Boldmere Harvester

The food is what we’ve come to expect as typical chain food in this region. Nothing to write home about but decent and the prices are OK. They’ve incorporated some American concepts in the food offerings like a salad buffet and all you can drink soda. All entrees include unlimited salad bar.
I ordered two sides as my meal — the salad 3.99 and onion petals 1.99 with a draught cider 3.35. The salad bar selection is quite nice, including some potato salad, pastas, and rice as well as generous toppings. The lettuce is plain iceberg, nothing fancy. The salad is all you can eat and also includes bread rolls. The onion petals were a little soggy, but I honestly would have been happy as a clam with just salad. House brand mayonnaise and BBQ sauce are offered on the table. I was not a big fan of the mayonnaise, I prefer Hellman’s.
Our waiter was superb. Very friendly and checked on us multiple times to ensure we had everything we needed. He even got me a bigger plate for the salad bar so I could make it entrée size.

What’s the best way to rate a chain in Great Britain? Since coming to the island in September I have been astonished at the number of chains in city centre, on high streets, and even infiltrating neighborhood commercial areas. While the culinary repertoire of the United States has justly been mocked in previous decades for our love of chain and fast/​casual food, the UK has truly kicked it up a notch with mega chains for virtually every business category. Enter Harvester, a 200+ strong brum born and bred chain in the UK ensconced in a farmhouse theme that sets it apart from competitors like Beefeater.
This particular Harvester is sited on the main commercial strip in Boldmere in an impressively large building. Being in a busy commercial area, parking in the restaurant’s lot is controlled, so be sure to display your ticket. Harvester is billed as a family restaurant, not a pub, and as such you’ll be greeted upon entry by a staff member who will guide you to a table. The lunch crowd here in Boldmere is light on the weekdays, but I have seen it packed on some nights and weekends. Your host will ask if you have been to a Harvester before, and if not, you’ll receive a tour of the salad bar and an explanation of the restaurant concept. Harvester starts off the day with a very affordable breakfast, but for this visit my wife and I opted to show up at lunch time. Harvester has a bountiful selection of grilled meats, and a formidable section of the menu singly focused on various chicken preparations. Being a vegetarian, I focused on the veggie selections, which included a veggie burger, pasta, a tart, fried halloumi, and various sides. Each main ordered comes with unlimited trips to the salad bar. The bar includes romaine lettuce, noodles and pasta sides, salad toppings, many dressings, and bread rolls. The staff at this Boldmere location are courteous and very quick about getting your order in and delivering high quality service throughout the meal. Ultimately I ordered the veggie burger, made with butternut squash and chickpeas formed into a patty. It comes with a side of chips, and for a certain amount, you can upgrade your burger with various toppings. Harvester has a full selection of soft drinks, juices, and a bar with wine and beers both on tap and in a bottle.
After ordering, I helped myself to the salad bar. Our food arrived shortly after, so quickly that a return trip to the salad bar was not needed. Judging by the cook time and shape of the patty, the veggie burgers likely are not house made, or at least are shipped in from a central location. This did not necessarily detract from the food though, as I have come to expect such from most pub and family restaurant chains in the area. If ordered, I would suggest the addition of extra condiments. The default lettuce and tomato do little to aid the veggie burger. I tried the addition of mayo, but I am not a big fan of their house bottled mayo. Thousand Island dressing from the salad bar might be your best bet. The chips side item were simply not good at all. Not only were they under cooked, but they lacked adequate seasoning. Given that you can order chips in nearly every UK restaurant, this is a shortcoming that should be addressed.
Other aspects of the visit were positive though. Our waiter was great, and the recently remodeled interior adds warmth and charm to your meal. For a family night out, Harvester is a safe and affordable bet that will have something on them menu for everyone. If you are looking for something a little extra in your experience, there are other choices on Boldmere Road to look into.

Went for breakfast Saturday 8.45 with my wife. Tried the door several times, all locked up.
So we went next door and had breakfast in the Vesey which was fine.
Later in the week we popped in to see if someone had forgotten to open up.
We were advised that they could not open before 9 AM any day because the cleaner would not have time to finish work and then start the breakfasts!
We finished our drinks watching the waiteress serving while chewing gum and went and had a nice drink at Dubella across the road.
Pity! it could be so much better after just having a refurb

Terrible! The service and the food is absolutely disgraceful.