The Lazy Cow

Omg where do I start. Booked a meal for the four of us on a Saturday evening. Was surprised I was able to get a table on the day before. As all other eateries in stratford fully booked. Well when we arrived it looked like it was closed. Then we got to the bar asked for the cocktail menu. The reply not doing cocktails as we are short staffed!!! There was four other people in the bar!!! We then asked for jack Daniels and coke. Don’t do jack Daniels. At this point we decided that we didn’t want a drink. The manager over heard our discomfort and offered to make a cocktail for us however we had heard enough and took our business else where we have had good and bad meals here previously we were giving it another try but lost our custom as a local through poor service and a poorly run establishment. This was heaving at one time. Not now. Oh dear

Our steaks were sent back multiple times for being overlooked and then undercooked. We just watched a tray of food go flying across the room. Service was very slow. I’ve eaten at other Lazy Cow’s with no problems, perhaps this one was having a bad night.

Lovely setting, great restaurant. Some fair prices on main meals but the steaks are highly priced (but very very good!). Left wondering if in the right place when entered as no one to show us to our seats as we had booked. After short wait we were noticed and taken to our table. Service was also a little slow but it was very busy and waitress was very apologetic and kind, did not ruin our experience to be honest, we were in no rush.
The restaurant was very hot on a chilly wet evening (staff agreed and suffering too) and the music loud and heavy beats, not ideal for an evening meal we thought!
However, again these things didn’t ruin the experience just could have been a little better. The food seemed expensive for what we received but it was really good food, steaks were delicious, fries outstanding, corn on cob a little small for the pricing, roasted garlic was beautiful, overall a delightful and filling meal. My main complaint would be the blue cheese sauce, with an extra cost it appeared to be a couple of squirts from a heinz bottle, very poor. Where as the peppercorn sauce my partner had was fresh and utterly gorgeous so i stole most of hers. Drinks were good and staff were very polite and fun.
There are a couple of items on the menu i would still like to try so would gladly return in the future. Great food and enjoyable experience a couple of additional little touches would have made it perfect but no reason to avoid it that’s for sure. Enjoy.

Now i suspect most people who ever set foot in Stratford for more than a day remember Cox’s Yard.
Well you’ll be glad to hear that despite Cox’s Yard now being well and truly part of the Lazy Cow «Family» all the best parts of the Yard are still business as usual, if not better.
Your first stop if your coming from town (its less than a minute from the bottom of the high-​street but as its past the loch you tend to find its slightly quieter), will be the Ice Cream Parlor. Regardless of the time of day this is a superb idea.
As well as a stupefying range of clever homemade icecreams (i think i had mint and pistachio before getting more adventurous and moving to ferrera roche, then jammie dodger and a marshmallow filled candy floss to finish. My friend had pretzel flavour, i remain jealous). The parlor also boasts some really tasty sandwiches and pannini’s. I’m not sure where they source their pastrami from but everyone should try to get in on it, its amazing.
The service is great as well. On our three visits (we like icecream ok, it was hot, what about it!) We really got to know the girls who worked there, they were friendly and gave out some serious portions :-)
For those of you not interested in icecream (huh?) there are two (nay three) more options for you. The first a burger bar serving some excellent fare. Don’t be dissuaded by the tinfoil presentation (we’re not sure on that either), the food is excellent. And though you might feel your spending a bit, this is Stratford, as prices go your still doing well.
Second option, the bar itself. What was the heart and soul of the Yard. The staff here are friendly and fairly efficient too. Some nice bitter on tap and a few interesting lagers. Made all the better by the vast array of riverside seating outside and (as luck would have it on that sunny day) a really excellent piano player who kept up the excellent song selection for the entire hour or two we threw at having lunch there.
The third option as fans of the yard will remember is the music. I’ve only been to a few of the clubs and bars around stratford but i still think as live music goes you’ll struggle to find better than here. And i’m happy to report the music’s still playing!
So all in all. Its got a little something for everyone, the staff are champions. When the weathers nice its exactly where you want to be and for stratford the price is right. Well done you lazy cow!

This place will go down as THE restaurant that surprised me!
We’ve passed this place is 3 different cities and never ventured inside.
Fact is, I’m not a fan of franchise restaurants. But one day, I ventured to the Dark Side…
While getting his hair did, Mark and his stylist had a chat about top local eateries. She mentioned The Lazy Cow and was shocked we hadn’t tried it yet.
That very day we were about to walk past it and decided to give it a go.
That was an epic foodie moment!
We were stunned!
Don’t let the name fool you! The interior isn’t cheesy at all. Their slogan is «Where Grace Kelly and Lady Gaga meet» — I didn’t quite feel that. Though a steakhouse & bar — their interior is stylish — a casually chic atmosphere with cow hide covered seats, plush booths and gigantic rustic chandeliers hanging from their sky high ceilings.
The waitstaff here are friendlier than the folks at McD’s. I was telling Mark that they are either paid really well or treated really well here, because everyone was just so sweet and smiley that it felt like it was too-​good-​to-​be-​true!
And they all looked so very fashion forward. All dressed in black-​suspender-​style aprons and a cry far from being «lazy»! The service was impeccable!
If there is such a place as a modern day «Cheers» (and of we came enough times for everyone to know our names) … This would be that place!
But wait! It gets better! … The food is DELISH!
They have the typical pub food items like fish & chips, burger and ribs. But they do it far too well to be considered average pub food!
We ordered the jalepeno poppers, the ½ rack of ribs (which was the size of a full rack), garlic mussels, and roasted almond spinach linguine, and pork belly Sunday Roast.
The poppers were piping hot and spicy, the ribs were succulent and sweet, the mussels were supple and savoury, the pasta creamy smooth and silky, the pork was fatty and meaty and juicy. Everything was so so so delicious to the very last bite.
We were too full for dessert but we both had lattes — which was perfection!
I dare you to let this place surprise you! Double-​Dog dare you!!!