Harveys, Skegness

A part of the Grand Parade, Harveys has its own patio area to the side. A minimals white curved frontage has a couple of entrances painted blue flanked by columns. The interior in a large open plan room where the ceiling is supported by columns. It is set up for dining in the day and more a night club feel for the night. I didn't eat, in fact there was nobody eating here at my visit, but i can't comment on the food. The decor has brown, cream and patterned wallpaper walls, with a patterned carpet and cream ceiling. There is a side area in wood panel too. There were a lot of TVs playing various pointless stuff silently and the background music was charty. There is a pool table and a DJ area and a couple of dance floors, while the walls have bistro styled art on them and there are comfy chairs. There are loads of lights for the dance floor, fortunately not on at my visit. The service was pretty functional and there was nobody eating, drinking or in at all, apart from the staff - eerie. Beer; no real ale, all tap stuff - no MILD, so had Stone's Bitter which was ok at best A barn with little redeeming features. One for the holiday crowd that have little interest in what they drink, or seek the night-life it may well offer, but i gladly missed.

We went here to avoid the usual fayre of the wetherspoons next door and what a mistake! Mainly needing food, we looked through the menu and were initially shocked at the prices, but with everywhere busy we decided to give it a go. I had the "Rooster burger" which was described as a wonderfull freshly battered and fried chicken fillet of the highest quality served with fresh salad, onion rings and chips. And what a surprise, the most pathetic of food items I have even encountered, which must have been made from a chicklet and not a chicken, this tiny piece of rehashed, mechanically recovered trash chicken was almost impossible to find on the massive, dry bun it was served in. A mountain of chips and one onion ring accompanied. The real treat was the dry, stale salad that it was served with. The slices of cucumbers were dehydrated and the middle rings on the onion slices had grown out. The other person had what was described as an "Aberdeen Angus Burger" and in fact it was no such thing - quite obviously low quality kebab shop fayre. The cheesy garlic bread was plasticised with the lowest grade luminous orange cheese. The manager was rude when asked about the quality of the food and seemed to treat us with distain - my opinion being she knew she was trying to get away with serving piles of garbage, both verbally and culinary, knowing we were not local. A real insult. No draft ales as described - Carling is about all they serve at £3.10 a pint. Obviously we regretted our decision not to eat at the nearby whetherspoons as the generic, quality controlled and handbook-prepared food would have been pedestrian but edible. Leaving Harvey's, we noticed many an unfinished plate and we wondered why on earth we didn't spot them, and so be forwarned accordingly, prior to sitting down. Not recommended.