Bedford - Gerry Louis Review

Gerry Louis's picture
How Helpful?: 
Average: 3.3 (3 votes)
Number of Visits: 
This was my first visit
How Busy?: 
10 - 25 minute wait
Date of Last Visit: 
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Time of Day: 
Weekend Lunch
3.13 / 5
Friendliness of Staff: 
3 (Not bad. Did everything I asked of them)
Speed of Service: 
3 (10 - 15 mins - Nando's average)
Quality of Food: 
3.5 (Average but with lots of peri-spice)
Decoration & Cleanliness: 
3 (Standard Nando's, nothing bad, nothing exceptional)

A very interesting visit for all the wrong reasons.

Went to this branch with DJ Damien and the gang as this was the 92nd restaurant opened in the UK. I've never been to Bedford before but I'm glad there's no other Nando's so I never have to go again. It's about a 15 minute walk from the train station on the other side of the main high street just next to the Bedford Bridge.

The staff made us wait for about twenty minutes for a table for no good reason. When we arrived there was a visible table of 6 free but that area was booked for 25 people, no it wasn't an RYN dinner and I hope one is never planned there. We spent the next twenty minute being bumped by other patrons being seated before us, and another table of 6 after us, who were impatient and wanted to go before us cos of kids. The guy at the counter continually asked us if we were ready to order despite not being given a table yet.

We were finally told table 25 was free for us so we ordered before sitting down. Got round to the table, it was actually table 29 and there were at least 3 other tables of 6 free despite seeing no one leave. Why were we made to wait for so long? To top it off we were squeezed into a booth with nowhere to hang coats so when the next patrons came behind us it became really uncomfortable.

I ordered 1/4 chicken mango and lime, sweet mash, peri chips and garlic bread, the 1/4 chicken was free (3loyalty cards really come in handy). The chicken was nice though it was a leg not much meat, the chips was. Really small portion and the chips were wibbly with a light sprinkling of peri. The mash, unsure what was going on, it looked like someone had scratched 3 fingers through the middle to gouge it out, really odd. It arrived in about 13 minutes so time was was okay, I expected it longer.

The toilets... 2 cubicles. The first one said vacant so I tried to push the door, nothing. The second one was half engaged but was empty. It's actually locked by the thing u pull across so the thing outside is invalid. Very confusing. Very strange branch, the light shades would go up and then down again by themselves at different times. It was suggested they are solar powered but it's annoying if you're sitting there and they move by themselves.

The staff were simple, sorry but that's the best word I will use in a public review to describe them.

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