Harvester Southend in Southend-on-Sea

We haven’t had great experiences here in the past so should have known better but we were at the park with our daughter so thought we would just pop in for something to eat. Should have known better. We both ordered the chicken and waffle meal. It came with one sweet waffle and 2 bits of breaded chicken. We obviously halved the waffle so we had half for each bit of chicken. When we came to eat the second bit of chicken it was so tough we couldn’t even get our knife through it. It was completely inedible. So we ended up eating the rest of the waffle with no chicken so kind of defeated the object of the whole meal. We told the waitress who literally couldn’t have cared less, then when she brought us the bill she hadn’t taken anything off to compensate the chicken that was the texture of a baseball glove. We asked for her to take something off the bill as at £15 a meal it really wasn’t good enough. The manager came over, who had zero customer service skills and took “the cost of the piece of chicken” aka £2.50 off each meal. I tried to explain that the fact that we couldn’t eat the waffle and chicken together kind of ruined the meal, to which she basically argued back with us saying that we ate the rest of the food so basically take the £2.50 discount and be grateful. It’s an absolute joke for a place that is already known for its bad food and service. They should be trying to keep customers. It’s cemented the fact that we will not be returning again. Shame as it’s in a lovely location.

Great service from Karla, considerate and caring. We arrived and all the staff were polite and helpful. Salad bar was good.

Talk about an attitude problem we were served by a young lady by the name of Scarlet who was extremely rude and ignorant, no manners or social skills, surely your staff undergo training before being allowed to serve the public. Scarlet has no understanding of the hospitality industry and should seek employment in a less demanding environment.

Awful experience.had to wait to order while staff talking.. so many items unavailable and no Red Devil sauce! steak incinerated couldn’t even send burger out plain..restaurant local to us always hit and miss every-time we say no more.but after poor quality of food and service this will be the last time £140 for awful food and as compensation offered to take dessert off then forgot to deduct.. for some reason this restaurant does not retain decent management such a shame as a great location .was refurbished so looks pleasant too.! Steer clear unless you’re just going for a drink gardens nice!

Hadn't been to a Harvester for years, and fancied a quick meal - went for the 1983 combo, with a couple of trips to the salad bar. it was great - was exactly what was needed. Karla, our waitress, was fab, though. She elevated routine Thursday night fuel into a special occasion. would throughly recommend

Skye was pleasent and friendly, very helpful, food was lovely, here with family friend, children left contented, will come back

We came he for my mother's birthday but it was nothing like we expected , the server was such a darling her name is Charlotte, but the other staff weren't the nicest and the service was beyond terrible all of our food came just as we got back from the salad bar, we asked for medium rare but instead the steak was full of gristle and it was rare you could barely cut it,we asked for extra custard but it never ever came,the ribs were all bone and barely meaty,the waffle was very dry and the drinks took 20 mins to arrive, it was so insanely disappointing I'm not normally one to complain but this was absolutely awful, they only took £20 off out meal

Just had a fantastic meal at this restaurant. All the food was delicious and the service was amazing and quick even though it was a Saturday evening. Special praise to Karla our waitress who made us feel welcome the whole time I’m only disappointed we couldn’t leave a tip as we don’t carry cash Will definitely go again next time we are in Southend

This is a review for Karla: our waitress. Simply fantastic service. I'd eat at Harvester breakfast, lunch and dinner if it meant Karla could be my waitress. Friendly, funny and fabulous, this is the waitering I expect at Michelin star restaurants. Karla took our order like a pro - and handled the fussy eaters behind us with extreme professionalism. Give this girl a raise! I'm sure she's not getting paid enough to warrant this priceless service. 5 stars across the charts - no faults were made. Consider yourself lucky if you have Karla as your next waitress at the harvester.

Had family 18th birthday meal was lovely food out waitress was Skye running around keeping everyone happy she is a credit to your team will be back next week for our other sons 16th

Thanks Karla for looking after us at breakfast! Food was lush and service was excellent. Lovely Christmas treat at Harvester Shorehouse.

Great Christmas Breakfast at the Shorehouse. Karla was our waitress and hostess with the mostess! She had the best Christmas jokes aswell. The food was good, good choice even for us Veggies aswell, very filling. Our brother Simon had the Ultimate breakfast and gave it a good go at it! Thank you to all the staff working hard over the Christmas festivities particularly.

Out for a Sunday drive/walk, hunger hit my husband and son so we nipped into the Shorehouse to see if we could get a table. Yes we could. Service was prompt and pleasant. Staff very helpful. I had some really good Scampi, husband had gammon and eggs, son had chicken and ribs. All freshly cooked and on nice hot plates. Would have loved a dessert but sadly couldn’t manage it. Plenty of parking and close to seafront. Do I recommend? Yes Will I go back? Definitely

Had a lovely meal at the shore house celebrating a birthday with family. Our waitress Karla was brilliant. She made sure we had everything we wanted, Service was welcoming and friendly. Definitely recommend.

Very friendly staff very good service. The food was amazing. Karla was a very friendly waitress. I would recommend to anyone to come here for a meal.

We were visiting Southend and decided to book lunch at The Shorehouse. So pleased we did. Our meal was excellent and Karla, our waitress was very friendly and helpful. She even asked the chef to cook an egg for my husband because there was not one included in his choice from the menu. It was a great dining experience and we would definitely go there again.

This is a great place for a family meal. The staff is very friendly, and the corn bread is out of this world. A special thanks to Karla who looked after us during our meal.

Very good service. Charlotte was very attentive and credit to your company. There is nothing she needed to do extra. Very quickly seen and food was great. Value for money in my opinion

What a lovely experience and such great service. Karla was especially kind as she accommodated our dietary needs and was incredibly patient with our autistic son. Absolutely fantastic and we would personally ask for Karla. She was fab and good for was excellent too. Many thanks. The Russell family.

Abbey was amazing. She was polite and helpful. Food was delicious and service excellent. Would highly recommend and I will be going again for sure!!

Well...I had been to the Shorehouse quite often before the refurbishment but having been today I can only think they blew their entire budget on making it look nice and ran out of funds for trivial things like food and service. We used the app to order, thinking it would save time for all concerned, but it was unwieldy and didn't work half the time. The staff even said the app messes orders up. My husband had to go in search of my drink and was told it hadn't been ordered, in spite of the fact that he had his. We ordered the two course lunch deal, which was £13.99 each. Firstly, they brought our desserts before our main course. They obviously had to be sent back after we explained we had ordered a main course and would quite like to eat that before dessert. When we did get our main course it was hugely disappointing. My husbands scampi, chips and peas were clearly frozen and the peas were so shrivelled they were almost non-existent. My burger was dry and tasteless and the mac n cheese was very obviously microwaved tinned mac n cheese. The desserts, when we got them back again, were pleasant but nothing to write home about. All in all, the food was well below par, especially considering the cost, the service was shambolic and the staff all had looks of depressed resignation at what they had to operate with. Definitely won't be going back!

lovely meal, Karla how served us for very friend and amazing help and nothing was to much trouble for her .We will come back again for sure

Karla was an amazing server, answering our questions and making the whole meal a fantastic experience. Thank you Karla!

I visited the restaurant with my brother and our waitress was Karla who was an absolute delight she was warm, funny, happy and so very friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble & she smiled the whole time . Karla was the same to all of her customers she made time to make sure they were comfortable and had everything they needed. An asset to Harvester. The food was delicious & piping hot, the restaurant was lovely and clean & very welcoming. Would definitely recommend.

Enjoyed a lovely meal out, food was tasty. Karla our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to coming again

Great food and great server - Glenn (1st Class). Lots of food and really good quality . Would recommend eating here . A lovely lunch .

Nice breakfast, quickly served and polite service. Very quiet, which was surprising as it was during the 6 weeks holiday.

Nice meal with family. Service was good and waitress was nice and cheery. Would've given 5 stars but had to send garlic bread back as it was stone cold, but apart from that everything was fine, Will be back.

Not been to a Harvester for years and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. We had a light lunch and the food was excellent. Our server Hannah was delightful! She had an excellent balance between professional service and the human touch. Smiling; on...

Emily was a great server, she was really friendly & engaging. The steak meal was cooked perfectly, as were the other meals. Would definitely recommend The Shorehouse.

Glenn is the best waiter. Really knew the menu and knew how to look after us. Lovely fella. Disappointing food though.

My Wife and her Co leader run a Special Needs and disabilities club named 'Sunday Club'. She went down to the Shorehouse pub/restaurant about 10 days ago to see if they could accommodate a party of between 18 and 20 for lunch on Sunday 15th...

Very enjoyable and friendly staff. Very helpful staff Glenn. Salad bar is lovely. Overall lovely food.

Lovely meal at the harvester tonight (hadn’t been for some time) yummy food, perfect service (Glenn) and we will definitely be returning! Thankyou!

Nice little Harvester service was good and food was good. I’d go back. Glad I could use discount or it would’ve been a bit pricey for the experience.

Amazing service from our server amber great attitude ... food came through to our asking and great overall

The food was very good and plentiful, the waiter service was attentive and friendly, which made this a very enjoyable experience , thank you!

Amber was lovely, helpful and very chatty which made our experience better. She was very attentive and happy to help. We will definitely come back!

Good and it has a nice view. Great experience and location. Could help with a makeover and cleanliness. Free salad is great.

Breakfast was nice and good value. Glenn was extra helpful making the toast for us too! Would come again, Thank you

Our server Glenn was very helpful and tentative despite being busy. Food was good, and the service was very friendly!

Good venue for breakfast. Big choice of dishes, good value, food was really nice and good size servings. Glenn was really friendly and helpful.

They hosted our wake for our grandad.. the staff couldn’t have done anymore more for us. So helpful and polite. The food was lovely. Thankyou to the chef! I’m really happy how they handled everything. Thankyou so much.

Held my grandad wake here, staff went above and beyond to make it perfect and go smoothly. Staff was lovely and friendly Food was great , 100% recommend

Lovely food and quick service. Liam our server was super friendly and helpful. My son has allergies and the menu was nice and clear so ordering was easy.

Service was excellent. Fast and very courteous. Glenn was very helpful. Food was good and overall an enjoyable meal 😋 👌

this is like wetherspoons for people who think they’re too good for wetherspoons i am a big fan of the free refillable salad and refillable drink because it is fun but don’t get the spiked maple sauce it does not taste nice but the spicy...

Great as usual, but special thanks goes to Glenn today who was fantastic as our waiter! Super friendly and chatty with our 2 year old daughter! Also so helpful and understanding when our newborn started kicking off. Even packaged up my wife’s food when she...

Had a lovely lunch today, although it wasn't as hot and fresh as a previous visit but our server Glenn was very polite, pleasant and friendly and sorted out the issue of the cold sweet potato fries very quickly. Best server we have had at...

Spencer was really helpful and welcoming the food was amazing we will be back to try the onion rings thanks for a lovely lunch

Worst experience I’ve had in a restaurant.. Don’t even waste your time or your money. The rudest staff in hospitality ever known We waited 10 minutes to ask a staff member if we could sit outside to be told we could but need to order...

Peaceful lunch Very good service tried hard to get a good wine selection. Harvester needs to get a better selection but Hannah was very accommodating.

We come to the shore house quite often and generally really like it there. But today visit was a very exceptional good visit, on a busy Saturday we where seat very quickly l, the food was piping hot and come out fast, the service we...

The food was good. My wife had the the chicken combo which consisted of chicken breast, there should have been a Cajun chicken breast which was plain no seasoning and a southern fried chicken with gravy and corn. No corn arrived on the plate and...

Very good and Glenn was very helpful and friendly. Food was good and very tasty salad bar too. Overall very nice

Absolutely awful, awful can't even describe it, extremely sad to say the least, my dead nan could make better food. Asked for medium stake got served the most well done steak ever known to man, only good thing about the meal was the chips and...

We originally wanted to sit outside but the tables and chair benches were littered with bird excrement, so we decided to sit inside. We told the manager and he said ‘well if it’s open to the elements’ that, in my opinion is a poor excuse...

Waitress Amy was lovely. Very helpful and attentive. Food did not take long and was really very nice. Chicken bacon waffles are delicious and my friends ribs were very moreish. Not sure that previous reviews can be 100% true. Try for yourself.

Cannot fault Gramps our server who was cheerful and attentive, or indeed our food. The guy greeting however was less joyful. Took forever for our pre booked table to be available although it was empty. Such a shame really as the greeting you receive really...

Excellent meal and amazing service tonight, thank you Glenn, you work so hard. Always smiling despite it being so busy.

Glenn was great. Food was good. We had a great early dinner. The kids loved it and Glenn was really accommodating.

Good service from polite and courteous waiter, Glenn from start to finish. Furniture needs a slight update!

Glenn was absolutely fantastic with our son and gave the best service. The food was amazing! Thank you so much

Glenn was very welcoming and gave us a kind and amazing service! Would happily return! Food was good and the service was extremely nice.

Know it was bad when the bench seat was repaired with tape due to having a large gash across it. We spent around £13-15 on burgers each. We went to salad bar, our burgers were already waiting for us which was a big red flag...

Asda smart price ice cream is better than this rubbish they served tasted like air and dust my farts have more flavour

What is it with service in this country? Yet again dining out at a family restaurant is just not good enough, in this case Harvester. In general the menu is of the unhealthy high fat trend content. What is the obsession with BBQ sauce? Yuk...

Excellent service from our server Glenn. Food was ok, wasn’t very hot when it came out and my treacle sponge and custard had to be reheated. But the food tasted good and nothing was too much trouble for Glenn, who was looking after a very...

Glenn was great, he was rushed off his feet though, Harvester need to employ more staff, we waited an hour for food. All good just a long wait

Poor service & slow & very small portions & expensive, would not go again. Staff were just hanging around tables not clean, no salt or pepper in condiments………

Went with family at 5pm and it was a terrible experience. Took 30 mins to get anything to put our salad in, was told all bowls were being washed up and after 30 mins go given a tiny plate. Half of the salad dishes were...

I went here with my friend after not seeing her for a while. We were sat and no one came over to us for the first 20 minutes. When someone finally came over, we ordered drinks that never came, even though we chased them part...

I ordered the balanced bowl had the salmon to go with it,meant to have gem lettuce red peppers red chillies spring onions cucumber crispy slaw, when arrived it had gen lettuce yellow & green peppers & a few slices of cucumber & a light vinagatte...

My friend and I arrived just after 5pm we was advised that they were only serving bar meals but as it was the full restaurant menu and options we were happy with that, the food was really good and the staff were really helpful. We...

The member of staff who took my order spoke angrily and loudly in front of all the order customers. The food was overcooked and cold and we had to ask and wait for cutlery and some salt. I can still hear the man’s voice in...

We arrived hardly anyone in there. My husband ordered chicken combo, had run out of chicken. We had the ribs. Tasty ribs, sweetcorn soft and dripping wet, flavourless. Salad bar was disgustingly dirty. I took photos. Dressing section littered with food droppings everywhere. All the...

There was only one negative issue we experienced with The Shorehouse, unfortunately it turned out to be (to my utter disbelief upon learning afterwards) the manger John, my sister merely asked a member of staff (who was clearing a table nearby) politely "excuse me, but...

This was a disappointing visit, from the start they seemed very short staffed as it took a very long time to be met at the door and seated despite having booked a table previously. However, once seated we were served quickly for the drink and...

Absolutely amazing staff our server Glenn was very fun and food was delicious. Even with allergies in my party he made sure it all came out great.

Lovely evening, food was really nice, Served by Glenn, very friendly service and he was very helpful with allergy advice, would definitely book again and ask for him to be server as he had a lovely personality, very chatty and helpful. Thank you from the...

Great service hot and fast quality breakfast, Glenn served us and nothing was too much trouble. Unlimited tea make your own breakfast with the sun shining through

The whole place is dirty, having sent a meal back the replacement wasn't much better staff couldn't care less ,won't be rushing to go back

WOW this is my regular I actually travel from Rayleigh just to use this harvester the food is always outstanding but today we had to tip the chef because it was phenomenal! Staff are amazing too! Best harvester by far and I have tried many...

Awful experience. Ordered food. Took ages to come out. We got delivered the wrong food (ordered mixed grill and got a sirloin). Then when the right food came out, the starters caim with the main course! Staff were not apologetic and acted like I was...

Lovely lunch in the sunshine today. Glenn our server was fabulous as always, such a lovely friendly guy. 👍🏻

Food was lovely. Good value. Glenn is an absolute legend. First class service, man deserves a medal and a pay rise

Glenn was amazing very good at making us laugh, full of positive energy and made the experience overall 10x better. The food was above average was tasty. How we burger was slightly cold but nothing overall terrible :)

We came here today, we didn’t book so we were lucky to get a table. We were served by a super friendly member of staff called Glenn. He was attentive, nothing was too much trouble and he was fantastic with kids. My son was fascinated...

Food was gorgeous and reasonably priced. Glenn was absolutely brilliant and really made us feel looked after with how attentive and warm he is naturally. Thank you Glenn!

This place really went through a tough patch a few years ago. But they now have a change in management and staff and it's lovely. Glenn was our server and he was great. Lovely to hear a fellow northerner in this neck of the woods...

Changed the salad bar food and it wasn’t great. The usual pasta was substituted for a really dry sticky pesto pasta and pasta smothered in the Red Devil sauce. The rolls were stale. The actual food gave me a tummy ache and didn’t taste amazing...

Great experience all round, good food, nice atmosphere and excellent service from Glenn (Gramps) 😀

Lunch menu abit lacking but was ok we found some bits on side menu and starters. Service was good. Thanks

I booked table for 10! First thing the cutlery was machine service was slow food was terrible especially if you have a plane dish like myself and even my daughters vegan burger was disgusting a salad was meant to be in the bun it was...

Went for husband birthday lunch. Graham was amazing , very attentive , friendly and hospitable. Credit to harvester.

Went for lunch with my grandma and received a lovely and polite service from Glenn 😊 cannot fault the staff!

Had a lovely meal today for my daughters 16th birthday, we had a table of 8. Our waiter was a lovely young lad called Liam, who went far and beyond to make my daughters birthday special, and was so lovely and happy and laughing with...

We came for lunch on Saturday. Staff very organised and food came promptly, all delicious. Thanks Glenn (Gramps) excellent service!

Great spot for lunch with the baby, good choice of food for us and our 18 month old and friendly staff, in particular Glenn.

Glenn was very helpful and was very prompt. He was very accommodating to what we asked for and he was very polite and well mannered