Caldwell Tavern - NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME

I used to enjoy dining at this Toby Carvery because everything was great. However, my recent visit with my Mum on December 13th was disappointing. The quality of the food has severely declined. The Yorkshire puddings were cold, the sprouts were extremely tough, even the smaller ones. No one checked on us during our meal to see if everything was okay, they only cleared our plates once we were done. I don't mind paying for good food, but it was frustrating to pay £25 and barely have anything to eat due to the poor quality.

I brought a group of 10 people to this restaurant for breakfast. We received a very friendly welcome and our table was ready as expected. The food was excellent, hot, and fresh. What really made our experience stand out was the exceptional service provided by Ceris. She checked in to make sure everything was going well with our breakfast, and after we finished eating she returned to ensure we had a pleasant visit. Her friendly demeanor and attentiveness made our meal even more enjoyable. We always have a great time dining at this restaurant.

We visited the restaurant in the morning for the buffet-style breakfast. The plates were cold, causing the food to cool down quickly. The buffet serving spoons were extremely small, almost like they were meant for children, which seemed stingy and unsatisfactory. The eggs, bacon, and sausages were all swimming in grease. The hash browns were unpleasant, resembling dried up wafers, and tasted as bad as they looked. The beans were very watery, almost like bean soup. The chopped tomatoes were small and cheap. Surprisingly, there were no cooked tomatoes or scrambled eggs available, but there were Yorkshire puddings and a jug of gravy on display. The staff were inattentive and did not check on us to see if we were enjoying our meal. I have had much better breakfasts elsewhere. The ambiance of the pub was dark and miserable. I will not be returning to this establishment.

Travelling down to Stoke for a gig (number two in a long line of events during October) and having not eaten for hours the previous day, we were determined to find some reliable decent food. We saw the Toby, and despite its lurid appearance decided to go in. Hubby mumbling “we can always find somewhere else, I suppose.” Anyway, in we went. Quiet doesn’t come close. No staff in evidence at all, but the smell of the food made us decide to stay. To be fair the chef was topping up the food and shortly after someone came to take my husbands drink order. The staff were lovely and friendly, but I think a bit overworked, there were a lot of tables that needed clearing. Despite that it’s a very welcoming place, clean and comfortable. We ordered our food, I had the veg carvery and himself had the vegetarian melt. We were told they would notify us when the melt was ready and a really friendly young man came over to let us know it was ready. We both enjoyed our food. It was tasty, nicely cooked and piping hot. The restaurant is on crossroads and it was an excellent spot for people watching. Even the appearance of a man shouting abuse at someone didn’t spoil things, the waitress/barmaid handled it really well. It’s a good place to eat, not the most exciting, but as you go to eat what’s not to like.

Went here for the evening carvery for my sister's birthday dinner. Excellent food , generous serving of any of the meats on offer, I had the slow-roasted lamb, excellent. Nicely cooked vegetables to help yourself to and the lovely Toby gravy, altogether excellent dining. The only fly-in-the-ointment was a large family group of Eastern Europeans at the next table shouting at each other in normal conversation, you couldn't hear yourself think. Apart from that, happy to reccomend for a good meal out. I also have the TGTG app from here on a regular basis and excellent servings and saves throwing the food away.