Like others on here, I like my tuck and enjoy to get out and about for a feed every now and again- or at least once a fortnight! I've probably been to most of the restaurants and pubs in and around Hartlepool and have never before had reason to complain to the staff over what they have served up.

On Saturday evening, as it was Mrs R's birthday, we went to The Raby Arms (it's shite by the way) for our tea having been drawn in by their nice looking ad they've been running in The Mail recently.

As I was particularly hungry and after much deliberation I plumped for the mixed grill from the specials board at eleven and a half quid as for that price it should have had half of Dewhursts on the plate. Not wanting to be taken for a mug though I specifically asked the landlord what would be on it and was given a list of different meats such as steak, chicken, gammon, pork, black pudding etc. Excellent. The wife ordered lasagne with a side portion of chips.

After waiting for an hour for the useless feckers to finally bring us our food it arrived. Imagine my surprise when the little plate of mixed grill only had a tiny piece of steak, an equally small piece of gammon and two Tesco value sausages as it's meat content. If that wasn't bad enough I could have been arrested for carrying an offensive weapon had I walked out with the gammon as it was harder to cut than a house brick.

Nevertheless, seeing as though there was no staff givingafuck about the customers anyway, I struggled on and ate what I could. When they finally decided to show their face to clear the table and ask if everything had been ok I politely told the waitress that it was a terrible meal and even worse it only had a fraction of the stuff that had been promised. Her face fell a little and she toddled off to get the Loch Ness monster who had taken on the shape of some dumpy little old Scottish bint for the evening. What an ignorant bitch they've found as the face of their customer service. I can only assume that she owns the place as surely nobody in their right mind would actually employ her.

Well after her shouting in her ignorant manner about how dare I complain and then chucking a fiver at me in the belief that it formed some form of contract whereby I should then just shut up it turned out that they weren't deliberately lying to people about what they were getting for their money, nor where they trying to rip people off. Instead it was my fault that the mixed grill was a bigger disappointment than brewers droop in a free brothel because, as she decided to shout to anybody who might be within 100 yards as she flounced off, she was "at a funeral last Tuesday and it wasn't her fault that somebody had died on her".

After talking to somebody at work today it turns out that this psycho jock retard has form, as she has acted in the same outlandish manner on more than one occassion in the last month or so with people he knows. Maybe somebody dies on her every week? Maybe they're just trying to escape from having to be in the same world as the horrible wench.

In short I would advise you all, and anybody you know, to give the place a wide berth. It's overpriced, the food is awful and Basil Fawlty could run rings around them in terms of customer service.

By the way, Mrs R said that her lasagne was nice in the way that a Findus one out of the microwave is nice, but without the side portion of chips then it would have been a really measly attempt at a proper meal.

Readers can do meal reviews for the paper you know.

Any chance of printing this one for me?

In short I would advise you all, and anybody you know, to give the place a wide berth. It's overpriced, the food is awful and Basil Fawlty could run rings around them in terms of customer service.

Thank you Mr Ripper, Sir.

email hartlepool.letters@northeast-press.co.uk

You might have to tone it down a bit like!

More like just a 'turd' by the sounds of it.

Four of us went into for our tea last week ... she was as nice as ninepence and the food was OK ..... I take as I find.

Maybe you went after Ripper's tongue lashing?

If we are going to have a meal in Hart, then the White Hart is the better option. The food has always been good, and it's not overpriced like the Raby Arms is. The only thing that the Raby Arms had going for it was bringing in a no smoking policy, before the government imposed one. Oh, and the outside area is quite nice on a sunny afternoon.

I'd class it as a gastro pub, you know what you get with it.

Try Alsyros for decent grub at affordable prices.

Gastroentiritis?

Remind me, as you go into Hart from lepool, which pub is on the left and which is on the right?

Roundabout?

Don't confuse him, he probably doesn't even know that Hart has a bypass!

I've had the mixed grill from the Raby a few times and it's never been anywhere near as bad as Ripper's assessment, infact it's generally been very good. The service has been dodgy on a couple of occasions but nothing to stop me going back there.

Highly recommend.

You're just being contrary, aren't you.

me and the wife like Farrar's and the Wheelhouse. Food is very rarely anything but top notch.
Haven't been to the bottom house for yonks.

How come she didn't have the Ploughman's?

mr Parmo someone recently sent me a book of footie songs and there is this ditty from norwich fans sang to
the tune of cecilia;
Delia,you're breaking my heart,you're baking a tart for us daily,
oh Delia,I'm down on my knees,
I'm begging you please,
make parmos,make parmos.

can't say I've heard it!!! Should I make a speech on their board?

You took the words right out of my mouth you meatloaf you.

Eat that much meat and you get the 'meat sweats'

It used to be all fields around there

Farrars is the dogs bollocks. We fancied a change, I wish we hadn't.

When i went to farrars i took one look at the menu and thought it was over priced posh lar-de-dar bollocks, so left.

Each to their own, eh.

Well aye.

Marco Polo's is good too, especially cost wise, £10 for 3 courses and a free drink.

Marco Polo's is excellent, probably a close second to Farrars for normal grub. They both beat the shite out of The Raby Arms, did I mention that The Raby Arms is crap, trying to rip people off and should be avoided?

You did, and i agree, i went years ago and thought it was nowt flash, one of them places people think there ellish and trendy for going too but really its a load of turd.

Oh im just off up to the raby, lar lar.

I think Rigatoni's closed a few months ago. About time. It used to be lush a few years ago but the last couple of times I went it had gone downhill.

It still wasn't as bad as The Raby Arms though.

Raby Arms on the left off the roundabout

I think the mail should sent someone to review the food and write a piece in the paper.

Send that Watts bloke or Roy Kelly, they both look like they enjoy their scran!!!!!!!

I still reckon that they should print my review.

I agree but that doesnt seem too likely.

I think it would be worth £25 in Sunday Sun letter of the week though.

I went to Farrahs before with my ex bird. Nightmare experience. We had booked a table but they clearly thought we hadn't and made us sit for 45 minutes before we got a table. The staff sat us at the table closest to the bogs. I then ordered Chicken Fajitas, which, when brought out proceeded to set off the smoke alarm, causing the full restaurant to look at me as it it was my fault.
The meal was tasteless, as was the attitude of the staff who clearly thought we'd turned up unannounced.

Never again.

I also think that all of the restaurants and bars down the marina are a bit soulless. The atmosphere is non existant. (with the exception of Krimos, which has always been superb)

I'm amazed by that story about Farrar's like

Maybe it was a one-off. I'm sure everyone has their off days. Still won't go back like. Not a pleasant experience having a room full of people laughing at you when it's not your fault!

In their defence, I've heard nothing but good things about it since.

What's Farrar's??

I love that stuff.
There was a big thing a few years ago that Farrah's were closing down, wasn't there? Then they seemed to be rescued at t'last minute.

8 of us went to alsyros in upper church street on saturday night teatime special till 9pm on a sat £8.50 for 2 courses both of which were excellent
even lord seaton approved

"After a tiring day shuffling paper we decided to give our kitchen a break and pop along to our old friend Demis popopospoplopski and his fab eaterie. On arrival we were shown to our table by a smiling waitress who eagerly pointed out the specials board and took our order for drinks. I plumped for a an ice cold glass of specialy imported Belgian lager while my partner chose sparkling mineral water with ice and a slice. We then settled down to feast our eyes and gorge our imaginations on the array of exotic dishes on the beautifully crafted menu whilst soaking in the atmosphere of a bustling yet somehow serene resteraunt, Demis the owner and very professional host waved and smiled coming over to greet us before stopping to chat with another customer..."

" after a shyty day at work we argued over what we were having for tea and said fook it lets go and have a special somewhere. We argued like fook about who was driving, but as I won the fight, she chose the gaff. Bastad, she knows I hate this place. Anyway we eventually found some spotty kid to take our coats in return for a couple of menus thrust into our palms with a nod of the head toward a hidden specials board. I went stratight in for the kill and ordered stella ( if we were gonna have another sparring session a bit of wifebeater helps) then took the pi££ as she ordered water. The menu wass littered with all kinds of shyte and someone shouted the usual 'Sack the Juggler' when some dopey waiter dropped a few plates. I quickly told her to hold her menu up as the greasy owner looked as if he was coming over to stare down her top whilst pretending to talk to us about any kind of bollocks, luckily he spotted a bigger pair on the way over which gave us a little breathing space..."

I can remember that bottom one. Were you there as well?

Needless to say she isnt going anymore haha

alsyros is by far the best place to go out and eat in the whole town!

Hawklady and me would agree with that.

I had many a lovely burger at Dutchies.

has it improved now like? cos there was a couple of years when it was nasty as fook.