The Holly Bush - Harborough

This is a charming local pub, perfect if you are a regular in the area. However, if you are not a local, be prepared for them to prioritize the regulars over you. I experienced some odd service when questioning the long wait for my starter, which resulted in a tense interaction with one of the locals. Eventually, a staff member named Matt intervened and spoke to us in a hostile manner before apologizing for any misunderstanding. Despite being a paying customer, we decided to leave without eating due to the delay and lack of communication regarding the wait time. Unfortunately, we were not offered a refund and had to pay for our uneaten meals. The service was slow, and our food had not even been served after an hour and a half. The only bright spot was a kind, red-faced waitress who seemed uncomfortable relaying messages from management. Overall, the experience left much to be desired, with poor communication and a lack of hospitality towards non-local patrons. The threat of police involvement was unnecessary and added to the already tense atmosphere created by a less than welcoming staff member with dark hair. It felt as though we were unwelcome from the moment we arrived at noon.

We have been having Sunday lunch at this restaurant for the last 4 weeks. I must say, it is the best Sunday roast we have ever had at any pub. The food is homemade and brought to your table. There is a great selection of meat, with very generous portions. The fresh variety of vegetables is served separately in dishes on the table. The staff is friendly and provides good service.

We pulled off the motorway to get some lunch and had previously eaten at a few other pubs in the area. This was by fay one of the worst pub meals I've had. The mash potato was smash, the pies are not pies (overcooked stews with a pastry lid), and peas like bullets. Smoothered chicken is chicken sitting in an entire bottle of sweet bbq sauce, with cheese on top which has been blasted in a microwave. The young waitresses were pleasant, but I'm pretty sure the chef is in fact a microwave. The meat in the pie was as tough as leather. We had 2 mains and 2 soft drinks and it cost the best part of £40. Genuinely terrible food.

It was a lovely summer evening. We decided to go out for dinner and drove by the holly bush and thought why not. The beer garden was lovely and quiet and perfect for catching the late sun. We ordered our food and waited and waited and after an hour enquired how long before our food arrives. The young girl serving said I’m sure it won’t be too much longer. Other people had ordered and ate their meals and left. I gave it another half an hour, by this time it was 9.00pm! We decided to call it a day and we left fed up and hungry. We stopped off at the local chip shop and enjoyed a fish supper. I’m totally disgusted with the service at this pub and will not bother visiting again in the future.

We stopped here as it was conveniently close to our accommodation for the night. The sign said 'good food ', but we expected fairly standard pub grub. We were both pleasantly surprised! My partner had the Cajun salmon, which he said was delicious. I went for the chicken fajitas, and would say they were among the best I have tasted (and I 've eaten many a fajita in New Mexico). The food came out impressively quickly considering we ordered ten minutes before 6pm, which was the time we later noticed the menu said food would be served from. The staff were all friendly and polite. We will definitely make this our stop for food when we are in the area again. I would add Service 5/5, Food 5/5, Price 5/5. For whatever reason the ratings buttons below are not working.