The Hideaway Bynea Cafe Heol-Y-bwlch, Bynea, Llanelli SA14 9ST

"The good: vegan options, nice decor, and very clean. The not so good: When I arrived and stood at the counter to order, the lady behind the counter didn't say anything at all - no greeting, no "can I take your order" or even a smile. She looked very unhappy as though she didn't want to be there. The wifi wasn't working so maybe that's why she was unhappy but regardless, to not be greeted or even acknowledged is not good customer service and it made me feel unwelcome, as though I was an inconvenience to be there. The cook (I presume it was the cook) popped his head around the corner and just looked at me for a few seconds without saying anything (again, no greeting or smile) and then disappeared back around the corner - which seemed a bit odd. I ordered a vegan burger with fries. There were sachets of condiments at the counter - I asked if they were free and the answer was yes so I picked up some sachets but when I sat down at a table there were already lots of condiment sachets on the table - why couldn't I have been told there were already condiments on the tables? A small thing, but anyhow... Despite there being only six other diners (one of whom had just finished eating, one was already eating, and the other four were waiting for their meals to arrive), it was 25 minutes before my meal arrived. I understand that food is cooked fresh but that's an extremely long time for a very dinky portion of fries and a simple burger in a bun with a bit of 'salad' when there were only four other people waiting for their meals. After waiting for for almost 25 minutes I politely asked the lady if my meal would be ready soon and she replied (again with no friendliness, smile or apology) that the three people on the table beside mine were just about to be served and "yours will be next". In comparison, I often eat at Venezias Cafe in Llanelli (in Seaside) where the staff are always immediately friendly, welcoming, and seem genuinely happy to serve people. I usually order a breakfast that comprises several more items than what I ordered at the Hideaway and even when they're full of diners, I've never had to wait more than 6-7 minutes for my meal - all of which is cooked fresh and the portions are a good size. The meal at the Hideaway comprised a very small portion of fries served in a miniature wire frying basket, the saddest looking burger I've ever seen, and 'salad' that comprised 98% iceberg lettuce. Although the miniature portion of fries was piping hot, the burger was barely lukewarm. It was inside a bun which was creased and flattened, and looked like it had been sat on. There was nothing else in the bun - so sauce, salad, or anything - just the burger. The burger's flavour was not bad but it was not pleasant to eat because it was almost cold. The 'salad' comprised about three large handfuls of shredded iceberg lettuce (which was crunchy and fresh), but then only two extremely thin half slices of tomato (so thin they were almost transparent), about 6 tiny cubes (smaller than dice) of cucumber (I've never seen cucumber sliced into tiny cubes before as opposed to round slices), and a small sprinkling of little squares of red onion. In summary, it was an extremely disappointing visit - particularly because of the very long, unnecessary wait and the complete lack of friendly customer service. It's a shame because the decor is very nice, the tables aren't too close together, and the cafe is very clean."

"Tried to call through a large order for work, but got a message about call minder full. Drove down to the cafe. Explained to the staff that the phone doesn't work. They just looked blank and said they didn't know how the phone worked. Had to wait 20 minutes to pick up my order. I had burned toast and burned vegan bacon"

"Best tasting breakfast I’ve had locally and up there in the top five I’ve ever had (which bearing in mind I’ve had a lot of breakfasts in my time is a decent compliment!) Everything fresh and cooked to order (which along with how busy they are does mean you won’t get your food quickly) but it’s definitely worth the wait. The staff are all lovely, the decor is rustic and quirky (totally in a good way). Definitely recommended!"