A reputation well deserved
3:00pm Thursday 1st September 2011 in Eating Out By Barrie Hudson
A reputation well deserved
BARRIE HUDSON checks out a highly-recommended cafe bar and grill to see if it’s worth all the praise
O’GRADY’S Licensed Cafe Bar and Grill has long nestled in the upper reaches of TripAdvisor’s Swindon restaurant section.
Such an enviable user-generated reputation would be impressive in an expensive restaurant, but it’s more impressive still in a cafe bar that opens all day and has some very customer-friendly prices.
My dining companion and I set out one lunchtime to see whether the praise was deserved.
It is.
Run by friendly husband and wife team Elaine and Alan O’Grady, the cafe bar is bright, airy and spotlessly clean. A book exchange for customers – bring one, take one or read one while you’re there – is one of many nice touches that make for a truly relaxing atmosphere.
In the mood for something simple and hearty, I opted for the double egg, bacon and chips at £4.75, while my companion chose a roast beef baquette at £3.30.
The food appeared in double quick time. Mine came on a large black platter and, for what amounted to a traditional ‘fry-up’, was big on food taste with no hint of greasiness.
The egg yolks were runny, the bacon succulent and the chips perfect – fluffy and white on the inside and brown and crispy on the outside.
My partner’s baguette was also generous, with slice after slice of succulent beef and plenty of strong, tangy mustard.
With a couple of soft drinks, our bill came to pennies over £10.
Had we been in the mood for something less substantial, we could have opted for home-made soup of the day at £3, one of the home-made cakes that start at £2 or any of a selection of sandwiches and salads. Lighter dishes can be eaten at the venue or taken away.
And had we been in the mood for something more substantial? For £6.95 the intrepid and ravenous diner can try, for example, a full English breakfast in which everything seems to come in two-by-two, Noah’s Ark-style. There are less daunting versions for those with smaller appetites.
The home-made pies at O’Grady’s, in flavours as diverse as roast pork with stuffing, chicken, beef, cauliflower cheese and chicken curry, cost £3.95, or £5.95 as the heart of a meal with trimmings.
And the overall verdict?
The customers have already spoken. They do not exaggerate.
