Having previously visited one of the Tomahawk Steakhouses in York and having a good experience, it seemed only right to visit the Darlington restaurant when in the town.
The Darlington restaurant is situated on the first floor of the DL1 leisure complex. To arrive at the restaurant, you must climb up two flights of steps- if approached from the Freethams main road. There is a lift too but when we arrived it was out of order. Apparently, there is a ramp from the Vue Cinema side of the complex for disabled access.
Arriving on a late Sunday afternoon it was pleasing to see the restaurant over half full. A one course Sunday lunch is £18.95, two courses for £24.95 with three courses costing £29.95. That might not seem too affordable in the current economic climate especially when there are other more cost-conscious alternatives situated within the DL1 Complex, however, Tomahawk pride themselves on good quality food and great service to match.
Fortunately, they do have a vegan and vegetarian menu which delighted my vegetarian dining partner.
Food and service
The service started off well but seemed to decline as the evening progressed, something which might determine whether you wish to pay the service charge automatically added to your bill. From the attentive service when we first arrived this began to peter out by the time we left – admittedly the restaurant was becoming busier though having to chase your server for their attention is not what I would have expected.
I decided on the three-course Sunday lunch beginning with a starter of Wagu Meatballs – served in a rich tomato and paprika sauce topped with baked feta and garlic bread croutons. A tasty and wholesome start to the evening and a substantial offering.
My main of Dry Aged Roasted Beef Rump was equally delightful served with an herb and park stuffing, beef dripping roasties, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding, winter spiced apple and cider red cabbage, roasted parsnips, and carrots. With everything served piping hot I was very impressed with the quality of the meal and the way it was presented.
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My dessert of Sticky Toffee Pudding was covered in a black treacle sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. An excellent end to a very satisfying meal.
My sister however did not share the same experience as myself: her Soup of the Day – Carrot and Parsnip (£5.95) was served lukewarm and had to be sent back to the kitchen to be reheated, her main of Spicy Bean Burger (£15.95) again was only partly hot and looked as if it had been sitting around under a hot plate whilst waiting for my meal to be cooked. Her fries were partially warm too and had to be sent back, whereupon a fresh helping was served. She declined a dessert as by this time her patience was wearing thin.
A mixed experience as you can see. I would return to Tomahawk again but would suggest that both my dining partner and I choose the same dishes, then that way both should, hopefully, be served hot.
