Le Casse-Croute Charentais - Touvérac

My husband and I popped into La Casse-Croute en route to Bordeaux, we certainly didn't expect what we found inside - very unlike any road side restaurant you'd get in Britain. On entering the restaurant the sight of the amazing salad/seafood/cheeseboard/dessert buffets are fantastic... I couldn't wait to dig in,it all looked wonderfully presented. Firstly we were quickly greeted and seated, one waitress brought us soup and bread rolls whilst we decided on our main and another waitess came for our wine (bottle of Rose or Red) although we stuck to water due to driving! We ordered our mains and then we're told to help ourselves to salad etc...the choice is unbelievable and it's all fresh and extremely tasty I could of easily eaten it all day but had to leave room for the main course! The mains came,and once again were well presented and tasted beautiful. My husband had steak and fries whilst I had chicken and mash (best mash I've ever had) 3courses in(soup,salad,main) to be honest we were stuffed,however I couldn't resist a dessert,again there was a lot of choices from fresh fruit,fruit cocktails,creme brules,pastries etc.. I opted for a choux pastry bun with set cold custard in it...AMAZING!! All that for €12.30 each..less than £10!! Amazing food,amazing price and the staff were lovely,polite and attentive..what more could you ask for!! :)Hopefully we'll be back on our return journey!

The buffet starter is fine and presents a good choice to the client. However, the main courses are limited in quality with some of the meat being very tough and indigestible. My food was served with chopped raw onions which was relatively unpleasant.

This has become a regular stop off and a good place to dine alone. The food is typical les routier and with an essence of a France I don't understand. However steak & chips, creme brûlée and a glass of wine all for 7 quid ! Difficult to knock as a quick lunch :-)

The restaurant/hotel is situated on the N10, about 6km north of Chevanceaux & 12 km south of Barbezieux. It is quite literally ON the N10 & stands in isolation so is easy to see & find. The N10 is a busy major roadway, nearly all of which is motorway class, & carries a lot of long distance lorries (Spain to Calais etc), holiday traffic (in season) & a big mixture of local traffic. it runs parallel to the A10 - but doesn't have tolls - hence the attraction to HGV's.The Casse-Croute sets its target market accordingly. Plenty of parking - though when heading from the south I prefer to go past it by half a mile & turn left in a filter lane to approach the car park from the north so I'm on the right side of the road. Most north bound lorries pull up on the side of the road & the drivers walk over - not recommended for families with small children.Inside is a well laid out restaurant & a separate bar area. I believe they also have a hotel facility but have never experienced that.They do only a small number of menus, the lunch menu costs 12 euros 50, is 3 course & includes a carafe of house wine. You can do 2 course for about 9 Euros. On an evening I think the menu is about 18 Euros (prices November 2016).Typically, go in, let them seat you. Check the menu, they take your order for the main course & then you help yourself from the hors doeuvres self service bar, taking as much or as little as you wish. Ive always been impressed with the selection, quantity & quality of the hors doeuvres bar. Yesterday it included Prawns, mussels, cockles, various thinly sliced meats & sausages, rice dishes, cous-cous, potato salads & more.The main meal though was more disappointing. I ordered chicken leg & chips. The chips were McDonalds style - ie very thin. The chicken was a little overcooked. A small piece of lettuce to add colour. I ate it all, it was very welcome, & I will no doubt go back again. But the main was the kind of meal you'd get in many British self service restaurants rather than what you'll come to expect from French restaurants.The dessert (or cheese if you prefer) was also self service. A decent variety on offer though possibly a little basic.The clientele is very mixed, lorry drivers, holidaying families, local business people & local couples. The waitresses always seem busy but service is good. As for value, that's good too, particularly if comparing to something similar in Britain.If youre traveling on this road for holiday purposes its a good eating point. No time wasted detouring from the main road. If you're in the area on holiday & want to try somewhere new & haven't been here, then give it a try. Its family friendly, well decorated & welcoming. You probably wont want to dine here every day of your holiday but its well worth a visit.

Service rapid and attentive. Price very good and food tasty. Couldn't ask for more for a quick lunch.