Mrs Eats and I had been dying to try The Queens Head for some time.
I mean, look at that location. Perched over Cullercoats harbour, you don't get many better spots for a Sunday roast.
The pub is always packed whenever I pass it, with dog walkers and bikers sitting outside (if the weather permits) enjoying a pint. And I was hoping for a feast.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy it. Now here is the disclaimer. Sunday dinner stops being served at 4pm and we arrived with less than an hour to go, so I wasn't expecting bells and whistles. And nor could I at the price.
It is cheap, I'll give it that. You rarely get a roast for under a tenner these days, so at £8.95 for a plate that included all three meats - well, I wasn't expecting to grumble because if there's anything I enjoy, it is value for money. And that's where the pub delivers.
That and the service. Our staff - considering they must have spent the afternoon rushed off their feet judging by the still-busy room - were nothing but pleasant and attentive. They didn't dilly-dally when it came to getting She-Who-Must-Be-Fed and I settled, seated and our orders taken.
But, largely, that grub wasn't great. My mash was lumpy. Usually I'd polish it off no problem, but even coating it in some of the pretty generous puddle of gravy on my plate did little to help get it down.
There was plenty of meat, but it wasn't the tastiest cut. Again, at the price, I wasn't expecting it to be but the beef was a bit too chewy and the turkey was a particular low point. My three roasties were good, though, and the gravy was decent.
However, what really stuck out were the vegetables. Roasts seemed to have got a lot better in recent years and I think a lot of that is the magic things a good chef can do with your greens to help make them not taste bland. And bland is the word I'd sadly use to sum up my (again, generously portioned) plate of veg. It just tasted of heat, with the seemingly steamed bowl piping hot. I barely touched them.
But what about Mrs Eats, I hear you cry? Well, Mrs Eats wasn't impressed at all. We were both feeling very under the weather, and unlike me, she didn't think a big pile of meat would sort us out.
Maybe it was the seaside setting, but she had a real craving for the scampi (£7.95). What came wasn't what she'd hoped for. The chips were all right, but the scampi appeared to be of the battered prawn variety and wasn't as meaty as she'd hoped.
Also, as you know, Mrs Eats has a sweet tooth like no other and, especially after her disappointing main course, was craving some pudding.
Our half-empty plates were taken away and we waited for someone to offer dessert. And we waited. And waited. And waited. Just like last week!
Customers left and tables were cleared and it became apparent she wasn't getting her pudding, which left her feeling flat. It may have just been that they were closing. However, it meant an unexpected drive down the road for an ice cream and a wet stroll along Tynemouth's Longsands, which put a literal dampener on our afternoon.
The venue states it is under new management, and there were enough positives to make me think it may have been teething problems - but at the very least they should sort that mash out.
Factfile
The Queens Head, Front Street, Cullercoats, NE30 4QB
Tel: 0191 253 7052
Food served (Sun): Until 4pm
Rating: 11/20
Character: 3 stars
Quality: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Value: 3 stars
Car parking - Yes, and plenty of spaces
Vegetarian food - Yes, but not a huge offering
Kids allowed - Yes
Real ale - Yes
Wine by the bottle - Yes
Card payments - Yes
