Sainsbury's Cafe - Sunderland

Ordered food and drinks food was nice and hot and pleasant staff only issue is the cutlery was not clean.

This is always my first port of call when I drive to a Sunderland AFC home game, as it's a long trek for me. Chance to wind down in the cafè, and in the wider supermarket use the toilets and stock up on sundries, plus fill up at the petrol station. I see they switch the menu display about 11:30 from breakfast (I was tempted by the £4.50 big breakfast) to a day menu (again tempted by the £5.50 fish chips). Large selection of hot cold drinks plus all-day snacks. Bright roomy area, family atmosphere (I noticed high chairs available for young kids) and perfectly acceptable cafè fare.

Stopped here for breakfast before driving up to Morpeth to see the kiddo. Seemingly n ice enough place , but sat at a dirty table for 20 minutes before somebody cleared it , cutlery wasn't the cleanest . However my egg and chips were spot on !

I visit here regularly before shopping and I have never had a bad experience. The café is large and airy and in a window seat if you are a lone eater there is plenty to watch and you can keep track of the progress of the new bridge works. I generally choose a salad or a jacket potato there are a variety of fillings for the potato. The prices are brilliant and all in all it makes for a pleasant start either before or during my shopping experience. The staff are never anything but pleasant and helpful, even when they're really busy.

Ordered cottage pie which took 15 minutes to arrive. When it did it was lukewarm and hardly substantial. There was a dollop of lukewarm potato on the plate and a smear of mince beneath surrounded by half a tin of garden peas and swimming in gravy. On looking through the store it resembled what was selling as budget cottage pie for £1. Hardly what I expected for a cafe. There will be no second visit.