In need of a meal on a Saturday evening we ended up at Smashburger. Not cheap, but the burgers were…read moreexcellent and so were the sides of loaded fries. Well worth coming back to if the focus is on quality rather than cost.

Definetly reccomend this burger place there was a a create your own burger section which was…read moreabsolutely great concidering im picky with my burger choices. There was even reriffable drinks which is always great!!! I was very full after my meal but it was very tasty! Thankyou for a great service :)

Visiting Newcastle UK on our Icelandic Cruise and wanted to try real fish and chips in an English…read morepub. We found this place on the main street in the old part of town. They were unfortunately out of fish and chips. So we bought a drink. There was a fish place across the street so we asked the Bartender to allow us to eat some in the sidewalk dining area which he allowed. The drinks were great, we ordered a second, as we're the fish and chips. Next visit we hope to try this establishment's fish and chips.

My brother and I are traveling through England on a walking holiday. We were attracted to the…read morePriory for its sheer "pub-iness". The atmosphere is warm and fun. The staff is friendly and accommodating. My brother had Steak and ale pie and I had fish and chips. The portions were generous and the food tasty. The priory cask ale is both flavorful and smooth. I see they have live music on the weekends as well. We would definitely go back.

Fat Hippo Newcastle seems to be one of the few restaurants in the city actually open past 9 pm,…read moreafter being turned away from half a dozen restaurants nearby that either had closed early or closed due to their timetabled opening hours, I decided to visit Fat Hippo. It is located just off Grey Street, head down the steps into the main restaurant area. I was looking for this place on my Apple Maps and did have some difficulty as the sign from outside isn't too noticeable. The staff seemed friendly and explained how most of the menu could be adapted to be gluten-free - I ended up going for the American Burger, on the menu this was described as "Double patty, American cheese, pickles, ketchup + American mustard. Includes a FREE SIDE of your choice!" I would have liked to see a wider variety of burgers on the menu, perhaps with some different and more exciting sauces - only the more premium burgers seemed to come with the Fat Hippo sauce or truffle mayo. With smashed burgers being in right now, I was surprised they didn't offer them on the menu here. My food was just OK, the fries were really skinny and a little too thin for my liking, but they were still seasoned well. My burger again was average, the meat was reasonably juicy for the type of patty used, the cheese was fine, the sauces were slightly cheap and it felt like it was overloaded around the edges, and not enough in the middle. The gluten-free bun wasn't too bad - certainly not the worst I've had but also not the best either. 3* - The food was average, if you're looking for a bite later into the evening in Newcastle, this is one of the few options, so for that it's good, I would be unlikely to return if other places were open nearby though but it's nice to have a reliable choice in the city if all else fails.

Love this place and its food. Great service and staff. Could eat here every night. If you like…read moreburgers you will love this place.

Food is excellent I had half chicken with dripped beans and mac n cheese perfect but too much to…read morehandle The welcome is friendly and very attentive with very nice decor with very reasonable prices, can't ask for more than that Will be back soon keep up the excellent work

Started the night no table booking so was able to turn up and get seated. That was the only…read morepositive Drinks order was taken then like buses 3 servers checked if we had our drinks. Food came out. Part of the order was missing, steak was overcooked and the shrimp was raw. Tried to ask for help but was bypassed. When asked about ribs one of the servers just said 'oh' and just walked away. We finally got the ribs when we were half way through the meal and they had a taste like that had just been reheated and the sauce was grainy. A server then came over and asked can I take them away for you (the boards still were half full of food) whilst we was still eating. I am all for efficency but we could have at least finished our meal before coming to take our boardsway. No check back on how the meal was and no check back for extra drinks!!! I've been here before. And had take out and this is the worst I've experienced the service!!!

This has been on my hit list for a while now - the Parlour is tucked away off the beaten track just…read moreoff the A19 en-route to Alnmouth it's not an easy place to stumble past. With plenty of spacious seating on the patio and tucked away in little corners of the garden we found a lovely little table for 3 in the sunshine. For winter months they have 2 main buildings and 2 out-houses which are very pretty and well decorated inside. Post-birthday night out I was a little worse for wear and ready for a full English and a good cup of tea unfortunately the breakfast cut off point is at 11.30 however I wasn't too disappointed as the rest of the menu left plenty of tantalizing options for me to choose from! The waitress came over to take our orders and helped me choose between 2 dishes that I was torn over. The drinks service was a little slow but the food was timey and the presentation on all the dishes was amazing! My Dad opted for a seafood platter, which came with smoked salmon, crayfish, cockles, mackerel and crab slaw all served with sourdough bread, hollandaise and aioli sauces - seafood heaven! My Mum went for the lamb and goats cheese burger that was divine! The lamb was cooked to perfection with it being pink in the middle and served with a yummy mint yogurt dip and sun-dried tomatoes. I was stuck between the club sandwich and BBQ pulled pork open sandwich. On recommendation I went for the pork, which was served, on sourdough toast with melted Monterey cheese - heaven! I was having food-envy looking at the lamb burger but was not in anyway disappointed with my pork. Finishing off our meal with the Parlour's specialty - ice creams all round! I have a new found love for the homemade lemon meringue cone... There is so many flavours including apple pie and the originals too - its an ice cream lovers heaven! Our leisurely lunch here was fab and they are also promoting the "Super Club" on the 18th of July that is a diner's paradise! With three courses plus their homemade ice cream at £25 a head it doesn't break the bank either. This place was definitely worth the 20-minute drive and I will be back to try their dinner menu!

Great little stop. We only stopped for coffee and cake but the food looked delicious! The Afternoon…read moreTea was calling to me.. but unfortunately we already had a packed lunch in the car ;) But I did manage to have a lovely soya latte and slice of a sticky toffee cake! It was a really yummy cake! The sitting rooms were so cute, we were in the garden shed , and there was the main room, and the ice cream parlour and outdoor sitting. A really well done place, with layout and set up. Sometimes tea shops along the high way have a whole room full of junk they are trying to sell to you and then cramped sitting. But not here I think I saw a few cute things for sale but mostly they were focused on their food and I was told famous ice cream! Well done for keeping the place about whats most important... the food! Friendly service and tasty treats. It was a bit slow because they were super packed and under staff. The waiter apologised for the wait and said someone had called in ill! I can only rate it on the cake and coffee because I didn't eat anything there but I imagine it would be good .

Food - nice balance between quality and quantity. Food was delicious and wasn't a disappointing…read moresize like most places. Only complaint was the peri peri chips - basically just drenched in dry chilli flakes and not like the traditional peri peri chips. However this is my fault as didn't read the menu! Staff - 5/5 for the service and they are really friendly. Refreshing to see in the UK. Overall - great food, great service and would highly recommend.

Went there three days ago. Everything seems fresh there and waste is not allowed so tell the staff…read morewhat you don't want in your food. Tried the jimmy farm beef burger, loved it! My boyfriend tried the chicken burger they recommended and enjoyed it! The fresh fries there are so good, won't be disappointed. It's in THE GATE. Cool place to grab a bite before the movie:)

I'm visiting this place always when I'm coming visiting my friend in South Shields. Perfect place…read morefor lunch and diner and mega cheep. You can do burger challenge for only £ 10 and I fail this. Portions are very, very big. My full recomendation is burger and chicken hot wings chellange. Please be careful with hot wings that are mega hot yupii and I finish them all lol.

My friend and I visited this pub yesterday, we ordered the pulled pork burger and New York chicken…read moreburger. The food was well presented but the chips were few and luke warm. The chicken burger was very small and greasy, I left half of it and didn't eat any of the chips. We thought the puddings might be the redeeming feature and ordered the popping pizza. As it arrived we were delighted as it was a feast for the eyes - unfortunately that's all it was. The base was still partially frozen and waterlogged. Serviettes has been placed under the cookie dough to soak up the water. We didn't eat that either. We waited for staff to clear the table in order to complain about the food but they were few and seemed very busy. However, the bar staff were very friendly when they did have time to see to our table. Overall, not an enjoyable experience and will not be dining there again.

Had breakfast here a couple of times. Very much enjoyed. Milkshakes are also tasty! Staff were…read moreattentive both times. Nicely decorated but I do think this place is a bit on the dearer side.

This dinner is amazing fantastic american food lovely enteryer makes you feel like your actually in…read moreAmerica

We are regular customers at The Rat because it is such a great place with great food…read more Last night's visit was for my wife's birthday and except for one minor thing it was as good as usual. The Rat is the very definition of an English country pub. Open fires and a cosy atmosphere are exactly what you want from a pub, add in the great food and it is hard to beat. We shared a starter of smoked haddock fritters which was delicious if a little parsimonious for £7. Main courses were superb; slow cooked belly pork and 3 cuts of lamb; delicious, deep savoury flavours that are so hard to accomplish at home. My wife's warm gingerbread dessert wasn't warm which was a disappointment in an otherwise delicious meal.

Love, love, love this place! Have taken four or five different groups of friends or family there…read morefor dinner and Sunday lunch, not one person has come away disappointed or feeling hungry! This is a real gem of a pub, tucked away up the hill just a few miles from Hexham. Have heard this is walkable from Hexham on a nice day but most will need a car - one thing to bear in mind is parking can be a bit limited and a bit of a free-for-all at busiest times, but you should usually get a space somewhere. Alternatively, taking a taxi is a good option, should only cost about £6-£8 from the centre of Hexham itself. First of all, the location and setting is simply stunning. If you park across the road, the views over the Tyne Valley are fantastic. You then go into the pub itself via a lovely garden area with a pergola. Inside is a proper Northumbrian country pub, great traditional decor, roaring fires, with some unusual wall and ceiling decorations (will leave that for you to discover!) Each time we've visited to eat, we've been welcomed by the friendly staff who offer the right level of service, i.e. keeping your table clear, everything in check without being overly attentive. The bar offers a good range of real ales, usually with a local brewery on offer, all of which are very well kept. They have an excellent range of wines and spirits as well, so you could easily go here for a relaxing drink, although the bar area is relatively small. However, if you are here, you really must try the food. Honestly, the Rat Inn has served up some of the best food I've ever eaten, nothing fussy or complicated, just locally sourced ingredients cooked to perfection. What is encouraging is that there are no menus on the tables, instead you'll find the day's menu on a chalkboard, which indicates freshness and illustrates how much they care about what ends up on your plate. In fact, you can find out where the meats and veg have come from as the suppliers are also chalked up on the wall. As the menu changes fairly regularly, it is not really worth recommending any particular dish on here for fear of it not being on next time, but the Sunday roast dinners are superb and the Sticky Toffee Pudding is top notch! Bear in mind you do get hearty Northumbrian-sized portions here, it is difficult to leave here without feeling a tad on the full side... As this place features in the top 50 UK gastropubs, it can get popular and they don't have an abundance of space, which adds to its charm but is also a slight disadvantage - definitely worth booking in advance to avoid missing out. In summary, the Rat Inn really is a wonderful place and one to which I can't wait to have an opportunity to go back soon.