Smith & Western in Crawley

I rarely give negative feedback and am often very complimentary if meals and service are good however today’s visit to Tilgate S&W was sadly very disappointing. Me and my family have never been before and were super excited to enjoy the experience and food. We arrived at 4.30pm as booked as we had evening plans at 7, we ordered mains and drinks which in total took over an hour to be delivered, once eaten our tables were not cleared for 40 mins and we were offered a desert menu but no staff return for over 30 mins to actually take the order meaning we could not have our puddings despite paying for them as part of the kids meal deal. We were also very surprised with the spicy ness of the onion rings that arrived with jalapeños and that the appetiser Mac and cheese was spicy meaning my daughter hardly ate anything as she can’t eat spice. This wasn’t advised on the menu at all, Overall a £70 meal for 4 left me disappointed. I was going to explain to the server about it but she never came to take our pudding order or provide the bill so we had to go to the pay station. I would understand if it was super busy but the restaurant was half empty. I emailed the head office direct looking for some feedback and an opportunity to discuss it further and for it not to be put on here but sadly they advised without a full reciept there is nothing they can do. Sadly won’t be returning and was also advise others to be cautious about it.

It was very busy for Sunday lunch as you’d expect with families, and very loud. I went with my 2 sons for my birthday, we sat outside where it was quieter and this was nice. All staff were busy but still managed to serve us with a smile, very impressed with his memory as he didn’t write anything down. The food looked good and was delicious. I wish I’d known that my chosen drink was refillable for free, I will know for next time. Thank you

Went here for my birthday meal with my partner and my son, the food was lovely and the atmosphere was great but what really stuck out for me and my family was our server Phillip. This chap really went above and beyond even though he was clearly very busy, impressed me to begin with by taking our entire order from drinks, starters, mains to how we liked our steaks cooked all without needing to write it down or record in anyway whatsoever. All through memory. Nothing we asked of Phillip was too much and the entire night was seen to with nothing but a smile and impeccable manners from him, he really is a huge asset to the team there and any restaurant would be lucky to have him on board! Food was outstanding, steaks cooked perfectly and really couldn't have asked for anymore. Will certainly be returning in the future.

Absolutely awful arrived with a table prebooked got sent to the bar where there was just a young girl behind the bar and a crowd of people hanging at the bar half of the bar was closed. We finally got seated at a 8 seater table for just us 2 which was filthy menus were full of grease and grime and the restaurant was not even that busy we asked the staff if we could sit on a 2 seater table which was full of left over plates and food and they made us wait saying when the tables clear we can move so we waited after 20 minutes the table was not cleaned and no one come to serve us we were left no choice but to stand up and leave. The most awkward restaurant I have ever been to

First time visit and very impressed! Quick service, great venue, good quality food and enjoyed the atmosphere. Way better than TGI, recommended!

The food service was not fast drinks OK, for an American Dinner type venue with a little more atmosphere it works. Don’t expect too much, but kids like it. Service guys try to lighten it and it’s more fun for kids as a result.

Very disappointed with the buffalo chicken, the pot that come with the buffalo chicken was rusty in side, it was masked with the serving papper. my partner has the vegan burger 🍔 and was disappointed with the sandwiches. I wouldn't eat there again.

We went for my sons 16th belated birthday they were very busy but kept coming over to us to check we all OK I am in a wheelchair but made me feel very comfortable would recommend

We had a fantastic evening with our amazing waiter Phil!! He was so sweet and served us amazingly. He was honest and recommended things he liked. Mate this guy needs a pay rise coz he’s amazing☺️☺️

Our second visit to this venue and we enjoyed every moment. The food is plentiful and delicious. The service friendly and efficient and the atmosphere just brilliant with great music playing. It will be our "go to" for future celebrations, no question.

Great atmosphere and helpful staff. Food lovely and vegan options good. Cocktails tasty even better in the happy hour lol

We had Saturday 12:00 lunch at the Crawley location. Great atmosphere, the food was great and the service was brilliant. The place was packed by the time we left, recommended.

Booked our table online, with a comment that we had a dog with us. (I had researched beforehand and was dog friendly). Restaurant phoned me on the day to tell us what was not available on the menu (nachos, fajitas and steaks!). Arrived and was told dogs only allowed in the bar. This would have been ok, however Tilgate has only one sit down table and two high barrels with stools. All occupied and with an elderly mother in tow not ideal. Can’t say the staff seemed bothered, in fact we felt like an inconvenience. Such a shame, but we managed to find somewhere else, last minute, who went out of their way to help us.

"Phillip at Smith and Western Tilgate is an exceptional waiter! He provided top-notch service with a friendly smile and attentive demeanor throughout our dining experience. His knowledge of the menu was impressive, and he made excellent recommendations that truly enhanced our meal. Phillip went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed and made us feel like valued guests. I highly recommend asking for Phillip when you visit Smith and Western Tilgate for a memorable dining experience!"

We went for a family meal and we were served by Debbie, who was exceptional and was fantastic with our grandson. We ordered our meals and our daughter ordered a veggie burger 'new on the menu' only to be advised it was no longer on the menu. So she ordered a veggie alternative, which was cold on arrival, so she spoke to a female manager Evelina to replace it. When it returned she was told by the female manager that she couldnt have what was ordered and she'd 'HAVE TO HAVE' what they had prepared. She complained and was shot down in a very very rude manager, so toled Evelina she would do without a meal. Then...as Debbie was at our table, she chastised her openly and in full view and hearing of us and other customers..TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A MANAGER! On leaving, we brought it up with the overall manager who said 'he'd have words' without any conviction whatsoever. Other than 3 meals and Debbie our waitress, the whole experience was soured by Evelina, Very bad management

We visited as a medium sized group to celebrate a friends birthday. We really liked the ambiance and aesthetic of the restaurant, the waiters were all friendly and provided good service making our friend feel special! Unfortunately the food was served cold and was generally...

Food was substantial, tasty and the staff (in particular Daniel our waiter) were super friendly and helpful. Daniel even performed an amazing magic trick for our boys :-) Top night

Wonderful staff, amazing food and excellent experience!! Recommended to anyone who needs a good meal to rip into. A lovely place to go.

Great food and service, our server Phillip was a real life cowboy and was great with the children. Really engaged with them and was a top up seller!

Bardzo profesjonalna i przyjazna obsługa i przepyszne jedzenie. Jedna z lepszych restauracji w której mieliśmy okazję spędzić miły czas z przyjaciółmi.

We always end up coming here for Birthday lunches, it's such a great atmosphere and the staff are always super friendly. The food is always epic and we will continue to come back

Excellent staff - couldn't fault them. The food was great too. A perfect place to go for a celebration. What an exciting and unusual themed restaurant!

Our table was booked at 7.30 on a Saturday night we got there at 7, told them we were early and got a drink at the bar, we didn't mind waiting because thought it would mean we'd get seated at least at our reservation time...

Food was amazing. Our server was outstanding! Accommodated all us fussy eaters and was always on hand checking everything was OK without being over bearing.

We went to smith and western tonight for a meal!Felt we needed a meal at Smith and Western after quite a hectic and busy week and we were in the area anyway and as we went to the Royal Tunbridge Wells one,we found that one...

We visited smith and western on Friday 2nd Feb and we were a party of 7. Our server was very rude and told one of the guests off for trying to take their plate of food from him because the plate was 'hot' which it...

This place was relatively quiet, however it took over 5minutes to be acknowledged and another 5 to be seated (even with a booking). The food was good, but the service was shocking. Over 15minutes to be served and that was after asking for our order...

Food good. Cocktails good. Service excellent. Oh Cocktails delicious. Big thank you to Phil he made our visit special.

Went to Smith and Western Tilgate for Daughter birthday. Would like to say a special thank you to Debbie. We let my daughter and her friends sit at the table and we sat on another table. Debbie was fantastic with them took their orders double...

Took our son George here for his 25th birthday, he chose to spend his birthday there. Waited ages to order food & felt a bit neglected. Food arrived cold so they had to be replaced, still cold corn so changed again. Had to ask for...

Great atmosphere, Phil was excellent really happy and a great singer. 10/10 service and food, will come again.

Visited on a busy sunday for lunch with our family including grand kids, Shown to our table and given menus and drink orders taken quickly. Had bottomless drink options which we like, ordered our food from a very varied menu. Between us we ordered burgers, fajitas which were good sized portions and looked good. Drink refills were good and could choose what you wanted. Still room just about for dessert so had the donuts in a little box with sauces even enough to take leftovers home.

A surprisingly great experience! Came across this place whilst waiting to get a flight from Gatwick. We chose from the light lunch menu and the food was really tasty and just tye right sized portion. Our server was incredibly friendly and professional (South African man) who couldn't have done anymore to make us feel welcome and to ensure we enjoyed our meal.

Came for my nephews 9th birthday. Jack our server was extremely accommodating and patient as lots of our party were late to arrive and it was rather chaotic with members of the party going and coming. Jack was patient and understanding and very attentive. Extremely polite and friendly and went above and beyond to make it a really nice experience for us. Food came out piping hot, great quality and was huge portions! and they even brought out the cake and sang happy birthday which was an extra nice touch too! Thank you for baring with us and your great customer service! Everyone seemed to be working hard and non stop!

Good choice for families I guess. Wide menu but difficult to find something not too spicy or for vegetarians. Steaks, burgers, nachos, fajitas…. Very loud, obtrusive music. Friendly waiting staff in cowgirl/boy get ups. Model cow! I thought it was very expensive for what we had at £33 per head. None of us had desserts and only one starter. No alcohol only soft drinks. This bill did not include service so add that on. You will see from my reviews that I regularly eat out, mostly in Brighton, so am used to better food for that price. The Ivy cost me less last time I went.

If you want a tru tex-mex style experience, this place is fantastic. The servers are always enthusiastic and the customer service is second to none! The food is great, though on the higher price scale, but the atmosphere makes it worth every penny

A great stop off after walking round the lovely Tilgate Park. Place has a fun vibe, cool decor and was really dog friendly. Our dog was immediately given a big bowl of water and lots of strokes. We had the veggie fajitas and the Veggie chilli. Both very big, tasty meals for what, today, is a pretty reasonable price. The sizzling fajitas are delicious but unfortunately not Gluten Free. (Would be nice if they could make them so by serving with GF tortillas) However, my Chilli was much better than the normal one you often get, coming with lots of fresh salad, olives, pickled peppers etc. We will definitely go back, probably with our daughters when they next come to stay.

Great view at our booked table. But that is where the pleasure ended. 45 mins to get half the ordered drinks, then food arrived, all steaks over cooked. Then, the rest of drinks arrived whilst being spilt over the table by the server. Steaks sent back and redone. Thankfully, ok this time. In general, food ok but service, speed, and communication appalling we had a voucher to cover cost of meal thank goodness. There is a reason that I do not go to Smith and Western restaurants anymore. (Only went as won a voucher) It is that they are sub standard in nearly every way. They are what can only be described as "must try harder " but do not. So, if you want a mediocre meal with mediocre service and communication, then go to Smith and Western. They will not disappoint on those points. Probably not the staffs fault as they are trying their hardest most likely the business is understaffed and Management out of touch.

We went for a birthday dinner for my friends 30th last night and honestly it was the most amazing fun evenings with waiters dan and Luke putting everything into making sure it was enjoyable! The happy birthday singing we received was out of this world! Could not have asked for a better evening and better servers !! Will defo be back when we have the next birthday in the family, Thankyou so so much guys for the best night ever xxx

Amazing atmosphere, fabulous food, attentive staff! Worth a birthday visit! My partner loved his Cowboy Feast and beer! Steve made us feel really special

One hour, still waiting for our meal ! I know it has to be cooked but an hour ,? The service is not that good I'm afraid. In fact the longer I wait the worse this review will be.

We had a fantastic family lunch here & our South African waiter made the experience brilliant. Refilled our drinks for us when he saw they were low and offered us the specials on offer. The food was so tasty & fresh, maybe the best onion rings we’ve ever had! The view is lovely outside and the atmosphere calm and relaxed. We will be back

Decent menu - all perfectly cooked and delivered. The lovely park setting and Brooklyn beer (hooray!) are a bonus. Lovey staff too. Great job, Team! We'll be back....

As mentioned in the title. The food is decent. The trouble is the length of time it takes to order the food, and for it then to arrive. It was busy, fine, we can give some leeway. However, we only ordered 3 mains and a child’s desert. This took two and a half hours from start to finish. The kids desert was forgotten about twice. And when you have a 6 year old waiting for a brownie, it’s pretty annoying. Especially seeing as it was meant to be a quick ‘grab something to eat’ then enjoy the park. One server said they would talk to the manager when I asked to have the child’s meal refunded due to the length of time it had taken. Well, that was the last I saw of them. It would just have been nice to have had a single apology or explanation. In the end, after asking and explaining to another server. Someone came over 10 minutes later, looked at me blankly and asked that I’d wanted to speak to someone. After explaining again. They disappeared off and agreed to refund the kids meal. Still no apology.

Took friends here after they run the London Marathon. Was recommended by a hotel receptionist after asking for somewhere relaxing, serving a nice steak. Was not disappointed. It was great food and service, had a night stroll round the lake afterward. Will definitely return

Have been here many times and have thoroughly enjoyed every time! It’s a great atmosphere and the food is very nice! Its one of my favourite restaurants!

Thank you to all the team. We had a really great meal, service was kind and very attentive, I think the chap who served us may have been Steve (was the name on our receipt) he was really great, a big thank you to him....

We had a fantastic lunch for our daughters 7th birthday today. Excellent atmosphere, service and food. Music, attentiveness and excellent interaction with children. Shout out to Debbie, our server, she went above and beyond. Food was super tasty and very efficient. Didn’t feel rushed at...

A group of us where there for my daughters birthday , after 3/4 we got our starters and an hour after that our main course , which was stone cold, 9 dinners, cold, waiting staff embarrassed and most apologetic, the manager came over and just...

Waited nearly 2 hours for our main course from arrival, then it arrived cold. Really was not impressed , to top it off when the manager came to our table he thought it was funny!! Will not be returning

Came with great anticipation following the promising photos and reviews. The atmosphere is great and so is the service but the food…. Not up to par. Had the BBQ ribs and sirloin. The ribs were burnt and dry. The steak was mediocre.

Terrible experience again. Pre ordered the belly buster again for a birthday & second time in a row it hasn’t turned up. Only reason we actually choose to go there. Very disappointed children. Service on the day was Terrible, lady could hardly speak/understand English was...

I’m writing to complain which I didn’t think I would ever have to do as we often eat at tilgate restaurant but I made a booking a month in advance for 20 people on the 5th March, for my husband’s birthday, when I booked the...

We have eaten here several times over the years. Its fun and the food is tasty, but bit chainy / formulaic. This time the service was really slow - it took 40 minutes for our drinks to arrive. Given its supposed to be American style,...

We went as a group of 9 We had great food, great service and just shocked at how good it was We would return it’s a must for any birthday meal the hats add to the theme 😂

Thought I'd review my pleasant evening, Last night, a friend and I popped up to your tilgate restaurant. We didn't book but thought we would chance and see if you had a table available, seeing as there were only 2 of us. We were told...

Absolutely disgraceful attitude from staff, burnt (black) food for starter and a main, fajitas were tasteless and arrived after everyone else's meal, the wraps were dry and crispy for about a strip of a 3rd of all of them and no plate was brought for...

We chose to meet here for a family meal after a couple of weeks not seeing each other. Service was wonderful and food at the time was good. But sad to say 5 out of 6 of the party have been violently ill since going....

Family group of six ranging oldies to youngsters. Food was good and the service was excellent. Nothing too much to ask and often the need was seen before the request. Great atmosphere if you don't mind the hub-bub!

Great service,amazing food.thank you Ewelina and S&W...see you soon! Very recommended!! Fast service

Good meal but somewhat ruined by waiter at end of meal…. My partner and I went for dinner tonight and were served in a friendly manner by our waiter who as cheery and friendly throughout the meal. Our starters and mains arrived which were really...

What a enjoyable meal out. Food was vert tasty. Deserts were amazing . The staff made us very welcome and were very helpful when I asked about cocktails. Beautiful place to be situated at. Just outside u have tilgate forest and lakes. Perfect place to...

Lovely meal. Service was amazing, despite how busy the restaurant was when we came in. Food was delicious. My son really enjoyed the mac & cheese and even though he didn't eat it all, it was a huge success.

Such a cool venue! Loved every part of our night! Got there and were greeted with a smile and then once sat we had our amazing waiter Daniel come over! Daniel made sure our drinks and meals were good and made sure we had nothing...

Booked last minute for a family dinner before flying early on holiday the next morning. Wow, we were incredibly happy with the random choice. Bit out of the way to find, especially at night, but well worth it. Super friendly service at the bar while...

Catered for our wide range of dietary needs, including a specially made Keto-vegetarian dish. Fantastically friendly and entertaining waiter kept the kids happy. Nothing was a problem and they went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and meet our needs. Tasty food and...

Nice place, and atmosphere. Food average, tho good portions, a lot of it was only just warm when brought out, but my son said his Mexican burger was very good. Cajun onion rings weren't very cajuny. Had been told to avoid the cocktails as not...

We visited Smith & Western in Tilgate Park with our children for dinner. Huge portions, very reasonably priced, great atmosphere, our server was very bubbly and friendly. Will definitely be visiting again soon.

Amazing service, fun staff, wonderful food. I would 100% recommend ordering a mountain of ribs ( it is fantastic!) the kids’ menu includes endless drinks and a set menu. I would recommend eating here!

My family party of 10 came here for an early dinner. Great menu and superb service by the staff. Everything was spicy hot and we could not finish the large portions. Great value too.

Didn’t enjoy the experience at all. Service slow and had to keep asking for cutlery/knapkins/condiments. The chips were obviously recooked and the other frozen items pretty horrible. Ribs dry and chicken wings fairly tasteless. It’s expensive and a poor TGI’s impersonation

Visited for an impromptu lunch and was very impressed. Burgers & fries were great with some interesting options, and ribs and hot dog off the kids menu went down very very well too. Our server, Lauren and in fact all the staff, were friendly, professional...

A proper good trip, price and portions are decent with excellent service, good environment and atmosphere, good for family and friends all round making memories, thanks all

Amazing food and service (apart from the awful awful fake American accents haha). Great menu and the BEST authentic Philly cheesesteak I’ve had outside the states! Highly recommend!

Lively place to eat. Very welcoming and friendly. Popular birthday party venue. Staff have drive to deliver perfect party.

High expectations but...............the experience was less than on a par. We ordered a table on line and mentioned that this day was out 5 year wedding anniversary and with that in mind I would have thought this would be something special and perhaps something extra...

Big Western-themed restaurant with outdoor space, Western costumed staff, American pop/country/rock music, and friendly but slightly chaotic service. The food (meat, fries, seafood, sauces, cheese, melted cheese) is OK and comes in big portions, fatty and rich and a bit overpriced. We stayed for about...

Now I don't normally write reviews but today just really got to me. Bascially we went into Smith and Westerns in Crawley it was a Tuesday afternoon and we said we only wanted to get drinks. It was quite so they let us sit outside,...

Had an amazing date night with my husband celebrating one month being married . The food was absolutely delicious and our server Philip from South Africa was the most polite and friendliest guy and certainly made our dining experience a really good one!

Delicious food, waiter ADAM are very friendly and super nice atmosphere. Plus it’s all at an affordable price. Can totally recommend that Place on this date 23.04.22 and will definitely come back again.

We were a family of 3 with a young baby we booked online so we would be seated. We waiting over 40 mins for a drink…. And and extra hour and a half for our food. To then my partners food (ribs)came out cold like...

Two kids left very upset. We were promised the team would celebrate our kids double birthday. Even asked the waiter who said it definitely would happen. They watched everyone else have cakes and ice cream brought out but we were forgotten. Spent £190 there and...

I will forever recommend this restaurant, lovely atmosphere and great staff… If first time for my family to try something different but they loved and really want to come again…. Daniel mainly made us felt very welcomed. Drinks food attitude atmosphere was unbelievable

First time i have been here. Nice place to go. Perfect for big groups or having a bday. Everyone is wearing the cowboy outfits. Drinks are nice and so is food. If u like spice this is the place for you. Great service. Would go...

It was our first visit and we had 100% fun. Visiting here was a break from the typical formal service. Our waiter was Adam from Poland who was amazing to the core and in every way. He definitely deserves a special mention. The rest of...

I came here with my parents (one of which is in a wheelchair) and the visit was outstanding. The service was impeccable. The quality of the food was superb and is reflected in its price. I would gladly come here again. What made it even...

Went here for dinner on a Sunday evening. They were pretty busy so it did take a while to order but once ordered everything came in good time and the staff were really attentive and constantly clearing tables or wiping down. The good was amazing....

Visited last night for my partner 30th birthday, pre ordered the birthday belly buster dessert ,but never arrived, the table service was amazing and the same applies to the food, but unfortunately, due lack of communication from the management team our night has been spoiled.

Eight of us visited for a birthday lunch on a Saturday. We come every couple of years in the hope that the food will be better, and each time go away disappointed. No difference this time, sadly. Generally good service from friendly people, in a...

Well overcharged and completely ignored zero customer service unprofessional awful company who vooodnt care less about its customers

Came here on Sunday 13th Feb for v day with my partner and the service we received was truly out of this world!!!! I hope they know how much they are to have a 10/10 employee!!! Thanks Phil! 🤠

Must visit great family restaurant highly themed and food is delicious totally transported a regular visit now any day of the week

Great evening in Tilgate S&W, First visit of 2022 and never disappoints. Nothing is too much trouble from this team at Tilgate. Food was superb as usual, only one thing to add was too rushed between Starter & Main Course we had not finished the...

When I go to these type restaurants, my bar is set low and I always seem to find myself observing these places and thinking, if they tightened things up here, they could double their takings. This is definitely true of S&W Tilgate. We had to...

Fantastic birthday great food and the man with the amazing memory made it extra special. (I didn't get or remeber his name) possibly Dan. How he does all that and being so busy and happy is amazing. Food all came out hot and he remebred...

We had a really good party. 16 of us. The service, atmosphere, food was all excellent. The steak was perfectly cooked, everyone got their meal at the same time. The waiter was courteous and good fun. The bar staff were all excellent. The booking procedure...

Awful, third rate dog food, steak was cold, asked for it to be rare and got fatty road kill. The jalapeños were alright, about the only thing that was. The beer was watered down rubbish, I'll get a kebab on the way home.

Recommendations & reviews 4.4 out of 5 Based on the opinion of 139 people Alison Tatnall doesn't recommend Smith & Western (Tilgate Park, Crawley). f6i66oaia151tlor2h81 · Shared with Public Just back from S&W Tilgate with a very upset 11 year old on his birthday. Booked...

Thank you to Dan our waiter tonight, my son is still raving about tonight and you made our evening. Sam can’t believe that he not only got all those lollipops but that he didn’t realise that they made orange flavour too. This guy genuinely cares...

Had a really enjoyable lunch yesterday. It was a Sunday, so really crowded, but our waiter Daniel, really was attentive and very funny. It was our son's 35th birthday celebration, so his brothers decided to get the waiters to sing to him. Many other people...