The Rodney in Chelmsford

Nice location and cheap, but the food was dire!! The burgers were straight out of Iceland and the buns were awful. As for the side salad, forget it!! Stick to the drinks and you'll be fine but if dining, go elsewhere

This is a unique pub which sells inexpensive/good value food, took our in-laws for an evening meal all of us enjoyed the food and drink The pub is very pretty and quaint, a free house with an excellent range of beer and cider. The landlord describes the premises as a pub which sells food I must say its worth a visit for the beer alone, good food is a bonus Despite certain reports we had a lovely chat with the owner on leaving

Nice traditional style pub but that’s where the ‘nice’ stops. We saw the board outside which was poorly written in chalk and could (we thought) just about make out they were serving food until 2.30 p.m. - perfect it was 1.15p.m plenty of time to eat and have a couple of drinks. We were met by a very glum looking Landlord, my husband was ordering the drinks and trying to make polite conversation said ‘you have a good selection of ales’ to which the glum reply was ‘I don’t know I don’t drink them’. OK it’s not what he said so much as the very glum unsmiling face - not the kind of reception you should get when entering a pub and ordering drinks. We all looked at each other but said nothing. We sat at a ‘sticky table’ (wouldn’t have mentioned that if our visit had been good) and a lady assume his wife came out and took our orders - again a glum face - didn’t smile at all. We then commented to each other how strange to have two miserable people running a pub. Food arrived we had the curries - ok tasty more like a thin soup than a curry but ok and reasonably priced. We ate the food and my husband went up to the bar to order another drink - Landlord wasn’t there because a delivery of a barrel of ale (the one he doesn’t drink😂) had turned up and he was seeing to that outside. We waited until he came back in (it was 2.35 pm) he refused to serve us another drink because he said ‘this is run as a traditional pub and we close at 2.30 pm ‘. Given the fact we had probably been waiting 5 mins or more for him to return it was very mean not to serve us another drink (clearly doesn’t want our custom). I could not stop myself saying ‘if you are running this as a traditional pub then you should have rung the bell and called last orders’ his miserable reply was ‘ I haven’t rung a bell for years’ . They could have mentioned the bar was closing shortly when our meals were served. Clearly, the Landlord does not want to encourage custom, can’t be bothered to greet people when they enter his pub (which was empty apart from us 4 - we now know why) . A shame a nice little ‘traditional looking’ pub spoilt by the Landlord having zero social skills. Needless to say would not return and advise others not to visit. Photo of board which yes we thought referred to food being served but still poorly written.

Landlord is incredibly nasty, asked if it’s dog friendly and he rolled his eyes and muttered a few nasty words under his breath, incredibly disrespectful and rude, clearly wasn’t brought up right by his parents. Embarrassing behaviour for a man clearly in his 80’s. Cannot believe terribly people like that exist. DO NOT ENTER THIS PLACE IS DREADFUL THE LANDLORD IS NOT WORTH GIVING MONEY TO

Was fairly ok. Was told no dogs in the pub rather than they are ok outside. Food was okay cheap and cheerful Thai food however. Was incredible. . Owner eventually spoke to us and was really friendly and we had a nice time in the end.

I must say…. Saw these shocking reviews and was prepared to get taken upstairs and used, but I got here and must say, it is phenomenal, CHEAP DRINKS FOR DAYS.

Actually, more a tale of a cheese sandwich and a cheese ploughman’s, but since the sandwich cost a pound more than the ploughman’s the direct comparison seems fair. I already described the miserable sandwich - cheap sliced bread with stingy filling of grated cheese - in a review of another pub for August 2023. One wonders how they had the nerve to charge £8 for it. With the Rodney’s cheese ploughman’s it was more a case of wondering how they could do it for the price of £7. The Rodney’s ploughman’s comprised half a small baguette, generous portions of cheddar and butter, two small pickled onions, plenty of chutney in a separate pot, together with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radishes, celery, salad onions, coleslaw and potato salad, with dressing and mayonnaise available. An excellent snack lunch for a hot summer’s day.

Rude owner. Visited this pub with family and friends, the service I received from this guy was shocking and rude. First round.. he just stood there looking at me, didn’t say “hi” or “hello what can I get you” a bit uncomfortable. Second round… caught him and a regular lady at the bar laughing and effing &crittising my family member who ordered drinks that he didn’t really want to serve ( 4 glasses of pimms) In the past I’ve asked him to warm my babies milk with “no” being the answer. Eaten the Thai food which was lovely apart from the rice which was frozen in the middle. Overall a poorly fronted establishment by a rude man who swears allot and clearly doesn’t want your trade again.

We have always attended The Rodney Beer Festival after frequently staying in Danbury over the years! Don’t know why we bother! After years of the landlords rudeness today just topped it off! Never will we return again! On arrival we waited at the bar - “Hi” I said with a smile “can I order a jug of pimms” (we were planning on spending the evening drinking pimms and enjoying the summers evening! Wa told by the bar lady “oh you have thrown me there I’ll get the landlord to do it” he then walks into the bar and says “I don’t have f!!!ing time to do that!” I asked if we could just have two pimms and without a smile or a reasoning as to why it would be so difficult he threw the drinks at us! When we went back for more every single time we were made to feel like we were doing something wrong by asking for pimms! Couldn’t deal with giving us a real drink he put pimms and lemonade in the glasses and then proceeded to mumble complaints about serving us! We were with a large group and probably in total with all our food and drinks spent 400 (one of our party waited two hours for three portions of chips) in there! I’ll never give this man another penny of my money nor step foot in there! If you want mediocre food, to be made to feel very unwelcome and thoroughly spoil your evening then by all means go for it! Otherwise give it the widest berth you possibly can!

Great little village pub & food Love the traditional style pub inside with amazing beer garden and safe space for kids to play when adults have a beer . Food is good and a great choice available for a village pub . I read the other reviews and just giggle with the comments You got to remember this is a free house pub not a massive chain.

Well almost got in, then was turned back by the signs, no muddy boots, no dogs. Seeing as I had just been walking my dog and fancied a nice pint and some lunch. So i headed home instead. It never surprises me how many ways a business can think of ways to turn customers away. Very short-sighted and just poor business practice. So it's hard to leave a good review if you are not actually allowed in.

So going to be a bit harsh here as we only had a baguette at lunch time, but how hard is it to get that right especially when there are only about 10 people in the place. Hubby had a cheese and tomatoes roll and I had blt. Rolls were part baked packet rolls that hadn't been cooked long enough, 1.5 rashers of bacon, poor quality, 2 slices of tomato, supposed to be served with coleslaw and dorritos type crisp. The cheese was the ore grated stuff that tastes. Of nothing, no butter, a teaspoon of coleslaw and a handful of crumpled up crisps form the bottom of a pack. It was so poor we laugh about it. I wouldn't pay but hubby did and just said we won't go back.

What a poor welcome from the bar man. Unsmiling and unhelpful. I asked which ale was closest to IPA, and he said 'I don't drink them'. Trying again , 'It's a lovely day' and he said 'too cold. I hate scraping the car'. Anyway, a good selection of ale (from the Witham Brewery) and I enjoyed my pint. He said the beer changes regularly. Background music. 4G or WiFi. All nice. Plenty of parking.

I used to live in Chelmsford many moons ago sore,ember Ed this little pub from way back. After ai impromptu walk along the nearby river and a walk around Danbury lakes we made a beeline for this quaint little pub and was pleased to find a table outside in the garden as the weather was so good for a late September day. I fancied a roast and it didn’t disappoint. The meat was tender and not at all fatty, the potatoes as crispy and fresh as you’d get at home (which I find is rare), and the veg lovely. The sausage and mash was also really good. When we got the bill we were so pleasantly surprised, it was such great value. Thoroughly recommend this idyllic little country pub. Gorgeous garden and good menu. If you like a curry i’d Recommend this place too. There were quite a few on the menu.

Traditional pub, good beer, good food. Don’t expect wonders but it punches above its weight especially as a quaint pub.

A lovely old country pub, spotlessly clean and interesting with good well kept ales. Good sized garden. We will be returning.

Strangest pub experience ever experienced. Unfriendly but slowly warming staff. Food was bizarre. Lasagna was sheets of pasta and minced meat and very little else. Nice selection of beers and garden was very pleasant. Toilets, felt like a crime scene. Odd.

50 minute wait after order placed. Hadn't visited in years and if today is anything to go by, should have left it longer. A truly dreadful experience which won't be repeated

A group of us visited after a long country walk. We booked the table in advance, but unusually even had to book what we wanted to eat as well. I thought that was odd, but at least we didn’t have to wait hours for food when we arrived as some reviewers had to do, so maybe they’re trying to improve on that. Unfortunately, despite arriving just before the booked time, much of the food was lukewarm at best having presumably been cooked sometime earlier and left standing there until we arrived. One of our party had their meal served before she’d even sat down! Staff were unbelievably rude and unpleasant, slamming down placemats and cutlery because we’d had the audacity to sit differently to how they’d laid out the table. They even refused to serve one of us half a pint at 2pm “because they were closing!” The door sign said they closed at 2.45pm!! Does it take over 45 minutes to serve half a pint?? Food was basic at best. Burgers were served in plain unbuttered rolls which were borderline stale and were accompanied by literally six barely cooked chips. We shan’t be returning and would urge anyone who wants a decent meal and a warm welcome to stay well away from the place.

The Rodney is a lovely pub - shame about the landlord and landlady. I've never encountered such a pair of miserable people. As front of house to a pub, they need lessons on how to be welcoming to their customers. I think the landlady - owner whatever, needs to learn how to smile. It's actually more difficult to not smile. Her husband was too busy doing a crossword to even notice me across the bar, so I had to literally shout to be served. My jacket potato (which I had to order 2.5 hours prior to eating) was served before I even got into the restaurant so I had to send it back to be reheated. It wasn't even very nice. The side salad was ok though. Other people's food in our party was memorable - but for the wrong reasons! Being refused another drink at 2 in the afternoon won't gain them any customers either. Needless to say, I won't be going back to The Rodney. I'm glad it's not my local, which incidentally is the White Lion at Fobbing - a pub I can thoroughly recommend and a real contrast to The Rodney in every way.

Visited on Saturday with three friends and our three dogs, waited over 1.2 hours for our food to arrive. It did state in the menu that there could be a little wait to due the fresh food prepared, good grief how hard is it to...

Awful…. really awful. Three of us popped in for lunch, there was only one couple in there in front of us. Ordered our food and was told there would be a little wait. Well the little wait turned into over an hour. I went into...

Really nice old pub Lovely home cooked Sunday roast lunch and desserts very nice garden for the summer very nice lady and Gentleman that run its we will be back soon

Two of us out for a long walk dropped in for a couple of pints of very good beer. The pub has lots of charm and character but was empty . We felt hungry and took a chance on the quite big but interesting menu....

Staff - rude: Me: I’ll have the omelette, please Landlord: With what? Me: What are the options? Landlord: What it says on the menu. Although the waiter was polite. Food - terrible Looooong wait for food - we were the only people in the place...

Pre-booked table for 10 and only one other table of three in the pub when we arrived. Landlord was just plain rude for no apparent reason. Took our orders with his back to us. Wasn’t happy having to repeat the side dish options. Food took...

It was a beautiful warm sunny day when we as a family decided to have a pub lunch. Everything was fine when we arrived, there was plenty of seating in the pub gardens and menus on the tables. There was not many customers, so we...

Fantastic village pub with lovely cask ales and delicious home cooked food. The Thai dishes are amazing. The landlord and landlady are great too. Invest some time getting to know the owners and the locals and the experience is great!

After having seen some of the reviews here I felt strongly to leave our review! Having recently moved to the village, we’ve been delighted to regularly order delicious, authentic Thai cuisine from The Rodney. We know our Thai and it’s delicious - lovely side dishes...

A pub taking covid seriously. Wonderful garden. We felt safe and welcomed by landlady. Enjoyed the beer a good sandwich. Left feeling more normal. We will return!!Thank you!

Having lived in the village for 40 years and have visited the Rodney every 8 years or so to see if it had improved to no avail a friend and myself tried it and surprise surprise the first 2 weeks were OK 1st week a...

Visited on a sunny lunchtime in mid September. Have driven past before but never gone in. Had also been put off a bit by the reviews! To be honest we'd popped in the pub up the road but had come away as the wait on...

Stopped here for lunch as it looked a really nice pub, went inside where there was only one customer, the barman didn't greet us gave us our drinks and took our food order. We ate in the garden (which is very pretty), food was bought...

Despite being a beautiful pub in a great location, it was one of the most unfriendliest and unwelcoming places I’ve ever been. The extremely grumpy bartender made it perfectly clear we were putting him out by asking to buy a drink. We very quickly left....

We attended the open gardens on Saturday in the village which was fabulous. The Rodney was highlighted on the map and having previously had great experiences at the general's Arms up the road, we assumed this would be equally good. How wrong we were. We...

Really enjoyed an evening with my family highly recommend for a family afternoon lovely staff very welcoming

We went here this afternoon and ordered some drinks which we took into the garden as we had our dog with us. After about half an hour we ordered a ham ploughman’s and a cheese ploughman’s. We were told that there was a bit of a wait but didn’t ask how long. After almost an hour, there was still no sign of our food so my other half went and asked how long it might be. The guy behind the bar had forgotten to put our order through and said it would be about ten minutes because they had to heat the bread up. Another twenty minutes passed and finally our food arrived! There was no apology from the cook whatsoever. All she said was that it wasn’t her fault and she couldn’t do anything about it. She was really rude and offhand. About two minutes after we’d finished she was out collecting our plates. Pity the food didn’t arrive as quickly! The food was actually very nice but we won’t be going back there to eat. The pub owners need to learn some basic skills in customer relations. Very poor service.

I agree that this is a pub not a restaurant so cannot expect chef cooking. However the menu stated plum sauce to go with my duck. What I got was stewed plums in water. I was told,very rudely,that this was a new recipe and that everyone else liked it. I suspect that nobody else dared to complain! It was late in the day and it may be that the last remnants of the sauce had been stretched for my meal. The rest of the meal was pretty average and I would not rush back here. It was the breath taking rudeness of the cook that really took the biscuit. Basil Fawlty eat your heart out!!

We always enjoy our visits to the Rodney. Service is very good and personal and food is cooked fresh and delicious. Would always recommend The Rodney.

We did a lovely 3.5 mile walk around Paperlock Mill, then wanted to have a bite to eat, the Tearoom there was packed, so decided to drive to the nearest Pub, which was The Rodney. Beautiful setting, nice garden if you have a dog. A few picnic tables. Unfortunatley we were made to feel uncomfortable upon ordering drinks, from the not so friendly landlord, and then ordered food, which took nearly an hour to arrive. Three sandwiches and a ploughmans. My husband, at one point did check when food would be arriving, and was told when ready. The tuna sandwiches were on lovely bread, and good filling. But ashame the staff not very friendly. I work in a large restaurant, and service with a smile goes a long way.

We visited here today on a circular walk and were a bit hesitant after the bad reviews. I’m so glad we didn’t let them stop us!! My husband went in to order while I sat in the really lovely garden with the dog, a G&T; for me and a Peroni for him. He was faced with a choice of 12 gins! Panic set in so we swapped places while I looked at the G&T; menu and the 6 choices of tonic!! The landlord was really nice and friendly and the pub looked like a pub should do!! I grabbed a food menu and paid for our drinks and took our seats outside. Hubby ordered a cheese ploughman’s and me a tuna sandwich. Yes it took 45 minutes to come, we weren’t worried as it’s been a lovely day and it meant we had another drink! The tiptree rhubarb gin is delicious! The lady that brought the food to us was chatty and friendly and had made the best chips ever!! Proper chips peeled and cut to order and freshly fried, none of that triple cooked rubbish!! The ploughman’s was a really good portion and had some pasta with peas and potato salad with it. My sandwich was really lovely with fantastic thick cut crusty white bread and a few of these chips on the side. Excellent value at I think £3.75!! We were friendly and got warmth back. I commented on the amazing chips when I took our glasses back in and the landlord seemed genuinely happy with my comments. We would definitely go back, we are very fussy when eating out as I am a keen baker/bread maker and general all round cook so we like nice food when we go out. My husband often says eating out is a disappointment as it’s so good at home! I’d say ignore the reviews and decide for yourself. Thankyou to The Rodney for our lovely lunch! We will be back soon

Never stop here!! We ordered food (3 ploughman’s & a sausage sandwich), which took an hour to arrive, & when mentioning this to the waitress she nearly bit my head off! The food was poor! The service was poor, but on a positive the dog enjoyed his water.And they wonder why country pubs are closing! I agree with the previous review, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!

From the unfriendly “welcome” to the less than mediocre food our visit here was appalling. We had the audacity to order drinks and food when we arrived which was clearly an absolute nuisance to the landlord. When we arrived the pub had one table occupied inside and six outside. (Not all customers were awaiting food) We ordered seven sandwiches, a ploughman’s and four bowls of chips and were told it would be an hour and a half wait which we were shocked about due to the fact that the place was at best a third full. Our food arrived two hours later and was average to say the least. The chips were almost cold as were the sausages in the sandwiches. If you fancy a trip to Little Baddow avoid this pub and landlord and take a picnic. Quite why someone is in this industry when they clearly hate human beings is a mystery.

We went for the first time recently. Not the most friendly staff but there was nothing to really complain about. The food was all nice and cooked fresh and the prices are very reasonable.

Great location - but the service from the landlord is dreadful. He opens when he wants and is grumpy all the time - you really need to consider a change of career!

A small country pub with the wood panelled walls decorated with banknotes and pump clips. There is a large garden with nice views. There was a choice of three cask ales and a cider, my selection being a pint of Victoria Bitter from the Earl Soham brewery which was very acceptable. We didn't eat, but a look at the menu showed that most of the meals were under £10 with Thai choices alongside classic pub favourites.

This isn't my first review of the Rodney (see below) but I'm taking the trouble to review it again now because it seems to receive such unfair treatment on Tripadvisor.

Visitamos el molino de papel de bloqueo y encontré este pub en el camino a casa. Queríamos tomar un bocado y un trago para ahorrar cocinar en casa.

Excepcional ubicación preciosa jardines y antiguo estilo pub. Pero lo que es con el chef y propietario, señora muy displicente pub * aunque estaba vacía*. Pareció que era un obstáculo. La comida era mínima, pero a un alto costo. No me importa si señora hablaba un poco de chef, pero sólo nos pregunta si y rumor de sí o no, así que no pude ni huelga una conversación, incluso encargado estaba más interesado en su fútbol en la televisión en otro bar que hablar nosotros. Nos fuimos muy decepcionados y estafados en cuanto a precio y en cuanto a la comida tailandesa o vietnamita platos de cordero, así no era. Añadiendo dosis de limón no hacen un plato tailandés.

Arrived for lunch with friends, fantastic food freshly cooked and plentiful, shame about the ambience of the place and the surly landlord.

En realidad este pub después de visitar la cerradura papermill que estaba tan ocupado. Así que resultó de la ronda coche porque parecía atractiva. Pub muy tradicional con un precioso jardín bien cuidado. Es así que cierto lo que las personas han escrito sobre los propietarios que no tienen hospitalidad en absoluto! ! ! Era como si los clientes eran una carga para su día. Hemos esperado demasiado tiempo para una plowman y fuimos los primeros clientes para pedir comida. Sin embargo la comida era por lo tanto el resultado era bueno ¿Por qué 2 y no 1, pero es una lástima que sobre los anfitriones y su servicio.

Una fantástica relación calidad-precio para una casa muy sabroso, cocinado la comida de Navidad. Había una opción de tres o cuatro artículos para cada uno de los tres campos. El pavo, el salmón y la pierna de cordero eran excelentes y servida en generosas porciones con verduras variadas. Entrantes y postres también eran caseras y todo muy sabroso. Para rematar, café, tartas caseras y Misa del gallo también estaban incluidas. menta Rodney es muy bonito, un pub tradicional en una buena ubicación. Nos quedamos muy contentos con la comida, el servicio y quedamos muy impresionados por la buena relación calidad-precio.

Pero a pesar de intentó visitar comprobando previamente que este pub permitiría perros en que nos encontramos con una respuesta negativa y maleducado a nuestra quien pregunta. También nos dijeron que podíamos ir en el jardín, pero si queríamos comida tendríamos que esperar ya que ya estaban haciendo 9 comidas.

I have only written one review before when I was totally incensed by the way my wife and I were treated in a pub in Lavenham,Essex.This time can only say what a great pub The Rodney is.Had a drink lunchtime ordered a pint of bitter and a large red wine and it was unquestionably good value,returned in the evening for a meal,two mains and desserts plus 3 large glasses of decent red wine and still had change from forty pounds,food was exceptional and service was great.I can't believe some of these reviews they must have been in a different pub or it's a competitor.I wouldn't hesitate to go back.

No tengo nada más que alabanzas y gracias por una comida estupenda en el Rodney. Me pregunto si los revisores que alegó que el propietario y su mujer eran miserables son miserables ellos mismos. Mi esposa y yo cenamos en una noche muy caliente jueves sentado en el jardín disfrutando de una botella de Pouilly humos mientras disfruta de una excelente tortilla de patatas, manzana y ruibarbo (cada una) y luego café. Ni siquiera preguntó el precio del vino cuando ordene (demasiado desesperado para quedarnos atrapados en!), así que imagínate mi sorpresa cuando estábamos sólo cobraba £32 y 52 centavos por el extraño algunos mucho. Quizás el propietario cometió un error y, si no, siento que no preguntamos, ya no me gusta pensar que me había librado con underpaying para tales una experiencia excelente. Estábamos en un viaje de negocios anual, pero seguro que volveré el próximo año.

This is in lovely Little Baddow, a great pub with a gorgeous large garden which gets a lot of sun on a nice day. Old fashioned pub with old fashioned pub food. The food is great, home made and good quality even though basic. The prices are fantastic - £5 for a meal. It is cooked to order not just put in the microwave so you do have a wait for it - ie about half an hour. The portions are proper portions - ie not piled high with chips and junk, just good food without the huge amount on the plate you get in most places to justify their prices. Love it, good for parking too

Worst lunch ever - expensive, tiny portion with slow service grumpy bar man and cook - no wonder the pub was empty. Miserable service with miserable food!

We visited the Rodney for lunch and requested two ham ploughmans, a lemonade and appletize with one ice cube(as I didn't want it too watered down). The appletize came with no ice, when asked for a cube, was told by the miserable bar man, he had given me one which must have melted. He proceeded to put in ice shards (no wonder they had melted). The worst ploughmans I have ever had, was brought up by a miserable woman, which consisted of a slice of ham, tea spoon of coleslaw, half a pickled onion and a shaving of celery with a piece of lettuce that, if I had sneezed, would have blown if the plate, it was so small. Would never go back there again!

Lovely little pub in Little Baddow village. Food is gorgeous fresh home cooked food at an affordable price. Pub has a pool table and darts in 1 side of the bar and the other side is bar and restaurant. Do lots of different real ales. Huge beer garden with is great in the summer! Greeted by friendly people, atmosphere is great

I decided to visit The Rodney in Little Baddow as it appears to be one of the nicest settings for a spot of lunch and a drink with a lady. We arrived to be greeted with a fairly uncomfortable reception as we requested the food menu, as we were both extremely hungry...We were given a menu, and quickly decided to each get a baguette and chips, and a drink. Again, when ordering drinks we didn't feel too comfortable, as we said we would be sitting outside, but anyway, the weather was banging, so we were still optimistic. After waiting about 20 mins, for two baguettes and chips, our food arrived, with one of the baguettes slipping onto the table outside as it was being served, with no apology to follow.It was more like, 'here you go' before the person serving the food disappeared as I requested ketchup, to which the server replied 'im busy, you'll have to come inside and get it yourself' which is awful customer service in anyones eyes...For that alone, we definitely won't be going back, which is a real shame because the setting is perfect for a sunny day. This place seems to be called the 'RODNEY' for a reason, terrific service but run by a bunch of plonkers!

We visited after a summer evening walk, never been in the Rodney before. The place was empty at 8.30. We had a drink while the grumpy landlord grumbled to himself as he tidied up and glared at us a couple of times. I tried to start a conversation but was interrupted by him saying he was closing up at 9pm as there was no point staying open and there was a programme on TV he wanted to see. He then glared at us as if to say get a move on then. We finished our drinks and left. He locked the door behind us. Why do people like him continue in a job he obviously doesn't want to do???

Nice pub in Little Baddow, in beautiful gardens and surroundings. Perfect after a long walk or cycle ride in the countryside. Olde Worlde pub with ales and home cooked food. The gravy with our roast lamb was made from all the juices and the meat was beautifully lean and tender with all the trimmings. We were just able to make room for pudding!

The notice on the door says "no muddy boots or dogs" it may as well say "no people". This couple clearly find customers a nuisance especially when they want food. Fortunately I didn't choose the diluted or maybe just very watery celery soup but an omelette with salad. This came with a small portion of frozen rice which I quickly noticed could be a health hazard and removed it to the empty soup bowl vacated by my friend's half a bowl of soup. It provided a few laughs afterwards - could be used for a comedy on the lines of fawlty towers! Not such a laugh whilst there - can't remember when I last met such an unhappy pair - won't be rushing back for more!

2nd pub we have been to in this village as thinking of moving here. The landlord was rude no smiles and grummbled. Infact I wish we just told him where to go and left, but had 2 boys with us and we too were hungary. I had a large Chardonnay but returned it due to it being off which was replaced with a Pinot which didn't taste much better and the glass was filthy due to their dishwasher. We sat at a table and besides another table with a couple we were the only customers. At first we were going to just drink up and go somewhere else because of the attitude, but seeing the other plates of food on the other table thought may as well. The food was ok nothing special, but took ages to come out. This place is very dated, the landlord and his wife need to cheer up and learn how to deal with their paying customers, and a bit of pride in the cleanliness wouldn't go a miss. Won't be going here again!!

We have been there three times now and while the food is just about adequate, the service has been surly bordering on the down right rude. The landlord and landlady act as if they don't like people and don't need customers. Shan't be going again. My advice, go to The Bell or The General's Arms.

Think he must be running this place, it's got a decent local vibe to it but the food is frankly disgusting, small portions thank goodness, but seems to be stuck in the seventies, they really need to get out and sample the local competition to bring themselves upto date!

I often visit the Rodney. It's not a "gastropub"; it offers a limited range of English "pub classic" dishes and snacks (e.g. gammon steak, all-day breakfast, ploughman's, sandwiches, apple pie, etc), prepared to a high standard and at a reasonable price. As some of the other reviews point out, if you expect a smarmy and garrulous landlord to dance attendance on you from the moment you walk through the door, then this is probably not the pub for you. But if you just want to enjoy a decent pint of real ale (there are usually 3 on offer, and usually at least one from an Essex brewer) and a tasty lunch in very pleasant surroundings (the beer garden is one of the best in Essex), you could do a lot worse.

We visited this pub yesterday in a group of four, absolutely taken with the picturesque setting and a pretty pub. Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired and frankly turned a lovely day out into something sour and regrettable.When we arrived the pub had only four patrons and we soon discovered why this was. The proprietors (particularly the lady) was extremely curt and seemed to be put out by our presence. It seems strange that only one other couple was in the garden and we saw no other people whilst we were there. However, the food was rather nice so the empty pub on a lunch time really speaks volumes. One member of the party ordered a drink which came out extremely late and when politely reminded the proprietor said abruptly that she 'had only one pair of hands' (this was after waiting quite a while). The lady was also rude to other customers who also politely had to remind the staff about their order. The service was so bad that we wanted to leave but had already ordered so were stuck there. We will certainly not be going back to this establishment, nor recommending it. Unless you want to pay for rude service by staff who treat you like a nuisance, don't visit here. Such a shame as the area really is very lovely and we were having a really good day. I would advise those looking to buy a pub to ensure they are people friendly before doing so.

We weren't made to feel welcome by either of the two staff who served us. The food service was very slow, despite few other customers and when the food arrived the quantity and quality could have done with improvement. The garden is nice though!

Visited the Rodney hoping to get a table for Sunday lunch. Not many cars in car park so feeling hopeful...... Only one party of 4 in the pub who were leaving as we arrived. Feeling very hopeful.... however, Ignored by landlord who after waiting some time, looked at me and then disappeared into a back room. Spotted the landlady clearing the only used table and asked if they were dog friendly. "NO WE ARE NOT" she replied in less than friendly manner. We were not surprised by the unfriendly welcome as we have been subjected to same surely service a few years ago when visiting. Their behaviour is so shocking and bizarre it's almost humorous. Worth visiting just for the entertainment

Walking from Danbury to Paper Mill lock decided to stop at this pub for lunch. Staff were unfriendly and slow to serve. Food was ok and reasonably priced, but we were made to feel as welcome as a bed sore. Contrast the excellent sevice down at Paper Mill Lock and I know where I will be visiting when next in the area.

A great traditional pub, food was nice. However the we all felt like we were just an inconvenience. Grumpy landlord and cook/waitress. Cut our stay short to find a better happier pub.

Had yeast sedament in beer. Staff said it was because "it was real ale"..Behave..its because your lines are NOT clean! Duh!

This was our first visit to The Rodney and will probably be our last. Lovely little old fashioned pub with a reasonably priced menu but the most unwelcoming landlord we have ever come across! We were actually made to feel that we were a complete nuisance just by being there! The food was okay but nothing special. I simply cannot believe that people working in the hospitality field could be so void of a smile, personality or welcoming word!! Heaven above knows how this pub has survived under the management of such unfriendly folk!

We popped into The Rodney for lunch, Ok the landlord is not the friendliest, but the beer was good and the wine was good value. Both meals were home cooked and very enjoyable. Will certainly be back.

Lovely fresh cooked meals to order with meat bought from the local butcher. Very reasonably priced. The mother's day meal looked lovely too £12 for 3 courses so I have dropped hints for a return visit then.

The Parish website states Little Baddow is a haven for walkers; not as far as The Rodney is concerned. Big signs on the door state no muddy boots and no dogs, thank goodness we had already stopped for a pint at The Generals Arms up the road which was welcoming, dog/muddy boot friendly and had an impressive reasonably priced menu.

No welcome not unless you count 'food finishes in 10 minutes'. Basic uninspiring menu - never seen chips referred to as a garnish before. All became clear when my baguette finally arrived with 5 chips on the side. Bacon was fairly awful as were the chips. Shan't be rushing back here. Waitress/cook just as unfriendly. It's almost as if the customers are an inconvenience to them.

Went for lunch, no welcome, to be fair though the landlord was munching as we went in!We were told the menus were 'over there' Nothing in any shape or form were we made to feel welcome.Ordered our drinks and my husband commented on 'happy bloke isn't he'We had lunch which was ok, landlady just as unfriendly.They probably own the pub outright so don't really need the funds from customers. We won't be going back, don't think the publicans would give a stuff anyway.

This place has so much potentially, with the best pub garden I know!Unfortunately this place is run by grumpy and rude people who do not have the time of day for any customers.I have lived in Little Baddow for 15 years and I have never know The Rodney to be any good.The food is horrible and wouldn't recommend anyone going there. Someone please take this place over and turn it into a classy pub with friendly owners!

My dad and I did a walk today, starting and finishing at The Rodney. We parked in the car park around 10.45am, and tried to get an answer at the pub to ask if it was ok to leave the car but it was closed. Off we went to do our walk, Looking forward to a nice spot of lunch at at the Rodney afterwards. On completing our walk, we were disappointed to see that despite the website saying they welcomed ramblers, the sign on the door said no muddy boots, and also no dogs. Luckily, the weather was fine, so we weren't muddy and could sit outside with the dog.Dad went into order a couple of drinks and to get a food menu. The surly man at the bar, presumably the landlord, begrudgingly looked up from his crossword. Dad asked for a pint of lager, a lime and soda and a diet coke to be told 'beers in that bar.' The same man then went into the other bar to get it. Dad asked for a tray, which got plonked down on the counter, and he had to put his own drinks on it.We had planned to eat there, but the guy at the bar had been so unwelcoming, and the menu uninspiring (sandwiches - white bread only), we finished our drinks and went to the Generals Arms up the road, which was excellent.

Visited the pub for dinner, the food was nice and good service plus the landlord was very friendly. We will be back soon..

I really like the Rodney, nice and quiet with a lovely garden which is really peaceful.I have only ever stopped off here for a drink or 2 and a quick bite to eat - and I would agree with the other reviewer that the home cooked what seems like double cooked real chips are just like my mums - the best !Ok the landlord isn't the biggest talker but he isn't rude, just quiet. So what if he isn't doing the fake chatting thing ? I'm there for a drink not a chat.If the pub was closer it would probably be my local.

We were a group of 18 who had booked in advance (1 week at least). Service was awful. No smiles from the landlord or landlady. Admittedly she was very overworked as it seems she did all the cooking and waitressing with no help from anyone. Our orders came in a most haphazard way with an omelette and chips being the last order to arrive 2 HOURS after ordering! The food was OK but vegetables were just blanched not even parboiled (and I like mine al dente). Wouldn't recommend for a meal but probably OK if you like beer.

I took my mother to The Rodney today and husband, the pub is really lovely and quaint, but the food was diabolical, we had a fair wait but didn't think that was too much of a problem.I ordered Rump steak and chips, thought you cant go wrong with that, I don't know what sort of meat it was but it wasn't rump steak, but the weirdest part was it came with boiled carrots, leeks, and parsnips, I thought when it said rump steak chips, mushrooms and tomato and veg that it would probably come with peas!!My mother had lasagne with the same vegetables,and chips the lasagne had no tomato in it! just tasteless mince with one piece of pasta and chips, leeks, carrots and parsnips.My Husband had a so called pork fillet with crackling and fat, along with guess what vegetables, leeks, carrots and parsnips and a few chips.These people do not know how to cook and not once were we asked did we enjoy the meal or was everything alright, I think they have probably learnt their lesson in the past on asking that one.I know a lot of ramblers go to this pub, can I just say be warned, if you like leeks with no gravy aong with parsnips and carrots enjoy!

Well i have to be truthful. great location lovley pub with a lovely garden. The food was fine . BUT The person behind the bar PLEASE SMILE . PLEASE TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. IVE NEVER KNOWN A PERSON SO UNFRIENDLY. The person who was serving our food didnt look happy at all. Not once did anyone come out and ask us if everything was ok. When we left no one said thank you to us or said good bye. Sorry about this but i do feel that if the people who own this place was more friendly to their customers and smiled and talked more then this place would be very busy.

Popped in the Rodney Pub yesterday and had a lovely Omlette and Chips nice meal friendly pub - would definately go there again. Good for couples and families

This small country pub is in a modernised 17th century farmhouse but has been a pub for a long, long while. There is a small bar and a small restaurant that the pub modestly calls 'an eating area'. It's all very traditional but the whole place is bright and shining like a new pin. It has a good size car park in front and a nice lawn for sitting out in the summer.The bar carries a good range of about a dozen beers. The menu varies and is largely based on local produce. Everything is cooked to order by the landlady so you may have to wait for half an hour to get your food. It's plain food, nourishing and modestly priced. It's closed on Mondays except bank holidays.