Grand Hotel, Tralee

Kari
11 months ago

Went for a meal in the Pikeman bar and restaurant within the Grand Hotel last night. Having been there in the past I was looking forward to a delicious meal of high quality produce.
Unfortunately on this occasion it fell very short of the mark. My first shock was the prices on the menu. Extremely expensive for food served in a bar. I chose the steak sandwich for 鈧?7.95. For this price I was expecting the finest I鈥檇 ever eaten. What I received was a well done sliver of sirloin on a pale panini with some sad looking leaves of butter head lettuce, a slice of tomato, some stewed onions (way too wet to be fried), some raw onions and a small bowl of pale looking cheap frozen chips. (The kind that are widely available from your local Aldi. It was pointed out the the waitress that the food was substandard.I have to point out here that the waitress was excellent. She tried her best to rectify the chef鈥檚 incompetence, but I鈥檓 saddened to say that what came out as a replacement was in fact worse than the meal that was sent back.
Just to clarify my rating. The chefs deserves only one star, I reckon they鈥檇 spoil a tin of beans.
However I award the waitress 5 stars. She did everything she could to salvage the situation.
Unfortunately there was still the bill to be settled. Extremely overpriced. I鈥檝e better quality, less expensive meals from the petrol station just a few streets away.
How would I fix the issue? Well I鈥檇 stop asking the customer how they鈥檇 like their stake sandwich. It is so thin that it鈥檚 either going to be raw or well done. I鈥檇 serve hand cut chips, not cheap frozen ones. I鈥檇 also Serve it with modern salad ingredients, not some 70s throw back lettuce that wilts at the first sign of heat or moisture. I鈥檇 also do away with the notions of fine dining and significantly reduce the prices.
Sorry to say but I won鈥檛 be returning to this once loved venue

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Simon
3 years ago

My wife and I have stayed here 6 times over the past 3 years. We keep going back for short breaks because the accommodation is good, the food is consistently very good, the beer is excellent, the bar is welcoming and friendly, the staff are very competent and good fun, the owner really cares about his customers. Parking is free (3 mins walk away) which is good as you are right in the town centre, Always had a good night's sleep here. And I didn't get paid to write this!

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