Brook Inn Glanmire

Max001

smileysurfer wrote: »

- The Brook is still open but is notorious for terrible food.
Going for drinks there is fine ( cramped and very bad lay out), nothing major but its fine. But definitely wouldnt recommend the food there. :eek:

My memories / flashbacks also :eek:

OMG, we're not actually back on topic are we?

Seriously, appreciate all the comments. Seems few things animate
Corkonians more than eateries!

nightster1

They seem to have a consistently good lunch trade, can't be all that bad!

nightster1

Go for a nice internal table so the dreadful view will be out of sight!

LadyLee

I have eaten there a few times and always found the food very good. Dont go there much anymore as i find it is too expensive. Restaurant prices in a pub atmosphere. Have used their catering service for my engagement party and it was exceptional- Not just ur usual cocktail sausages etc. Would go back again if they reduced their main courses to E10-15...

out da lough

LadyLee wrote: »

I have eaten there a few times and always found the food very good. Dont go there much anymore as i find it is too expensive. Restaurant prices in a pub atmosphere. Have used their catering service for my engagement party and it was exceptional- Not just ur usual cocktail sausages etc. Would go back again if they reduced their main courses to E10-15...

I'd agree with all of that. Also, charging extra for vegetables is a bit over the top, and having to eat your meal in a pub and be charged restaurant prices while having to listen to the locals shouting at whatever sporting event is on tv is over the top. The only trade it seems to do is at lunchtime, and on saturdays. They seem to be just mainly using it as a base for their catering business now from what I can see.

The Elm Tree is far better, but it is a bit too far out in the country.

Goldenlady

I don't see what the Issue with the Brook is - I was only there last night and found the food great as always. Staff are really friendly and its not overly expensive!
Why people are bothered about the "Glanmire Crowd" being in the Brook im not sure, I generally tend to meet someone for dinner, friends, BF, etc and I dont spend my time looking at other people in the bar -doesnt really bother me who is there while im there!! :P
Elm tree is great too, but definitely not 5mins from the brook like a previous post stated (Unless you are in a plane maybe:P)

The Pontiac

nightster1 wrote: »

Bramley Lodge deli/cafe/ restaurant down by Fota is best of em all i'd say

Had lunch there today and it was very nice. The place is tiny, so expect to be queuing up for a while (especially on Sundays)..you'll probably spend all your money in the shop in the meantime. Very nice little shop too!

The best of em all? Not so sure tbh..

LadyLee

out da lough wrote: »

I'd agree with all of that. Also, charging extra for vegetables is a bit over the top, and having to eat your meal in a pub and be charged restaurant prices while having to listen to the locals shouting at whatever sporting event is on tv is over the top. The only trade it seems to do is at lunchtime, and on saturdays. They seem to be just mainly using it as a base for their catering business now from what I can see.

The Elm Tree is far better, but it is a bit too far out in the country.

Ate laste weekend in the elm tree... you were right it was great! ... Thanks for the tip...

chickyfromcork

God, when I read these comments, I was shocked love in Ballincollig and often made the trip the Brook Inn, I think they offer super value for the quality they are producing... well recommended for sunday lunch with the family, the staff are amazing there, very attentive and rememeber customers names, something I find rare in the Irish hospitality industry these days :eek:..... We recently used the service of their catering company what a pleasure to deal with from start to finish..... like one comment read not just your normal cocktail sausages they actaully put in a effort to produce something different and fresh that suits everyones taste....... The Elm tree restaurant and Lunch menus are very nice, I won't be running back for their carvery, I was charged €9.50 for a veg plate when I queried this was told well you can the meat with it for another €2.50, still not happy she just said to me that the price if you want it, nothing I can do about it............... you can imagine my reaction :D:D:D:D So where do I go now "THE BROOK"

RWAK

We were a group of five who entered at 7.10pm on 28/12/10. We hovered around the desk for several minutes but no one approached us. It wasn't particularly busy, certainly there were tables available.
Eventually I asked the staff member behind the desk if we should wait to be seated or just take a table. She could see us the whole time we were waiting, but it was as if she only noticed us when I approached her. She asked how many we were and told us someone would seat us shortly.
Another staff member approached us after a couple more minutes and asked us how many we were again. She then showed us to a table and took our drinks order.
By 7.30pm there was no sign of our drinks and no one had approached us about our food order. Shortly after that a third staff member approached with four of the five drinks we'd ordered, but made no reference to the missing fifth. We asked to place our food order and she said, in a matter of fact way, that she'd send someone.
The second staff member then returned. She told me, without apology, that she'd forgotten what the missing fifth drink was. I told her what it was but she didn't go to get it or, more appropriately, ask another staff member to get it, but proceeded to take our food orders. I was concerned at how long everything was taking and the apparent hap-hazard service so I asked how long our food would take to arrive - there were two small children in our group and we were there to eat, not to enjoy the ambience. I was told bluntly that this depended on what we ordered. After we'd ordered: 2 x pasta/chicken; 1 x curry/chicken; 2 kids meals we were told there was nothing complicated and our food would be out soon. The waiter was about to leave our table when I asked her about the missing drink again - she said she'd bring it.
After another five minutes my drink hadn't arrived. I went up to the pass and asked after it. The waiter who took our order (and then forgot it) actually said it would come when it was ready!
A couple of minutes later the last drink arrived and we decided to forget the bad service and wait for our food.
At this stage I took my 5 year old son out to the toilet. We were horrified at what we found. I reported this situation to a staff member when we came out - the same staff member who'd taken our drink and food orders - but no gratitude, or even politeness, was expressed. An apology for the appalling toilets didn't even cross her mind.
30 minutes after we placed our food order there was no sign of it. I went up to the pass again and asked to speak to a manager. A (new to me) staff member approached me. When I asked why we'd had no food after 30 mins she asked if we'd ordered steaks. When I told her what we'd ordered she was surprised and couldn't offer an explanation. I complained about the service and attitude of our waiter and the disgusting scene we'd encountered in the toilets and she sympathised. Then our food arrived.
The food was good, but why do they serve three Indian dips (chutneys + raita) with a THAI red curry? Given that they do serve them, why don't they serve anything to dip in them?
After our meal it seemed that no more could go wrong when the final insult occurred. The waiter who took our orders cleared our plates and brought the bill and when asked to bring a credit card machine to the table, did so. We were incredulous when she then walked off with my credit card in the machine tossing "I'll bring back your card in a minute" over her shoulder as she went. On her return I asked her what was the point of bringing a machine to the table if she was going to take the card away, and she gave me some line about the battery on the unit not being good. When I told her that I didn't care about this and that I hadn't given her permission to remove my credit card from my presence she told me I was rude and told me not to come back to the Brook Inn.
I was so surprised at her overall inefficiency, rudeness and seemingly total lack of understanding of customer service (and standard credit card procedures) that I was dumbfounded. To add unbelieveable insult to injury a young man in a chef outfit then beckoned to me, the customer who had just paid €80 for 3+2 tardy pub-grub meals, from the pass(!) to COME TO SPEAK TO HIM!
Incredulous, I approached him, where he asked what was wrong. Even at this late stage I still had some sense that it might be worth explaining the situation. I was wrong though. He wasn't interested in hearing what was troubling his customer; he exhibited the same unsuitability to customer service that his colleague did.
The food in the Brook Inn is definitely tasty, even if the ethnicity and authenticity can be a bit confused, but the prices are typical of an establishment offering a much higher level of service (and decor to be honest). The management have not engendered ANY sense that the customer pays the wages in their staff and it is obvious that training, if any, is minimal. A horrible evening.

Max001

Feel your pain. Its incredible that in the depths of a recession, so called hospitality sector businesses have no concept of hospitality. More so, in a country where tourism is an important employer.
You know what was the only thing you did wrong? (IMO) You paid for your meal. Bring cash and only pay what you feel the meal is worth and leave your name and address. So far as I know, this covers you legally, as you're not making off without payment. If the absentee owners (who run a professional catering business) saw this happening with regularity, they'd eventually investigate.

shoegirl

I used to eat there a lot around 4 or 5 years ago. I had not been in for a while and dropped in this evening. I used to really enjoy here but was horrified with what had happened to it. For a start there used to be menus everywhere, now you have to ask for one, because the staff cannot be bothered serving unless you go up and distract them.

What is most shocking us the prices. From what I can see they hiked the prices up by around 50%. Nearly everywhere else in Cork is well down on what they were charging around 06 but this us a notable exception.

Can't comment on the food as I left in disgust and took my business elsewhere.

Max001

shoegirl wrote: »

I used to eat there a lot around 4 or 5 years ago. I had not been in for a while and dropped in this evening. I used to really enjoy here but was horrified with what had happened to it. For a start there used to be menus everywhere, now you have to ask for one, because the staff cannot be bothered serving unless you go up and distract them.

What is most shocking us the prices. From what I can see they hiked the prices up by around 50%. Nearly everywhere else in Cork is well down on what they were charging around 06 but this us a notable exception.

Can't comment on the food as I left in disgust and took my business elsewhere.

Good on ya for taking your business elsewhere