Maenllwyd Inn in Caerphilly

Same points to make as many other reviewers. I,ve been coming here for years. Unfortunately since becoming a chain pub the price and quality of food are going in opposite directions. Wait times are hideous for genuinely dire food. I,ll not be back. Also greene king say they,ll use this feedback to improve but don,t, as they,ve said that for years and its still dire. Really disappointed in the lack of effort here.

Best Sunday roast ever! Delicious rib of beef, friendly and efficient service from Alex and Mike. Thank you - we’ll be back!

The beef rib was huge and delicious,as was the Yorkshire puds.Unfortunately the vegetables were a real let down.Tough roasties ? No cheese In cauliflower cheese, and.one piece of broccoli .One cider and half lager.Bill was £52

Nice lunch from the lunch menu and had an offer for £10 for a sandwich and a pint, good steak sandwich and pint of Welsh Pale. Had really friendly service as always.

This is a go to spot for me and my best friend. We are late twenties and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere for a friendly catch up with a pint and food. The food is always perfect and there is a great variety on the menu! Have previously visited for the Sunday roast which was also lovely. The staff are always attentive and friendly and you are checked in and out in a timely manner. Thank you for yet another lovely meal!

It was so good that we had to go twice the week we found this place! We've been for the main menu and for the roast dinner. Great food, friendly staff (could be a little more attentive) and will be introducing this place to our friends and family! They’ve taken dog friendly to a different level, providing dog bowls, treats and blankets. Would highly recommend this place!

Sunday 6pm 13/10/2024 I've been here a few times. This place used to be great and the food used to be lovely. I am not sure if there is new ownership or if we just suffered a very bad day of service but all of the tables mains were horrendous. Every roast dinner was luke warm at best. The roast potatoes were hard? They keep forgetting our sides and veg. Then decided to squish all our individual veg sides in one small bowl. The pigs in blanket were very salty. The veg was bland mush. The garlic bread that came with the kids meal was like a rock. Even the adults at the table tried to eat the garlic bread but couldn't. You serving bricks to kids now? Are we supposed to wait for ages for our food and tell you that everything was awful and wait for it to be recooked while we're already hungry. Asked for a drinks menu. Server said drinks menu is outdated so we don't get a menu. We order our drinks and find out afterwards they are extremely over priced. Also the food menus were dirty? This place has gone to the dogs. We will never come back here again. 250 pound spent on a meal that is on par with a bad wetherspoons. Additionally I had a bad stomach by the time I left. Wouldn't be surprised if the food wasn't safe to eat. Before the owner replies saying to come again. The answer is not a chance. Unless you're coming our entire meal there is no way we're wasting 250 quid on this crap again.

I absolutely love this place. Been here many times and it's always been a positive experience. We visited today and had the new lamb shank shepherds pie, cumberland sausage and mash, fish and chips and gammon. Everybody enjoyed their meals. There is one lady who has been here many years and her customer service is second to none. Lovely ambience especially when they put the fires on in the winter. Parking is fine, plenty of spaces in the overflow carpark just up from the pub.

Went there on sat for my daughters birthday never been before. the pub was warm and a lovely atmosphere, can't fault the welcome. the food was excellent would highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning. Thank you for a great night

Food fairly standard for this sort of pub. Service awful. Very young untrained waiters who paid no attention to the table other than to deliver the food. Waited ages for desserts and then had to send one of them back as the order was wrong. Won’t be going back

Beautiful old pub with a classic selection of food and drink. Food was tasty and with Generous portions. Was busy so I recommend booking if visiting during peek time.

As always lovely food and good service.

Efficient service and attentive staff. Food good quality for one of the restaurant chain locations. Menu bolstered by seasonal specials. Have gone to the Maenllwydd many times over the years and food quality has been variable. It is good presently. Clean plates speak volumes. Not the best of atmosphere in the restaurant, but creation of such takes time, and is difficult where prompt throughput is the main theme of the business. Visit aided by Blue Light Card discount on 999 Day, Will certainly be back.

Absolutely beautiful food. I don't usually have vegetarian options but it sounded so nice and it didn't disappoint. Really lovely sat in the conservatory looking out at the view

Great place to walk to and have an IPA or two in the garden before walking back!

Lovely place, cheerful service and just the place if you have a large appetite 😀

Was very disappointing food was not up to the usual standard. Waitress took full drinks away while phones were on the table. One of the party couldn't eat his steak, I had a cooked dinner wasn't very good. Definitely won't be going back.

Haven't been here for over a year. Pub just as quaint and beautiful surroundings. Service good and what I had to eat was lovely (pork belly). However my partner had the steak and ale pie and I'd say it wasn't hone cooked. Too much pastry and filling a bit tasteless. I'm disappointed with it to be fair. With a visit to judge for yourself

Turned up without a booking and welcomed in. Service great and food from the specials board was excellent. A nice bottle of French red to set things off and a lovely evening was had by all. Will be back again for sure !

Lovely meal yet again. We've been coming here for years and it never disappoints. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. We just wish we had this pub on our doorstep. Today we were greeted by Alex and made to feel very welcome as usual. It's always nice to chat to her. Won't be long before we're back no doubt!

We have spent a lovely evening with Alex and her team. Good food and service in comfortable and warm surroundings. Would recommend.

We visited over the bank holiday weekend and really enjoyed our meal. The staff were lovely and Kate made sure we had everything we needed!

Fantastic. Turned up without a booking and welcomed warmly. Chateau Neuf was great and then there there was the food.... Salmon, lamb (medium rare) a pie and the Halibut. All good. Service was perfect (thank you) and very happy. Out of the way Pub, so not your high street clientele for sure..

Love this place. So friendly and helpful and wonderful food.

Another great meal at the Maenllwyd Inn. Thanks to Seren for great service and we loved the burger and fish and chips! Great beer and great atmosphere.

Very good meal and pleasant staff.9

Had a lovely time at the Maenllwyd, went for my husbands birthday with my mother in law and 4 year old daughter. They were very patient with us and helpful. Seren our waitress was so friendly. Our food was lovely! The puddings are incredible 😋. Will definitely be back.

Over all area pub, food the area lovely but looks could kill when myself and friend walked in by the bar waiting staff. I was made to feel really uncomfortable.

The meal I had was the nicest I think I've ever had on a meal out.

Delicious Sunday roast very promptly served by a lovely waitress called Seren.

Great for a walk and drink. Food looks great but we did not eat this time. Excellent beer garden and dogs most welcome. Free water and bowls so a winner for us. Diolch yn fawr. 🙌

Fantastic food as always. Seren our waitress was polite and very helpful.

We went for our 44th wedding anniversary the food was amazing my Husband loved his steak . Alex and all the staff were very polite and helpful we were even given a glass off wine free to celebrate .highly recommend

A great birthday lunch with family. As ever the food was lovely

Yesterday my daughter, husband and myself visited for breakfast. We had two dogs, Stuey who was 5 last week and my Charlie who was celebrating his 4th birthday yesterday. We sat outside and our host welcomed the dogs. We ordered drinks and some toast for the dogs A few minutes later two tubs of doggy ice-creams with lit birthday candles arrive with a host who sang Happy Birthday to each of them. We ordered 3 different breakfasts, porridge and poached eggs on toast, one full english and one smashed avocado and eggs on toast. The breakfasts were superb, each perfectly cooked with quality ingredients. Whilst Stuey and Charlie paid attention to their toast, we enjoyed our breakfast in relaxed atmosphere, with attentive service. We ordered extra top-ups on the drinks and a plate of biscuits and snacks were brought for our canines...this was not billed. .We have visited this pub many times for evening meals but this was our first breakfast. We cannot fault it. This pub is situated in a lovely quiet country location which was perfect for a doggy walk afterwards. We absolutely love it. Well done guys. We'll be back. Lou & Malcolm and Charlie-pup Ilett x

Had Sunday lunch. Food underwhelming. Service was great and it’s a lovely atmospheric country pub.

After looking on google maps for somewhere nice to eat. We chose Maenllwyd Inn. We 100% were not disappointed. The food was amazing and the service was understanding. The staff could not do enough for us. Made to feel very welcome and would most definitely return. Very cosy inside and even some little treats for any dogs how visit also. Great choose of drinks and something to suit everyone on the menu.

Such a brilliant pub. Always receive a warm, friendly welcome. Such a brilliant atmosphere and a brilliant relaxing beer garden. Amazing food…. Thoroughly reccomend

Great service and good food reasonably priced. What's not to like.

Staff always pleasant and friendly . Food is reasonably priced at a good standard

Staff very unattentive. Ceilings super low so no good for tall people. Fire smelt weird on the front section. Menu varied but daily specials available. Reasonable price. Moderately clean.

Wonderful Sunday dinner and steak. Served by Alex who was lovely. All staff very friendly. First visit and will definitely be back.

Very nice pub atmosphere, fairly busy when we arrived but panelled rooms keep a cosy atmosphere. Poached halibut and grilled peppers and asparagus and grains was very good. Attentive friendly service. Great

Great food and staff but hated the computerised booking system...you can't ask a question...needs to be changed

What a gem of a pub.. Not to be missed ...lovely views means you just keep drinking. Didn't have any food but what we saw looked delicious.

This is just a shadow of the pubs former self.. I hadn’t been to the maen for quite some time. I remember it being a busy lovely place. But tonight (Thursday) it was dead 2 other small tables in.. I didn’t know how hard it could be picking food from a menu that is so small, I did think they’d given some kids menus with inflated prices.. but realised no this was it. I ended up getting a few starters and sides.. the garlic mushrooms were ok.. squid was quite soggy, the sweet potato “discs” or whatever they were was hard and inedible. But the worst was the poor excuse of garlic bread.. I know they try and be posh but spreading garlic butter on a round of bread for me is quite the opposite… I’ve done that before when I didn’t have any actual garlic bread available.. anyway with the added cheese which was barely melted was probably the lowlight of my meal.. the guy in charge must have assumed we wanted to go home as he gave the bill without us suggesting we were ready. Bit odd but it was then evident they wanted to close early… (Google currently says they are still open but they’ve been closed 1/2 hour at least) I feel bad about eating such crap as I feel they are wasted calories. And topping it off paying for the displeasure.. won’t be eating at the maenllwyd again for sure

Lovely cozy pub. The service was great and didn't wait too long. The food wasn't amazing considering it was on the pricey side. Main meal was just ok. Chips are big part of a meal for me and i didn't really enjoy them. If it was standard pub prices then it would have been a 5 star

Had a great meal with family and friends at the Maenllwyd Inn yesterday. A group of 13 went at Sunday lunchtime. The food was great, I had Sunday roast which was very tasty and very generous. The service was very good - friendly and helpful throughout. Also a nice atmosphere to the place, which helped to make a memorable and enjoyable outing. Highly recommended!

Dog friendly pub with tasty well priced breakfasts, warm attentive service and tidy clean facilities.

NICE PUB , GOOD FOOD , STARTER ARRIVED IN GOOD TIME , THEN MAIN MEAL TOOK ALMOST AN HOUR TO ARRIVE , BUT I HAD TO GIVE THEM A REMINDER FIRST THAT WE WERE STILL WAITING , SO SERVICE ONLY GETS 3 STARS FOR THAT. OTHERWISE A GOOD PLACE TO VISIT.

Hadn't been for many years but chose to give it another go. It wasn't great. Party of 6, four steaks were not cooked as we asked. The poor waiter even dropped a salad on the floor as he brought food to the table - an honest mistake, and he was incredibly polite and apologetic about it. But the quality of the food did not justify the prices or the occasion. A real shame.

We were there in the evening a few days ago. So the three of us were very satisfied with the food (plus a small beer) and the service. The price was also completely ok.

Went as a group of seven. Drinks order taken and delivered quickly. Meal order taken quickly but no mention of specials board?, meals took a long time to arrive, maybe 40 minutes. The squid and terrine starters were very good. We had 2 good steaks and 1 mediocre steak all of them overcooked, so very disappointed there. The salmon and lamb shank were good. Overall was a bit disappointing.

Gorgeous pub with fantastic food. The server, Will, was really pleasant.

We had an amazing meal here. We were running late but we rang ahead and they were very accommodating. They were very busy (turning people away) but were very attentive and service was quick and efficient. Food was delicious - Sunday Roasts delicious and burger too. Dog friendly inside too though we did inform them ahead of time. Used Tesco Clubcard Rewards towards food. Had some trouble getting codes to work but Alex persevered and all sorted. Tip: park in overflow car park much easier to get in and out and path leads right across road from pub front door.

Great pub with plenty of character. We just had beers and we sat outside, so can't comment on the food, but the place was quite busy, so I expect the food is good. The beers were definitely good and the service was friendly and quick. The location is a little off the beaten track, but lovely none the less. I will be back I'm sure.

This restaurant has gone down hill. Opted for sunday dinner. The lamb was lovely according to my partner. That aside, untasty beef and very stingy portions of vegetables. No mint sauce. Chose the new peach crumble for dessert which had few crumbs of crumble! Overall disappointed.

Disappointed. We came here for a birthday meal today. Booked it because it was a Chef and Brewer, and we are always happy with their food and menus back home in the midlands. Apparently between booking and today it has changed to a Greene King, and the Sunday menu is much more restricted. Unable to order for at least one member of my group something he had been looking forward to Feel we should have been told about this. Food was okay, but nothing more, and we won't be visiting again

This was our second visit. This time was for my dad's 70th birthday. I booked ahead and asked for an accessible table for my step mum as she has limited mobility. We also had 2 dogs with us. When we arrived we were told the only table available was a high table. There were a number of low tables which had been allocated to families. Had I not specifically asked for an accessible table when I booked a week in advance, I would not have had an issue. However it is wholly unacceptable to expect a disabled person, who entered the premises with 2 crutches, To climb up to sit down. We were told 'You will be fine once you're up there'. As it was my dad's 70th, I did not want to further ruin the mood, so we accepted our fate. The food here is lovely, and the atmosphere is nice, however I will never return due to the despicable way my stepmum was treated. She felt embarrassed about us having to help her up and down from the seat with a full pub. She also suffers from mental health issues and it's quite difficult to get her to agree to come out for meals, so this was quite traumatic for her. Dogs are only allowed in the bar, which is fine, but if a person with dogs specifically asks for an accessible table for a special event, it would really be appropriate and moral to locate able bodied families in another area surely? Or are you another establishment that claims to be dog friendly, but just tolerates them for your own gain?! This is not a disabled friendly establishment. Avoid

Lovely food not cheap and the service is rather slow but we would go back.

We meet here every first Wednesday of the month usually 18 to 22 of us. Alex the manageress looks after us every month we are a picky bunch but she manages to accommodate all of our wishes with a smile. she is a star. Thank you Alex from the ladies of inner wheel machen.

Lovely place to chill in the summertime but Vegan options are limited and the quality is really very bad. Need to up your game Maenllwyd.

My friends wedding anniversary

Was hoping to come back here after a bad meal a few months ago, but after reading the most recent reviews fair to say they are very mixed , and the pictures of the food look awful , especially the sunday roast. so sadly I think we will not return.

The food was ok, not very flavourful. Staff were not overly friendly. Waitress plonked plates down and we changed our mind about staying for a couple of drinks after our meal as there was not much of a welcoming atmosphere. Would not return or recommend

Came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised at the choice of food Reccomend the steak sandwich! And the beef dripping gravy is amazing!

Fabulous menu, great service highly recommend, one of the best Sunday lunches around

Chips didn't turn up. Very apologetic though

Fabulous service at this local Valleys pub near Risca. Tasty food, freshly made from local produce. Friendly staff and prompt delivery of orders into the beautiful beer garden. One of the nicest burgers I've had. Worth a visit.

Food was a bit underwhelming given the price. Steak was tough and overdone, the chips were cooked from frozen and salad that came with it was meager. Apart from the food, nice pub

Nice country pub with good food menu Shame the outside gate to the beer garden has been blocked up so no easy way to secure your bike.

Always a nice meal, lovely atmosphere. Staff are great. Drinks are a tad pricey but all in all a really lovely pub, and dog friendly!!

Been tonight for the first time was a lovely traditional pub with excellent food and service will definitely be going again

Came for a late Sunday roast and was really disappointed. 1/2 roast chicken was very dry (had probably been kept warm since lunchtime). Roast squash was soggy and tasteless. A real shame as this is a lovely pub that we’ve been too many times.

My partner Craig left a review regarding the dissapointing Sunday lunch we had last Sunday. The management commented and as I am unable to reply to that I would like to clear a few things up. Firstly you said that we was asked on two occasions if everything was OK and we said we was enjoying our meals and that we didn't indicate any dissatisfaction. It is correct that we had staff check, the first one was before we'd even eaten a mouthful and the second no one said they was enjoying it I just asked for more gravy. This was brought quickly but it was one tiny jug of the luke warm granual gravy you serve. We wasn't going to complain we was just going to put it down to experience and not return as other than heating up the food more there was nothing you could have done to change it because clearly this is just what you offer. When you asked my partner as he went to pay if everything was OK and he gave feedback you commented saying no one else had complained so clearly you only wanted postive feedback. Personally I think charging nearly £73 pound (no discount given so you must have been thinking of someone else who complained that day) for 2 beef dinners consisting of two thin slices of fatty chewy beef. 1 belly pork dinner which was cut roulade style and so thin it probably equated to one slice of pork. With no crackling (which is what it is advertised as) rock hard empty Yorkshire puddings, mushed up roast potatoes, two soggy carrots, two bowls of peas with a couple of tiny florets of broccoli, a side of cauliflower cheese costing £2.99 ( 3 florets of cauliflower and a tiny bit of watery cheese in the bottom of the ramekin) with luke warm watery granual gravy which the granuals hadn't even dissolved and three diet cokes. Oh and the shell of a garlic clove on my dinner. Isn't what I consider to be a good quality Sunday lunch. We don't want to go out and find fault, in fact quite the opposite. We would prefer to pay extra and had a good standard of food and enjoy our time out. However this is not what we received and I think to ask for feedback then say no one else has complained and then lie and say you discounted our bill is unacceptable

I booked in for Sunday lunch at 1.15pm on 28/4/2024. I haven't been to the Maen Llwyd for quite a few years and when I last visited the food was of good quality and really enjoyed my meal. Today was a totally different experience. As soon as I sore the Greene king sign outside the front door I felt instantly doubtful but I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. I really do wish I hadn't bothered and walked away there and then! The food was of poor quality and halfway through eating my lunch the food was cold. You most definitely don't get value for your money here! I was asked by a man who took my payment if everything was OK so I voiced my opinions to him but was told that he'd never heard these complaints from anyone else. WHAT A JOKER!!! I am a very disappointed customer and will definitely not be visiting the Maen Llwyd again or any Greene King establishment!!!! 😡

Really enjoyed Saturday lunch at the Maenllwyd Inn. It’s nicely tucked away in the countryside but still only a few minutes off the M4. Party of 3 adults and 1 child and the main courses were excellent. The mains average out at about £17 but the portions make it worth it. Service was good and we were never without drinks. Total for 4 mains, 4 deserts and a couple of rounds of soft drinks each came to just over £100.

Seems like a nice pub and staff are friendly but £6.65 for a pint of beer is extortionate!

Food absolutely fantastic, the marmite mayo with the burger was genius.

The best greene king in the known universe

Popped in for quick lunch, had cheese toasties, toastie could done with maybe some spring onions with the cheese, the salad was dried up and limp, did not eat it.the waitress was very nice and offered free coffee as apology. Disappointed in food and to think the chef was happy to put old dried up salad on plate, will make me think twice b4 a visit in future.

Enjoyed a fabulous meal with my family in celebration of my 65th birthday. The service by both Alex and the manager Mike was impeccable. They went above and beyond to make it an experience to remember. The food was prompt and of superior quality. We will definitely be back.

Simply the best. Great food. Excellent choice of starters, mains and sweets including a Specials menu. Delicious meals and well presented.Staff were brilliant, friendly and very welcoming. Very highly recommended.

Came here on Sunday for lunch. Not been here for about 2 years so thought we'd give it a try. Both had sunday dinner. The carrots were very hard, roast beef was dry and chewy and the roasties weren't very tasty. The pork roll was absolutely stunning though. Overall was quite disappointed with the meal especially for the price. We opted out of desserts in the end. Also heard the table next to us complain too. Always highly rated this place which was a shame. The staff were nice and the service was good.

Lovely lunch , good service and delicious food . Dog friendly which was great. Served by a delightful young lady called Polly which added to the excellent experience overall .

Lovely country pub with roaring fires and excellent food. I had a salmon special with a sensational white wine and caper sauce and my father in law had a large and tender pork belly dish. These were followed by two of their specials on the dessert list: rose petal panna cotta and pistachio tart. Everything we ate was very tasty and high quality - higher end restaurant standard but (deservedly) higher end cost too. Had to ask three times for water but other than that, can’t fault the place for a lovely long lunch in the middle of a hike!

I’ve always drove past wondering what this place is like and today was definitely not my last time visiting. Every member of staff was friendly, food was out quick and also tasted delicious. Keep it up😀

What a little gem! Jess was a FANTASTIC host to an American with some questions. :)

Lovely Sunday roast, good service very pleasant surroundings

What a well run and immaculate business. I work as a General Manager within the trade and cannot speak highly enough about our meal this evening. Absolutely brilliant! Thanks so much guys…especially Leanne who was wonderful. See you all soon!

Very disappointed food was bland and tasteless, the side dish of onion rings were hard like rubber and send back to be replaced with soggy ones! Won't be rushing back

Been here a few times, food is good for a fair price. Unfortunately today, we felt disappointed as the area we were seated in a empty room, and felt squashed into a dark corner with no lighting. We moved ourselves to a table by the window with lots more room. In my view the table we were given would be the table you use when all other tables in the restaurant are in use.

I've been coming here since the 70s, even though it's part of a chain now it's still really good

Fabulous Roasts, Veggie and Meat, delicious. Great service.xx

What happened to the mixed grill? It used to be the best mixed grill around. Nice size gammon, steak OK, tiniest bit of chicken and only 1 little sausage. I know it's been a while since I ordered a mixed grill, but where was the rest of the chicken, extra egg, extra sausage and the all important black pudding! Gutted! Won't be ordering that again....

What a nice country pub... friendly and very welcoming staff. First time eating here and the food was delicious! Excellent value for money. Will visit again very soon...definitely recommend!!

Great meal and a reasonable selection

I been here a lot of times love it in summer lovely space to sit outside always go with my friend she goes there a lot more than me ,she does driving always enjoy it .

Lovely old country pub, serving great food, wine & beers. Pleasant staff, good ambience well worth a visit.

The atmosphere is lovely and warm with the essence of cosy. Food wait times are short if you come in on a weekday like we did. We had the ciabatta lunch menu items, my fish Goujon was extremely crispy and delicious with a lovely tartare sauce. Reasonable value for the lunch time menu, have not had the evening menu yet but prices are a bit more from what I’ve seen. Highly recommend for at least lunch.