Review by Mark Braithwaite on 6th June, 2010

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For more than 30 years this pub resaurant has been a wonderful eating place. The owners Chris and Jan spent time finding and developing the most diverse and wonderful menu, including their renound Cajun Blackened steak. I absolutely hate to do this but, my familly and I have just had the most embarressing and distressful time at the Gate. Today, I ordered their Tex Mex with the steak rare. I have to say everything was cooked perfectly, but unfortunately the steak was full of grissle and I was not able to cut it at all with the uttensils provided. I complained and received a completely fresh plate, but again the steak was uncutable. Again the waitress was perfectly respectful and totally professional, and even stated that recently there had been a couple of problems with the steaks. She immediately offered an alternative (totally acceptable) but, whilst waiting for this different meal, the chef, who appears to be the new manager, came out to the table in front of everyone with a platter of steak that he had cut up in the kitchen and said " there is nothing wrong with this steak, its like a piece of fillet" mmmmm. We were all gobsmacked, so we left totally embarassed. To summerise, the food was cooked perfectly, the steak was grissly and not acceptable, but I would not blame the chef for a bad piece of meat. The issue is that I complained quietly to the waitress away from other customers, and this guy embarassed my familly and I by approaching me at the table, after I thought everything was sorted and fine. I will not go there again, and will certainly tell everyone I know in Stourbridge and Bromsgrove about my unfortunate experience. The issue here was the way a complaint was handled in the end, not even the quality of food itself as every place will have blips in quality every now and again.

Date visited: 6/6/2010