Are Carvery Lunches a thing of the past? (Someone can't handle their portions!)

Jennehy · 27-07-2018 11:59PM

Under His Eye wrote: »

What is the procedure with carvery places?

Is it a self serve procedure like in a prison or do they bring you the plate of food as ordered?

1/10

Autochange · 28-07-2018 12:06AM

The problem is still the Jews thinking they own the entire state. They would slaughter every man woman and child if they could get away with it.

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-07-2018 12:07AM

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Coillte_Bhoy · 28-07-2018 12:10AM

Patww79 wrote: »

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Surely you mean 'meal' ?

Coillte_Bhoy · 28-07-2018 12:11AM

Autochange wrote: »

The problem is still the Jews thinking they own the entire state. They would slaughter every man woman and child if they could get away with it.

So thats the roast pork off the menu then?

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-07-2018 12:13AM

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Atlantic Dawn · 28-07-2018 12:20AM

Have to try The Yacht's carvery, not been there since it changed hands all those years ago but back then it was bloody delish.

_Dara_ · 28-07-2018 01:01AM

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

The Yacht in clontarf is booming they cannot dish out the food fast enough.

Most don't even bother getting a full portion because a half portion is so big.

There maybe a snobbery about some people these days who prefer to go to a place to be seen, rather then get a decent feed.

Those who say this place is 'to die for' in some fancy restaurant so they can tell thier friends they were there.

A place where you see plenty of plate a little bit of sauce drizzled on it.

But unlike a carvery you might leave the place still hungry with a much lighter pocket!

The carvery's are always there the same popular ones are still going strong as far as I can see.

I can think of only one occasion that I left a restaurant hungry in Ireland. Portions are huge in this country. You don’t need to go to a carvery to get a big meal. I go for half portions when I find myself in a carvery. The full size meal is far too much food. I’d rather a bit more finesse and the size of the meal will be ample still. I’m not talking Michelin star quality. Just a bit more attention paid to the food. I worked in a carvery pub once. There’s something mighty unappetising about seeing vacuum-packed roast potatoes and carrot batons arrive in the kitchen every morning.

freshpopcorn · 28-07-2018 01:05AM

_Dara_ wrote: »

There’s something mighty unappetising about seeing vacuum-packed roast potatoes and carrot batons arrive in the kitchen every morning.

I am aware of this being done in hotels with star ratings for vegetables/etc as part of the main meal. It's not just a carvery thing.

_Dara_ · 28-07-2018 01:05AM

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Halfway House on Navan Road side of Phoenix Park used do a savage carvery. Anyone know if it is still going?

Still going strong but nothing out of the ordinary. The standard carvery experience.

_Dara_ · 28-07-2018 01:13AM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I am aware of this being done in hotels with star ratings for vegetables/etc as part of the main meal. It's not just a carvery thing.

I’m sure it does happen elsewhere. And it’ll be obvious when it does when it comes to roast spuds anyway. It’s easy enough to tell. Mass catering events at hotels will take that shortcut for weddings, debs and the like.

Individual restaurants don’t do it as much. I've prepped veg at some.

Some people tend to scoff and say “lol, everywhere does that, carvery food is the same as what you are served at higher priced restaurants” as if they are so clever and we’re all being duped. But not every restaurant does it and it’s not that hard to tell the difference. You don’t need a sophisticated palette to know.

freshpopcorn · 28-07-2018 01:18AM

_Dara_ wrote: »

I’m sure it does happen elsewhere. And it’ll be obvious when it does when it comes to roast spuds anyway. It’s easy enough to tell. Mass catering events at hotels will take that shortcut for weddings, debs and the like.

Individual restaurants don’t do it as much. I've prepped veg at some.

Some people tend to scoff and say “lol, everywhere does that, carvery food is the same as what you are served at higher priced restaurants” as if they are so clever and we’re all being duped. But not every restaurant does it and it’s not that hard to tell the difference. You don’t need a sophisticated palette to know.

I'm not denying that.
I'm aware off people who say oh I'd never touch a carvery. It's muck/etc.
However they eat food out of restaurants and food is kept in the bain marie in the kitchen instead of public but it's always so much fresher to them.(Just in my experience)

_Dara_ · 28-07-2018 01:30AM

Dial Hard wrote: »

And I'd prefer a good steak, cooked to order, to any of those things.

It's weird how defensive people get over carvery on these threads.

I know, right? Where are people getting these tiny portions? If I get more than one course in a restaurant in Ireland, I’ll generally be getting a doggy bag as standard. Portions are huge.

There's always a false dichotomy presented in these threads: carvery or tiny portions of pretentious food. I’ll have neither, thanks! :cool:

Grandeeod · 28-07-2018 01:41AM

murpho999 wrote: »

Give an example of a place that you think serves "pretentious" food.

I enjoy a Carvery dinner. I love all kinds of food, from fine dining right the way down to a simple ****ty takeaway. I also cook a lot. Different scenarios result in different tastes to satisfy your palate. To answer your question.

All Dublin based and from experience.

The Greenhouse. (Sweet holy fook.)
Luna. (Plays to a crowd of its own.)
Thorntons. (deservedly closed.)

I could add more lessor known places, but they have closed down already. Dublin is probably still full of restaurants that I would find "pretentious" and I'm sure I'll eventually find them. I agree that tastes and expectations have changed over the years and there are some great value for money food experiences to be had. But as long as the chippers and fast food joints continue to exist, the Carvery will live on in its little niche market and I've no problem with that. It serves a purpose.

whisky_galore · 28-07-2018 01:50AM

murpho999 wrote: »

Give an example of a place that you think serves "pretentious" food.

You're just pissed off that the lowly carvery is more popular than you assumed.:pac:

Naw, not going to bother....

Ush1 · 28-07-2018 07:24AM

People saying it's healthy are kidding themselves. The gravy does be laced with salt and butter, spuds with cream etc... But it's tasty. Not something I'd get too often.

Yamanoto · 28-07-2018 08:28AM

Grey roast beef as succulent as an office carpet tile & veg that's been industrially steamed for 83 hours prior to service.

This swill apparently constitutes a 'savage feed' to a bafflingly high proportion of Irish folks.

spurious · 28-07-2018 08:35AM

Pawwed Rig wrote:

Halfway House on Navan Road side of Phoenix Park used do a savage carvery. Anyone know if it is still going?

Certainly was a couple of months ago. I can't see why they would stop it. The Yacht in Clontarf is another one.

dudara · 28-07-2018 08:37AM

A good carvery lunch can really hit the spot at times. The quality of the vegetables is the biggest letdown in most spots though. It wouldn’t be my every day cup of tea but it’s nice to enjoy one with my parents.

The worst part of carveries is walking into the pub hours later and smelling the damn carvery still in the air.

salmocab · 28-07-2018 08:38AM

I'm no fan of carverys, I'm in my early 40s and in my last job I was surprised that most of the apprentices would regularly talk about a good carvery at the weekend, there was a handful of them that werent friends outside of work and they would say that they had been for one at the weekend. I put it down to having working parents so big sunday dinners were a thing of the past at home.

_Brian · 28-07-2018 08:44AM

Jennehy wrote: »

Yea and if your wife refused to cook what would you do?

Who said anything about my wife cooking ?

suicide_circus · 28-07-2018 08:49AM

as hangover feeds go it's not that bad for you. such a shame they boil the bejayzus out of the veg so much, all the vitamins and fibre destroyed.

Stoner · 28-07-2018 08:55AM

Pawwed Rig wrote:

Halfway House on Navan Road side of Phoenix Park used do a savage carvery. Anyone know if it is still going?

It's still going

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-07-2018 09:00AM

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suicide_circus · 28-07-2018 09:02AM

Patww79 wrote: »

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i guess if you have no teeth

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-07-2018 09:06AM

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rafatoni · 28-07-2018 09:10AM

Shocked the morgue in templeogue hasnt been mentioned. Its unreal.

Blows the yacht anyway. Yacht was great a few years bavk last 2 times i had it was shocking.

28-07-2018 10:34AM

_Dara_ wrote: »

I can think of only one occasion that I left a restaurant hungry in Ireland. Portions are huge in this country. You don’t need to go to a carvery to get a big meal. I go for half portions when I find myself in a carvery. The full size meal is far too much food. I’d rather a bit more finesse and the size of the meal will be ample still. I’m not talking Michelin star quality. Just a bit more attention paid to the food. I worked in a carvery pub once. There’s something mighty unappetising about seeing vacuum-packed roast potatoes and carrot batons arrive in the kitchen every morning.

In fairness maybe the portions are big for you but I regularly am not properly full after eating out if I only have a main course anyway. Luckily my oh usually doesn’t finish her meal so the extra I get from finishing hers usually fills me sufficiently. I really hate having a meal and still feeling a bit hungry after it it’s frustrating and puts me off eating in places or if the place is very nice I’ll order a big starter and extra sides once I know in advance that the portions are small (by my standards).

As for carvery, a good carvery is very nice. I love roast beef and roast patatoes etc so I love the food and you are rarely hungry after it, though I’ve been know to finish other people’s carvey after polishing off my own too.

I don’t really care how nice the food is if there isn’t enough of it what’s the point.

theteal · 28-07-2018 10:47AM

Ah the good old carvery will never die. It’s a pile of inexpensive, uncomplicated relatively healthy food that, for the most part, tastes good. Obviously some establishments are going to be better than others.

I’ve seen O’Neill’s mentioned a few times which I remember as being alright but I always preferred Sinnotts as they used to have an option of rarer beef which was juicy as fook - although it’s been a good 10 yeas since I worked in the area so possibly all changed

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-07-2018 10:55AM

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Are Carvery Lunches a thing of the past? (Someone can't handle their portions!)

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