Toby Carvery - Rhoose

I haven’t been to a Toby carvery in over a year. There’s now Stonehouse and Coopers carvery in what used to be South Glamorgan. Depending on what time of day you visit tends to depict what food is going to be on offer. That’s not strictly true though as most of the carvery is replenished throughout the day. So on a Tuesday at approximately 4 pm I pull into a near empty car park on a relatively sunny afternoon. The sign that says ‘ wait here till seated ‘ I stand at for a while. There are four staff in and around the bar in black uniform. A chef wanders from the table he was sat at back into the restaurant. Another staff member who had been outside for a cigarette then re enters the bar area. Not in black uniform like the others, looked like kitchen staff. Hope she washed her hands? Not one came over to greet me. So I approached the bar area and waited patiently. Two customers were being attended to whilst the other four or five staff members idly chatted nearby. Then after around two minutes I was served. I asked for a carvery and was then asked where I’d like to sit? My reply was the quieter part of the restaurant where there was no one was my preference. I was duly shown where to sit and then waited at the carvery for service. At least two minutes passed before a chef, then another chef came from the kitchen. I asked for a beef and pork standard size serving. The chef was pleasant and asked if I wanted a Yorkshire? The veg had been under lamps for a long time. The handles you use to serve were hot and the peas had dried out. The carrots had gone brown, needed a stir, the roasties were almost dry and the green beans were ok. Was never a fan of cauliflower cheese. No red cabbage today. Sweetcorn looked dried out! After pouring their trademark gravy over my meal I then took a seat in a quiet corner. A server asked if I’d like a drink around ten mins later. None of the women at the bar or restaurant looked like they wanted to be there. It was like you were putting them out. A forced smile, no rapport and the minimum customer service was given. As for the meal, it was very average. The beef was very tasty, cooked an almost medium rare. I really enjoyed it. The pork was dry, like shoe leather! The Yorkshire pudding was dry and hard. The vegetables were very average and below par. The gravy was as it should be. I had a very lacklustre orange juice and lemonade. It was flat and lacked ‘fizz’, just like the restaurant and the staff. I won’t return and definitely didn’t order desert.

First time in here - we made a reservation online which was super easy to do. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Our table was ready for us. They gave us some time to look at the menu whilst grabbing us some drinks - which were surprisingly cheaper than I thought it would be! They have bottomless drink options, a pot of tea, fresh juice and children's favourite bottled drinks. We all went for the main Carvery Roast with the exception of one child who wanted meatballs & pasta, which was cooked in the kitchen & brought out to us. For the remainder of us, we went up to the buffet style bar and was able to select a range of roast meats (beef, turkey, pork & gammon) from the chef who cuts the meats. We were able to have a selection of all meats. I loved all four, but my favourite two was the beef and gammon. The beef was incredibly tender and succulent, whilst the gammon was cooked to perfection - 5 star quality. Next we got to choose our veggies, which were unlimited by the way - so we could go up again for some more veggies and yorkshires! However I did not need to, as my plate was full enough already. The food here is absolutely amazing and would totally recommend to anyone wanting a roast! Hygiene in the restaurant is exceptional. Waiters are incredibly welcoming and ready to give info on how the buffet works if you've never been before. Toilet facilities were clean and stocked. The bar tenders were also readily available when our kids wanted straws from them. Although we didn't order alcohol, we did see they also serve that for the adults. Oh and also, desserts for the kids - amazing! They had a "make your own sundae" - in which they choose 3 ingredients each, the waiters bring it out and the kids quite literally make their own sundae which I thought was pretty cool for the kids - they absolutely loved that! Price-wise, I found it affordable, not too expensive, considering the food is top-notch! Overall the experience was incredible and I'll definitely come her again when I'm next visiting family in the area ☺️

Friendly helpful staff the food was nice hot and plenty of choice