Southend - Gerry Louis Review

Got there just after 7pm after a 20 minute walk from the beach. We were greeted almost straight away but were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait. I asked if we could sit at table six in the window which was not allocated. I was ignored and we had to wait for a table. 10 minutes later we were given table 11, two tables away from six to which we saw a couple being given that table who entered the restaurant after we did.

That was the first flop. The second was the Nandoca at the till rushing through mine and my friends orders and smashing a glass in the process. Why the cashiers went from 3 to 1 was also beyond me. There were a lot of people complaining about waiting for their take away food as well so I didn't have high hopes about our food.

28 minutes after ordering the food arrived. About five minutes earlier we had asked someone who may have been the manager about our wait to which we were simply stared at. He had a couple complaining to him about their cold table and they wanted to move but he wouldn't accommodate them. The food arrived shortly afterwards without him having done anything to get it to us sooner.

The sweet mash was warm, had little or no seasoning and had a huge square chunk which was inedible and a black thing I had to take out of the mash. Also it was very wet and sloppy. The chicken was nicely done but the combination of everything plus all the dirty tables around us just made for a really bad experience. The toilets were bad also.

As soon as you enter the branch, to the right is the waiting area. Just behind the door however is a large metal sculpture of what may be a Pegasus, winged horse of myth, crouched to meet as a dog would. I liked that but the restaurant needs work.