went down there for some nose bag yesterday,we ususlly use fatty arbuckles as its my daughters favourite,as she wasn't with us we decided to try a different one,we went to frankie and benny's....so many to chose from but we were parked closer to that one ....the food was very nice as was the service but no different at all from faty arbuckles...if i didn't know different i'd swear they had the same chef and more or less the same menu,are they all like that and if so why so many doing the same thing:confused: :confused: :confused:

I've always thought the restaurants down there were pretty much interchangeable - and not particularly good to boot.

If one of them closed down and reopened as, say, a chinese buffet they'd make a killing.

Yeah i agree although i hate Chinese! Ive been to them all apart from fatty arbuckles but if i had to choose i would definately recommend new orleans its slighlty different and serves crocodile! No i havent tried it!

Originally posted by xamanix
Yeah i agree although i hate Chinese! Ive been to them all apart from fatty arbuckles but if i had to choose i would definately recommend new orleans its slighlty different and serves crocodile! No i havent tried it!

Would that be Old Orleans? If not, it's gonna be a begger to get to after UGC! :D

K x

Yeah that the one - im rubbish with names! x

They are all absolutely rubbish with cack food and cack prices.

Call me opinionated (!) but I can't stand that sort of restaurant. They're ok for families when you have lots of kids etc but for anything else, shocking.

It's very sad that this is all you get around the UGC.

We did Old Orleans the other day and even tho nearly empty it took an hour to be served. Food was average, not bad and not good, and portion size average.

Services at these places tends to be ok in my experience, so maybe they aren't all bad.

They feel so americanised, and in many of them very little actual cooking goes on.

Apologies to anyone working there - I used to know a few chefs so some of these comments come from them!

I so agree with you - i actually work in an italian restaurant so expect food which i would serve to others to be served to me. For a place that obvoiusly has had millions spent on it you'd think they would come up with a half decent restaurant. Old Orleans in my experiance is the best of a bad set of diners - you cant actually call them restaurants.

agreed, Orleans is the best of a bad bunch, but if you want to go bowling and have a meal you're fairly limited in choice.

I must be one of the few who enjoy Arbuckles.

I enjoy Arbuckles, decent food, potions and prices. Done Frankie & Bennys a few times but find the prices a little more and portions small. I know i'm sad but my side order of fries for nearly £2 contained 15 single fries.

Old Orleans nice but average size portions. Cant really comment on Bitz & Pizza or Boardwalk. Been once to both but they didn't really do anything for me.

I fully agree with Miggy on this, apart from the bit about Americanisation. Your average American would never stand for such mediocre establishments, whereas your average Brit will put up with it all the time, and still go back for more saying how wonderful it is.

On a weekend if we ever over at Cinema or bowling with the kids would recommend Carbrook Hall Pub or even Stumbles - Good bar meals - huge portions - silly prices!!

Don't rate any of the restaurants on Centertainment one bit!!

Oh i totally agree - i used to work at the English Institute of Sport and once went for a pint then found ourselves having some lunch as well. you can get lasagne salad and chips for under 3 quid! and its all home cooked and the staff and owners are a scream!! we ended up going every day put on sooooo much weight!!

Last time me, my boyfriend and his mum and dad went to one of those restaurants, we bought tickets for the cinema first, we had plenty of time, about an hour and a half to order our food and eat it and have time left over to get our seats, but after we ordered they totally forgot about us, we had to ask 2 times where our food was, in the end, we got our food, with 7minutes left before the film started, we had to hurry with our food and leg it to the cinema, wouldnt eat there again in a hurry!

Originally posted by xamanix
... its slighlty different and serves crocodile!

Waiter ... fetch me the crocodile soup my good man ... and make it snappy !!

*GROANS*

:lol:

ROFLMAO!

I have eaten at a load of diefferent restaurants and I am quite surprised at everyones comments as I really like Franky and Bennies, the Pizza was really nice when I went.

Tom_a_west, i go quite alot when my boyfriend is home, and that is the only time i have not enojyed it and had crap service(this was at Old Orleans, i think) Arbuckles is the one i think we usually go to, it is such a nice place to eat, friendly atmosphere and not at all expensive. just dont go and eat at Old Orleans if you havent got a full day to eat it :p

My son is a chef at the Boardwalk, I have eaten there a few times and the food is good, if a bit pricey. They are all advertised as American style diners - so if you don't like that sort of food, you just don't go!

I didnt say i didnt like the food, i love the food at all 4 of the restuarants i just said that it was crap service at Old Orleans once lol.

Had the similar slow service at Old Orleans when it has been empty!? Interestingly there is a similar problem at the Old Orleans in Oxford. Must admit it hasn't stopped me going yet though.

i had an emarassing expericance when i was in america, i ordered nachos expecting a plate of them like you get over here, they did put it on a plate thing is it was as big as a duct bin lid it had 3 different colour nachos and the dips were the same size as one of the large tubs from the supermarket!

Why is there 4 (frankie and bennys, boardwalk, bits n pizza and fatty arbuckles) resturants that serve exactly the same thing? Even their special offers are the same? I have no idea how they all stay in business. Bring on the chinese and indians!

:clap: :clap: Have you been to the NEW MEXICAN?? :clap: :clap:

Although i'm very upset Arbuckles Have gone it may have looked cheap but the service and staff were great everytime.

Chiquito's is top! it looks ten times better than the other restaurants and atlast there is one abit different! Has anyone else been in? i went for a meal on the 2nd night it opened and it got 9/10 the only complaint is that it was a 10 minute wait for a table but i guess thats cause every1 else wanted to take a look! Good on you Chiquitos KEEP IT UP!!

Originally posted by chattylass
:clap: :clap: Have you been to the NEW MEXICAN?? :clap: :clap:

Although i'm very upset Arbuckles Have gone it may have looked cheap but the service and staff were great everytime.

Chiquito's is top! it looks ten times better than the other restaurants and atlast there is one abit different! Has anyone else been in? i went for a meal on the 2nd night it opened and it got 9/10 the only complaint is that it was a 10 minute wait for a table but i guess thats cause every1 else wanted to take a look! Good on you Chiquitos KEEP IT UP!!

having never been for a mexican meal can you tell me what they serve..cheers:thumbsup:

Originally posted by kirky
having never been for a mexican meal can you tell me what they serve..cheers:thumbsup:

Kirky, see www.chiquito.co.uk.

As a fan of Mexican and a fan of Fatty Arbuckles i was disappointed it closed but pleased to see a Mexican open.

We went a few weeks ago and wasn't that impressed. The prices are the same what you'd pay at a mexican/italian restaurant such as Viva Tequila but the food isn't to the same standard.

I remember i had Chimmichangers which normally comes with salsa/guacamole/sour cream etc. At chiquito you got a choice of one only.

I'm sure we'll go back to try it again though, although it is more expensive than the other restaurants down there.

me and the bloke went....(yet again) to centertainment for a meal last week but decided to try Old Orleans,(we hadnt ever noticed it before lol) but it tasted just like the rest of them, i wont complain about the food bcoz i think the food is lovely, even though my bloke didnt like what he had at old orleans, but i dont know why all the restaurants down there have to sell exactly the same food?!?!

i want to go 4 something to eat at centertainment but dont know which 1 to choose, iv been to bitz & pizza & boardwalk but want 2 try something differant now can anyone give me any tips, thanx

chiquitos.
nachos for starters,louisiana skewers followed by mexican drums(i think)
love it to bits.

Mod: Threads merged.

lol you like the stumble in food???? you pay for it and i get subjected to it every day lol, my mums the cook there!!!!!

I am slightly concerned that people actually think that the restaurants at the centertainment are good.

I had the misfortune to go to Bitz and Pizza the other week. Shockingly poor service, incredibly slow (made more annoying by being able to see the staff just standing about chatting). Before we even sat down they'd taken our drinks order, then 45 mins after ordering our food, our starters turned up. 30 mins after we'd finished starters, we were told "no pizzas, we've run ot of cheese". Then the rubbery alternatives they brought us were clearly pre-cooked and reheated.

The bill was far too high, so we told them we would only pay for one round of drinks, and the price of the original stuff were ordered. They didn't seem even slightly bothered. They weren't apologetic, and to top it off they were still taking orders for stuff they'd not got as we were leaving. The cheeky gets. :mad:

Phew, rant over!

They are not good, just handy for the cinema.
I like the retro music though.:headbang:

Floe - maybe take some sarnies and sit in Frankie & Bennys car park - they have speakers outside! :thumbsup:

Now there's a thought. Sandwiches in the car park. A bit frugal.
Actually, the nachos with cheese and chilies and a mug of latte does me when I go to the cinema.
And the feller serving always says he hopes I enjoy the film...and seems to really mean it!
Excellent service there.:)

Chiquito's is fantastic!!! The Deep Fried Vanilla Ice Cream is bloody gorgeous!!

Only came to 24 quid for two of us! not bad I say!

I`v complained in them all,:rant: to be more exact.
Except the new one and thats cos I havn`t been yet,will try and reserve judgement as its had a few good reports:D

Why do so many places open up offering the same thing? Did they think we wouldn't notice!!!
I've noticed that they all seem to be the same, apart from the obvious!

Chiquito is excellent. been once already and going again for mine and a mate's birthday. they do superb food but amazing sweets... Fried Ice Cream! yum! worth visiting... especially if u like mexican food!

Been to all restaurants at Valley except for Boardwalk and Old Orleans... but Frankie & Bennie's is a great italian restaurant and their pizzas are to die for! Bitz and Pizza I found to be plain and boring! Again Chiquitos is the best they have to offer! We can't include Burger King in this can we? If so stay away from there!!!! trust me!

yo went the chiqiuto and it was nice an d a fit waiter leon

Has anybody been to any of these places for lunch? they all seem to have a similar offer on (2 courses for about 6 quid) but which is best?

I didn't rate Chiquitos. Good variety on the menu and friendly staff but not too cheap and the quality of food wasn't all that.

Just got back from lunch at centretainment - what a joke!
We went into Bitz & Pizza (friends choice) and it was pretty much empty. Asked for a table for 2 and was told that we would have to wait about 5 minutes for a table. we kind of looked at the woman as if to say 'are you kidding?' (I could see at least 15 empty tables) but she showed us to the bar. After 15 minutes of being completely ignored (nobody offered us a drink or anything) we decided to go elsewhere.

We tried Frankie & Benny's next. Stood at the entrance waiting to be seated for what felt like forever (it must have been at least 5 minutes). Started to feel very uncomfortable - there were waiting staff everywhere but nobody even acknowledged our existance. Decided to leave there too!

Finally ended up at Chiquito, where we were greeted and seated immediately. Really friendly waiter, great choice for lunchtime menu. Ended up with some delicious food at a bargain price (£4.95 for a big plateful and just over £1 for a refillable drink). Very impressed and looking forward to going back one evening when we can sample the cocktail menu!

hiya
im going to the xfactor concert (taking my daughter, thats my excuse and im sticking to it!!!) - can anyone recommend any of the centertainment restaurants - its just one adult and one kid - dont want anything too pricy as its the end of the month and Im skint!!