Cross Keys in Taunton Deane

Matthew was superb. Very welcoming, inclusive and supportive. He listened and understood the needs of our order and the service was lovely.

Cross Keys was warm and the staff were friendly and cheerful and service was very good. I would happily eat there again.

Went for a light lunch. Good steak sandwich. Pub was very busy therfore service was quite slow but the staff were lovely and very friendly.

Great food and very welcoming friendly service

Waited over an hour for food as they forgot our order, then served over cooked steak

Booked for 2 people on the 2 for £20 each Sunday lunch deal last Sunday. The main meal was poor..... All the vegetables were wet and I would say frozen,the cauliflower cheese came out in a separate dish,swimming in water and no cheese very bland. The potatoes were dry and no actual potato inside,again seemed frozen. The meats were all processed, extremely thin and again no flavour. The best bit was the pigs in blankets (outstanding). Service was excellent and the draft IPA was good. But never worth the price I payed. Paul

Amazing place would recommend. I’ve been here a few times now and the food and staff have always been amazing and been able to work around any problems we have had. The atmosphere is always so lovely and it feels very cozy.

Steak sarny ok but the thin meat presented a problem for MR. The salad was small and a littlevl wilted. The shoe string fries were cold. The packet sauce was not bad. On the whole the decor did much better.

I never leave reviews anywhere, so it takes some doing getting me to spend my precious free time to prasie the staff at the Cross Keys. Been coming here for years on and off. And the food has always been good, tasty and very fresh. Service good and they always try thier best even if now and then they have been slow due to understaffing at the busiest of times. However, I must say that in the last few months the service and overall staff moral has increased ten fold. The staff seem happier in thier jobs, service much faster. And nothing is too much trouble even for the pickiest of eaters. Everyone is catered for and all done with a smile on thier faces. This all seems to have coincided in the arrival of Wayne the deputy manager. His professionalism, good manners and customer service was a welcome addition to the place and deserves a special shout out! He is definitely one to watch and will make a superb manager when the time comes, which i would not be surprised if it happened sooner rather than later.

Lovely pub! Took a very long time to get the food and drinks, and when the food did come, the beef was like leather! Although pork and turkey were lovely! The roast potatoes were advertised on the menu as duck fat and rosemary, but they were extremely bland! However, we will go here again as the rib of beef was delicious and the staff were all lovely! Really liked the fact that it was a dog friendly pub as well

Unable to walk in for food as told only 1 chef on even though the pub was fairly empty

Nice pub on the outskirts of Taunton. Good food, decent beer, fair prices, lots of parking.

My husband and I found the Cross Keys by chance one rainy Sunday lunchtime as we were travelling to our holiday destination. We hadn't booked and it looked busy but the staff had a table for us. We both had the roast turkey which was huge but so good. Everything was beautifully cooked and it looked really inviting. There was too much for us though so we could only manage a mini pud with our coffee. We had the brulee cheesecake which was so delicious. We were served throughout by Emily T who was brilliant. It was a busy Sunday lunchtime but she was really keeping her eye on everyone and was always ready when we needed her. She is a credit to this establishment. I couldn't believe the 3.5 star rating on Trip Advisor. We couldn't fault the place and just wish it was nearer to where we live.

On our way to Dunster we happened upon The Cross Keys on a wet Sunday lunchtime. Luckily they had a table for us and we enjoyed a fabulous Sunday roast. The service, by Emily T, was impeccable. What a lovely girl she is. I just wish we lived nearer and could visit again.

Our regular get together with old work friends was most enjoyable. Nice welcome and spacious table. Great service from Charley and food was tasty, fresh and hot. See you in December!

The food here is highly over rated. Garlic mushrooms on sour dough bread (the sour dough bread is a crumpet). All in all pretty much everything was sub par particularly as prices are on the high side

Fabulous meal with great service. Couldn’t fault it! We have been many times and the food is always excellent. Olivia served us and was pleasant and attentive.

Lovely food but really slow service - an hour for our main courses and half an hour for dessert

We arrived at 12.00 Waited for 20 Minutes with no contact Girl behind the bar said her assoiate Would be with us soon. No one came. Waste of time

Terrible service, although in the waitress defence she was on her own and it was a busy Monday lunchtime. Seated tables not bar food. Anyway I and my friend ordered a cheese toastie with side salad and dressing. We received cheddar cheese in cold toast , no dressing, not even pickle or tomato, cold oven chips on side no salad and it was £8.76 , my other friend ordered a mushroom starter with french bread, she had cold bread, a few manc mushrooms and a sauce that was cold, we were extremely disappointed, how can you mess up a cheese toaster. Will not return to this place for food ever

They were short staffed but the food was still on point and fast. Lovely meal.

Met at the door by a lovely young chap who showed us to our tables and explained the new specials, I decided to have the venison burger off of the back of his recommendation and I was not disappointed! It was full of flavour and plenty juicy! The girls on the floor were super friendly and attentive and we didn't want for anything, there was a short wait but food and drinks appeared in a decent time. We'll be back with the kids to try out the Sunday roasts!

Beautiful Sunday lunch. Lovely staff.

Absolutely the worst 'home-made' pie ever. This was about 10mm thick, hard, pastry, and once I managed to hack into it (without a saw), it was practically hollow with hardly no mushrooms inside, just 'mushroom gravy'. This was basically a pie pie. If the is the quality of the chef who makes these pies, then last night was my last ever visit to this place.

Lovely pub, was recommended by our hosts at our B&B.

We walked into this establishment and felt instantly welcomed. Vicky (behind the bar, waiting tables and taking orders!) is a phenomenal asset to this gorgeous pub. Nothing was too much trouble for her and when the ordering system went down should could remember everything almost perfectly! Only 4 stars for food because there was a big party before us and Chef was clearly having to expedite a huge amount of food leaving the kitchen (our medium rare steaks came out medium). That meant we had to wait a tad longer than normal and the food wasn't at peak excellence that I'm sure this kitchen can deliver. After this fabulous experience we've decided to make the Cross Keys our "local".

Really nice pub, quite cosy. Service a bit slow but in all fairness they were very busy at the time of our visit. Food ok. Both had steak and chips, nothing special but not bad price at £16.49. Can't understand why they don't have sauces and vinegar on the tables? Also the cruets doubled as both salt and pepper but no salt in the ones on our table nor some of the other tables. So never bothered having any on our chips. Dessert was very good however particularly the bramley apple tart.

Terrible restaurant. Steak tough as old boots, undercooked. Gammon steak undercooked. About 50 minutes wait for food to arrive. Complained and got full refund.

Lovely food, sadly let down by diabolically poor service. Nobody came to check back if our food was ok, we had to ask for the roast potatoes with the GF Roast dinner, and gave up waiting for our plates to be cleared after 40 minutes. Finally managed to get a waitress once she had finished cleaning a clean table to clear them while my MIL was at the till paying our bill.

Food was luke warm brocoli hard. 2 small pieces of beef which were dry. When my roast came it had no potatoes on it. We waited 45 minutes for someone to clear our plates, but only after we asked for them to be taken away, even though staff were backwards and forwards all the time. I won't be going again that's for sure. £10-20 on food plus drinks

Excellent Sunday lunch, including vegan, great service and excellent value for money.

We booked here for my sons 40th, who now lives in Taunton having moved from S’hull.There were eight of us- we were given a lovely spacious table. Food excellent, waiting staff excellent, especially Matthew. Even the boss served us. Everyone very pleasant. Food arrived together, and we were always supplied with drinks. All had a great night- would highly recommend. When we come again will definitely visit again.( home made steak and ale pies to die for). Thanks Cross keys

Met a friend here. Friendly staff, reasonable prices, plenty of space to park and a good location

Great value and excellent service all round, but Vicky who was front of house was especially welcoming and helpful. Thank you for the delicious food. We’ll definitely be back!

Another fantastic evening at the Cross Keys with a lovely meal for the family . The mid week menu offers a selection of 3 courses at a bargain price . I really enjoyed the garlic mushrooms and the smothered hunters chicken , my daughter enjoyed the Bakewell tart and warm custard. Friendly service, great, warm atmosphere.

Went on a Sunday evening, half the food on the menu was not available

Booked a table for early Sunday evening over the phone( thay did take our telephone number) for 2 adults for Sunday roast dinner. Upon arrival at 5:40 we told sold out of all the roast dinners and only the main menu to pick from. We had travelled 12 miles due to few pubs in the area serving food after 2pm, so certainly not happy. Closest meal was a shepards pie at £6 more than the roast. We left without ordering. We would not recommend and definitely not upto the usual standard of the chef and brewer chain.

Amazing Sunday Lunch, generous portion sizes, really tasty food and services was also on point from management to staff…thanks 🙏🏽

The steak was perfect, as was the Mrs' Chicken duo meal. All barstaff were exceptional in their service delivery, and the restaurant itself had a lovely ambience about it. Would come back in a heartbeat! Ps, they accept Blue Light discount here too!

Delicious food and great service in a welcoming and comfortable place. Came whilst staying in the area one night and did not disappoint.

Great meal this evening - thank you! Food was excellent and £16.50 for 2 courses after 4pm Mon-Thurs is a really good deal - the staff were lovely too! Top marks 😊

Okay , only stopped for a quick snack

I feel sorry for the one member of staff that was welcoming customers and seating them, taking food orders, making drinks, and running food to tables from the kitchen. As a result the queue at the bar was large and it took over 20 minutes to even get close to ordering. I hope this place, which I had been recommended, sorts this out and can improve the experience.

Lovely food fresh and hot. Lovely Sammy-Jo served our meal.

I can't say it was the best experience. Went into the pub for a quiet couple of drinks. We were greeted by one of the locals calling myself and my friends numerous homophobic comments for wearing our masks during covid. We ignored this male though the staff members clearly knew him and could hear what he was saying. After a period of time, the male then upset another customer, joining him at the table and getting in his face, which in turn caused the customer to down his drink and promptly leave rather than deal with the local drunk. Following this, the drunk male had then started calling across to our table, calling us benders and trying to cause an issue. I understand sometimes you get drunk idiots, however the lack of reaction by the staff and their apparent lack of concern was disappointing. Why they didnt stop the bloke is anyone's guess...He was clearly upsetting numerous customers. Tried to raise the issue with the manager and he didn't care at all

Shame as this pub was a nice little find. we came in as an unexpected booking and they did accomidate us well. The pub it self is beautiful and lovey beer garden with things for kids and in a shaded area. Our visted started great with two people getting there food and cutlery was brought out aswell, after that it went very down hill. Yes we all expected our food come out drips and draps noone was deluded to this fact, second round came out few orders was wrong but no apologies or any thing was giving was placed table no cutlery or anything now was giving. After was 3rd round main meals was brought out again not cuterly and my order still wasnt, I politey asked thr waiter to check as only ordered bowl chips and before they set meals had come out, yes i moaned to the group of people I was with but never did to staff. With this the Manger had come out... Very rude no apology and gave me alot bull**** I would rather she was just honest and said my ticket had been lost or they had thpught they had done it. At this point it was a free for all everyone having to find there own condiments cuterly which the outside shed was empty. The food is cheap and 60% staff seemed lovely the guy behind bar was friendly and smiley few of the girls was pleasent but most seemed like didnt want to be there, again was hot day so could be that. Would been more stars even given the circumstances but hostile manger let that down complety, would say only go if your face fits.

Decent food, price, atmosphere and friendly staff

Had a very nice family Sunday lunch here. I had the trio of meats and it was fantastic. Portion size was great and tasted delicious. The service could of been a touch quicker, but I appreciate it was a Sunday and the staff were busy. All of the servers were polite, friendly and helpful.

Lunchtime, everything was excellent, bit of a wait for food when limited for time at lunch but all was good and Vichy made us feel welcome.

Good experience all round. Been a few times now and will be returning again at some point.

Very enjoyable few drinks here on a Sunday evening with an old friend.

Excellent food nearly missed as just in a junction, so glad we had our breakfast there it was just perfect at a very good price 😄

Luke warm microwaved food and noisy bar watching football.

Good food, nice place, food was quite slow to come out and had to go searching for condiments

Old style pub but with excellent food. Well worth a visit

Table of 10 for Sunday roast, food was lovely and will definitely recommend a visit.

Lovely pub/restaurant, large interior with plenty of seating, also outside area with picnic style seating, large children's play area with climbing frames lovely setting, little bit to close to the main road making it quite noisy at times, food selection is fantastic, I had the pork loin which was superb, and the chocolate torte with ice cream was delicious, prices I thought were very reasonable, all in all a great place to eat and drink for the whole family, dog friendly as well.

Drink order took 30mins, then forgot to add the gin to 2 of them. Food was tasteless and stale and clearly understaffed with 2 serving staff on a Sunday evening

We have not visited this pub for many years, so we thought we would give it a go and see what it was like.we were greeted straight away when we arrived at the pub and asked if we wanted a table and we went to the garden where it was more busy than inside.we ordered food which didn't take long to come ,it was hot and full of flavour.Staff were very friendly and smiley

Very friendly staff and local people. Excellent food and service.

We came this evening food was beautiful couldn't fault it. And the service was great couldn't do enough for us. Great thankyou will deffo come again

Our watrest Charlie was very nice and friendly and the food was delicious

Party of 6 arrived on a Sunday at 12pm.with no booking. They fitted us in, drinks and food were served quickly. Food was really lovely. Thank you

The food was average even for a chain pub, but the service was non-existent. Long waits to have our order taken, slow food service, staff that seemed more interested in chatting with each other at the bar rather than seeing tk the needs of their guests. Not somewhere we shall visit again.

Went here for a meal this evening as we were staying nearby and were served and greeted by Emily the waitress and was told there was a 30 minute wait for a table but was glad we waited as the food was really nice and left us all feeling so full we didn't even need a pudding great little pub and restaurant would definitely eat here again great food and good service

Have always loved the Cross Keys , however confess to being disappointed at this visit . The staff were very welcoming , but I would expect a pre booked table to ready on arrival , not have to wait for it to be set. The food was decidedly lacklustre & lacking in flavour , a shame as we were looking forward to our meal out, something we do not do often due to the cost . This has not put us off & hope there is an improvement on our next visit .

Unfortunately, unlike other visits were told 30 minutes wait for food 50 elapsed before it arrived. Was then presented with a bill. Unfortunately again this was wrong including drinks we didn't have.

Waited 15 minutes just for drinks and food orders to be taken, but drinks and appetiser came soon after. Lovely squid prepared properly, with the membrane removed. Waited an hour for dinner, though; and was seriously considering leaving. When arrived, they were very apologetic. Food was good (not great), and no complaints. Not classy enough or good enough food to wait that long: but appreciate they were probably short-staffed in the kitchen. Might I suggest taking a few of the plethora of servers from the dining room to help in the kitchen? Would return, but not if in a hurry!

Would recommend,service was excellent, food was great,did get busy while we was there.we came early so would recommend booking.

The front of the house was rushed he needs to delegate more. The food was good, Atmosphere manic.

Good service and warm welcome from Emily. . Will return based on this. Food good hot and fresh.

We stumbled upon this pub after visiting Fyne Court en route to Taunton on a Saturday. We were promptly seated by the manager. The dining space is separated from the main pub and is quite spacious. We ordered from the specials menu. Pork belly with rosti and Lamb shank with Mint sauce. We were served by Emily who was efficient and smiley. The food was excellent and there wasn't any room left for dessert.

Lovely friendly pub dogs welcome plenty of parking and large beer garden, stopped for lunch on route to camp site .

The food is good, but there is a very long wait between ordering to receiving

Lovely food, good menu and drinks options. Really nice décor and atmosphere in dining area. Friendly service. Tried the outside space on a nice bank holiday for some food with the dog. Grabbed a shady spot and service was still fast and friendly.

We visit the Cross Keys Taunton each month for a lunch to meet friends and colleagues. We are always treated very well and have a great meal and drinks. They are quite used to us now after many years and we always book our next visit on each occasion. Thank you to Victoria and all the team who make these occasions so easy going and enjoyable.

short visit on Sunday afternoon. there was some issue in the kitchen meaning they had run out of nearly everything and were shutting it early. my table order was lost or forgotten which wasn't great but one of the staff was very apologetic and corrected the issue. manager seemed very much out of his depth on the day not knowing hownto make best use of the many staff present.

We popped in for a quick bite on a sunny Saturday afternoon and wow it was so busy not only inside but the beer garden as well. The manager shown us to the table he was very friendly and Emily was helpful when taking the order. Hat off to the staff who worked as they definitely shown us how a busy restaurant should be

The meals that we had were excellent, very friendly staff, victoria was really nice and helpful and friendly. We will definitely eat there again

Brilliant food. Good service. Very clean.

Went with the family to enjoy a lunch on a visit casual with great access. Good selection of pub grub. Good portion sizes.

I can't speak about the food, service or indeed the ambience of this pub - but anywhere that uses AI to make my booking (under the guise of "Claire") and claims that's personal service has lost the plot & doesn't deserve to get my custom. Plus... when I came to cancel "Claire" couldn't understand me. Funny that...

What a lovely relaxing lunch. Spot on atmosphere, comfortable table with plenty of room, well looked after by Charley who seemed to take on all the tables in a relaxed and helpful manner. Food was lovely much enjoyed arrived promptly and we never felt rushed. Pies were delicious, fish and chips perfect, just the right amount and puddings really good, and different from the usual pub puddings. Hubby loved his rice pudding, my Bakewell tart was really tasty with a lovely pot of custard on the side so you don’t drown it! Thank you all especially Charley and the chef! it’s a shame we don’t live closer or we’d be there more often 🥰

We had such a lovely evening at Cross Keys. We were served by the lovely Charley who made our experience truly so welcoming and memorable. The food was delicious and the service cannot be faulted. The atmosphere is also super cosy and relaxing. We will definitely be coming back.

Lovely food and good service. We will be back.

An impromptu stop for lunch, as we have done so before. Quality of the service is always pleasant and today was Emily's moment to shine 👏. Some nice pie mains followed by the coffee and mini puds. The sherry trifle was a bit to mini for the combo price. I'm not a fan of the musac which seems unnecessary to the nice ambience of the Cross Keys, but heyho...

My family and I recently enjoyed a delightful Sunday roast at the Cross Keys, the slow cooked rib of beef was particularly good. It was a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and dog friendly. The staff were really attentive and the manager was particularly helpful. Looking forward to our next visit.

Visited this pub early evening to celebrate a Birthday. Charley was very welcoming to us and our dog, she looked after us well and was very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, couldn’t fault it at all. The other Staff that were there was also friendly. Would definitely recommend this pub for its great atmosphere, friendly Staff and great food. Many thanks, especially to Charley.

Beautiful food, great tasting beers, idealic atmosphere.

Two hours to be served one course, nobody asked if we would like more drinks, we were just left in the corner for an eternity. Clearly short staffed so didn't complain an add to the stress. Food portions poor for the cost also, wouldn't return

Mothering Sunday, we booked, 5 adults, one child. Overbooked atmosphere, late lunch, no where to wait for a free table, cramped environment. Had to wait, for table & floor to be cleaned. Prompt order for drinks, then Food. One Dessert run out. Set Menu, Starter dark oily, overcooked unappetising, veg clearly past best & limited, Orange segment accompanying drink dried up. Some time later, our Desserts were brought, without even having had our meals! Eventually received meal, young person serving, again taken aback by wrong order, no resolving of issue. Clearly overwhelmed, we decided to accept the mistake without complaint, as time was marching on. Had 3 yr old present, she had not received her meal, while we finished ours. I had to call out to the Husband in charge, who was passing, to bring his attention to it. She eventually got her meal, we had to wait then again for our Dessert. It was unimpressive to be honest. Although we were received very warmly, there was confusion & lack of constructive Service/Organisation. Perhaps short staffed, that was the impression. Altogether the meal took 3 hrs, very disappointing. The premises much different, for a previous visit years ago. Cosy for a cold Winter, with many beams about. But it used to be open, airy, which would accomodate, a busy occassion much more comfortably. I did feel sympathy for the Couple in charge, I felt they tried, but sadly as a Customer, none of us will return.

Couldn't fault it even if we tried. Lunch was scrummy (lamb shank cottage pie was gorgeous), wines were great and the service (thanks Charlie) was amazing and happy. Even our dog was very settled and lived some of the leftovers.

Came here a couple of Fridays ago, mid afternoon so it was pretty quiet (hence the 4* for atmosphere - not the pub's fault!). Greeted pleasantly, seated at a nice table. Charley looked after us, including providing some information on the specials - apparently the staff had a tasting in the morning so could provide their opinion from actual experience, a great idea. Food was very good, particularly enjoyed the spiced rum pork belly main special. Will certainly be returning.

What a lovely surprise - fantastic service (thanks Charlie), very tasty food, a scrummy Shiraz and a great place to bring our dog as well. Perfect 😃

Visited today with a group of friends and had a fantastic time! The pub is quaint and cozy, the food was fresh and tasty and the experience was topped with the first class service we had from the lovely Charley :) Its just a shame we are not from the area as it would certainly become a new favorite for us!

Fantastic meal tonight. Really enjoyed it. They had just started the spring menu, so not all the items were available, but we still managed to polish off a 3 course meal each 😋 Our server, Sammy, was very polite and courteous. The burgers were amazing! One of the best burgers we have had in a while. Banging! Definitely recommend and can't wait to visit again. Next time we will take our dog, as dogs are welcome in the bar area. There was a "dog station" which was a lovely touch. Water bowls could do with being filled up, but I'm sure if we had our dogs with us, and asked Sammy, she would have done that. Was asked if we were okay to eat in the bar area, as it was 4pm, and at that time, Sammy was the only member of staff serving. We were happy to eat there, and it had a great atmosphere and was very comfy. All in all a great visit and lovely delicious meal!

Looks like a lovely pub from the outside but that's as far as it goes. We went in for a quick spot of lunch. We were seated at a table and just left there for a good 10 minutes the pub wasn't even that busy. After taking a drinks order the drink took ages we order our food my steak sandwich was over cooked and fires were Stone cold very disappointed. Will not return

Nice for somewhere to just pop in too for a bite to eat of a Saturday lunchtime . Lovely beer garden to sit and chill in if it’s not raining .

Pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with a cosy log fire and a warm and friendly welcome. Extensive menu, cask ales and good service. Grateful thanks to Vicky for looking after us so well.

Lovely staff very welcoming. Quick service and very friendly staff.