Caffi Gerlan in Gwynedd

It might not look like much but this place does *excellent* fresh home cooked food. We sampled breakfast and lunch during the week. Great Lob Scouse (beef stew) great ham, egg and chips. Huge full breakfast and quality sausages and bacon. Do go.

Stopped here to stave off "the hangry" pangs.....Hubby had the lobscouse and I went with the burger and chips. Lobscouse was amazing, kind of like stovies at home but with more veggies and gravy in it, lovely big portion and beef chunks that fell apart when you ate them. My burger with chips was amazing real chips, cut from actual potatoes, no frozen pre formed chips, I've not had chips that tasty for a very very long time. Both the burger and the slow cooked beef were from the butcher next door, he's worth a visit as well for your fresh veggies and meat.

Unassuming cafe serving a really nice steak pie and chips. Lamb curry was also excellent. Farm shop butcher in shack next door. Convenient for visiting slate works next door or as a stop during a walk on the old railway path.

An unpretentious little cafe that sits alongside the main A487 Caernarfon to Porthmadog road on the Inigo Jones Slate Works site. However don't be fooled by the external view. This is a smashing little cafe that produces brilliant, tasty, home made food, produced by very friendly staff. We've had two visits to date. The menu has something for everyone. We are slowly aiming to make our way down the menu. First visit was their excellent all day breakfast with a lovely selection of egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, but most importantly the nicest tasting black pudding we've ever had - and all for just £8.99! Washed down with a very tasty latte. This was the best breakfast I have had in years and finished us off for the rest of the day. Second visit was to try their version of lobscouse - a famous Welsh dish. Lobscouse is a traditional Welsh recipe for a classic stew. The original recipe stems from the Norwegian Vikings who raided the Welsh coasts after the Roman occupation. The recipe is based on an original Norwegian recipe for Lopskaus, which was made using fish. The Welsh preferred the taste of meat - either lamb or beef - and Cafe Gerlan's version is wonderful Welsh beef, provided by their excellent butchers and farm shop next door. Lobscouse became a very popular dish in the 1700s aboard ships. Sailors used to keep the meat stored in barrels, heavily salted so it would keep for a long time. In the North Wales slate quarry communities, where money was always tight, traditionally this recipe would sometimes start out with meat, which would be put into the cook pot over the fire once a week. Daily it would be topped up with water, potatoes and root vegetables! So many restaurants charge a fortune for a bowl of a thin, not very tasty soup. This is the real deal - a generous bowl filled with meat that has been slow cooked with root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes onions etc, served with a fresh bread roll and butter. They charge just a fiver and the meat alone must be worth more than that. Not sure we're going to get to report on much else on the menu as I can't see us moving past the lobscouse when we go back. Don't take my word - go and try it. The staff are smashing, very friendly and - like all of us - love a bit of praise about their food. When you have finished, have a look in the farm shop - the meat is wonderful and fresh. (Oh and the slate works is good as well!)

We popped in on the way home after a holiday. Both my partner and I chose the mega breakfast at 8.99 each, my partner asked for a couple of changes which the server said was no problem. When the meals arrived he didn’t get changes. Aside from that the food was cooked fresh and I believe is from a local farm shop. The eggs were extremely fresh. The toast was more like warm bread than toast. Not half bad but not worth £8.99 and as my fella didn’t eat half of his, not great value. (He is way too polite to complain)

Very friendly and helpful staff with quick service despite quite a number of customers present. Good quality bacon and lovely coffees. Reasonable priced too. Access is the same as the very interesting Inigo Jones Slate Works off the A487 on the first island after the Penygroes turnoff.

If you are looking for a real taste of Wales, then don't miss out on one of the specialties of Wales with a bowl of traditional Lobscouse. I have had this dish many times throughout Wales, but the portion and quality of the Lobscouse at Café Gerlan is the best in Wales! Beautiful tasting and big pieces of meat. The dish was the most flavorsome and nourishing that we had tasted to date. In fact, we normally would take this dish at a local inn at more than twice the price. At Cafe Gerlan its an amazing £5 for a bowl, be sure you don't miss out! The Cafe is on the sight of Ingo Jones Slate works and there's also a great farm shop in the car park, so if you want all the ingredients to take back home and make this traditional dish, then they are available fresh at the farm shop.

Ordered three burgers. After about 40mins went to enquire if we had been forgotten, only to see the ‘chef’ chatting happily with what must have been his friends. Cafe practically empty by then. When I politely said I wondered if we had been forgotton, he angrily replied they were on their way! We told him not to bother if it inconvenienced him. No apology for the wait or anything other than bad manners. Lots of other cafes in the area that actually want your business and not at the side of a busy road either. This visit was a while ago but only just found out the name of the place.

Called here for a choice of tea but finished with an egg and sausage bap. Freshly made with local produce. Welsh speaking friendly staff. Specials board included Welsh cuisine. Very reasonably priced. Everything kn the menu was "wholesome home cooking "with nothing fancy. Will call very soon to try the Sunday Lunch.