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3,00

Based on 87 opinions finded in 1 websites

3.0Ambience3.0Cuisine3.0Price3.5Service
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Nº 883 in 1066 in Wakefield

Nº 18 of 18 Seafood in Wakefield

CUSTOMERS TALK ABOUT DISHES WITH..fishmustbutterbatteredoldladycreamsausagecurrycookedprawnsoupround
Score
OpinionsNoteTripAdvisor873.0

comment_iconOpinions

we arrived at 7pm... the restaurant was closed, the car park was empty.. we actually thought it was closed. we walked around the front to see if the chippy bar was open & it was. we ordered fish & chips with an unbattered sausage, scampi & chips & a steak pie & chips. we was asked if we wanted salt & vinegar before paying. told the young lady scampi & fish meals with both, steak pie just salt. waited 15 mins for the scampi, fish, sausage & pie to be cooked. they where boxed up. another lady asked what it was we wanted salt on, my wife said the steak pie please. everything was put in to a bag. i then asked if salt & vinegar had been put on the scampi & fish meals.. she said no... whilst she & the young lady was taking boxes back out of the bag, she found the fish meal, put salt & vinegar on, i then asked why there was 4 boxes.. she said for the sausage & chips.. i said i only order a sausage to go with the fish & chips. she apologised. she put the sausage in a fresh box & added s&v... whilst she was doing that we noticed the young lady putting s&v on another box.. must be the wifes scampi. we decided to eat in the car in the car park has it would all be cold by the time we got home, glad we had wet wipes.. lots of oil. my daughter said the pie & chips where yummy (shes 34 by the way) my wife said there was no s&v on her scampi & it was over cooked.. i opened my sausage & ate that first, was ok. got to the fish n chips.. wow.. overload of s&v... so mine got a double dose of s&v by the looks of it. could only eat half. staff seemed totally uninterested, ready to go home by the look of it. not somewhere i would rush back to.

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james d . 2024-07-15

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Came here for a birthday meal after previously coming a year earlier. What a shock we got when we were seated. Even though this had been booked in for 2 months after 45 mins of waiting for our food we eventually asked what was happening. The young blonde waitress replied the takeaway and drive through are extremely busy so it’s having a knock on effect!! What!!! ? So the takeaway and drive through take priority over a 2 month in advance booking for a large party?? Absolutely ridiculous ! On looking around the restaurant everyone else who had arrived after us were eating within 15 mins of being seated! So it’s just a pathetic excuse and proves they can’t cater for large groups!! This place has really gone down hill! No beers or lagers on draught anymore either so everything is bottled and double the price!! The sides of mushy peas and curry sauce were missed so by the time they came out fish n chips were cold. Absolute waste of time and money! Won’t be going back again!

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julie . 2024-06-16

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What an absolute disgrace this restaurant is. Came here tonight with the whole family for my nephews birthday, we was served by a miserable waitress. To then have to wait an hour and a half for our meals, when I approached one of the staff members at reception and asked her where our food was, I was told the drive thru and the takeaway bit was really busy so we would have to wait! Very cocky and very rude, one of my family members even witnessed her rolling her eyes as I walked away. When our food finally came, we had to wait a further 10 minutes for the sides we had ordered by a very slow unhappy looking waitress. They just dumped the sides down, rather than asking who’s was who’s! All the staff seemed very unhappy, miserable and cocky. My grandparents have always come to this restaurant. But needless to say we will never attend this place again! At the end of it when it came to pay the bills they tried adding extra stuff we didn’t order to our bill! We had a birthday cake and they wouldn’t even light the candles and bring the cake up to the table like all restaurants do. Absolutely appalling service.

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Katherine H . 2024-06-15

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Chips were like cardboard. Asked for salt and vinegar and none was added. Just no taste to the food. Sausage batter crumbled. No potato in the chips. Possibly the worst I’ve had. Shame. Was such a good chippy when it was Empire. Plus take out you hardly get a good portion. Have been to other Wetherby Whalers but this is far the worst for take out.

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Tony A . 2024-02-14

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Although we can't fault the fish and chips the service was extremely poor. There were only five tables including ours being used and three members of staff and the wait to have our table cleared and order dessert was unacceptable. I looked over numerous times trying to get the attention of a member of staff, for some of the time they were just stood talking between themselves. We would never go back to the restaurant, but would use the drive through.

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Les Jordan . 2023-10-26

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I’ve noticed that there are some poor reviews: don’t listen to them. I’m a Level 7 Google reviewer with over 2 million views. I rarely do poor reviews and prefer to to good ones. I only do a good one if the food was good. I was at the Weatherby a few weeks ago and I’ve been many times. I drive from Sheffield because they are the best fish and chips outside of the coast. They also do gluten free batters if you require it (which I do) and let me tell you, that is hard to fry! But they get it spot on. I’ve even taken my elderly parents and they loved it. Check out my pictures on Google under Scarfhold media. I don’t get paid for my reviews and I have submitted this review on my own volition

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Scarfholdmedia . 2023-08-20

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Really surprised to see so many negative reviews recently we had a lovely meal the other day. We haven’t been in years but we were greeted by really friendly staff. Seated straight away and they were very attentive our waitress brought drinks straight away and was honestly lovely. Ordered haddock with scampi! Also some bread and butter and mushy peas. The mushy peas were great nice and flavoursome. Batter on the fish was lovely and crisp cooked perfect for how I like it. Really nice scampi and good chips too! It is on the pricier side for fish and chips but don’t mind paying for quality. Will definitely be back.

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Reviewer218 . 2023-05-16

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We have been going here since Sheila & hubby ran the restaurant, then Wetherby Whaler took over,at first it was on a par with the one in Wakefield.First meal out for us since Christmas as I have been in hospital & really ill.We got the pensioner 3 course meal,I asked for both fish lightly battered with mushy peas & chips.Hubby's wasn't too bad seemed cooked,mine was a different story,too much batter,slimy underneath,fish undercooked,lots of black bits in the fish,it turned my stomach.I did eat the mushy peas & chips as I was hungry. Complained to the waiter,asked to speak to the fryer but he wouldn't face me,he sent a message to say reason it was like it was because it depends on the time of day the fish is caught.Never heard so much claptrap in my life.We were only charged for one meal £15.40.Have complained to head office but been completely ignored so far.They have just lost a loyal customer from all Wetherby Whaler restaurants.

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patricia f . 2023-05-05

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Firstly - the positive - friendly efficient service. Negatives - the carrot and coriander soup was very bland and I couldn't detect any coriander flavour! For my main course I ordered plaice and expected it to be cooked in breadcrumbs as is usual. No- it was a thin piece of fish in a hard shell of batter. The plaice itself was watery and soggy and not very pleasant, to say the least. But because I was hungry, I ate most of it. This morning I am having stomach cramps - not saying it was connected to the badly cooked plaice - maybe a coincidence! But I shall not be going there again.

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Rosie D . 2023-04-28

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Absolutely fed up of ordering from this place and paying premium price for scrappy chips and fish with bones in !! They did manage to get the order right for a change though. Its a complete rip off. Go elsewhere if you like nice fish and chips....

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juliehirst70 . 2023-04-14

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Im happy to say the empire is back on form after a couple of bad weeks! Criapy batter fresh fish and lovely chips. Very tasty. Always busy. Drive through is a great experience. We will be back!!

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gorgeouspaula . 2023-03-27

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We always have our weekly treat of fish and chips from the wetherby whaler in outwood. Not sure what is going on but for the past 2 weeks they have been absolutely awful….disgusting even! The fish had a funny taste to it and the chips were cold/warmed up and very scrappy and bitty. They was bad last week but we gave them the benefit of the doubt but this week was even worse! IT IS NOT FRESH HADDOCK IT IS AWFUL CHEAP TASTING FISH!! It has really put me off fish and chips from here and i think i need to find somewhere else so recommendations appreciated. I hoped to be able to drop them a line but no email details on their webpage. I wonder if they got a new fryer/cook or a different supplier but if they carry on like that they will not have any customers left.

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gorgeouspaula . 2023-02-25

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10 of us booked for a Birthday meal, we had a great time, food and staff excellent, great decor and very clean. Will recommend to all and certainly revisit, (and cheaper than I was expecting!). Many thanks to all.

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P8762LJneilb . 2023-02-06

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Third time we have been here (4th January early afternoon) and it gets better every time we go. Giant haddock salad, crispy batter, well mixed salad. The place is an old cinema and is part of the WetherbyWhaler group. Just outside Wakefield, plenty of car parking, disabled ramp and very good clean disabled toilet. Well worth a vist

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David K . 2023-01-05

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Walking in today you could tell straight away something was wrong,it was so bitterly cold. The waitress said the heating had broken,to my mind the restaurant should have been closed or portable heaters brought in.Got our meal,fish undercooked ,soggy batter despite asking for lightly battered.Only managed to eat half mine before it was cold & greasy.Should have had something knocked off the bill but paid full amount.Will not be giving them another chance. .

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patricia f . 2022-12-18

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Batter was horrid, when I went round the drive through I knew I shouldn’t have bothered you could smell the dirty cooking fat. Chips good, peas good. Come on sort the batter, real disappointment!

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Connector51841245365 . 2022-09-18

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Haven’t been to the empire since it changed to a wetherby whaler so thought that we would give it a go and I have to say we did enjoy our fish and chips. My only criticism would be the price.. compared to some other fish and chip shops in the local area it is quite expensive and I wouldn’t say it was any different in terms of what is provided. That being said .. the fish was a reasonable size and the batter was cooked, the chips were also really nice and sometimes i find that they can be anaemic from some other fish and chip shops. The drive thru tends to be busy most of the time here so people obviously enjoy.

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Whiterose1987 . 2022-06-18

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Very quiet when we went on Thursday lunchtime. The surroundings were interesting with movie memorabilia and film trailers showing on a largish screen. The service was prompt, friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and plenty for us in a Pensioner's portion each, although we did manage a sweet afterwards. Best fish & chips we have had for a while.

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Superscoot . 2022-06-17

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The fish was good and white, the chips were nice but the batter was horrendous. Looked golden and crispy but there was a thick layer of paste between it and the fish. The bottom was completely wet, gloopy and greasy. They haven't been this bad since Wetherby Whaler first took over. WW - dont take your eye off the ball, we have plenty of other chip shops in the area and you will lose business if this is what you serve for £5.95 a portion.

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HelenSummerof69 . 2021-09-17

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I visited on Wednesday after my wife and myself had been working at an event and had had breakfast and nothing else all day .l ordered fish and chips and 2 cans of diet coke at a cost of over £7 once home we opened...

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M8649RVgrahamt . 2021-07-22

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We have been to the empire before but on this visit we was disappointed, we got sat in the most blandest part of the restaurant, for a old picture house there should be lots more posters filling every wall in the restaurant as it needs...

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Codyblue12 . 2021-06-20

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We love this chip shop but tonight you let us down We order salt and vinegar on all food orders. And sugar's in coffee. The cashier relayed our order back to us and all correct. Well we couldn't eat most of food as there was...

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driverdenise . 2021-05-13

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Very disappointing, we are regulars at the Wetherby shop which serves fantastic fish and chips day in day out, tried the Wakefield one as in the area and a big disappointment. Average fish and chips at best and certainly would not return on a regular...

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luckytravellar . 2021-04-13

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First time in after refit must have cost over £20 maybe £30 not very good unless you like-grey paint it’s a bit like having lunch in hitlers bunker and food tastes like it was coked in 1945 so beware

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Chris S . 2020-10-14

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Tried here as it was drive through. Phoned in an order for gluten free fish 10 mins before we arrived then ordered an ordinary fish and chips at the window. When I opened the box of these fish and chips I was a little disappointed...

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thejennings1 . 2020-09-14

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We haven’t been here since it was taken over, nicely decorated and clean, staff friendly and helpful..We had the Pensioner’s 3 course meal. Wife had Fruit Juice and I had A gorgeous Tomato and Basil soup, Haddock very tasty But slightly greasy,chip’s well done Treacle...

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Grizzly277 . 2020-08-19

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Really nice fresh fish and chips, and really good safe Covid measures in place! Cost us £16 for large haddock and chips, sausage and chips, both with sides, and a pot of tea and a beer, under the Eat out to Help out scheme, and...

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xclairebearxxx . 2020-08-18

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just popped for fish and chips tonight .. haven't been here for months way before wetherby whaler took over.. didnt have high hopes as always been mediocre but I must admit the fish and chips tonight have been amazing!!! I will definitely be paying more...

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emmac468 . 2020-08-13

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Usually pop in once a fortnight or so, overall is satisfactory quality with low waiting times, so was what Id expect from a high street chippy. Price is a little higher than other near by chippies but only Annies in Outwood is any real competition....

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953iced . 2020-08-10

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Chose this place purely as its a drive through. Disappointed as they give you nothing to eat your food with, no salt or vinegar added or offered and the fish was coated as others mention in a very odd flat greasy batter. They seem to...

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wazza99 . 2020-08-01

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I have been before and wasn't too impressed due to things missing off my order but it was just as they had reopened after the refurbishment. I decided to give it another go and it was lovely. The young lady who took my order on...

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MrsMorse86 . 2020-07-08

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I live very close to the restaurant and normally enjoy their fish and chips. The staff are normally very helpful. I feel that this week, I was given bad service. I know they say that they take the right money only for the drive-through and...

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Happiness622375 . 2020-06-06

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I have taken my mum to the Empire Fish restaurant as her Mother's Day treat for many years and this year I tried to book a table for the two of us and was told that they were only taking bookings for groups of 8...

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David H . 2020-03-09

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My partner and I came here just after a lovely relaxing spa day and it rounded off our day perfectly. The fish and chips were incredible and the lady who served us was so friendly. We would definitely come back here.

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AdamSaun . 2020-02-23

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Visited today for the first time , wont rush back, tea and bread and butter arrived immediately, fish and chips 15 mins later. Fish fairly reasonable however batter a bit greasy, chips ok and peas just warm.Much nicer meal and service at The Denby Dale road Whetherby Whaler !

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I7395NYjoym . 2020-02-17

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I’m so disappointed that the huge selling point of this restaurant - the batter - has gone so downhill. I’ve been coming here for about five years and I tell everyone I ever eat fish and chips with that they won’t beat the Empire. Best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Beats the gastro pubs and high class fish restaurants. Better than all of them. But no more. As a recent review below says “fish was coated in a dark brown batter that didn’t have any ridges ... a totally smooth greasy batter”. I can’t believe it. Why? The batter before was just so perfect. This is almost OK but I don’t expect that from the Empire. When I say almost OK I mean I can eat it at a push but it’s nowhere near as enjoyable as batter used to be here. Please please please change the batter back!! I live in hope that they will. I asked what had happened on my last visit and was told all suppliers had changed. I will go once more and ask if any possible chance they might change batter back. If the answer is no then I am going to have to start hunting down another fish and chip restaurant locally. I can’t manage without regular sit down fish and chips. But Empire unlikely to be my future choice. So sad.

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KyleBry . 2020-02-10

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I don’t understand the recent negative reviews. Not the best fish and chips I’ve had but they were good and very reasonably priced for a meal out. The decor is now very fresh and pleasant and service was prompt and friendly. Didn’t blow me away but was very good and will return when craving fish and chips!

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tanyasU1100NI . 2020-02-09

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Visited in January but only just got around to putting a review on... Julie and Sue couldn't do enough for us! Excellent customer service, worked well together as a team and always smiling!The food was beautiful, all cooked fresh, worth every penny.We will be returning to see Julie and Sue.

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charlottewZ3440IS . 2020-02-09

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Having used this restaurant for many years aprox 20.Shelia and Dereck new all there was to know about Fish and Chips always provided great food.Yesterday our second visit since Wetherby Whaler came on the scene was a disaster.Having read a few of the previous reviews we have scored the Restaurant and agree with like minded regulars.We have awarded 1 star as the toilets and decor are very good we go to enjoy Fish and Chips not decor. We will not be returning having complained twice no managment approached us and there was a number of management around but uninterested with our discusion with Nicholas (very polite)..We paid and left very dissappointed.

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Badsworthboy . 2020-02-07

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Since Wetherby Whaler took over The Empire at Christmas time this was our first visit ,the fish,chips,mushy peas ,tea & bread & butter just the same as the one at Denby Dale in Wakefield.What I was not impressed with was the decor,plain white walls combined with grey one wall,orange another,the lights just hanging down free ,just looked as though this was work in progress.

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patricia f . 2020-02-03

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Called in here after the 'refurbishment' for a take away and worse experience ever! To start with, there are two tills. You queue at one, and they don't serve in any particular order, so customers come in and get served straight away whilst others are queueing. Ordered Fish and Chips and a fishcake and large peas. Got home, and there was no fishcake! The batter on the fish was like something on a supermarket frozen fish, just not good. Will leave it to hopefully improve and try again in a few months, can be any worse.

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Leeds99 . 2020-02-02

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This fish and chip restaurant was a firm favourite with our family before Wetherby Whaler took over. We have been twice now ,travelling especially from Leeds, since the refurb and will not be going back as we were very disappointed in the quality and value of the fish and chips now being served. Typical W.W. dark hard batter on the top and a soggy pool of greasy slop under the fish,tasteless chips too confirmed why we had stopped going the the original W.W. in Wetherby many years ago. Price increase, cheap bread and taking battered mushrooms off the menu also added insult to injury......

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GoneCrabbing . 2020-02-02

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Since the Empire has been taken over by Wetherby Whaler they have started offering gluten free food.

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BORKERS . 2020-01-29

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This is our 3rd attempt at the empire since wetherby whaler took over! It is terrible! We definitely will never go again. We go here as convenient for drive through but that was shut anyway.

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gorgeouspaula . 2020-01-25

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First visit since the refurb and I think they’ve done a really good job retaining the character of the place. We visited with family aged from 3 to 83 and there was something for everyone. The food was excellent, good portion sizes and well cooked. Good value for money and great service. Enjoyed it so much we’re going again next week!

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Jules531 . 2020-01-21

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Been going here for a long time but since the refurbishment the food has gone downhill we had to pay for the kids food which isn’t a problem it’s the quality of the food that has changed the staff were brilliant but we don’t think we’re going back

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Wake2020 . 2020-01-19

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We have just had our first meal here since it was restyled and the decor is well mostly battleship grey on the seating screens with hanging fluorescent tubes suspended from the ceiling.The seating booths have gone and replaced with tables and chairs which looks a lot more spacious,first impressions not too bad.The meal was excellent no drop in the quality infact the fish looked bigger than before they closed,the staff members old and new were very pleasant and helpful we will continue to eat at this restaurant. You may have read other reports on the restaurant the only way to decide is to try it yourself I think you will like it,hope my review is of help to you.

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Trevor2121 . 2020-01-09

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We wanted to try the new look Empire since it was taken over by the Wetherby Whaler. We ate at the old place every few months or so. We were very impressed. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the service great. Now of course the best bit was the food. It was really, really nice and we will definitely be back.

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tigwig58 . 2020-01-09

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It has now been officially Wetherby Whaler’d. We used to love the Empire, for good value family fish and chips. We decided to give it a try now after being closed for its ‘makeover’. All traces of the Empire’s heritage of being a cinema is gone, some new pictures up and a cinema style sign, it’s all quite bland and new. Possibly unfinished judging by the lighting that I think is an attempt to be modern but just looks very unfinished and not in keeping with the place.

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Lovesfood787 . 2020-01-08

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Its was my first visit to this restaurant and I will definitely return.

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Sinclaire59 . 2020-01-08

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Very mixed feelings about this place now that it's been taken over by the Wetherby Whaler. At first they kept most things the same, but now they've had a refurb and changed just about everything. They've stripped any character from the building (inside and out) and decorated it in bright orange - I think they may have been aiming for "Art Deco" judging by the carpet, but it comes across as more Easyjet. The lovely exposed internal brickwork has been plastered over and the beautiful 'Empire' mosaic on the outside has been completely obscured by a huge wooden box shaped canopy/sign. It's a shame that they didn't see fit to preserve a bit of the history and character of such a lovely old building when they've decided to continue with the cinema theme.

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HelenSummerof69 . 2020-01-08

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Having used the Empire many times replacement doesn't live up to wetherby whaler standards.

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422kayk . 2020-01-07

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The Empire is now under management of The Whetherby Whaler so how does it stand up?

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Adrian S . 2020-01-05

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When I saw the empire had been bought out I had thoughts that this place had seen its last days of been a lovely place to go with the kids. Today confirmed my concerns the restaurant looks horrible unfinished plain and very cheap (I heard a member of staff saying “it’s not finished yet”) you don’t say!?? I had a regular fish and chips, kids fish and chips and 2 kids sausage and chips. The kids complained about the amount of grease on the plate and it leaving a “not nice feeling” in there mouth. And the kids fish n chips was exactly the same as regular, same size fish same amount of chips kids cost £5, plus some pence the regular one double £10,75!! No one came to ask if everything was ok.. and when I mentioned about the £5 difference all the woman said was “you should have said we’d have given you some more chips” what £5 worth?? You could buy 2 sacks of potatoes on the mark up, WETHERBY WHALER YOU HAVE KILLED IT SHAME ON YOU! Have a look at the past reviews pictures from empire and look at the drastic change in food quality and quantity. I’m all for improvements and updates but you have not improved it at all, the chairs don’t even match they look like you have salvaged them from a skip. It’s a real shame you’ve lost another customer and when you have 8 & 5 year old kids complaining about the grease on the plate you know there’s a problem.....

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Jason M . 2020-01-05

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We went on Friday night to be met with a 20 strong queue of people all looking disgruntled... we waited patiently to get to the front only to find that you now have to order in advance and wait to have it bagged and served to you...we ordered 3 specials, four chips and two small peas. We mistakenly took two small bottles of pop from the fridge that came in at £1.60 each! The whole lot was just shy of £30.00!! If we hadn’t have been picking some up for my parents, I would have told them they could keep it. £30 for some fish and chips and peas...where the hell have these prices come from...it’s for sure I am not paying for the refurbishment. The staff looked harassed and it was chaos at the tills as they were jumping between serving and taking orders. I, like the other reviewers below felt that they were greasy and the chips were poor...not a patch on the old Empire. I feel you will be losing many customers over this and your newly inflated prices...I and my family will certainly be amongst that number!

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Ouisel1705 . 2020-01-05

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Went on Friday 1st time since refurbish. We have gone to Empire for years and loved it but not since weatherby whaler took over no more two seniors for £12.50 not the same atmosphere. Won't be going again

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susanelizabethd2020 . 2020-01-04

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Been looking forward to trying fish and chips since the empire closed and now open under its new name. I have to say I had been loads of times but never again. For some reason they put my fish (which was tiny) in one box and the white chips in another. So from the onset they looked so wrong,not been together. The chips were cold and god knows what has happened to the batter. It was smooth and hard. I got 4x too.NEVER AGAIN what a shame

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karencP2064BX . 2020-01-03

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Been going to the Empire for a while now until they recently closed for refurbishment. Went for tea yesterday and was shocked to see the refurbished restaurant, all of the character and quirkiness has gone and replaced with an over sized cafe with lighting that looks like its waiting to be finished. The walls are plain and bright orange and the other with garish wallpaper! We ordered fish and chips, they have had their batter changed to the now owned Wetherby Whaler batter and was hard and not as tasty as the old Empire batter, the chips were ok, my partner had oxtail soup to start which he said was like gravy. For dessert I had trifle which was disappointing the custard wasn't set and there was very little sponge, my partner had rhubarb crumble which he said was nice. Don't think we'll visit as often as we used to which is a shame!

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AngelaBridge . 2020-01-02

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We went to a Freddie Mercury tribute night which was very good, we all had different fish meals and a pudding. Staff were very nice and service was good. At the moment they are having a refurbish ment, should be open soon.

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Anne A . 2019-11-20

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Came to the drive thru recently here however in the past I have used the restaurant.

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Whiterose1987 . 2019-10-17

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We have been regulars at The Empire for many years and were a little disappointed when it lost it's way after being taken over by Wetherby Whaler. Although the staff were still as brilliant, the portion sizes shrank, the sauce selection shrank, the batter became wet (no-one likes a soggy bottom) and the previously huge scampi looked like popcorn chicken. I was, however, reluctant to give it a bad review as I'm very fond of this place and I wanted to see if comments were fed back to the management and if improvements were made.

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HelenSummerof69 . 2019-09-08

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Decided to call in on off chance for tea today 6/9/19 ordered normal fish and chips x2,but asked for extra tea and bread .The waitress Susan served us ,she was more than helpful and happily attended to our request.The tea was very nice ,the bread fresh and good quality .the chips were perfect and the fish was lovely and white with crisp batter to die for so we had a excellent meal and fantastic service will be back

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annnmarielee . 2019-09-05

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I decided to go here today because of the convenience of the drive through since I had my dogs with me. The car in front seemed to be having problems with her order so it was quite a wait, when it came to my turn the lad passed me “my order” I asked if that was the same bag the other customer just handed him back, he said no your order was just done now, fish & chips twice with curry sauce, so I thought ok it must be ok so took the food from him, on my way out I noticed the customer taking back her order again so I thought I best pull up & check mine since I live a bit away & yes it was the wrong food! So the easy & convenience of the drive through proved to be a nightmare! I had to turn around & go back, park up get the dogs out & go round to the takeaway sales! They never apologised but did offer me my money back which I refused, It’s not about complaining to get free food, it’s about your staff lying about my order when I asked him, it’s about your staff training or lack of. I know we all make mistakes but so many really? How hard is it to serve fish & chips? On the other hand the fish & chips was much nicer than the last time I had them there, just which the service was of the same quality

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Vicky W . 2019-08-18

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Came here for a birthday meal. Was 15 of us. We were well looked after by a lovely young waiter. Served straight away and the food was lovely. Read some reviews on here stating portions are small. We all have good appetites and the portion sizes were more than adequate. Some people just expect far too much. We thoroughly enjoyed our food and will definitely be coming back again.

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woody1703m . 2019-08-14

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The Menu is has now halved with all favourite meals cancelled, the portion sizes have halved too it seems, the only time we have come home and had to have 'something else' to eat, the Hollandaise sauce which is usually rich and creamy was very runny and insipid seems they had doubled the water and halved the sauce mix and the restaurant was very cold, wish I had bought a coat with me to keep warm. Have visited Empire regularly for the past 15 years but since been taken over dont think this will continue. Very sad

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KTMushroom . 2019-07-31

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I am really surprised that a staff member would serve cold dry chips to a customer. First time I’ve been served inedible chips. I think business slow and they’d been hanging around for a few hours. Fish freshly cooked but over cooked and very greasy. So sad to see this.

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811mrsl . 2019-06-05

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Was always hit and miss here but had fish and chips last week and they were beautiful also very friendly staff, defiantly going back

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JoMcArdle . 2019-05-24

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we have been coming here for years wetherby whaler as tuck over and the portions are very small.as per photo staff are very helpful but wont be rushing back shame use to be good here

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erdinger1969 . 2019-05-19

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If the wetherby whaler taken over why has things NOT changed and improved yet !!!!! What is the hold up !!!! Been waiting months !!!!!!

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Hazel S . 2019-04-07

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Thought we would try knowing Wetherby Whaler has taken over, fish was good and large portion , gravy slightly different but still good. Only downfall it was a long wait due to drive through and restaurant getting priority.

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345debrab . 2019-04-06

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we have fish and chips at least a couple of times a month and have been going to the empire for the past few years.

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bigwakmobile . 2019-04-05

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I have visited several times over the years and it has always been a bit hit and miss.

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Travelpro29 . 2019-03-18

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Went to the take away to get some fish and chips for me, Mrs and me dad, haven’t been for a bit but don’t know what the fuss is about regarding poor quality. All ours were fine no probs all hot and good quality and no wait. Will be calling again.

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dirtygods . 2019-03-17

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went on 24/02/19 for a family birthday dinner. Service was terrible, half of the orders had sides missing. We had to wait a good 40 minutes for some of the food to start coming out. 1 of our group didnt get any food, the poor waitress couldnt apologise enough. 20 minutes later the meal came, completely wrong. everyone else had finished when they offered to recook it! Terrible terrible service. you cant expect a diner to go home hungry and then have to ask to have that meal taken off the bill!

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moxon31 . 2019-03-03

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Another visit to our local fish and chip restaurant and as good as ever.

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. 2019-02-12

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Both myself and wife visited this restaurant on the 3 Feb 19 we had the Fish Chips and Scampi tea bread and butter at £10 each and both enjoyed our meal very much Welcome the Empire

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johno2li . 2019-02-12

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Not been for years & was pleasantly surprised. Food was very nice, staff friendly & attentive. The decor is unique & looks great fitting in with the old fashioned cinema theme...altogether a pleasant visit of which I have recommend to friends & family.

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. 2019-02-09

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Have been using this takeway for a couple of years when it was Outwood Empire fist shop , called for the first time under the new owners WEATHERBY WHALER. wont go again

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. 2019-02-02

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Visited the empire with my partner one Saturday afternoon it wasn't busy .We placed our order and waited and waited and after about 30mins couldn't understand why our starters hadn't arrived.There was only 2 other customers in restaurant and staff were just sat down chatting and texting on mobile phones.At this point we complained and was told that the waitress hadn't taken our table number but at no point did any member of staff even bother to ask us if we were ok.Can't review food but the customer service was terrible won't be visiting again .

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. 2019-01-31

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Bad service not nice surroundings poor staff attitude no customer care average food nothing special do not recommend

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. 2019-01-31

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Another lovely family meal today. Beautiful fish and chips, lovely atmosphere, staff very efficient and friendly, service second to none and our 2 year old made very welcome. Will be visiting again in the near future. Thankyou Empire.

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. 2019-01-24

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Decided to try Empire again (last went 6 years ago and it was terrible). After seeing Empire had been taken over by Wetherby Whaler. Only thing that resembled Wetherby Whaler was the baseball caps the staff were wearing. The service was poor as the staff were more interested in chatting to each other, instead on concentrating on the customers. The fish and chips that were served were nothing like Wetherby Whaler standards. The sooner this place is completely rebranded and some new staff the better!

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. 2019-01-19

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Went tonight only to stand waiting to be seated whilst member of staff chatted to other customers. Finally sat waiting for order to be taken whilst staff more interested in clearing and setting other tables. So we walked out and went to sun pub.

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. 2019-01-18

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live local so called in drive through had to wait ages only one car in front, quality of the fish was very poor, it went in bin, its supposed to be a wetherby whaler, well theres no comparison we use w.w. in wakefield often where the fish is lovely. get your house in order or youll have no customers left, so its tonys just up road from now on, PUT 2 SPECIALS IN TONY!.

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pethar2 . 2018-12-28

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I’ve been getting my fish and chips from the Empire since it opened. I called in this evening waited in the drive through for 15 mins with one car in front of me.The quality and portion size were very poor, chips very greasy and hard not the usual portion size, the fish was thin and greasy. I ve eaten at the wetherby whaler and never had a problem with their fish and chips . There are plenty of other fish shops in Outwood and I be will choosing one next time. Come back the previous owner.

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brianedwards2017 . 2018-12-21

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Whilst take away has been an event over many years, we ate in last week for the first time. There was a real family feel and it was a joy to see grandparents, parents and children enjoying the food and company without phones/iPads in sight !

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PCurleywakey . 2018-12-12

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Come on whetherby whaler if you have taken over make it like usual high standards of food and service you provide !!!!!!!!!!!

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Hazel S . 2018-12-12

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It been taken over by wetherby whaler, when we called they had run out of tarter sauce no slice of lemon. Chips were cold smaller fish

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Fearless31533611468 . 2018-11-14

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Thought we'd give the place a try as it had been bought by Wetherby Whaler. Good decision. Perfectly cooked haddock and chips the best I've tasted for many a year. Haddock superb, fresh and the whitest I've seen for a long time in perfect golden batter. Good service. Good to know there's something so good in our area, Looking forward to our next visit.

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david54196 . 2018-11-09

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Been away and couldn't be bothered to cook when we got home so decided on fish and chips. We ate in and had fish, chips, bread & butter and a pot of tea. I am not a fish and chip lover but I enjoyed these.

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Hazel R . 2018-11-06

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To help celebrate my birthday eight friends ,my wife and I thought it would be a change to have an evening out at our local Fish and Chip restaurant, ten of us had a lovely evening choosing various different meals all ten of us enjoyed our meals ,completed by a full range of alcohol and non alcohol drinks,the ambiance was delightful,the meals delicious,the price we all found good value and the service ,particularly by Cassie was top class .Thank you for an enjoyable experience

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Dennis F . 2018-10-09

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I think this place can be a bit hit and mis, this visit was excellent, but previous visits have been a little disappointing.

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Malcolm C . 2018-09-22

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Not often use this fish shop Tony’s not open Very disappointing poor quality food. Not recommended . no one enjoyed meal soggy fish chips not hot 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

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Hazel S . 2018-08-27

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Eaten in the restaurant and also had takeaway fish and chips. Always been good. Entertaining pictures and deco in the restaurant. It was a change to get good fish and chips and of course mushy peas.

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davidjb1 . 2018-08-20

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Poor quality fish and chips.First time I tried them was disppointed, gave them a second chance no more happy than the first time.Have to be pretty desperate to give them another go.

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thedavewmac . 2018-08-16

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Called here today, Sunday 12th Aug 2018.

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marknX826OW . 2018-08-12

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Just been to empire fish shop to have fish n chips sat outside the fish was awful we threw it away it the fish was very dry n it seemed they had re cooked it again from last night won't be going there in a hurry for a long time

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Steven P . 2018-07-18

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We have not been here for a while as we weren't happy last time we went,the meal was ok,pensioners fish,chip & mushy peas with tea & bread & butter,chips very bitty,batter on fish greasy even though we had asked for lightly battered fish it still had a lot of batter on.

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patricia f . 2018-07-01

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Visited for tea, friendly staff and fast service. Nice crispy batter and a good sized portion. Price was average. Will be back.

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pntr . 2018-06-28

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Absolutely awful service and poor food sick to Tony’s in future hope it gets taken over by wetherby whaler more expensive but worth it !!!! Do not recommend

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Hazel S . 2018-05-17

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