Cotton Mill Cookhouse & Pub in East Ayrshire

The service here was outstanding. The staff accommodated my disabled child's rather unusual needs with patience, their adjustments made for a dignified dining experience that was an extremely important positive experience for a very vulnerable disabled teen that rarely leaves their bedroom. We were both served delicious food too. This was exceptional service and very much appreciated, thank you so much.

Regular meet, regular visitors, service ok, some in the company not as pleased as others. Unusual, tbh, usually excellent.

We were staying at the Premier Inn next door but didn't find this pub to be the usual standard of supporting role. On the first evening we'd been travelling all day and got to Kilmarnock at 9.05pm to be told that they stopped taking orders at 8.45pm. The buffet breakfast is continental, all cooked items have to be ordered from the kitchen so take a little longer if you're in a rush. The Thai Green Vegetable Curry is vegan and was nice. We purchased it with an offer, however it's usually £11.59 which would be a little expensive for what it is. Lemon and Raspberry Semifreddo is also vegan and delicious. On Thursday we arrived at 7pm to be told they wern't taking "walk-ins" (we went elsewhere). Overall it's a good size pub with parking and a nice atmosphere but we'll go somewhere else more reliable next time.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience at this restaurant was frustrating enough to warrant one. From the moment we arrived, the service was disorganized and inattentive. We waited nearly 15 minutes just to be acknowledged, and even longer for someone to take our order—despite the restaurant being far from full. When we finally placed our order, the server seemed rushed and uninterested, barely making eye contact and forgetting to note one of the dishes. It took over 40 minutes for our food to arrive, and when it did, it came out cold and incomplete. We had to flag someone down just to get the missing items, and even then, they arrived without an apology. To top it off, no one checked in on us during the meal, and getting the check took another 20 minutes. At that point, we were just eager to leave. The food itself was mediocre at best, but even great food wouldn’t have made up for how poorly we were treated. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values even basic customer service.

We visited. the cookhouse on Wednesday night ,booked a table for 5.30. The waitress took us to the table telling us on the way that it would be a little longer as there were only 2 chefs on. By 6.00 nothing happened no meal, we enquired about it and a waiter appeared and asked the order again,!!!!! By 6.30 still no meal, I decided to leave but was told it was being plated , but by 6.45 no meal ,so we left , my grandchildren were really upset by the whole evening, there is no way I will be going back there for a meal .

Great food great service and very friendly staff

Alistair was our server and he was great fun and super helpful. Sunday Roast was delicious. Do recommend doing the unlimited option for roast potatoes and yorkshire pudding. We both had the gammon. Great value. Their Sunday Roaat is popular so try and book 3pm or before as it was busy.

A lovely clean pub restaurant with very friendly staff. I was staying in the premier in attached to the pub and had both my evening meal and breakfast in there. Upon arrival at both meal times the staff were super fast at finding me a table and on both occasions they were spotless and clean (not always the case in busy places). The menu is small but had a nice selection of items from curries, pizzas and standard burgers through to pub classics like pies as well as "fish and chips". I tried the falafel starter followed by the big stack burger in the evening. Both were very good, the burger was really well cooked and everything was served nice and quickly. In the morning I ordered a full English breakfast which was again spot on with all items really well cooked and presented well (some places throw breakfasts onto a plate but not here). The drinks area although self service at breakfast time was again lovely and clean. A nice pub restaurant which I'd happily visit again.

Worth to visit, good atmosphere, staff friendly , food delicious!

Excellent experience with 2 young kids. Price was reasonable too.

Was staying with friends for the weekend. Went to cotton mill for my breakfast it was delicious. All you can eat. Will definitely be back. The staff were helpful and very nice kirsty, nicola and lynsey thank you for a great visit. And credit to chef mick, your breakfast was lovely. See you soon

We haven't been to cotton mill for ages. There were two of us. The food was good and the service was as well. We will be back.😊

Really great place to eat very reasonable prices and quick service

An excellent breakfast. The food was hot and delicious. The staff were very helpful and welcoming, particularly Wilma who was a lovely lady with a smile every morning. I would definitely recommend starting the day with this breakfast.

We were looking for something with a beer garden and this place is spot on

Service was very good and waitress Wilma was friendly and helpful. Good value for money

Lunch with friends. Amazing value , food and service excellent in bright clean surroundings. 3 people, 2 courses each and a drink, just over £40. Thank you for a good experience, would definitely return and recommend.

Lucy my server was wonderful. Attentive, prompt and very kind.

Service was good, food was great, dessert was even better. Will definitely go again. There was plenty of parking. Good family restaurant.

Went in with friend who is gluten free to be told no GF menu but given allergen list for all meals, usually these are flagged on the actual menu!.Asked if they had GF bread ,they do but only seem to be able to make sandwiches up mon- Fri. No attempt to accommodate or discuss any options they might have and apparently they DO have a GF menu. Very disappointing experience, not one we will be repeating.

Service was good. Food was great, dessert was even better. Will definitely go again

Really good customer service from all staff involved. Only thing they are missing is potato scones. Except from that it’s good

Bog standard premier inn brekky no faults though. Apart from them putting beans on top of my hash browns. This felt borderline criminal

Popped in for a lunch with my elderly mum. Our server Holly could not have been more helpful, friendly or attentive. She gave mum the extra time she needed and helped her choose her meal. The food was delicious, warm and good value. (£5 value meal) Lovely coffee too. We will definately be back.

Excellent food, just what we needed after a long day. Alistair was awesome 👌 cheers.

If you leave restaurant short staffed you will lose customers and deserve to do so . Poor employees that are on duty it's not their fault but they take brunt of it. Service wasn't great food was good but cheese burger served was cold. Would think twice about going back

Me and my partner were in yesterday afternoon for some late lunch. This was our 1st visit to the cotton mill. We had a lovley afternoon and will definitely be back. A special mention to ourserver Louise she was warm and friendly and made time to make sure we had all our needs met even though she was very busy. She is definitely a credit to the company.

Lovely wee place really enjoyed my lunch would recommend it 100% if passing give it a try you certainly won't be disappointed

Lovely food & staff. Alistair the barman/waiter was a very nice young man who was always willing to help me with my disabled work colleague who struggle with the menu etc. The whole team are friendly and the service can’t be faulted.

The staff are all fantastic and very welcoming. We have dinner a lot here as can sit and chat also not get thrown out if in too long. The staff are always very friendly and recognise us now. Lovely atmosphere and ambience to the place. The staff all work really hard. The last twice we have visited we have had Louise serve us, despite being very busy as she was the sole waitress, she did a fabulous job. Very friendly, engaging, polite and attentive. An asset to the place and company. She makes you feel welcome and special. Always cheery and smiling and listens to what you say and responds appropriately. Thank you to everyone who looks after us at one of our favourite local places.

I was shown to a table then left for 30 minutes without my order being taken. Plenty signs begging for 5 star reviews but little interest in offering that . If you don't want to take all night avoid!

Lovely grub & staff. Alistair the barman was one top guy, thanks. The manager was also a really good guy, the food we had was good and the final bill wasn’t too bad.

The food and staff at this place are so wonderful, especially Wilma and Lynsy. I had my evening meal here to , all the staff couldn't do enough for you.

Food is ok. Nice enough pub setting but what makes it good 5* is the staff. Willma is great . Really friendly . Works so hard . She was the reason I came for my breakfast a second day here .

Good for a quick bite, but no gluten free meals, as my wife has to eat gluten free we will not be returning!!!

We had breakfast and dinner here all week as staying in the premier inn for work the food was tasty and always come out right and the staff were always friendly and made sure everything was good

Excellent breakfast and service. Bit expensive for what it was, but it was tasty and well cooked and as much as you wanted ( not a buffet you are expected to ask for more) apart from the toast etc, coffee etc which is buffet. No photos of breakfast, as well it's breakfast 😁

Had travelled a long journey, was looking for lunch before l went to a funeral but l couldn't take my wee dog in with me. So l left + went elsewhere 😔

This restaurant describes itself as family friendly. Unfortunately it isn’t customer friendly. Wait staff are incompetent. Starter arrived before the drinks. White wine was not cold. Mains were hot but portions a little rationed. Bacon was not properly cooked in the burger. Looked microwaved. Getting a bill was awful. No staff in the restaurant. Eventually dug them out of the back of the kitchen. Complained about wine. They laughed at us once our back was turned. The bad reviews are right. Stay away from this place.

Had a 40% off voucher - I didn't notice had to spend £25 - food was £24.58- wouldn't honour it although had intended get dessert which would have taken over £25, but gave up waiting for order to taken!

We popped in about 2pm after a hospital visit just needing fed and fully expecting to seat ourselves and order at the bar so we were pleasantly surprised to be seated and have our order taken. The staff were friendly and attentive, our drinks arrived quickly and the food was really nice. My husband had the stacked Burger and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the smothered chicken and was impressed with the salad that accompanied it. .it was plentiful, really fresh and had a lovely dressing. We would definitely return.

The menu is varied and will satisfy most people and families alike, The staff were welcoming and friendly, The atmosphere was the first thing I felt was that the dining room was warm and cosy and very welcome on a horrid day, being a cosy go to place for wholesome food and within reach of a treat not to cook at home

Would you like some dinner with your salt

Had a lovely meal here on New Years Day. Food was delicious, best cheesecake ever as well. Staff could not have been nicer. We will definitely be going back for the Sunday carvery soon. Thank you to the staff working on New Years Day.

Used this place before and found it ok, not last 2 visits , place has went downhill. Sulky bar maid I asked to put a head on lager after she had poured it short, gave it a stir with a straw, asked her if they had peanuts , reply was ' over there ' poor customer service, as if they cant be bothered.... Went back for food week later , stood at welcome desk for more than 5 mins before being shown to a table, place was empty. Ordered ' Crispy' wings as a starter, which came as if they were overdone in the rubberiser microwave, nothing crispy about them. Other starter ' Prawn Cocktail ' bread was hard, to be fair the 2 mains were ok but barely warm enough and, the salad on plate was going brown. The special 2 value meals were advertised on menu but unavailable , but available at the more costly price which was strange as it was on a weekday, wifi is non existent which wasnt always the case, as previously said never had this trouble before. Whats happened to this place?

The service was very slow we had to wait around 10 minutes to be seated and then another 45 minutes before our orders for anything was taken and I'm not so if we were going to be served then if I hadn't called to the waiter who was just taking the order from a couple who had just sat down.

A solid 4 stars from me. Food was nice and good value for money. Staff were friendly and it had a nice atmosphere

Excellent food, very tasty, great staff, very nice atmosphere

Who runs out of turkey at Christmas?

Food was lovely. Had the steak and was cooked perfectly

Great breakfast as much as you want. Eggs are superb

I landed in there 8:25 and had to wait for 5-10 min till someone come. And then the person said that the kitchen is closed because they are taking orders till 8:45. After some arguments i was been offered a table but had to be quick with my order. I ordered mixed grill and a pint of Stella. Had to wait another 10 min for my drink. And in wasn’t crowded place. As soon as i get my drink another staff member bring for me the bill with request to pay it as soon as i am ready. That didn’t leave me an option to order dessert or anything else. Finally i got my “mixed grill” as on the menu was said will get half steak, gammon, half chicken breast, 2 sausages, 2 eggs some chips and peas. There was no sign of chicken. One of eggs was overcooked and cold, hidden under the steak. Maybe someone was expecting it to warm up in there. In overall food was ok.

Booked a table for a carvery as advertised upon arrival told the carvery is plated for you in kitchen by chef. So not a carvery. Also told they were short staffed so couldn't tell us how long we could be waiting for service. Didn't hang around to find out and won't be going back again.

Very slow service need more staff waited over 45 minutes for my food

Was lovely we had the carvery and it was delicious x

Poor food badly cooked. Slow service. Not impressed.

There was no welcome to the restaurant food was nothing to shout about service it was as if they didn't have time to talk when trying to order your food the veg was not cooked properly when we phoned we were told it was a carvery and when we got there it was service at table so won't be back absolutely disgusting

It was ok time but last time we visited it was a lot better service better and the food was a lot better

Patronising staff, wouldn't recommend, all they did was blame the hotel staff for bad bookings.

Nice place for casual meal friendly staff.

Shambles! Went for dinner, 25 minutes after being seated, still waiting for drinks and was told it was so busy, probably have to wait another 10-15 minutes just for the drinks! There was no more than 40 people in the restaurant and I counted at least 8 staff!

Fantastic breakfast deal cooked perfect. 2 breakfast £18 including tea / coffee..

Only one chef on, thirty minutes wait for food food was edible but not favourable!

Had previously been here and not been for a while so decided to give it another chance and I wish I hadn't. Staff were very moody and unhelpful and had no knowledge of there offers or even menus. The floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned for days and was all sticky the only positive point was that the food was decent.

Tried to go three times now and been turned away Breakfast finishes at 10:30 but I got turned away at quarter past and other times been told only one chef on so even though there is space he can't deal with orders for another hoir. Owner must be raking it in to not need my money ever. Not going to bother trying again. Thought it was third time lucky but they just don't want to feed me it seems. Wouldn't mind if they seemed to care or even pretend to.

Been here a couple of times before and gave it 4 stars, but, the quality of both food and service was not as good as it previously was.

The best breakfast served by the nicest server! Wilma thank you so much for your cheerie smile at breakfast.

Good value nice atmosphere enjoyed family meal. The service was good and friendly staff. Would recommend

The Sunday roast was good but the kids dinner was rotten. I had to order an extra kids meal as my daughter couldn't eat the macaroni and her plain cheeseburger came with bacon and the burger was burnt solid. My son's burger was also burnt hard and the bun was absolutely solid. Staff were pleasant but nonexistent so we didn't wait for pudding after being in the place for nearly 2 hours. Worse thing was my son had a piece of broken glass in his drink which he picked out his mouth! Luckily no damage.

Mid week very quiet but I assume as a way to better manage it they cramp everyone in the one area so bit crowded if your looking for a quiet meal can feel a bit cramped asked if we could sit in another area but was told it wasn't possible probably so fet a bit like all eyes were on you food was reasonable think wetherspoons if your looking for a quick meal in and out then this is your place

Lovely wee lunch with my 88 years old dad

The Cotton Mill is always my go to for a quick, well priced lunch or dinner. Food quality is consistently good, the staff are friendly and the restaurant and toilets are always clean and well presented. It's very local to me and if you join the rewards scheme there is often money off emails sent through which I quite often make use of. If you need a slightly bigger table or area, for people with mobility issues or with a wheelchair, they are always happy to accommodate this as well. I don't know what it is like now for arriving without a booking, but I always book in advance (even on the same day for later) as I have been before and found that they were not able to give a table. So I'd recommend joining the reward scheme and booking in advance :-)

Absolutely fabulous stay . Very friendly staff . Great food and a good price .

Excellent staff Excellent food what more could you want

Didn't think much of the food but the service was nice.

Foodwas amazing as usual . Still remain very impressed by quality of service snd food

Large family dinner staff very welcoming especially helpful to the kids

Went tonight 3adultt s booked for 7pm twenty minutes to 8before orders taken starter prawn cocktail was nice both main courses one steak other mixed grill asked for steaks medium soft just no blood food arrived cold plates cold eggs like bullets and sirloin steak solid and burnt would have sent back but my son was treating us to a meal so did not want to ruin his night will not be back not worth the money very very disappointed

A great place, buzzing atmoshpere with super good value food and great service from Kirsty.

The price for draft drinks seemed a bit extreme but the 2 value meals for £10.99 were good value for money. Only available Monday to Friday between 12pm and 6pm. The gammon steak with the two egg option was good. The gammon steak and eggs were really nicely cooked. The chips were decent but the peas were a bit of a let down. The smothered chicken was good. The chicken and bacon was really nicely cooked. The bbq sauce was great but the chips and garlic bread were OK. The real letdown was the service. Waited ages to be seated, then again till we ordered the waitress did apologise, saying they were short staffed. The setting is not the nicest, and definitely not somewhere to take a date but ok for a cheap lunch.

Been here a few times for family meals and each time the food has been great. The portion sizes have always been not too much or too little. And the staff have been wonderful each time, friendly and helpful.

We had a nice lunch on Monday,but looking at receipt this morning to discover I had been charged £1.99 for a splash of oranfe cordial and tap water and £2.10 for a fruitshoot which is 79p in shops,think we will be on tap water next and there will be a next time as we enjoy the food

I had a steak and it was cooked not properly and now I think I ate a bit of raw steak and now my stomach is unhappy

We recently had a family gathering and decided to have a meal at the Cook House Kilmarnock. We had prebooked our table for 6 and all was ready for us when we arrived. There was a varied choice on the menu and the meals that we chose from the menu was enjoyed by all and the staff attending us ensured that the food served was exactly to our tastes. Well done to all the staff for ensuring that we all enjoyed our visit in a family friendly atmosphere !

Absolutely terrible service, we left after waiting nearly an hour and not even having anyone come to take our food order. I also walked to the bar to ask if someone could come and take our order but I’m still waiting. The couple next to us left after waiting nearly an hour just to order a drink and when she went to the bar she was told it was table service. The premises was less than 1/4 full & the manageress had absolutely no manners and was rude from the off set. I have a 9 year old with additional needs who found this experience extremely distressing and triggering

Value for money service was good highly recommend the brownie

Service very slow, food not very good and cutlery was dirty, would not recommend.

Went for dinner, booked for 1745. Server asked for our drinks order, gave it and after half an hour we eventually got them. Forgot to put order through then we'd to ask again for them as they were sat on bar. Food was nothing spectacular, garlic bread with the lasagne was cool, but as we'd waited 3/4 of an hour for meals we ate it. Again we sat for 15 minutes waiting for kids dessert. We used to like coming here, but will think twice in any future visits

Went to sit in the rear “garden” because we had our little dog. Rear entrance is absolutely filthy. My husband went in to order drinks while I attempted to clear a table. Tables are unfit for food to be served on. Wood all rotted and beyond fit for purpose. Extremely dangerous. After 40 minutes waiting for a drink we left only to see kitchen staff standing in the kitchen door smoking. This establishment needs investigated by environmental health.

Be careful with closing times ! They change them and you’ll find yourself in the situation like I did , I payed for Meal deal with my Premier Inn booking and lost it because they decided to close at 8:45 instead of 23:00 like it says here .

Used to love it, but veggie options have gone downhill (veggie lasagna is ok mind) distinct lack of service upon entry (5 minutes wait to be offered a table) poor bugger in front of me was struggling with a walking stick, I gave up on last visit, we ate elsewhere, shame really, I wanted to try the new menu! But with service so poor, It'll be a while before I return, shame really, because 2 years ago, the place, food and service was superb, what changed?

Lovely meal the staff were efficient and friendly

Was here for a family meal. The service was very slow and they forgot one of the meals. The food wasn't great, except for the desserts.

Stayed in the hotel next door for 7 nights. 4 out of the 7 nights the food I ordered came out wrong. It’s essentially a rebranded brewers Fayre, even the same menu.

Food cooked and presented decent and and also with affordable menus and offers to accommodate several different options 👌

We had a buffet style breakfast one morning and I have to say it was very good. I will go back. 👌🏻

Brilliant place 2 eat staff are brilliant

Walked in at 1810 to be told there wasn't tables avaliable until 1915 even though bookings were avaliable for 1815 onwards from online

Says blue light card on all food but apparently not breakfast🤷🏼

Food was lovely and staff where friendly, will be going back