Hooden Smokehouse & Cellar in Ashford

Visited here for the first time with a friend. We were both truly impressed with our evening. The staff were welcoming and attentive throughout. The menu choice was great, and the daily deals are a fab idea. We had the Burger Deal and it did not dissapoint. Starters and desserts were tasty too, and well priced. The decor had a comfortable and upmarket feel. We will definitely be visiting again soon!

we had a amazing time tonight , we booked for my friends birthday , fab food we had the buy one get on free fatiatas , brillant service by Ali and the hooden never lets us down with the tasty food , the chefs ryan and luke are amazing their food never ever disappoints , deffo will be visiting again , food 10/10 service 10/10 ,

Just returned from the Hooden after a delicious Sunday Carvery. The Beef melted in your mouth and all the vegetables were freshly made. They do lots of mid week food offers and tasty cocktails too! A lovely family friendly, traditional British pub!

Had a Fantastic evening. The food was spot on, we got served really nice & quickly the atmosphere was great . The guys at the Hooden really looked after as and made it a night to remember. I would 100% recommendation whether you are going with friends or family.

Excellent food and drinks, even got to sample their Halloween cocktail menu, well worth a visit!! Would definitely recommend

Disappointing and overpriced compared with other local pubs

Unreal food! Deffo worth the vist!

Haven’t been to the hooden for years but decided to book here as an early birthday meal for my hubby .. we both had the ribs & chicken wings combo.. oh my god so yummy & totally stuffed ..great atmosphere & the best service for Clara our waitress thank you for being so lovely

Order said a time but kept being pushed back. Ordered 2 pizzas- they weren’t particularly nice. The pulled pork one wasn’t pulled pork and I asked for a specialist order but notes were ignored and wrong pizza delivered. Overall very unimpressed and won’t be ordering from there again.

Fantastic food at really reasonable prices. Special nights too. Highly recommended. Staff as super friendly and helpful too.

Fantastic food at really reasonable prices. Special nights too. Highly recommended. Staff as super friendly and helpful too.

Food and atmosphere is excellent here. Only a small place but I really like it

Food and atmosphere is excellent here. Only a small place but I really like it

For some reason delivery drivers do not frequent Hooden, or atleast this is what they state. Food was ready quick and due to late delivery, it wasn't as hot and very soggy. Chips were dry, stale and inedible. Wings were tough but flavor was decent. Won't order again.

We have been here a few times and every visit has been exceptional. The service from Alex and Jess has been amazing. What a talented chef the food is divine. We will definitely be going again and recommending this place.

Fantastic little pub! Wanted to try out somewhere local and found this little gem online! Very warm and welcoming inside, service and food excellent. Had the 2 for one cocktails and the burger and chicken burger. Cooked to perfection! The garden and outside drinking area looked great wished we come a bit earlier to enjoy a drink there before. Will definitely be back 😊

Had a great evening catching up with friends in this lovely pub. Wonderful food and drinks served by great hosts Alex and Josh. Great recommendations of dishes to try. A gem

Delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere. We had drinks in he garden before the meal and enjoyed the late sunshine. Our server Jess was very attentive and knowledgeable. 5 stars!

Came as a group of 6. Indoors is spacious but with a cozy atmosphere, and the garden around the back has plenty of seats. Drinks selection from the bar covers a wide range - I especially enjoyed the craft ciders they had for £2 a pint! Food came out hot and was delicious (the steak and the pork belly were stound-outs). All the staff were super polite and attentive, especially our server Jess! Will definitely be back when we're next down visiting family.

Wow fantastic pub I can’t shout about the pub enough a must see for yourself food was amazing.

Seven of us turned up to this busy place without a booking and the guys couldn't do enough for us. Service was a little slow for our mains, but they were well worth the wait. Most of us had the ribs and wings platter....these were enormous portions and they ribs were smoky and delicious, as were the wings. Would definitely come back again!

tried two of the speciality meats between us, both dry and chewy. disappointing for the price

Visited on Sunday for lunch. Food was nice and no problem with the service. There is no roast so check the menu if that's what your looking for

Visited this lovely bar and grill on a whim on the way to the Cliffs Of Dover. Did not regret that decision for a second, this Bar/Grill has a beautiful traditional interior with modern amenities, the staff are welcoming and attentive, our drinks, a lemonade and a Gin and Tonic were brought to our table so quickly and perfectly chilled with generous measurements. We ordered the HFC burger and a Bacon and Brie toasted Ciabatta with a side of onion rings. The burger had a perfectly crispy piece of fried chicken and a delicious hash brown, the perfect amount of Buffalo sauce and garlic mayo and was a great size. The Bacon and Brie Ciabatta had fantastically cooked smoked bacon a large portion of Brie and delicious caramelised onion. The onion rings were light with crispy batter and not greasy at all as onion rings so often can be. The true highlight were the chicken salt fries which were skin on, cooked to perfection and seasoned with chicken salt which were absolutely amazing. We enjoyed this so much that we had to find out about desserts, we ordered the cheesecake of the week which was vanilla and chocolate with ice cream on the side and a traditional Banoffee Pie, again both of these were a great size and beautifully made, enjoyed both thoroughly. We finished off with a tea and coffee, perfect end to a lovely meal. The dining area was clean, tidy and welcoming, tables and dining wear was spotless. We adored our visit start to finish and would give this wonderful place and massive recommendation.

Visited this lovely bar and grill on a whim on the way to the Cliffs Of Dover. Did not regret that decision for a second, this Bar/Grill has a beautiful traditional interior with modern amenities, the staff are welcoming and attentive, our drinks, a lemonade and a Gin and Tonic were brought to our table so quickly and perfectly chilled with generous measurements. We ordered the HFC burger and a Bacon and Brie toasted Ciabatta with a side of onion rings. The burger had a perfectly crispy piece of fried chicken and a delicious hash brown, the perfect amount of Buffalo sauce and garlic mayo and was a great size. The Bacon and Brie Ciabatta had fantastically cooked smoked bacon a large portion of Brie and delicious caramelised onion. The onion rings were light with crispy batter and not greasy at all as onion rings so often can be. The true highlight were the chicken salt fries which were skin on, cooked to perfection and seasoned with chicken salt which were absolutely amazing. We enjoyed this so much that we had to find out about desserts, we ordered the cheesecake of the week which was vanilla and chocolate with ice cream on the side and a traditional Banoffee Pie, again both of these were a great size and beautifully made, enjoyed both thoroughly. We finished off with a tea and coffee, perfect end to a lovely meal. The dining area was clean, tidy and welcoming, tables and dining wear was spotless. We adored our visit start to finish and would give this wonderful place and massive recommendation.

No sense of client service.... Ok. Mistakes can happen, so when they happen it is how you respond that shows your quality. Our main course order took 90+ minutes to arrive. No explanation, no apology and no commercial gesture to compensate. Even once it was clear we'd been forgotten, the team didn't try to let us know how much longer we'd have to wait. The food was good, but I would never go back given their total lack of effort to redress the error. Very poor indeed.

Lovely, traditional pub. Looks really tiny from the front but go down the steps and inside or into the fantastic outdoor seating area and garden and you'll find this place is an absolute TARDIS! Staff are very friendly and always meet you with a warm welcome. If you pay a return visit, they'll inevitably remember you and treat you like a great friend. Food here has always been nice but over the years, they've just nailed down what they're good at and the Hooden burger is a great example and the chicken salt fries are just too good. Music events, beer festivals, great people. What more could you want from a pub?

Lovely food! Didn’t know what I wanted. Needed up ordering the hotdogs. An what a good choice that was very filling & chips was nice and hot 10/10

Waiting staff were good and attentive let down by slow service from the kitchen, and it wasn’t really busy but 2 of us had plates with chipped plates , how does a chef let that happen when he is plating up ? No , we said nothing at the time as it was a birthday dinner and we didn’t want to upset the birthday girl by complaining but it’s not something that should happen . Food was ok but not as great as we expected , the steaks were good , main courses were good but the starters were very small , we weren’t allowed to eat the birthday cake we had bought with us ( I understand why ) but they did bring it to the table with the candles lit which was appreciated.

Absolutely amazing food, proper little hidden gem.

Great service and superb food. Polite and friendly staff made our Monday evening meal out a real pleasure. The Haddock and Chips was particularly good with its light but crispy batter and beautifully flakey fish within. Highly recommend.

Excellent food and service. Highly recommend the food here. The ribs and wings stater dish was one of my favourites.

Very lovely food. Quite delivery. Food still hot.

Daisie was the friendliest waitress ever - such good service and the food was DELICIOUS 🤤 Definitely give the Banoffee a go if you get a chance! 🤭

Burger was dry and overcooked and burnt and a weird taste pizza had done a somersault somewhere as it was just one big ball all mushed together

Another great order !! Food was delicious.

Definitely recommend, came here with my partner and whilst it was quiet, we got the most out of our experience, amazing bar staff (Kate and Josh) so friendly and down to earth, will be coming back soon!

Food is really great and atmosphere of the place is even better. Staff is really friendly and will make sure you get the most out of the dish you ordered.

Really great service from Alex and Alanna. Best burgers I’ve had in UK. Really relaxing atmosphere and reasonably priced goods.

5* Food cannot fault that. Definitely coming back again.

Wonderful experience from entering the premises, the staff were so attentive, nothing was too much trouble, food was excellent done to perfection, drinks were good value too. All in all a lovely place to dine.

Something for everyone and cooked well. It was busy so I recommend booking in advance .

We really enjoyed our takeaway yesterday and I couldn't resist ordering again today. I am very fussy where burgers are concerned but on both occasions, I couldn't fault them. Not only do they look like burgers( not too thin, squashed, fresh ingredients) but they really taste great... and we love the packaging too !! The other highlight was the onion rings !! Just amazing !! Will definitely order again !!

poor, food cold no bun on top of burger never again

I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN LATELY BUT LAST TIME I GOT GREAT EVERYTHING

The food was very good and the service was exceptional.

Amazing service. Food 9/10 the brisket was a bit dry but it was late. Staff get a 10/10 Update in March 2024- had a bar snack of wings and loaded dirty fries. Thenfood wait was far too long over 20 minutes and they came out cold. Which was a shame. The fries tasted good but the wings were nothing I'd buy again. Service as always was very good, warm and friendly.

Very nice food served in small traditional and beautiful old pub. Waitress very pleasant and helpful, however chef turned out to be less than flexible when request made to amend side from mash to baked potato. Good menu with plenty of choice. Short Ribs very tasty and Chicken Fajitas also good. Would return.

We went for my boys 16th and was made to feel very uncomftable I have a illness and was made to feel really bad the food took for agease

Took my 86yr old mother for a Sunday roast, food was nice, service could have been better, unfortunately staff not very attentive. The worst experience was a table full of local louts swearing loudly, so not a place I’ll visit again anytime soon

Always love a trip to the Hooden, the staff are always friendly and can’t do enough for you, food is tasty and priced fairly. We just wish it was closer!

Eaten in the pub twice over the past 2 months. Once on a Saturday Lunchtime and the second time on Sunday for their roasts. Both times the food has been delicious. We waited slightly longer for our food on the Sunday but luckily we were happy chatting amongst ourselves. And you have to talk to each other as there is no phone signal. Very dog friendly also. Great pub and would be fab in the summer with their back garden.

First visit here and would highly recommend it. Lovely atmosphere and great food. We'll be returning!

Nice place, made a quick stop from the Eurotunnel, I had the pulled pork which was nice. Kids had chicken burger which she demolished and fish for the other one and the middle one had a hotdog. All and all a nice pub with nice people in a (as far as I could tell) small town next to the motorway.

We went to the Hooden tonight for a family dinner and OMG it didn’t disappoint in any way. The staff where super friendly and helpful throughout our visit. The food came out in good time and was absolutely delicious and we all left with very full bellies with only a starter and main. The facilities where easily accessible,very clean and the whole place was family friendly. Can’t recommend this place enough and we will definitely be returning.

Lovely sunday roast had by us all.very reasonable prices.lovely cosy fire.

Popped in on Friday night.. portion size on the pan seared chicken was unbelievable, very small.. Bar staff and their friends ruined a nice atmosphere with their antics at the bar

Vaping allowed inside the pub, not great.

Food was very nice, will definitely go back again Thanks

Really liked the atmosphere here and I liked overall aesthetic of the business! Personally I think it's good that there is a automatic fee for the waiter/waitress as it is more fair for them and I understand that not everyone has as much cash on them (as they used to). Only downside is the parking is rubbish and when we came back to the car, our car was blocked in so slight effort/shimmey to get out out! But we managed it in the end. Overall I loved our experience here and the food that was recommended to us was lovely. (+ a refreshing cocktail 🍹) I would 1000% be back to eat here again. Ta x

Food was ok.lovely outdoor space

Nice atmosphere, great garden with lots of different spaces and a play area that could do with a little TLC. My battered halloumi was perfect but the dirty fries were disappointing, floury and not crispy at all.

Disappointed is the only way to describe the experience. Venue is lovely, massive garden space. Restaurant and pub was not busy at all so food should be at its best by being not rushed. Was really looking forward to the meal.. I would of been better getting ribs from Tesco. Calamari was lovely. Got given 2 although we said we would share one, but they were nice so we did eat them without mentioning it. Ribs were dry and bland. Some tough. Very poor. Chips were good... But that's just chips. Onion rings were amazing. Slaw was the worst slaw we ever have had... it had bits of broccoli and wholegrain mustard in, not nice at all. When we fed this back we were then told the chief agrees... What the actual ?? Chicken wings seemed burnt. Pudding was the best bit and that's not what a smokehouse should be known for. What a shame. Then to top it off when we asked to remove service charge they seemed shocked and annoyed. £100 for a meal for 2 what a waste of money and an evening. All in all.. give it a miss. You'll have a better meal at home if you are after ribs. AVOID.

Lovely little gem. Nice snug cosy pub and a massive garden with play area for older kids with a handy separate play area for the smaller ones to enjoy. Food is awesome and staff are friendly, can honestly say we've always enjoyed our time there..

If your hungry, don’t bother going here! Portions are pathetically small, I’ve seen bigger kids meals. I ordered a ploughman’s, it had the smallest cube of cheese, 1 slice of fatty gammon, pot coleslaw and pickle and last but not least 3 bits of gem lettuce. My sons fish and chips, was supposed to be a adult portion but the fish smelt and tasted of ammonia, far from fresh, I just hope he isn’t ill later from the few mouthfuls he had! Rip of prices for very poor food. Won’t be going back. I noticed they had a certificate of excellence dated 2019 clearly that slipped in past three years! Customer service very slow, nobody came to ask how are meals was!

Very nice pub with a massive garden and very friendly staff.

Nice place friendly staff big garden great range of food and drink

Sort out your opening hours!!! Online says one thing and your staff says another

Friendly & helpful staff. Delicious food. Great choice. Good prices. Lovely pub restaurant atmosphere. Definitely would recommend

What a great place, garden is fantastic. plenty of seating, in the sun or in the shade.lunch menu is great and reasonably priced, Food portions size is bang on. Not to small that your left wanting more or too big it looks overwhelming. Food is fantastic and the staff are really friendly and helpful. Would deffinetly eat here again.

We had a brilliant lunch today in the Hooden's fabulous garden! We were slightly early for our booking but we couldn't have had a warmer welcome. A fantastic gem near Ashford with great food - try the Smokehouse platter and you won't be disappointed! We had no issues with parking at the venue and on the nearby road either.

Excellent service and very nice food. Tempted by the Harveys but driving so stuck to water.

Nice friendly place ,good food , nice seating areas outside. We sat in a spot with outside heaters too very nice. It also has Great fenced off play area for the kids to play in too

Great steak, great service, great garden

Visited here with my family last week - beautiful pub and amazing garden for the kids. All let down by everything else. Staff were rude and didn’t look like they wanted to be working. Food was appalling! Cold and burnt pizza (£11 for a pizza that looked like a kids pizza) We were not informed that chips and sides weren’t included with the burgers and ribs WE HAD TO ASK otherwise we wouldn’t have known any different! All other tables in the garden were eating what looked like to be beautiful nice big meals including roast dinners - we wasn’t even offered the main menu like others. When condiments were brought out to us we were given 3 small sachets of ketchup (with 4 children that was no where near enough) we politely asked for some more and was told “is that not enough” This was our first time visiting and the place was recommend by a family friend. We won’t be visiting again

Great food, lovely atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff - everything you need for a good night out with friends. Would definitely recommend.

Decent traditional pub with one of the best beer garden in ashford for adults and children alike. 🍻

Great food, brilliant service. Thanks to Jack & the team for a nice evening. Looking forward to our next visit.

Went here tonight for our anniversary as it look a lovely place, order the drinks and then the meal as we were the only ones in the restaurant at the time and waited . Then the meal turn up nothing like the photes on there web site the pull pork was just enough for a good sandwich filler with a small pot of beans and a very dry coleslaw which apparently was double due to having no sweet corn and ordered a plate of dirty chips which was cold (great start) taking both portions to the bar and explaining to the woman that these chips were cold yet the plate was hot I got her to touch the chips and her answer was yes they are cold I get you some more, by the time the dirty chips had turn up we had both eaten our main 😞 even these chips may be hot , but was hard we give up the will to eat them and finish our drinks. The lady said you won’t be charge for the dirty chips wow thank you for spoiling our anniversary meal with basically a meal which my kids could of knock up and add to insult when I went to pay the bill they said we won’t change you for the dirty chips and the chips which did not and the sweet corn come with the meal,but the cheek of it in checking the bill later at home they had charge us for both meals with the chips and sweet corn unreal this is a place we certainly will not be going back to and will inform others to avoid to save there time and money😟 disappointed is a understatement

Food was excellent, staff working very hard where attentive but not in your face couldn't fault would highly recommend.

Lovely food and a welcoming atmosphere. We had a really nice evening here.

Customer service and food were excellent. Can't wait to visit again.

New chef, new menu, new deliciousness . Lovely old pub with a great atmosphere

Absolutely cracking food, staff are friendly, attentive, and just brilliant. Drinks are lovely. The atmosphere is unbeatable. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great spot in ashford. The pub itself is beautiful, with a really nice fire heater in the centre keeping it nice and toasty. Couldn't ask for a better place to have spent our time and we will definitely be coming back! Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

Perfect atmosphere, perfect food

Really enjoyed the pulled pork and we also had the roast which was lovely

Very good food with very attentive service, very nice atmosphere. Only complaint - quite limited menu, virtually no fish and few vegetarian dishes. If you order steak it comes with nothing else, fries and veg extra.

I have been here 4 or 5 times , every time part of their menu is not available. This time, we were there for a 70th birthday. After making us wait 45 minutes for the table and 3 rounds of drinks later told us 3/4 of the menu was sold out. We have also been for Sunday roast, don't go if your hungry. Portion size was ridicules and the gravy was just water with no colour or task. DONT WAST YOUR TIME.

Had a great three course meal here. Big starter, very tasty, and an enormous roast meal with all the trimmings. Service a little slow, but not worth deducting a star given the quality of the food. Mid-range on price, good for the portion size. Very polite staff. Would definitely recommend!

Came here for a retirement function and was very impressed. I has so many different areas depending what you want. In indoor sitty down area, and kind of inside outside barn type area, a covered smokey area and a massive garden. With everything that has been going on in the world we decided the more outdoorsy areas were better for a group gathering. Its a very nice place. The staff were friendly and the bar seemed well stocked. Although they did run out of the one drink I decided to have. Ordered some food to soak up some of the booze and they were yummy. Salmon scotch egg. Cooked perfectly! And some dirty chips. Now I think dirty chips are one of my most favourite things in the world and they were great, melted cheese, crispy onions and bacon. Y U M! Soz no pictures.

Lovely pub & dog friendly! Came in on a Sunday afternoon, had a super roast and stick toffee pudding was dreamy! Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend 🙂

Amazing food. I've lived close to the hooden for 4 years and until the last 6 months or so to be honest as much as we love thr pub and the setting (especially in the summer as there is a great beer garden) the food has always been hit and miss. In the last few months they have massively upped thier game, especially the steaks. They are so nice. The service is fantastic. Jack is always so tentative and polite. He is really kind and all the other staff are also very polite and care that you are having nice food and a good time. We love going here. Thanks

This place serves the best smoked meat I've ever had. An incredible flavour to it. I highly recommend!

If you like ribs and wings you're in for a treat , best smokehouse for miles can't wait to go back

Fabulous food, great service and charming surroundings. If you are in the area I suggest you visit this little gem.

Went to the Hooden Smokehouse for a Birthday lunch with my wife and daughter. The lunch time menu was reasonably priced with lots of interesting choices including vegan The young man who served up was polite and courteous. The food was delicious. Great service and great food in a delightful pub.

Really lovely staff, very attentive and polite! And the food and atmosphere was fantastic

Great fresh food ws always, great frendly staff, opened every night of the week, smoker meats are the best!

Very nice looking place. But avoid the burger. Dry as dust and tasted the same.

Absolutely divine. Lovely place, excellent service. Highly recommended