The Lazy Cow Stratford upon Avon: review

The Lazy Cow in Stratford upon Avon is one of a chain of steak and ale houses in the area. Despite several unfavourable reviews I decided to take a look for myself. The Lazy Cow was born out of controversy at the abrupt closure of Cox’s Yard as a live music venue in 2012. The local people of Stratford were angered by the sudden loss of regular live acts. As a result the lazy cow committed to retain some form of live music although it lacks the quality and variety that Cox’s Yard originally offered.
The Lazy Cow is set in a complex of buildings all offering a variety of food and drink, all that is except for the attic theatre which is housed above The Milking Parlour. The Milking Parlour sells homemade ice creams, milkshakes, teas and coffees. In addition, is an offshoot from The Lazy Cow called The Cow Shed where they provide homemade burgers and chips for those wishing to eat on the hoof. This complex suggests a fun and relaxed hive of activity perfect for tourists and locals alike.
Upon entering the restaurant it is obvious that this is an American style steak bar as the restaurant is dripping in timber with a rustic design, an American style bar in the middle and the steaks and burgers are topped off with American flags. You walk down stairs and are met by smart, smiling staff who offer to escort you to your preference of either tables or booths. Booths offer comfortable high seating benches at large wooden tables; an ideal place for friends to meet for a relaxed meal.
Since it was a warm, sunny day my two friends and I sat on the riverside patio. Here we had a marvellous view of The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, traditional Stratford swans and Clopton Bridge. Built in 1480 and scheduled as an ancient monument, Clopton Bridge is an interesting historical structure. While the waitress fetched our drinks myself and my friends were left to peruse the menu, however the waitress advised us that some dishes were unavailable. Unfortunately this seems to be fairly typical of The Lazy Cow according to the reviews on Trip Adviser.
The menu offers a reasonable variety of choices but very few options for the vegetarian in our party. As you would expect from a steak bar their emphasis is on the quality of their beef steak. They say that their meat is hand picked and sourced from their partners around the globe. The British beef comes from North Yorkshire and is aged on the bone for a minimum of 30 days when they finish it off in their in house aging fridge. They offer 5 different steaks. The cheapest being a 10 ounce rump steak at £22 right the way up to their TLC Famous Tomahawk which is “bone in rib” at £70. If all someone wants is to just pop out and eat a nice steak then I do not recommend The Lazy Cow because the likelihood is that you will lose your week’s wages. However, for a celebration or when simply seeking a relaxed atmosphere and lovely staff to enjoy a night out with a group of friends then The Lazy Cow is a great place to consider. If you bring a minimum of 7 friends with you then they are happy to offer you a beef steak extravaganza known as their TLC experience, which they say is not for the faint hearted. This is a starter of your choice and a chef’s selection of cuts, breeds and countries laid out down the table for you and your friends to try for £45 per person.
Despite my original reservations I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at The Lazy Cow. I particularly enjoyed the presentation of my meal which was served in a basket with fries. The flavour and tenderness of the beef was delicious and the fries are a fine example of a quality homemade chip. My conclusion however is that I could have just as good a meal at the Blue Boar in Chipping Norton, though they don’t have The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a 15th Century monument right next door.