Friends and family have raved about The Foxton Bar and Grill in Glenrothes for a long time; it’s now on my list of local favourites.
Known locally as Foxtons, I’d heard great things about the restaurant during the pandemic when it reopened for socially-distanced dining.
American “professional eater” Randy Santel also featured one of the restaurant’s food challenges on his well-followed YouTube channel in November last year – peaking my interest further.
But for one reason or another, I hadn’t had a chance to visit until recently when I was looking for somewhere with a relaxed, budget-friendly menu to catch up with a friend, Lauren.
After a Christmas filled with too much rich food, and too much spending, Foxtons seemed like it would be the perfect place and I was excited to finally try it out.
Foxtons Bar and Grill Glenrothes
Located just outside Glenrothes town centre in Pitteuchar, Foxtons sits in the middle of a residential area just west of the A92 – making it a great spot to stop for a bite to eat if you were travelling north through the Kingdom.
Before my visit with Lauren, we took the chance to wander around Stenton pond.
It starts and finishes just yards from the restaurant and is perfect if you want to stretch your legs after a car journey.
We had originally planned to visit for a late lunch, served from noon until 4pm, but in the end, we arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5pm for an early dinner instead.
We hadn’t booked ahead which didn’t seem to be an issue and one of the friendly staff welcomed us before letting us choose a window table near the bar area.
The restaurant was fairly quiet but we were eating quite early on a Saturday afternoon, and there were a couple of groups enjoying drinks at the bar.
Friends have raved about the cocktails the bar serves up, so we decided to order two Mai Tais (£8.50) while we decided what to order.
The food
Our drinks were absolutely delicious and I would have happily ordered another.
The menu at Foxtons is uncomplicated. It’s definitely the kind of place you could visit with a large group for a boozy dinner and be confident everyone would find something they’d like.
There is no particular theme and it’s made up of a range of solid favourites, which is ideal for attracting locals across Fife and those passing by.
The lunch menu comprises a choice of hot sandwiches, including steak (£9.95) and Chicken BLT (£8.95), as well as loaded fries.
For dinner, starters on offer include homemade chicken liver pate (£6.95) and beer-battered haggis fritters (£7.45).
Despite being tempted by the sizzling king prawn hotpot, we decided to order two starters to share and opted for the nachos (£7.25) and halloumi fries (£6.45).
I was more than a little sceptical about the halloumi fries in particular. In my experience they are usually pre-made and cooked from frozen in restaurants, so I tend to avoid ordering them.
But I was pleasantly surprised. They looked great and were served with a chipotle jam which was flavoured perfectly.
The batter was crispy and the halloumi didn’t have that overcooked, rubbery texture it can often take on when it has been deep-fried from frozen.
We also enjoyed the nachos, which were served with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar (my favourite) as well as sour cream, salsa and guacamole.
The salsa and guacamole were both OK but neither seemed like it had been freshly made which I wasn’t expecting, but it definitely would have made the dish stand out from other local restaurants.
On to the mains, Lauren decided to try the Nacho Libre burger (£15.95) while I plumped for the chicken fajitas (£17.95).
Other options on the menu were fish and chips (£13.95), macaroni (£12.95) and creamy chicken fajita pasta (£13.95).
Also on offer was fillet (£26.95) and ribeye (£24.95) steak – served raw with “hot rocks” that allow you to cook them right at your table.
This is a little different – and no doubt a bit of a novelty – but in the end I was put off after originally being tempted.
One of the things about ordering a steak at a restaurant is seeing how a professional does it and for the price you want it cooked to perfection.
I wasn’t convinced, but if I were to visit again I might give it a try and see if I can be proved wrong.
Our mains arrived quickly after we finished our starters, with Lauren’s burger giving me more than a little food envy.
It looked amazing. Served with a jalapeno popper and chilli beef, the burger was homemade and had been cooked to perfection.
It made quite messy eating, but Lauren raved about every single bite.
My chicken fajitas more than delivered though, and I was very happy I’d ordered them.
Served with mixed peppers and onions, the chicken was packed with flavour and kept warm by the sizzling plate.
The dish came with warm tortillas; salsa; sour cream and grated cheddar, and I asked for guacamole which our server was happy to get.
The only downside for me was the lack of hot sauce, which is a must for a proper Mexican feast.
The verdict
Overall it’s hard to find fault at Foxtons Bar and Grill.
It has a friendly atmosphere and a solid offering of well-flavoured dishes that will more than meet your expectations.
The bubbly staff were also keen to please and more than happy to deal with any special requests.
The portion sizes were also generous, and we left feeling like we’d had a great meal for a very reasonable price.
It’s easy to see why people rave about the food and drinks, and the team have built a menu that makes it stand out as something different while confidently catering for all tastes.
Information
Address: Foxton Drive, Glenrothes, KY7 4UZ
T: 01592 770130
Price: £70 including tip, or £64.60 for two cocktails, two starters and two main courses.
Scores:
- Food: 4/5
- Service: 4.5/5
- Surrounding: 3.5/5
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