Not bowled over by Bowes Incline
IS a busy venue always a good sign?
That’s the question we wrestled with as we arrived at the Bowes Incline Hotel. The car park was packed which left us regretting we hadn’t booked.
But luckily it was just the two of us and once inside we realised we’d easily get a table.
Because while the place was bustling with diners it is a huge pub with plenty of nooks and crannies in which to sit.
Surely lots of people was a good sign? They could be regulars or there on a recommendation.
I say that because I would assume the pub gets little passing trade. The hotel can be seen from the A1 motorway – but actually takes a little bit of finding.
Once off the A1 at the next junction heading south you have to drive back on yourself and eventually (via a helpful signpost I might add) down a small track to find it.
Once settled inside we scoured the huge menu written on a couple of large blackboards on the walls.
It really is a vast menu – I sat and counted 45 different options for main courses. And, of course, on a Sunday
there is the added extra of Car park..................... Kids allowed.................... Real ale.................................... Wine by the bottle...................... Credit cards..................................... Vegetarian food............................. Disabled toilets............................. beef, lamb, pork or roast turkey priced at £5.95 for children, £9.25 for a standard or £11.95 for a large.
I went traditional for main and ordered a regular turkey with a starter of Thai crab cakes (11 starters in case you wondered).
Mrs E thought she’d go for one of the 45 options other than a roast and ordered king prawn and monkfish skewers (£15.95).
The Thai crab cakes, which came with a salad garnish and sweet chilli dipping sauce, were a decent sized portion and a tasty start.
The turkey main came with stuffing, a big Yorkshire, and vegetables. While everything I wanted in a roast was there it did lack a little something in taste. It certainly didn’t leave me bowled over, but, nevertheless, I was satisfied and left a clean plate.
Mrs E had a less positive experience. The skewers came with rice, salad and a tomato sauce dip.
She said the plate didn’t really go together with the sauce not working with the fish.
Meanwhile the fish didn’t so much as fall off the skewers as had to be prised off.
I was almost catapulted with a prawn as Mrs E prised them off the wooden skewers with her fork.
Thankfully dessert got back on track with a delicious sticky toffee pudding (£4.80) for me – a big chunk of pud, lots of butterscotch sauce and a dollop of ice cream - delicious. Mrs E wasn’t feeling as peckish at this point so had a portion of ice cream.
Service at the Bowes Incline was average with friendly staff and food arriving quickly.
Food is ordered at the bar though, which is fine if it’s painless, but in our case it meant one staff member trying to deal with about four diners at a time.
This meant a good few minutes stood at the bar. I’ve no issue with ordering at the bar, but adequate staff at all times makes it easier.
Overall that it was busy was neither a good sign or bad. The fact that many people clearly go back has to be a good sign, but my personal experience wasn’t that it was somewhere I want to visit frequently. An average experience on the whole – but maybe others are seeing something that I’m not.