Review: Hartley's, Blackburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: Hartley's, Blackburn

4:20pm Tuesday 10th July 2012 in Latest restaurant reviews By Simone Yates

AFTER the endless miserable weather we’ve had, I wanted something warm and comforting to eat for lunch.

Hartley’s looked inviting and the menu was tempting — offering fresh, home cooked food and a good selection of drinks.

The cafe/restaurant only had a few empty tables and seems to be a popular option with shoppers, council workers and students.

As soon as we arrived, a friendly waitress offered us seats with an option to order drinks straight away.

We wanted; two lattes at £2.35 each.

The atmosphere is cosy and the decor has character, with a funky sixties theme throughout and Beatles and Elvis memorabilia on the walls.

The menu is basic but offers some great traditional dishes while the specials board has more to offer; spicy chicken paninis and meat dishes.

From the specials I couldn’t resist homemade cheese and onion pie and chips, served with salad (£5.65).

I certainly wasn’t disappointed when the largest portion of pie arrived, three inches deep with cheese and soft pastry — even the coleslaw was homemade — which is always a sign of good quality.

My colleague and friend ordered a mixed omelette (£4) that arrived jam-packed with everything you could want, including mushrooms, sausage and onions — served with homemade chips and salad it was a bargain.

The service was speedy, which is perfect for when you’re on your lunch break.

But without a doubt when time isn’t an issue we will be staying longer and sampling strawberries and cream or a slice of delicious cake that Hartley’s has to offer.