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Toby Carvery Woodford Green

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1 Southend Road, Woodford Green, Essex

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The desserts are tasty! Photo - Toby Carvery Woodford Green, Essex, England

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User Reviews

You Get What You Pay For-Maybe a Little More

by lak11

Essex, England, United Kingdom

May 13, 2011

Best of IgoUgo I seem to have been eating out a lot lately; so much so that the places have to be of the casual and cheaper ilk. When my son and his girlfriend come to stay during university holidays my husband and I like to take them out for a meal. If some or ...Read more I seem to have been eating out a lot lately; so much so that the places have to be of the casual and cheaper ilk. When my son and his girlfriend come to stay during university holidays my husband and I like to take them out for a meal. If some or all of our offspring come along price has to be a consideration as to where we dine.

Out of the cheaper establishments I've patronised the Toby Carvery, in Woodford Green Essex, has come out tops. It isn't that it's particularly exceptional but taking into account price, quality of food, cleanliness, surroundings, as well as service then, although there is room for improvement, I prefer dining here to similar chains.

I've visited this particular Toby restaurant on many occasions, on different days of the week, and different times of day but always got as good as or better than expected. We always come away feeling as if we had value for our money and always have enough to eat; probably too much.

For those not familiar with a Toby Carvery:

When entering the restaurant section you will be greeted and told if there is a wait and approximate wait time, or, if a table is free, you'll be shown to your table and a waiter/waitress will come along to see if you require drinks and ask whether you require a carvery meal or would like to choose from the menu, which has already been provided. If you decide to go for the carvery option you will be told when to go and collect your meal. A choice of meat is carved for you and placed onto your plate and then you can serve yourself from a selection of vegetables, sauces and gravy. You can have as much vegetables as you wish. You will see many plates stacked sky high in here.

EXTERIOR

There are decent car parking spaces available. To one side is a grassed area with several benches and tables. This area is well used in the warmer weather by families enjoying a drink outside. And, of course, some smokers make use of this area too.

LOUNGE

There's a decently sized bar/lounge area with fruit machines and a quiz machine.

This lounge is comfortable with an assortment of tables, placed around. Some areas have a feel of privacy.

The pub menu is quite good offering sandwiches, baguettes, light bites as well as meals such as bangers and mash for just £4.50

This area can be used whilst you wait for your table. It also seems well used for those having a beer or glass of wine after work.

RESTAURANT

The restaurant and bar are on the ground floor. A few tables are on a raised area, accessed by a step.
Tables are well arranged with enough space between neighbouring tables.

The restaurant has a serving station where the meat is carved and then selected along with vegetables.

TOILETS

The gents toilet is situated in the bar area and the ladies is off of the restaurant.

In the ladies there are several cubicles. Nothing special here but clean enough with soap and toilet paper always on dispensers and hand wash also available.

SERVICE

I've always been pleased with the friendliness and efficiency of staff.

In The Cocked hat that staff always seem to have knowledge of the meals available and can advise on choices.

Although you collect your own carvery meal waitresses/waiters are still kept busy serving starters, alternative meals and vegetarian options to the table, as well as desserts and drinks. They always come up to ask if everything is aright once you've started on the main meal.

WAITING TIMES

Usually whether eating here during the day or evening, I haven't had to wait for a table.

MENU/PRICES

The daytime carvery is £5.49 until 7 p.m. Evening carvery is £7.75.

Toby's also offer various nights when curry, stroganoff and rib of beef are on the menu. You can take as much as you like of these.

The weekday carvery menu consists of meats which include beef, honey & mustard glazed gammon and turkey but there are also options such as a beef and ale pie or turkey and gammon pie. If choosing one of these then you can still choose as much of the vegetable selection that you want; this choice just replaces the joints of meat.

On Sunday roast pork is on offer

VEGETARIAN

The vegetarian carvery options include at least two of these:

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne

Smoked Bean Hash

Broccoli & Brie Parcel

Spicy Vegetable Crumble

Whenever I've asked which is available I've been told that they are all available.
But this is one of the areas in which an improvement could be made. As a non-meat eater I feel that although the vegetarian options are tasty in their own right, I don't feel that any of them go well with a roast dinner. I would much sooner have vegetarian sausages or nut cutlet or, simply the carvery without the meat but at a slightly reduced price (as with the children's carvery). I can't understand why all carvery restaurants don't include a nut roast or veggie sausages as these gowell with gravy and roast potatoes.

CHILDREN

Children are welcome and as yet I haven't found it to be a free for all with children using the restaurant as a playground whilst the parents chat away, as can happen in many Weatherspoon pubs.
For the under tens children can choose from the carvery for the price of , £4.50 or a meat free carvery for £3.25.

The child's menu has some activities/puzzles to keep the young ones occupied for a while.

Tots in high chairs can be supplied with a plate so that parents can sort out their food from their own adult meal without incurring any extra cost. I think this is a good idea.

For very young children (generally children in a high-chair), we can provide a small plate at the table,
if requested, so they can share their parent's meal. Our waiting team will be happy to help you.

The menu states that:

All our products may contain nuts, seeds, gluten or other allergens.

STARTERS

There are about seven choices of starters which isn't a fantastic choice but four of these are suitable for vegetarians as well as meat eaters so that's a positive in my opinion.

DESSERTS

There is a good choice of desserts and in my opinion they are all reasonably priced and the portions are of a good size. Some desserts come with either ice cream or custard.

QUALITY OF FOOD

Well, it is a carvery and I don't eat meat but it certainly smells good and looks good. I have been told by the omnivores in the family that the meat is tender and succulent. There is always a choice of meat and your choice is carved in front of you. The choice is usually at least that of gammon, beef and turkey of which you can choose two. Pork is added to this choice on Sundays and lamb is available on Saturday. My husband always says the meat is enjoyable, as do the other meat eaters in the family, but he often chooses the steak and ale pie j but not because the meat choice isn't good.

I think you get what you pay for here maybe all things considered a little more. The potatoes are tasty and the Yorkshire pudding nice but the vegetables can be a bit hit and miss. I think the best time to dine is early evening or lunch time but not too late a lunch. I find then that the vegetables are more likely to be newly cooked and at their best. I couldn't go into raptures about the carrots and peas but, then again, it's all of a decent standard and there's plenty of it. I can honestly say that I have never not enjoyed my meal overall.
I find the vegetarian options are good but don't think, as mentioned, that they go well with the roast.

DRINKS

Drink prices are reasonable and a decent choice is on offer. I would say the prices are in line with similar chains. We usually have a selection of drinks in our party and what we have depends on the time of day and the occasion. But we have over many visits sampled a good selection including wines, beers and soft drinks. They serve Blossom Hill wine which goes down well with me, so I'm well catered for.

DISABLED GUESTS

I have quite often seen guests dining here who use wheelchairs or have walking frames. As the pub and restaurant area is housed on the ground floor then wheelchair access is relatively easy. A few tables are accessed by one step but there are more tables available on the level surface.
Opening hours of The Cocked Hat carvery at Woodford green are:

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From journal Places I Have Visited In Essex

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