A mother has expressed her disappointment with a recent visit to Toby Carvery in Birmingham, labelling it ‘the worst’ experience she has had at the chain. Following a four-hour drive to visit Cadbury World, Suzie and her family stopped by Toby Carvery Kings Norton on Pershore Road, but were left underwhelmed.
Despite the restaurant’s 3.9-star rating on Google Reviews, based on over 4,000 reviews, Suzie’s experience was marred by issues with cleanliness and service. Her scathing review stands in stark contrast to the praise from other diners, who have commended the restaurant’s friendly staff, delicious food, and welcoming atmosphere. Aimee, one satisfied customer, wrote: “Wonderful visit. The service was fantastic, was so friendly, welcoming and great with our baby son.”
Holly, another pleased diner, commented: “Our waitress was lovely and surprised our birthday girl making her meal extra special.” A third reviewer added: “Absolutely fabulous service, our waitress was cheerful and attentive from start to finish.”, reports Birmingham Live. However, Suzie’s experience was a far cry from these glowing reviews, as she took to the internet to express her discontent, stating: “Worst Toby Carvery I have ever been in.”
A furious diner slammed a Toby Carvery restaurant for an appalling experience, detailing their ordeal in an exasperated review. The patron recounted how upon arrival their table was filthy, and despite a largely vacant eatery, they were left waiting for it to be tidied. “Booked a table. When we arrived our table was dirty. Despite three quarters of the restaurant being empty, we had to wait for our table to be cleaned.”
Adding insult to injury, the customer claimed neglect extended beyond the table’s cleanliness, as no initial offer of drinks or cutlery was made. “Then we weren’t offered a drinks or given any cutlery. Really hard work to get any service from anyone.” The diatribe against the establishment continued with a scathing critique of the food, describing the carvery and vegetables as neglected and subpar. The food was a shambles. The carvery section looked very dirty. The veg had clearly been hanging around in the pots for a very long time. All dried up and shrivelled, then cold by the time it was back to the table.”
The disgruntled guest also lamented the state of the gravy and difficulties encountered while attempting to procure an ice lolly for their child. “Gravy was congealed. Then had to try and chase someone down to get any service to order our son ice lolly for his pudding.” Their frustration peaked when trying to pay the bill, feeling snubbed yet again when service failed to materialise despite promising signals from staff. “Went to the bar to order and ask for the bill to then be told: ‘I will send someone over’.”
Disdain for the management’s disregard for customer care was evident, as the customer observed what was seen as misplaced priorities. “No one came over but the manager was clearing the table next to us. Nice to see she had her priorities right.” The customer capped off their tirade by bemoaning the lacklustre hygiene standards, discovering the area beneath their table strewn with remnants of meals past.
“Oh and to add to it, underneath the table was covered in food. Disgusting.” Despite the letdown, the reviewer explained their family stayed out of necessity due to the venue’s convenience post-Cadbury World visit and impending lengthy journey. “We only stayed to get some food as had just left Cadbury World and needed to get food into our five-year-old before our 4-hour drive home.”
They concluded by rationalising their reluctant choice of the carvery as preferable to seeking alternatives in an unfamiliar district. “We don’t know the area and this seemed like the ideal place rather than driving around searching for anywhere.” Following the scorching review on Google Reviews, the manager of Toby Carvery King’s Norton addressed the complaint with a conciliatory tone, vowing to take constructive action. The manager expressed genuine regret and emphasised the value of such candid customer appraisals.
“We sincerely apologise for the disappointing visit you had.” They assured the unsatisfied customer of their determination to rectify the inadequacies highlighted. “Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we are committed to addressing the issues you raised. Firstly, we are sorry to hear about the condition of your table upon arrival and the delay in getting it cleaned despite the restaurant being largely empty.
“This is certainly not the standard of service we aim to provide. We will ensure that our staff is reminded of the importance of maintaining cleanliness and efficiency, especially when the restaurant is not busy. We also apologise for the lack of attention regarding drinks and cutlery. This oversight is unacceptable, and we will be reviewing our service protocols to ensure that every guest receives prompt and attentive service.
“Regarding the food quality, we are deeply concerned about your comments on the carvery section and the state of the vegetables and gravy. Our goal is to serve fresh and appetising food, and it is clear we fell short during your visit. We will be conducting a thorough review of our food preparation and holding practices to prevent such issues in the future. The difficulty you experienced in getting service for your son’s dessert and the cleanliness under the table are also areas we need to improve.
“We will address these concerns with our team to ensure that our guests receive timely service and dine in a clean environment. We understand that you chose our restaurant out of necessity after a long day and before a lengthy drive, and we regret that we did not meet your expectations. We hope you will give us another chance to provide you with the quality experience you deserve.”
A spokesperson for Mitchells and Butlers, the proprietors of Toby Carvery, informed BirminghamLive: “Toby Carvery is home of the roast and we want our guests to enjoy our perfectly cooked carvery meals with all the trimmings, whenever they visit. We welcome feedback and, sometimes if we have got it wrong, we work to discover why and look to see what can be improved. We will investigate the issues raised fully.”