Boatmans Rest in Barnsley - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We booked for Wednesdays carvery we are never disappointed with it, don't just turn up or you won't get served it is that popular. In my opinion it is by far the best carvery.

We stayed here in a motorhome at the Bank Holiday Weekend. First night went in for a few drinks and a game of pool. Lovely welcoming bar staff. The next day we decided to try the carvery. You can choose to eat in or order a take out. Very popular, judging by the number of people turning up to collect their meals. The food was delicious, huge servings, all served by friendly staff. Very reasonable too. The pub is situated minutes away from peaceful country walks. Lovely place for a visit. Thank you so much Boatmen's Rest for your hospitality. We had a great time.

Pubs like this are a rarity these days. Proper traditional pub with plenty of character. Very good home cooked food that is outstanding value. No nonsense what-you-see-is-what-you-get staff, and I absolutely love it. Nothing pretentious here….real pub, real food, real people, brilliant.

Great local pub with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, a massive glowing coal fire in the centre of the bar with mouthwatering home cooked food and a popular Sunday carvery. The boatmans' rest is also very popular with its functions, Weddings, birthday, wakes an the likes. Try it and see it.

nice pub with lots of space and good food, massive portions of food at a reasonable price

It's almost 30 years ago since I last visited this pub due to moving from the area. The pub feels exactly the same as it always did. I received a friendly greeting from the person behind the bar and I've no complaints about my pint. I will definitely be back!

Lovely food, generous portions. Lovely staff and excellent service.

The food was great, unfortunately the atmosphere didn't match it.

Well there's a Sunday lunch !! Amazing carvery with good old fashioned cooking with a chouce second to none all served fresh and Hot .. Staff on the ball polite and friendly .. I had the steak pie OMG !! Yummeee would deffo go every Sunday possible ..forever 😃 booking a necessity I think !! Cost £40 for 3 adults with drinks .. beat that if you can !!

The meat was very disappointing. We didn't eat while 3pm and the meat was over cooked. The vegetables were very nice.

People& service top drawer food & price to die for thanks xx

What a lovely pub/restaurant. We had the OAP 2 course lunch £10.95 and it was fabulous. I had the 8oz gamon and my sister had the steak pie. Both dishes were hot freshly made and so tasty. All we both could manage for sweet was ice cream, which was lovely. The staff were so pleasant and helpful, we will be back very soon.

We went last week for a party night celebrating the owners Birthday. It was spectacular.

We have been a few times over the past few months. The food is amazing and value for money. The staff are welcoming and attentive. We went for our lunch yesterday. My Grandsons said it was 5 stars. Looking forward to our next visit.

Great Sunday Carvery, very very busy

Really lovely food menu, so much choice, then when I finally managed to decide, I then had to decide if I wanted chips or potatoes with salad or vegetables. We chose the steak pie in an individual dish with a separate plate full of home made chips and mushy peas and we chose the lasagne with a separate plate of home made chips and full amazing salad. Wow.

Really lovely food, very good portions and all freshly cooked. Good service. Really would recommend

Popped in for a friday lunch. Was told a table number and waitress gave is the menus. The food we ordered was of a huge portion and had quality to match. Great price for 2 mains and 2 drinks. Would defo go back and try something else.

Wow,Great food,friendly staff, good atmosphere, we will definitely come here again. Superb

Food was really good, however there can be quite a long cue at times Sometimes cue can be 15/20 people deep Half hour later it can be empty Sunday carvery 10 pound per head Big tasty portions

Friendly atmosphere, gorgeous food, lovely staff nothing is too much trouble

Brilliant food and massive portions for a good price

Great food, excellent value for money.

Cannot recommend this pub/eatery highly enough. The food was delicious and excellent value. The staff went above and beyond. Will definitely be back

Excellent quirky little pub, with additional dining areas in the restaurant and conservatory. Excellent menu, so much choice if you enjoy traditional good pub grub. Definitely value for money. Lovely staff, always willing to help. There is an on-site car park, and outdoor seating available. Definitely recommend , carvery on Wednesday and Sunday, normal menu rest of week. Always busy, as it dosent get much better so booking before turning up would be recommend to enusre you get a table

Still best pub/restaurant around here, real food real prices

Brilliant food, great value for money. Would fully recommend

Went with my grandparents, they ordered a starter and this was a big mistake. Everyone thought they were big enough to be the main meal, next time we’ll stick to main meals. Had to tactically only eat half of my giant Yorkshire so I could fit my main in. Bang for you buck, but a lot of food waste especially when visiting with elderly family. (See the fat ass Yorkshire pudding which was my starter. Gravy was lovely and Yorkshire was fresh)

Sunday lunch is always a winner (carvery),plenty to pick from and a choice of 3 meats ,beer a good price too .Bar staff pleasant and friendly ,always a smile 😃 or two .

Well worth the visit. Would recommend

What a hidden gem here in Barnsley, every time we’ve been here we’ve been more than happy with our food, everything fleshly made, great portion sizes and an attractive price too, had carvery tonight, 4 meats with a choice of 2, freshly cooked veg and homemade Yorkshire puds for just £8.50 (I think), where would you get Food that good from at that price?!, infact their meat it that tender it falls apart when being carved, wonderful staff and service, lovely atmosphere and although strangers to this pub were always made welcome by regulars. Keep up the great work guys, your always chocka-block, so you must be doing something right.

Being a customer of the boatmans rest for many years It actually does pain me to leave a less than 5 star review but on this occasion I feel I need to say something. Tonight we had takeaway carvery x3. I had the pie. My wife had beef and turkey and my daughter had turkey and gammon. I have no idea what was going off tonight but the lady on the carvery clearly had forgotten how to slice meat. My wifes meal in particular was made up of beef bits scraped off the joint rather than cut and the attempt to 'slice' gammon was equally uninspiring. The veg was essentially tasteless too. If you want to leave feeling full then the portions will do this but if you expect a tastefull and well presented meal then perhaps this is not a go to place. At £10 for the takeaway I expected better quality than what I was given.

We brought my in laws for a father's day treat. We have never eaten here before. We all opted for pie 3 steak pies and a chicken and mushroom. They came and the whole meal was humongous. The pastry was to die for and the dish was full of meat. We all enjoyed our meals thank you

Great home cooked food. Excellent value.

Just took my dad and his partner here for lunch with my wife and granddaughter, food was excellent great portions and drinks were a very good price. Thank you guys.

A top quality pub... It is great value for money, friendly staff, warm atmosphere and a generally pleasant environment. If you're looking for a classic pub which is always busy you need to give this place a go. The pub is always lively and they often have entertainment or theme nights, I would highly recommend booking if you plan to visit at the more traditionally busy times as you won't get a table for food.

Absolutely brilliant, we booked the Boatmans Rest for our daughter's wedding venue. The staff we brilliant and they decorated the room and tables for our venue. The buffet was also absolutely fabulous, with an amazing selection from sandwiches, meats and a seafood election. We would recommend this pub for anyone's party. The staff were brilliant and nothing was to much for them. Thank you

First time eating here and can't fault it. If your looking for good honest food at a good price with honest portions this is your place. The staff are so helpful and friendly. We will definitely be back here. Gets busy as so popular. This place was recommend to us and it gave everything we were told about it and more a definite must try, sorry nonoics we tucked in as we couldn't wait to try the food .

Delicious, freshly cooked food. Very authentic. Husband and I both enjoyed our dinner. Steak pie and Barnsley chop. Gingerbread cheesecake to follow. Good, friendly service.

Food not up to standard today i must say. The pie had very sparse filling, and the chicken coujon starter was completely different gone are the wonderful home made battered chicken coujons and in their place what looked like something from iceland or aldi! Thought the place had been taken over at first because it was empty on a friday afternoon !at one time you would not have been able to get a table, something very off kilter about the place today, may be a while before we visit again, if ever. Thanks for your response but we did not ask for the oap pie and did not even know we had the oap pie till you replied!

Food and service excellent,I am gluten intolerant ,and all were very knowledgeable and helpful

First time here and deffo not the last, there was 17 of us for a 30th birthday and we were all agreed that it’s the nicest carvery we have ever had! Can’t wait to go back and try the other food they have to offer, also the grounds are so nice to sit outside 😍

Everything was superb. It was like stepping back in time, a good oldy-world pub with absolutely fantastic staff.....very relaxing.

We have had quite a few meals here, so we thought we would try there Wednesday carvery and we are glad we did it is very nice, a good portion of meat and the rest is up to you, we have been a couple of times now so it isn't a one off.

Just called for a drink on the way home on a lovely day. Staff were very friendly. Beer was nice. The good lady likes the place too. We may have something to eat next visit.

Food and service from the waitresses is fine, but there's a young blonde woman serving drinks sometimes at lunchtime (Like today 16/5/24) who is "on the fiddle". My wife paid for the drinks with my card and returned to our table (19) along with my daughter where I was sat. The young woman could easily have mentioned it to my wife as she left the bar to come back to our table that the payment had not gone through, but didn't. On leaving the place my wife went to the bar to pay for the meals with her card and the same young woman charged my wife another £7.40 for our drinks saying the first payment had not gone through, yet on checking my account online when I got home I find it had gone through. We live miles away so it is not worth going back but beware of this scam by this thief.

We called on off chance & sat outside on a lovely sunny day, as we had a dog with us. Excellent food and good value for money. Staff really friendly. Will def visit again

Food it great and reasonably priced

Been for a belated birthday meal tonight with family n friends absolutely amazing as usual thank you 😊

Popped in yesterday, thought I’d try the midweek carvery.. fantastic choice! All food piping hot and probably one of the best I’ve ever eaten. We had 2 carvery’s and 2 drinks for under £25 ! What’s not to like ? Faultless 👍

Sad occasion as went for funeral Wake but staff were lovely and food very nice, decor a mix of old brasses and football memorabilia but somehow it works and is very cosy. I am told cooked meals are very good too. I would definitely return.

Excellent value food, generous portions

Average carvery nothing special

Absolutely outstanding. Great atmosphere great food. Great value.

Great pub with good food. It was busy when we visited but service was reasonably fast. Staff were efficient and friendly.

All Mush !! Not bad if you've no teeth and old and like mushy wushy food 🤮 🤢. Beef was like pulled pork mash was like smash but lot worse food was grey .tried it once but never again.

Cosy atmosphere and plenty of space. Food was excellent and the staff were polite. Definitely worth another visit but be warned- book in advance for Sunday carvery, it gets very,very busy. Plenty of parking aswell.

Great local pub, varied menu, spacious car park, lovely outdoor seating.

Shoved in the corner when we had booked.asked the waitress if we could move when there was plenty of empty tables.she said no I can't understand when it was still empty when we left.made it a regular dinner on Wednesday but I now know the normal staff was on holiday

Great service,Great food and a very good variety plus kids meals and OAP meals too. Very reasonable prices.

Crisp Carling and amazing food I would recommend a mini mixed grill don't know what's mini about it, regardless it has really good grub.

Despite the hype from numerous positive reviews, our experience at Boatman’s Rest left much to be desired. While the portions were sizable, the quality of the food fell short. Regrettably, not a single member of our group of nine had anything positive to say, which was truly disappointing.

Beautiful food, large amount for the money. Friendly atmosphere, highly recommend

Really tasty carvery, good service, friendly staff

Went to my daughters wedding at this venue, the staff were brilliant as was the food and the atmosphere was really good. I highly recommend this venue

Fabulous food , fabulous service and staff, great atmosphere best food I have had in a very long time.

Second visit here and again didn't disappoint. Excellent delicious food very reasonably priced and great value for money

Grumpy bar staff both on arrival and whilst queuing to pay spoilt my lunch time treat. The food was ok, the restaurant staff lovely they could do with a giving the bar staff a lesson in good customer service- won’t be going back as this was second time I’ve been and bar staff unpleasant both times

Fantastic value for money, lovely friendly atmosphere.. Sunday lunch is gorgeous, plenty of choices, and it gets very busy, so booking is advisable

Really good food, large portions and very good value.

Very busy Thursday lunch so food took a while, Barnsley Chop was a good size, lasagne was ok and the broccoli & cheese bake could have done with more broccoli

Really good food and service loads to look at in the pub

11th March waited in car park as we were early .In full view of restaurant then as other people arrived someone pulled up in a car and asked if we had come for a meal and she told us there was no food.Didn't know who she was but she then went inside leaving customers astounded .I will not be recommending that place to anyone which is sad because I had the place recommended to me .I was taking my friend for a birthday meal who had dined there before and had a lovely meal.Might have been a one off but they could have put a notice out saying that there was no food to be had ,instead of being sat waiting for a long time.

Best Sunday dinner in Barnsley by a mile.

Lovely takeaway dinner. Used to sit in to eat but so much easier taking it home still tastes amazing 😍

Not been here for a long time and decided to give it a try after hearing some good reports and must say we weren't disappointed. A Sunday carvery serving very good food and plenty of it, a busy place but well organised by good, competent staff.

Went there for their Beef Pie and it didnt disappoint! Melt in the mouth meat and fluffly pie crust. Proper English pub lunch.

Had birthday meal for mam's 89th birthday 20;of us altogether meal and service brilliant x

Very nice food and plenty of it. Good prices too and will definitely be returning.

My wife queued for a takeaway lunch. Others in the pub kept by passing the queue and staff kept ignoring this? When she finally got to the front staff explained she couldn't purchase one as the queue was too long? When can you purchase one? You either sell them or you don't.

Love this place .... great value for money.

Amazing home cooked food for a reasonable price

Had a lovely meal, service was great, beer was spot on

Typical friendly welcoming Barnsley pub

Very nice country style pub, keen prices and very friendly staff

Had a meal for my birthday this evening, 18th January 2024, and was very impressed. Great food cooked to perfection, great price, similar meal elsewhere would have been ££'s more expensive, and friendly staff. Will definitely be back as soon as possible. Thank you all.

Top rate carvery. Nice people in a friendly atmosphere.

Great lunch today food Is really good and the staff are absolutely lovely.

Absolutely beautiful place, lovely staff and gorgeous food

Don't get to visit often enough, but when visiting family in the area we usually pop in. Great little pub with a welcoming atmosphere. The staff are always on hand and take time to assist my very elderly and quiet frail relative. The carvery is always well stocked, with great choices. And portion size definitely not skimpy. Looking forward to our next visit.

Christmas lunch Excellent food Excellent service Excellent atmosphere Highly recommend Would definitely go again.

I had Sizzling steak and it was very tasty. The black bean sauce was recommend and it was really good! Cant wait to come back to try some more. Update... had a Carvery this time was fantastic!

The food is awesome and it's definitely worth going just for this, the atmosphere is very noisy so don't expect a quiet meal out, service can be a bit hit and miss but that's mainly due to it being super busy, all the staff are friendly and helpful

Another great Sunday lunch again.The food staff was brilliant Highly recommended a must for food lovers 👌

Excellent food and service friendly pub

Food was amazing friendly staff. Was a little busy for a Thursday lunchtime, but fortunately, I had pre booked a table. Will definitely visit again, but I can't rate it highly enough

Lovely food nice and friendly staff would definitely recommend to family and friends 😊

Had a great meal would recommend this place highly and will be going again

Carvery was outstanding. The only thing I didn't like was people queuing right up to our table while we were eating

Very busy on Sunday lunch, excellent carvery.