we were excited to experience the food!
I just got out of the hospital so I'm craving good food! My Hubby and I also missed Valentine's Day because I was in the hospital so we needed a nice outing.
The restaurant has a ramp that is handicap accessible (thank you!) and a small area of outside seating. The inside is cozy and stylish and looks like the traditional English Pubs we've seen on TV.
The servers were absolutely great! They were attentive, friendly, and on top of everything! There was hardly any wait time for our appetizers and main dishes. It wasn't very crowded because we got there before the dinner rush, but there were still a decent amount of customers.
The Food: Since we've never had traditional British food, we weren't sure what to expect. All of Gordon's menu items from the show were available. The menu is short and sweet, but still a variety. The prices are just a tad higher than your average sit down restaurant, but the servings and food were well worth it. We ordered the Scotch Egg of course with piccalilli and it was delicious! We've never had one and it was a great first experience!
My Hubby ordered the Lamb Shepherd's pie, and I ordered Fish and Chips with a side of Creamed Cabbage. Hubby really enjoyed his Shepard's Pie! The Lamb adds a great, unique taste as opposed to the ground beef we usually use.
My Fish and Chips plate came with Tartar sauce, Ketchup, and a small dish of mushy peas! The beer battered fish was one of the largest pieces I've ever seen! It was cooked to perfection! It was crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth, buttery tender on the inside! It was delicious! The fries were also cooked well. I had a drink called "Fancy a Cuppa Pimm's" which came in an iced chiled copper cup that kept it cool! The Strawberry and Cucumber flavors were great and I enjoyed it!
However, in my opinion, the absolute STAR of the show was the Creamed Cabbage!! I've never had it before, but I love cabbage. I've eaten cabbage many different ways here in the south, but never like this! Let me tell you..it was THE most delicious cabbage dish I've ever eaten! It had cream, cabbage, peas, and small pieces of smoked bacon. This combination is fit for the Gods! I'm not kidding when I say that I was so sad when I ate the last of it. I would drive hours just to have it again! The Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert was also very delicious!
If I had to offer any constructive criticism, it would be what other people are saying about the lack of seasoning. The Shepherds Pie and the fish batter were a little under seasoned. I'm not a big fan of restaurants putting a lot of salt, pepper, or spicy stuff on things. If a customer wants more, we can just use the salt and pepper provided at the table instead of it being served too salty or too spicy..So, when I say it wasn't seasoned enough, I mean it was less than the minimal amount of any type of seasoning needed for that dish.
However, because everything was cooked perfectly, the lack of seasoning was forgivable. We just salt and peppered it ourselves. I've never had Malt Vinegar, so I didn't know what it was when I saw it on our table. I read today that it goes well on the fish, so I'll try that next time too. I wish the server would have mentioned what it was and its purpose for us non British folk!
Also, our table had a broken leg that wobbled a bit. Not a huge deal.
Overall, it was a great experince! It was especially a treat to taste Gordon Ramsay's recipes from his traditional British background. He taught the cooks here well!
It was also good to see the familiar staff.
We've been telling all of our friends about this unique British Pub experience as well as the great food! I have to go back to the hospital for another surgery soon and will be craving good food again after. So, we'd love to return to the Grumpy George!