March 8th, 2009
This pub opposite the duck pond in Warthill has been a favourite of ours since moving to North Yorkshire in early 2007. Over that time, we have made a number of visits to the Agar Arms particularly because of the very good steaks served up in the restaurant. The service was always friendly and on the mark and we were generally very happy with our experiences.
However a little while ago, they introduced an extra charge if you pay by debit or credit card. At the time we kind of forgave this little annoyance because the food and service continued at the same good standard.
This evening however has been a real disappointment. We telephoned at first to see what time they would be serving food and were cheerfully told 7pm. As we arrived just after 7.15pm the car park was already filling up. Unfortunately as we approached the bar where you place your orders, we heard a group in front of us grumbling because they had just been told the steaks were off the menu (they had pretty much ran out of them) . As this group left the bar and returned to their car to head somewhere else, the young guy behind the bar, had what could only be described as an uncaring smug look on his face. He made no attempt to explain to us or the others still milling around behind us, what had gone wrong. What made this even more annoying was that surely they knew their main menu staples of steak were off when we telephoned to enquire about opening times. Their lack of thought for the regular customer and this guy’s smug look tipped me over the edge and we left without even thinking about ordering something else from the menu.
Not a happy experience for us, the group of five who left before us or those people left behind us.
Pryordurkin star rating. 2 stars. (dropped from 4 stars, due to very poor customer attitude)
UPDATE. 9th May 2009
Thinking we would give them one last chance, we rang tonight to check a) if they had steak and b) if they were busy; only to be told they were not serving food. It seems this pub, that used to have a reputation for good food is now just your ordinary run of the mill local pub. What a shame.
Posted in Food and Drink
Well what a difference to the food in this pub now!!.
Four of us went on 27th May 2009 having not been for a while.
Sam Smiths have destroyed what was an iconic pub renowned for its food and steaks since i can remember first going in the 70s.
We got there just after opening at 18.30 to get a seat, the car park had 4 cars in, every one must be at home to watch the football we thought.
We went in no problem getting a table, then we found out why.
Sam Smiths had decided to put there own food in, the menu was nothing special and only ONE 8oz steak on offer!!.
We already had our drinks and had opened a tab, but on looking at the menu we were considering leaving as it was what my friend described as “School Dinners”, defrosted frozen food, but we decided to stay to see what the food was actually like.
The stake and ale pie didn’t taste bad but nothing special at all, no more real chips and the veg was half cooked and rubbery.
My wife has some sort of chicken with a watery tasteless white sauce, not good at all!!, and all the plates had shrunk to half there normal size.
We feel sorry for the tenants who up until recently had a thriving business which has been destroyed by the brewery, and it would seems that every Sam Smiths pub that had food has gone the same way.
The reason so i was told later by the landlord of another pub is that Sam Smiths have a company in Tadcaster that produced food for the airlines but lost the contract so to compensate they have put there sub standard airline (school dinners) into there pubs.
We will not be going again, and judging by the comments of other customers in the car park they wont be ether.
If you want a cheap night out with nice surroundings and pleasant staff but very poor food this is the place, four main meals, four pints of beer (good beer at that) two soft drinks £35.00 quid a come down from our usual bill of around £120.00
You better go soon as we don’t think this pub will be open for much longer.
Allan