Harry Ramsden's

After having a day shopping at the Merry Hill Centre my wife and i decided to go for a meal at Harry Ramsdens Restaurant, it was friday 18/1/08 5.45pm. the place was empty-there were 3 tables occupied bunched together at the windows, we stood waiting 5min until someone arrived, but was then told they had stopped serving in the restaurant now (centre closes at 7pm) but we could use their takeaway next door.so we went in the takeaway and ordered our food and sat down on the one empty table ( the other one was occupied and the rest of them had been put away - the time is 5.55pm) it was a cold place, uncleaned table and again you had to sit at the window.

Our meal was put on the counter for us to collect at 6.08pm , the fishcakes and chicken nuggets were delicious, drinks ok, the chips seemed to have been cooked a while -dried up, a bit chewy, not nice at all. the bread was bordering on stale.

During our meal a total of 17 potential diners entered the restaurant to be turned away, one couple went back and complained to the manager to no avail, some came into the takeaway,they closed the restaurant doors at 6.15pm and the takeaway doors at 6.40pm. we were still eating our meal watching more families trying the locked doors.

We left the takeaway at 6.45 we passed a group of 6 teenagers an one said ' Let's go to Harry Ramsdens' . GOOD LUCK ! i thought.

This restaurant has to be the worst Harry Ramsdens if it isn't i'd hate to see one worse. We have tried many times to dine at either the restaurant or slum it in the takeaway listed are reasons why we couldn't ----

THE TAKEAWAY

arrived half a dozen times between 6.30 and 6.45pm door locked - closing time 7pm!!!!

arrived half a dozen times between 9.30 and 9.45pm door locked - closing time 10pm!!!!

once we did get in at 6.35pm we were told that they werent serving and the door should have been locked, i asked for the manager to complain to, she stood her ground until i noticed the complaints phone number, we got our food at 6.50 locked in while customers tapped the window asking 'are you open'.

THE RESTAURANT

on two occasions waiting to be shown to a table we were told that we must sit at the window to dine, the restaurant was nearly empty with only 4 and 5 tables taken, i asked to be seated away from the window as i dont want to be on show to all passing but was told bluntly ' its here or nothing'

customers should ring the complaints number displayed - i did and was sent a £10 voucher for meals - but its not a voucher we want its good service.
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Mathew - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Monday, January 21, 2008

We have just had lunch at Harry Ramsden's in the Merry Hill Centre, West Midlands and have to report how disappointed we were with the food.

A dining experience at Harry's used to be very special and we'd enjoy superb fish and chips. Sadly this was not our experience today. The meal was served on cold plates, the fish, even the 'special', tasty though it was, was on the small side considering the price of it. The chips were mostly, hard, dry, potato end pieces that were probably cooked quite some time before we were served them.

The cost of the meal for two, plus a coke and a coffee was £20.72. Not really what I'd say was value for money at this particular Harry's. The restaurant was fairly quiet when we dined, but finding a member of staff to whom we could pay our bill afterwards took a good ten minutes wait at their desk.
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Tony Ashling
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Monday, October 22, 2007

The restaurant in Eastbourne very good. The fish and chips the best I have ever tasted. Fairly new restaurant and very clean!! KJ
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Karen Johnson
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, August 26, 2007

went to harry's for fish and chip at glasgow paisley rd, the fish is fab, but on this night fri 3rd march, they were trying to sell me a ordinary, and telling me it was a harry's special, it was not much bigger than a gold fish. asked for my money back, very disapointed as i have been using this restaraunt for years and i know what size a special fish is. they are also doing offers of buy 1 get 1 half price, ask me. they are trying it on but they forget the regulars will notice.
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maggie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 10
Friday, March 02, 2007

I've just been to the Harry Ramsden's in Chelsea Village and it was pretty much the same experience as the one I had in Blackpool.

Let me start with the menu, considering this is a FISH and chip shop I thought they might have stuck their neck out and maybe had slightly more variety than cod or scampi, even my local chippie does cod, haddock, plaice, huss, halibut and sole but apparently not Harrys.

The fish tastes as though it's been fried from frozen and is very chewy. The batter is really soggy as though it's been microwaved and the chips are utterly foul; hard, soggy and generally awful potatoes. the only good thing I have to say about the experience was that the staff were very pleasant and the mushy peas were quite nice.
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Lloyd
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Thursday, March 01, 2007

Question - does Harry Ramsdens in Touchwood, Solihull serve cod? I do not believe it does. Can anyone enlighten me.

Be sure of your answer.
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Robert Parker
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Saturday, January 27, 2007

My husband and I visited Harry Ramsden's in Piccadilly yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were in London on a day out and we both fancied fish and chips so thought we'd give Harry's a go as we used to regularly visit the Harry Ramsden's in Manchester. According to our waiter the restaurant is closing down at the end of the year, which is a shame because although the decor wasn't to our taste, the restaurant was full (it is obviously popular with tourist groups).

We both wanted cod and chips and when our order came, the fish batter was crispy, the fish was delicious and the chips tasted great.

We thought that considering we were eating in central London the price of our meal was quite good and the waiter who served us was friendly, attentive and very helpful, so all in all we had a good experience at Harry's.
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Pippa Day - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, October 19, 2006

WE LIVE IN BELFAST AND WE VISITED THE RESTAURANT IN THE DEPLAPITATED REGENT PALACE HOTEL, THE STAFF DIDNT SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH, WE WAITED 40 MINS ON FOOD, THE MANAGERS ATTITUDE WAS AS STINKING AS THE FOOD. FISH AND CHIPS THE GREAT BRITISH TRADITION EH? NOT IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF ENGLAND.
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DEBS
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Sunday, July 02, 2006

After working and living in the West End for over 2 years now and eating extensively at all sorts of different calibered eateries, most places are pretty can just be mediocre and acceptable however, Harry Ramsdens is most definately the worst place I have eaten at for a very very long time...in England!

I am infact so disappointed that i have come straight back home to 1)complain to customer services on the HR website and 2) to warn all others!

My parter and I fancied traditional fish/pie and chips and as there are not many restaurants such as these in the West End and I had heard about HR (don't ask me where but maybe it had been in negative termd - I forget), I suggested that we go there.

We arrived firstly to be told that "there was a smoking area but it was shut today but should I like to smoke during my meal I can get up and smoke at a bar table near the door." Either keep a ruddy smoking area open or brand your restaurant a non-smoking one!

I was led over the seating area and was told a pick a table of my choice. I did so and then proceeded to ask for our drinks as they weren't (not surprisingly) busy. The waitress then proceeded to shout over my head to another girl "is this table one of yours!" Hmmm real team co-ordination there - NOT!

Upon studing the menu, I came accross 'Meat OR Vegetable pie' with 'ask your waiter about this' in brackets underneath. I proceeded to do just that to which my waitress replied it's meat WITH vegetable. She didn't speak very much English and got frustrated and then snapped at me! I ordered the chicken, ham & leek pie with mash instead. Funnily enough my partner ordered the meat AND vegetable pie, still without knowledge of what the meat actually was.

Some time later just before the food arrived, our drinks came. The food was cold/lukewarm, incredibly badly presented and looked like it had been there for days maybe being warmed up again & again.

My partner asked for some English Mustard but of course they didn't have any. The inside of my partners pie looked so bad that he couldn't eat it. I managed part of mine and half of the mash which was dry and tasteless. The chicken inside the pie looked reformed and was rather pink? The pastry was dry and dull.

We complained to the manager about the food and I mentioned that it was below Food Standard hygiene to serve food under 72 degrees. I also stated that food looked disgusting and old. He assured me that food was fresh as it standardly came in frozen on the plate and had been microwaved before serving - YUK! I just remebered also that ordered a side order of vegetables that never came - thank god!

The manager then asked me to fill out a complaint in their A4 note book, which coincidently was half full with complaints in all languages only dating back a few weeks!

Whilst filling in the book, our waitress walked passed and muttered '**** under her breath but loud enough for both my partner and I to hear. Charming!

We thought the decent thing to do before we left was to at least pay for our drinks so gave the manager £10, who graciously accepted it as a tip - figures!

They really have the scope to make this very drab atmosphered canteen into something great should they have a good restaurant manager, staff who speak English, an actual chef (not microwave) and a head office who cares it seems appatrent that they don't!

Considering that Piccadilly should be their flagship establishment, it make one wonder what the others must be like!
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Charmaine Haig
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, June 05, 2006

Having read first review we were dubious but they must have gone to the takeaway. Make sure you go into hotel and to the Harry Ramsdens there excellent and good value for money very nice staff as well.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, May 26, 2006