Reviews in Telford

A mothers day treat it was not. Arrived at 15 minutes early, no greeting and waited at the bar for a member of staff to acknowledge our presence. Despite the fact that we'd pre-booked not just our table but meal, they clearly hadn't reserved a table for us and proceeded to shove us up the corner and we were forgotten about. There was no table service, we had to get the drinks from the bar. We then had to wait an 1hr30 for our starters, we were offered complementary drinks because of this as the manager was embarrassed, however we didn't all recieve one. We then had an equally long wait for our mains. When I came to pay the bill, I wasn't shown an itemised receipt, but due to the experience being so poor I just wanted to leave and so didn't question this.

No holds barred open and honest review. Booked a table for a family of 6, as a nice treat for Mothers day. Communication via email by the manager, David, was good, as requested our meals were pre-ordered, which I felt was appropriate as it being Mothering Sunday and the pub hardly being a big chain, and such as keeping costs down, which I completely understood. When Sunday arrived, we arrived maybe 25 minutes earlier than scheduled, as anticipated, the pub was very busy, with limited space at the bar, a orderly queue was presented as we waited patiently to order drinks and to inform them of our presence. We was shown to our table, and informed someone would return to collect our drinks order, to which did not happen. I am not privy to being waited on, and am more than capable of ordering drinks at the bar, so for the information to be passed and not complete, maybe set the tone for the rest of the day. Ordered drinks at bar, then continued to wait for over an hour, as staff member after staff member walked past, carrying part orders to tables. I wrongly assumed, as our food had been pre-ordered, there would have been some kind of communication as to how far down the list our food was to being presented to us. After 1 1/2 hour wait, I decided enough time was wasted on trying to provide a nice treat, and settled the drinks bill. No apology was offered by any of the staff members, just a silent submission of the receipt. Shame really, as the food looked delicious, pity we never got the opportunity to try any.

I booked a table in advanced for 1700 on Mother Day for my wife, 2 young children (4 years old and 8 months) and myself. A few days before the special day we were requested to pre order food, I have done this (see the below email thread) to help the experience go smoother and also reduce the pressures on your staff. We have arrived at 1700 prompt and joined the line to speak to the staff at the bar. While waiting it quickly became apparent things weren’t going to plan, there was a few staff rushing here there and everywhere but seemed to be little focus on the areas where the problems were occurring. For example staff members were serving one person in the line and then walking off to do another task and another task rather than being focused on where there was a current issue. We got to the front of the line at 1715 and have spoken to a member of staff, we have advised them of the name of the reservation and that we had preordered food, the member of staff acknowledged this and that we had a preorder. We have had to wait for a few minutes for the table to be cleared as most of the tables still had dishes remaining from previous guests and were then seated. By 1745 there had been no signs of any of our food and we had not been seen by any staff about a delay, I have therefore asked a staff member and been given multiple excuses all in the space of a few sentences. These ranged from “there had been a power cut”, to “a machine in the kitchen had broken” and “they are just very busy”. I was very understanding of this as it was still quite early and they had assured me our order was in the kitchen and being prepared. Throughout this whole time other food was coming out the kitchen so I wasn’t very believing of the “power cut” excuse and also checking the national grid site, there hasn’t been a power cut there for over 6 months! At 1815 there was still no signs of any food and tables that had been seated after us were beginning to get theirs, I have again asked where our food was, I have explained that we have 2 young children who’s bed time was 1900 and I didn’t want them to be late for this. The member of staff has apologised for the wait, taken our name again and walked away. They never returned to give me an update. At 1830 other guests were clearly getting frustrated, one guest had said he has been waiting over 2 hours for his mains and they still hadn’t come out despite later guests receiving theirs. At this point the guest has kicked a chair over the restaurant, my 4 year old daughter, being very tired from an already busy day has found this extremely distressful and scary experience. A member of staff had then come over to us and said she is sorry, they are unable to locate our pre-order. This was clearly a significant issue that should have been identified when we first arrived. We had been assured our food was being prepared in the kitchen, asked multiple times prior and it now appeared we had been lied to on multiple occasions. Due to this, not wanting to keep our children up any longer and having to wait what appeared by the experience of other guests a number of hours between courses a number of hours, we have made the decision to leave. We were not the only table to get up and leave at this point, a number of others did. Never again!

4 of us dined there for lunch on 29th March 2025, the service was very good and friendly, the food was also very good - different from your usual pub food. The room could have been a little warmer as there didn't appear to be any heating on but overaul a very good experience and would recommend.

The food and service was great. We had a lovely time overall!

Delightful bar staff nothing was to much for them ,very polite Food excellent,would highly recommend

This was our 8th Sunday lunch visit but unfortunately this time it was not a satisfactory experience The pub was busy and whilst drinks were served reasonably quickly it took a while for our starters to be served. It was an even longer wait for our mains and when they eventually arrived the food wasn’t as hot as we would have expected It would appear that more staff were needed to deliver a satisfactory service

Went last night Food and service was amazing and the girl behind the bar was very helpful and was very polite, best meal had for years , definitely worth going , the hot dog with the brisket and burger was stunning and cider too , place is amazing clean too

Really delicious food, great value for money service was efficient with friendly staff. The restaurant was rather cold. We will definitely dine here again.

Visited as a party of a 6. Food was excellent. Service was a little slow we finished our mains and sat waiting for quite some time for the table to be cleared/dessert menus as the staff were chatting behind the bar and didn’t come over until I got their attention.

Wonderful lunch. Lovely fresh ingredients Good service, welcomingstaff, reasonably priced

Booked for a family meal following a recommendation and were not disappointed! Lovely pub, quiet and unassuming….staff were welcoming and food was great. There was no rush (only one chef on apparently) which created a relaxing no pressure experience. Our meals were delicious and faultless, we would highly recommend!!

Having just moved to the area, we took a neighbour's recommendation and ventured into The Smokey Cow – a decision we wholeheartedly applaud. While there was a wait for our food, the anticipation proved well-founded, culminating in a truly exceptional dining experience. Everything we ordered showcased a mastery of flavour, with perfectly seasoned components, from the remarkable seasoned fries to the succulent, tender burgers. The chef's expertise shone through, rendering salt and pepper unnecessary. The restaurant boasts an impressive beer selection, catering to a range of beer tatstes. For us, a particular highlight was the massive and utterly delicious Mother Clucker Burger, a true testament to the kitchen's culinary prowess. The smoked chicken also deserves special mention, its smoky depth and perfectly cooked texture making it a standout dish. Portion sizes were more than generous, each plate a visually stunning creation worthy of Instagram. The Smokey Cow has clearly earned a place on our regular dining list, and we eagerly anticipate our return to explore more of their delectable offerings.

You get so much great food for the price, regular goers. We love this pub

A much better experience than our last two visits. The food was lovely, but the service was disappointing.

Absolutely amazing food, beautifully presented. Service was excellent. Price was reasonable.

Booked a meal for me and my wife the service was outstanding nothing I asked was a problem and the food the chefs good was amazing top quality food and really well cooked. Been a few times now and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely evening and amazing food

Been to the Smokey Cow in Beckbury a number of times . Yet to disappoint us , food always very good , staff very friendly and priced very competitively. Also a lovely village if you fancy walking off your meal !