Fred's Cafe in Tendring - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Over priced cheap food, undercooked black pudding, oily mushrooms. It’s got to be the most vile breakfast I’ve ever eaten.

What on earth has happened to the usual staff??? The new ones all look like they’re barely out of school except one and none of them seem to know what they’re doing!! We arrived when 2 other tables orders had been taken but waited at least 10 mins before we were acknowledged for a drink! We gave our food order ( no option of white or brown bread) !! When one lot of food was served to a table , the man’s sausage flew off the plate , so when when the next man’s food came , she put his sausage in a bowl . The couple had asked for scrambled eggs and well done bacon but was given fried egg and none of the food looked particularly well cooked. The man had to send his hot choc back as it had been served lukewarm!! Our food finally came ( 2 sandwiches) after about 45 mins!! The kitchen floor was greasy and had food debris over it and the grill had old scraps of food still on it!! Fred’s used to be such a nice place to dine for lunch but we certainly won’t go back in a hurry!! Bring back the old staff

Keeley, Kerry and Laney were absolutely lovely and gave us the best service always love coming in here on a Sunday morning

Lovely cafe, lovely food, lovely staff, lovely jubbly! Will return very soon bubble is the best reminded me of my child hood.

Went to Lunch today Tuesday 21st .ordered a prawn and mayo sandwich. no garnish as it states in the menu? did say to the young lady about not having a salad garnish.and she never said a word but still char me the full price. Also there was hardly any mayo in the sandwich? and the leng of time waiting for it 20mins for a sandwich and half way through my coffee. bigg G disappointed this time for what I paid

This Cafe is a little Gem in Frinton they are very friendly and always make me feel welcome. Seating area is always clean and tidy. Food is always spot on.

It’s a great place to go if you don’t want to be served, the tables were dirty and DID NOT GET CLEANED, staff appeared miserable and not very interested in working, I can’t blame them with the hot conditions they are working in..

Could do with a revamp. It has a classic cafe feel but you can see the kitchen and it doesn’t look very clean. Could do with a facelift… The breakfast was tasty but the coffee was watery and not much punch to it at all..

What a great find absolutely delicious fish and chips would definitely recommend. Also a bargain @ £8.95. Fresh cod with chips and beans or peas and a cold drink. Bargain! Will definitely come back here again

When it was pointed out that my omelet was burnt they disagreed. I had to go elsewhere. I can't believe they served black omelet. I will never go to this cafe again.

We came in today for lunch, both had fish and chips. Chips were the nicest I have had in a long time and the fish was a good size. Staff were really friendly. Food was reasonably priced. They had some nice desserts on the menu today but we were too full to have dessert. Will definitely be back next time we are in Frinton

We visited Frinton on Sea last week and was looking at the menu when a lady came out of the Cafe and said the food was nice here, so we decided to go in it was very crowded and there was only one table available in the corner, we sat down and the waitress took our order for Haddock and chips, it arrived fairly quickly but the fish portions were quite small. It was very noisy in the cafe and we were glad to get out.

Had lunch here yesterday and cannot understand some of earlier reviews, we found staff very pleasant, helpful and efficient. Food was good quality, delicious lasagne and vegetable soup, piping hot. will definetly return

Despite the kind staff, the floor and kitchen were dirty, unthoroughly cleaned cutlery, and an eyelash on a served plate. In general, poor quality food, and thus, an unpleasant dining experience.

Excellent meal, simple English food well cooked and well presented. Service excellent if you want a good meal at a reasonable level price this is the place to go.

Tea was made with cheap tea bags. Eggs overcooked underneath,and undercooked yolk.The dinner plate was cold. My chips were fine and the ham was fine. Filthy floor and the mat is yearning for the skip.

Popped in here whilst we were on the high street. Ordered a Bacon sandwich and an Egg sandwich, with two filter coffees. The place was full, but our order was taken quickly and pleasantly. The sandwiches were ok, and the coffee piping hot, but lacking flavour. The three staff were pleasant. It's a basic type cafe which we expected, and met our requirements.

We’ve avoided this cafe in the past as they only did Turkey bacon. Now at last, they started serving real bacon so we thought we’d give it a try. We arrived and the 3 staff we’re chatting amongst themselves, none of whom acknowledged us, in fact a customer told us to go grab a seat and they’ll come and serve us! Some of the chairs were stacked against the the wall / window where we wanted to sit, so we had to move these in order to sit down. There was no offers of assistance from staff. After a wait, someone came to take our order. We noticed on the menu that there were ‘no substitutions’ we basically had to accept the menu as is! So much for customer service and choice! A family group tried to make substitutions but we’re told they’d have to pay extra, which they did but we could over hear their conversation amongst themselves and they weren’t happy. Whilst we were waiting for our food, another couple walked in and again the staff were chatting amongst themselves and completely ignored them. The couple about turned and walked straight out. When the food arrived, it didn’t look appetising. The bacon and sausage looked dry. When eating the breakfast, it left a bitter after taste, probably due to the oil being reused too often. Overall a non pleasant experience and needless to say we’ll never return.

Nothing much to recommend this place.Basic menu.Usual seaside greasy spoon.Fry ups,Brunch,Jacket spuds,Chips with everything.No wine or beer.Hence one less star review.Serves its purpose.

Fred’s is situated on the main shopping road, Connaught Avenue, in Frinton-on-Sea. It is one of many eateries offering breakfast and lunch and has just highlighted it is now using bacon rather than ‘turkey’ bacon. The café is clean and welcoming and is what you’d expect decor wise for the type of premises it is. The staff are friendly, chatty and professional. The menu is varied, within its target demographic, and reasonably priced too. I ordered the ‘All Day Breakfast’ with the addition of black pudding. It was all freshly prepared, well presented, piping hot and quick to the table. The most important fact being it was very tasty indeed. My only criticism is to do with the sauces and condiments being of the generic catering quality in plastic sachets. It may be a sign of these virus ridden times but even so proper ‘branded’ sauces etc. would definitely improve the taste experience. The acid test I suppose is would I return? Yes, in a heartbeat.

Lovely food, clean place, and the best staff! 5***** all rounder! Would always recommend and will always go in there when in frinton

shocking cafe worse food .. as dry as a witherspoons meal.. the best thing about the experience had was laughing at the one s;ice of toast no exceptions on the menu...... steer clear.. theres way better a stones throw away and a lot cheaper and more comfortable .poky little spot .. tiny seats if your a larger person.

Truckers breakfast for 850 and no tea included. Two of us were in for breakfast. No bacon who runs out of an ingredient like that In a cafe. Other reason. Please at least give a smile. It makes or breaks the service . Poor.

A typical Old Fashioned Cafe with Good English Food And service! Just what we were looking for when we visited Frinton- on - sea! Had some lovely food served by a lovely young lady my only criticism and it would be a slight criticism I...

I cannot understand why there are negative comments about this lovely little cafe. I have visited there a few times now and always find it clean with friendly and helpful staff. The food is freshly cooked and there is an ample menu including a specials...

I visit this cafe weekly with 3 people who I support, the staff at Fred's are second to none, so caring its like going to visit family or long term friends. They always stop and chat, they are very accommodating when I need separate reciepts...

Love this little cafe,really lovely staff (always friendly) and food good too. I will definitely be back when in frinton

Walked in to a filthy cafe with sticky tables. Service was non-existent , food that we saw was well below average. Cannot describe the food as walked out after waiting 10 mins to even be acknowledged (wasn’t even busy- not surprised either)

We used to have such lovely food here and lovely ladies who served us. I think both have gone, sadly ! I wanted a bacon sandwich but all there is now is Turkey Bacon or Turkey Ham with everything. I chose Cheese on Toast and...

I popped in here with my family, well what can I say but really lovely staff, food was lovely too I had a all day breakfast was lovely (wasn’t to keen on the turkey bacon) but that wasn’t a major issue, kids had the nuggets...

This place has clearly changed for the worse! Apparently this used to be a regular cafe serving breakfast and lunch- including bacon and pork sausages. Its now all halal with turkey bacon and beef sausages- which isn't immediately apparent from outside. Fine if you are...

There was a hair in my bubble and squeak and al there was a sorry and making me pay full wack for a meal over half a meal I couldn’t eat now ….

Staff friendly but food awful, ate here 2 years ago, full English delicious, today quite the opposite, should of walked out, but had been seated so felt obliged to order. Only turkey rashers, processed sausages, no hash browns, fresh tomatoes hard, 1 slice of toast,...

We'd intended visiting just before Covid struck, now, there they were, open and as lovely as ever. We went twice in two days. Lovely.

Looked lovely place to eat with tables outside. Staff member who cleaned the table lovely but the food was very very bad with the ‘pie’ was swimming in gravy (we were not asked if we wanted this separate or not) and the veg were all...

Sadly, this lovely little cafe no longer serves "real" bacon and pork sausages. (Serving smoked turkey rashers/smoked turkey ham and only beef sausages)! Many of us locals have complained, but have been told the owner wishes to serve healthier options! 🤔 Come on Shahed Ali...

Staff and service were ok but in my opinion nothing exceptional. I ordered a toasted sausage sandwich which came up untoasted but that wasn't a major issue. Mt wife ordered a cream tea. The waitress put down CT on her pad which another member of...

We enjoyed our visit. Sat outside. Friendly service. Coffee and toasted sandwiches. Got a surprise when paying. Last day of the "Covid" discount!

Came here yesterday with my family as down on holiday and what a lovely little place the lady that served us was lovely, food was great too I had cheese/onion omelette and was very light and fluffy (just great) and my family all enjoyed theirs too x no only down fall was no toilet but the lady directed us to one round the back of shops so wasn’t a problem we will return before you go home

Visited with three friends after a 7 Mike run, sat down at table and menu was on table , ordered food , the lady was not wearing mask and fetched our food out , which I did not like because touching the plates with no gloves, the knife & forks were put on top of the menu, which people have touched waitress fetched out our glasses and had her fingers inside glass holding them, had mushrooms on toast and only a small handful, could not wait to get out, this is my first time out since lockdown and did not feel right, all tables had people at them, don’t think we got the eat in dine out deal

The staff were very helpful, polite and friendly. That’s where the good news unfortunately stops. The food was terrible. The portions were nothing like the pictures, the chips were unpleasant at best and the fish was of the same or lesser qualify that you get in freezer multipacks from a supermarket value range. Mentioning supermarkets, there was a Sainsbury’s local 2mins walk up the highstreet from Fred’s Cafe and that is where I should have gone. Sainsbury’s lunch deals are less than half the price and so much nicer. Fred’s cafe even made a bad job of my partners jacket potatoes. Clearly it was done in the microwave and it wasn’t properly cooked all the way through.Avoid this and go to sainsburys local or Costa which are within 1-2 minutes of walking on the same high street.

Quite possibly the worst cafe I have ever been in. Stock photos for the menu. Food looked vile in real life, nachos were all stale, chicken burgers missing cheese and salad. Waited 30mins. Staff so rude. Incorrect ppe worn all white gloves and aprons not blue which is illegal. Drinks warm. It was just diabolical do not go there, walk down to Young’s and have fish and chips. This place should close down!!!!!

It used to be a fabulous traditional cafe where you could get excellent British food ie traditional breakfasts, etc. Now none of this is on offer. Menu consists or burgers (in many forms), nachos, falafel and such like. Really? I can see on Trip Advisor that they now refer to British, American and Turkish cuisine. Very little evidence of good British food on the menu now. What a very sad loss to Frinton. Sadly we will not visit Fred’s again.

Went in with my 2 daughters for some takeaway chips . The 'large cod' was actually a tiny frozen fillet like you buy in the supermarket and 18 tasteless chips . My daughters chicken fillet burger was no better and lacked the salad we paid for and ordered . My other daughters nugget meal was minus chips . Vile waste of money plus we had to wait 35 minutes for the privilege of such crap. I know they were busy but it was a terrible meal and wont ever go back

Don't expect any 'fancy' stuff here - just good honest food, well priced. Breakfasts, meals, cakes tea and coffee. Great value for money, and served with a smile. Better than wasting your money in Costa or any other big chain, and you support a local business! Well recommended

If you want well cooked, non fussy food, this is the place to eat. I had mushroom omelette, which was packed full of properly cooked mushrooms. Chips were crispy and piping hot. Incredibly friendly staff. Only draw back, no toilets and no where to wash hands.

Great breakfast, can’t fault anything. Just remember the clue is in the name; it’s a cafe that serves great value good quality food.

Great cafe. Steak and Kidney Pudding is large, deliciously stodgy and beautifully cooked. Fab new potatoes and proper veg served on the side. £7.10. What's not to love?

Ok it’s just a cafe, could do with some new decor as it’s very bland. I’d love to see it kitsch 70s style! But service was excellent with a very polite young waitress. Lovely omelette and salad. Wonderful golden fluffy chips. And a good cuppa.

Only had breakfast here once it seemed like it had been cooked earlier and warmed up.have not been back since.

Visited on a chilly day, service was friendly and reasonably quick. Ordered two mushroom omelettes, both a good size, freshly cooked and piping hot, chips were lovely and not at all greasy. This is a basic cafe but fits the bill if you don't want anything fancy. Only two downfalls....no toilet facilities which I consider a necessity, and they do not accept debit/credit cards which I also consider another 'must have' for a cafe/restaurant these days.

We have dined here before and have never been disappointed.The food is hot and tasty and very reasonably priced.In all fairness, I would probably give five out of five if they had toilet facilities but they don’t,which is a tad disappointing.However the breakfasts are excellent!

Visited here with my boyfriend and we were very disappointed. Not the cleanest of cafes and has no toilet. There are lots of alternatives along the parade so id give this one a miss.

Stopped for a coffee and cake on arrival at Frinton. Friendly staff and reasonable prices. Good location on height street.

The chef look dirty & definitely doesn't wash his hands.

I always like to visit this little cafe when I come to Frinton. The food is lovely especially the bubble and squeak. Staff friendly and very efficient. Cafe clean. The only down side to this place is that having no toilets however that’s not a major problem. Little cafes like this come hard to find now.

I had a jacket potatoe here a couple of months ago and it was reheated and green. We weren't going to go back but hoped it was a 1 off.

Had a late lunch there today. Waitress was very attentive and was brilliant with the 3 children. Food was good, well presented and very tasty. Will certainly will be visiting here again.

The cafe was in the High Street Frinton-On-Sea. Clean and bright, varied cafe type menu. Efficient but not over friendly service

Had a ride out on my bike from london to the Essex coast and stopped off in Frinton a lovely little town I popped into Freds cafe an old style cafe I had scampi and chips it came up fast and hot I found it a little small on the portion sizes but I can do with losing a little weight so not that important.

Bank holiday weekend, Sunday, spent a day at Frinton. Popped into the cafe for a sandwich lunch, ordered a sausage sandwich for me tuna sandwich for himself. Placed order and asked where the loo was, waitress just kept shaking her head at me, so asked again if there was a customer toilet, "not in here" she rudely replied. I then had to go out to find the public loo. By the time I got back the sausage was cold and the bread curled over at the edges. Sausage was cheap and tasteless. Himself said the tuna was mixed together with very cheap watery mayonnaise. The staff huddled in a corner giggling, they could have utilised the time cleaning the flies away from window ledge.

Nice little cafe inside, staff friendly. The sausages and other meat tasted a bit cheap and the eggs weren’t the best.. battery hens, no doubt, Coffee drinkable but could do with real milk/cream instead of fiddly little cartons of UHT. The toast was cold and the butter that comes in individual portions is rock hard...... not the best breakfast, but edible. No customer toilets? It’s 2019.

We stopped off here for a coffee & a quick bite to eat & received excellent service with the pleasant surprise as we paid, of just how competitive the price was. Next time we visit Frinton, we'll be back !

We’ve.been coming to Fred’s for about 7 years,illness meant haven’t been for about 7 months. The staff are different so not sure if it’s been taken over,they were friendly enough and the cafe was clean. the prices seemed to have jumped quite a bit ,but that wasn’t an issue if the food was nice. I had jacket potatoe with prawns , it had a small portion on of what should be prawn mayo on top, this was not mayo,it was disgusting cheap salad cream , and at £6+ not cheap. My niece and daughter ordered panini’s, they clearly don’t know what they are, they were served baguettes, drrrrr one which the cheese was so burnt it was black, sad to say after being a customer for so many years this has now abruptly come to an end. You can’t charge expensive price and serve disgusting cheap burnt small portioned food. Keep this up and you’ll be shut next time we visit Frinton

We dropped in here for lunch, after a walk along the promenade. It is somewhere we have passed many times before and never gone in but we wanted a quick and simple meal. In the event it wasn't very quick because my husband chose haddock and chips and this was cooked from scratch. My choice of cheese on toast with onion was kept back and cooked to be freshly hot when the fish and chips were ready. The cafe was busy but the waitresses very efficient. The only drawbacks were that there were no toilets available for customers. Also it was necessary to pay in cash.

Me and my husband had a massage in frinton road and decided to stop for a bite to eat. The cafe was clean and well presented and staff polite. We both ordered a breakfast each. Portion size a little small and maybe sausages a little bland for me. Also egg was hard.

We popped in for an afternoon snack. My husband had two basic sausages on toast with delicious caramalised onions. I had a 'cream tea'.... not good. Basic scone, a lump of cheap and very solid jam and a vast quantity of squirty cream... so wrong! Afternoon tea needs clotted cream and a good quality conserve.

We both ordered a full breakfast. It was Nicely cooked and good ingredients with a nice clean surroundings. Would return again and recommend to others.

Food looked ok so went in but did not get a very warm welcome, almost like we were an inconvenience, as if they didnt need to make an effort as they have good reviews. Told to wait at the table until they could take our order, we made a big effort to be up beat pleasant and polite, focus and please and thanks...not reciprocated . didn't wait too long for the food. ok quantity however black pudding and sausage was deep fired (cheap) , egg yolk was hard, tomatoes burned (which I did like). Price was reasonable, not dog /disabled or push chair friendly. Will not return, there are better options in the same street.

We came here almost by accident and were so glad we did

Popped in lunchtime, No Lasagne . Had Fish and Chips with Garden Peas. Decent Fish and Chips but Peas quite salty. One of our group had Lamb chops which were obviously Frozen Cutlets and over cooked. I have mixed feelings about this cafe, some good points but could do better.

We went to this cafe on a quiet February afternoon. The cafe is quite small but has approx 8 4 seater tables.

Asked for large chips one pound extra,think-they thought I said small plate ,looked over at a couple who both ordered small chips and virtually the same as I got,poor show ,workman asked for steak pie which looked like one of those aunt Bessie’s thin pies cut into four and one serving .Poor bloke must have been starving after he commented to us and looked so dissatisfied .Skimping like that lost them two customers.Theyre not the cheapest either ,wish I’d taken pictures!

This is a Lovely cafe with great staff, and outstanding food. Me and my family will be going back soon.

I went into this café not long ago and honestly can not fault it. The food in there tastes amazing and service is always fast and with a smile. All of the staff are lovely and polite and will cater for any needs. A lovely variety of food on the menu and drinks. I would absolutely recommend to anyone passing by the area. Will be back very soon.

I have used this cafe for several years now and have always found the staff very friendly and the food outstanding value for money.

This is a fry-up greasy spoon style cafe. We used to go there for a breakfast which was very nice. However one day we visited with some family members after me saying how good it was there. It was busy and the waitress was extremely rude and totally unhelpful, she even objected to us bringing in a small child. After some time of waiting and being ignored other than the odd glare from the cook and waitress we left and went somewhere decent - never been back - never will.

Popped in here yesterday for a 'quick bite' whilst shopping with my elderly disabled mother. A couple were coming in behind us and thebfuy held the door open for us.

Popped in for breakfast.tea and coffee including in the price.good quality bacon.sausage, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and perfectly cooked eggs.

Stopped off for lunch in Fred's cafe this afternoon, the girlfriend and I loved it! Proper local cafe, good portion...

Nice cafe ,bit cramped ,staff friendly ,disappointed with cheap poor quality sausage it just let it down .Not the cheapest around so couldn’t they make a few pence less and serve a reasonable sausage ?The rest was fine but nothing special ,good enough though Just loose those sausages .I will eat there again but try lunch ,not anything with sausage though .

Fred`s was a nice little café. The staff were kind and helpful. Much to my surprise only one of us...

No wheelchair access. Food was nice but staff stood around watching people eat. A little uncomfortable.

This cafe / restaurant has improved so much since a couple of years ago. Now its become a regular dining place for us due to its daily specials of lamb chops with 3 veg for £7 and steak pie for £6. The vegetables ( carrots, green beans, and cauliflower ) are served separately and are well cooked and piping hot. The meat is always tasty and succulent and it would cost you more to do these meals yourself at home. In a place like Frinton which is notoriously expensive its such a breath of fresh air to have a place like this where you could go every day for an English breakfast or a full dinner if you wanted. Perhaps Frinton is finally creeping into the 20th century although the 21st seems a long way off for most of Frinton. This has to be the best of all the cafes inside the gates in Frinton. Thoroughly recommended.

Have been twice recently. First time had fried egg on toast, but the egg a bit overdone. On second visit one member of my party had fried egg and chips and again the egg looked overdone so think the chefs need a lesson on how to properly fry an egg so it's runny and dippable! My second visit meal was omelette and chips and the omelette was the best I've ever had! Another member of my party had omelette too and he agreed! It was a good portion of chips too. Good value for money for a good portion. So, omelette good, fried eggs not so good! The staff very friendly and efficient! Would definitely come here again.

In North America, restaurants like Fred's would be called a "greasy spoon". Thats not necessarily a bad thing. Breakfast was fast and hot, and not too expensive. The restaurant is clean, and the staff friendly. The place is bright, with seats next to the window so you can watch the high street action, but the decor is somewhat dated and austere. A good place for a quick meal (breakfast anyway) at a reasonable price.

Lovely friendly atmosphere and attentive staff. Loved the make your own breakfast menu option. It meant I could have just want I wanted to eat in good portion sizes. Such good value for money! And above all a great cup of tea

Desayuno durante todo el día era muy pobre. Seco y no tiene sabor alguno. Creo que conté 3 champiñones alimentada, no justifica el precio, el tamaño de la porción era para un recién nacido. Me fui con mis bolsillos más ligero y mi vientre con la sensación de mi garganta estaba cortada. No recomendaría en absoluto. Muy decepcionado, la verdad.

Excelente todos los desayunos y almuerzos día encantador. Café amigable con buen servicio. Disfrutamos el rollo de ciabatta con bacon y salchichas. Ideal para una comida rápida.

My first time in frinton on sea i found fred's cafe and was pleased to find good food and service the fruit scones were lovely and warm really nice and the cooked breakfast was great there were plenty to choose from great service very clean lovely little cafe in a good place will come back next time i am in this area

This Cafe has now re opened and is back up to its good standard. Good clean dining room with friendly staff. Quality food at affordable prices.So pleased that this venue has reopened. It fills the void left behind in supplying affordable tasty everyday foods. Great breakfasts here, by the way!

Great to see Fred's cafe in Frinton on sea back open for business since Fred's passing.Excellent breakfast this morning thank you

Fred cafe open again cheap breakfast and a mug of tea if you're looking for a quick cheap meal this is it by no means 's the best but probably the cheapest around up to you

Been here many times staff always polite and food cooked fresh. The breakfasts are great and you can add extras for small cost.

Visit here whenever we are in town, food always great, service brilliant. Will be visiting many more times.

Sadly Fred has just passed away but for value for money,this is the place.Good clean food and with friendly staff

We had a lovely breakfast, the staff were welcoming and attentive. The food was served hot, I had the vegetarian breakfast which was very nice, my friend had the omelette. The place could do with a little paint, apart from that is a sweet place to eat.

From a full English breakfast to apple pie and custard this will do nicely! Clean with good service and very reasonable prices. Gets crowded 'cos it's popular

Saw the reviews of this place & thought I'd give it a try.Warning, don't ask for any deviation from the menu! Don't ask to have no tomato on your breakfast as this will result in the "chef" having an audible hissy fit which left me seriously concerned about whether my breakfast would come with a surprising extra. This greasy spoon, which is what it would be called anywhere else if it was outside of Frinton is very cramped, your chair will knock with the adjacent tables, a fact which should have been more obvious given the sign demanding no prams. Would I recommend a visit? Absolutely not!

Stopped here before going to beach. We had a all day breakfast. Food was cooked to how we requested. Food was all hot and staff were very polite. Excellent value. Even had a pair of scissors to open sauces which I thought was great. Would recommend a visit if in Frinton