If, like us, you are hitting the roads for a few days away over half-term then you're likely to spot a Little Chef restaurant on your travels. We got a chance to try out the brand new Little Chef menu which features lots of dishes you might not have expected such as Bockwurst hot dogs and a very yummy-sounding sirloin steak and red onion sandwich.
Last weekend we visited Little Chef at Wisley South on the A3 near Guildford. Inside, this Little Chef has a mixture of sit-down restaurant and cafe-style sofas and bars for if you simply want to pop in for a cake and a hot drink. There is even a takeaway area. But, when we're travelling as a family we usually like to take a long, leisurely break so we sat down in a booth and relaxed to enjoy out lunch.
The girls each ordered a main meal and a drink from the children's menu which was filled with classic children's favourites such as macaroni cheese, pizza, chicken goujons and of course, a Little Chef breakfast. The children's menu offers a main course and a pudding for only £4.98. Lara chose an awesome pancake option for pudding which included a classic Little Chef thick pancake with pots of chocolate sprinkles, chocolate drops and chocolate sauce for you to make your own pancake creation!
Mr. B. and I were both spoilt for choice on the new menu. Mr. B. went for the all-time Little Chef classic, an Olympic Breakfast with all of the cooked breakfast trimmings you could ask for. I chose a breakfast burger and oh my goodness, did it hit the spot. I have clear memories of a bad burger experience at a Little Chef restaurant many many moons ago and this burger thankfully blew all those memories away - it was a thick, meaty burger made with crumbly real beef mince packed into a slightly sweet cob roll and topped with bacon and egg. Healthy? No - but perfect after a late night with friends the day before!
The food quality at Little Chef Wisley South exceeded my expectations (although I did wish that my girls had got a little more adventurous than fish fingers and chips!). I thought the customer service was a bit slow with staff struggling to meet the demand but, as I always find at Little Chef, the chef themselves really impressed. The cooking area is open to view and I could see a single member of staff meeting the demands of the full lunch time rush.
To finish, Mr. B. and I shared one of the new pancake stacks piled high with fresh banana and toffee sauce. Unfortunately, we noticed too late that ours didn't come with the expected ice-cream. I think that chef maybe was a little too under pressure!
Our Little Chef adventure was never going to push any culinary boundaries but I think the food was good for a roadside experience and bettered my expectations. I felt the restaurant itself could have done with an extra member of staff to keep on top of the orders, and keeping tables and floors clean.
You can find out if there is a Little Chef on your half-term travels using their restaurant finder.
Disclosure: We were sent a contribution towards out meal.
