Marsden Rattler in South Tyneside

We had a few drinks in this fairly basic pub and ordered up a doggy sausage for our canine companion. Lots of water for pooches. We sat at a table out back in the sun and enjoyed the early evening sunshine after a long walk around the coast. We’d been in a different pub earlier in the afternoon and four similar drinks here came in at a competitive price yet the other place was full and this one quite empty. The staff were pleasant and they took credit card payment. We would return.

Sunday lunch was excellent. Good service & friendly chef serving the drinks & food. Pleasant surroundings, with a sea view. Highly recommended.

Food average at best , decent pint , but staff of a younger age hence the pub being like a rave at one o’clock in the afternoon, even the chef came out to join in , not the best experience

Thought I’d give this place another chance, how wrong I was. Only went for drinks with the weather being so nice, sat in the garden area and proceeded to watch the majority of the staff congregating outside to have a little bitch and chin wag. Rather uncomfortable experience, this was the second chance I’ve gave the place after my first bad experience there and I WONT BE RETURNING.

Awful place staff were tired and unhelpful food was greasy chicken tasted of fish! Adults ordered a cheeseburger and the kids ordered a cheeseburger from the kids option. Came out identical if I had known I would have just ordered kids burgers. Felt ill afterwards and my husband was sick on the way home. Staff didn’t inform us that there was no coleslaw either and had to go and ask for sauce. Salad was slimy and brown. Toilets were disgusting over flowing with dirty nappies stunk as soon as you opened the door will never return!

Where to begin with this tale of sorrow...I am not from the north but I travelled with friends from the south and who lived up here for the Great North Run. The sun was out and the runners went off so all was bliss and it was decided to have a delicious breakfast. Unfortunately this is where the joy of the morning came to an end...No breakfast menu which isn't so bad but we were told only 2 options and alas we saw others with different meals...no vegetarian choice also was of severe consequence for some of our travelling party. Coffee came in a tiny plastic cup yet was charged the same as those who had a full and delightfully looking glass of coffee goodness. We were not so lucky. The egg was in a sorry state and the bacon was worse than the taste of human flesh. The final nail in the coffin was the lack of emotional support from the staff who I imagine wanted to be anyway but here. All in all Game of Thrones warned us about the scares of the north and I believe I have found the biggest scare of all.

Vine aquí para el por primera vez. Normalmente caminar directamente pasado pero decidimos entrar para comer y nos alegramos de haberlo hecho. Pedimos el cascabel burger y que era magnífico. Una de las mejores hamburguesas que he probado en mucho tiempo. Jugosas enorme y un montón de pepinillos mozzarella también. Mi viejo tenía el sobresaliente y dijo que era excelente y muy buena relación calidad-precio. Se lo recomendaría a todos y sin duda regresaremos. Gracias.

En primer lugar, no dejes que el exterior especialmente si entra desde el lado de la playa. Es un poco oscura, pero las vistas que ofrece su ubicación es encantador. Tengo que decir que he tenido mis reservas cuando iba y después de leer algunas de las críticas no estaba seguro de qué esperar. No tenía que haberme preocupado. La comida era fabulosa. La cantidad y calidad que obtiene para el precio es insuperable. Realmente no se puede quejar. Todos nos realmente disfrutamos de nuestras comidas. Sí, el lugar podría hacer con una renovación pero estábamos allí por la comida, no la decoración. Todo el personal era muy amable y no tuvimos que esperar mucho tiempo para nuestras comidas. Sin duda volveré y trayendo algunos amigos la próxima vez que estemos en la zona. Muy bien hecho.

Un lugar maravilloso para ver las olas romper en la playa. Personal amable, pero estaba confundida sobre si a pedir en el bar o servicio de mesa. Menú bien, pero ofreciendo era al azar. Langostinos con mantequilla, pero encantador pieles de patata no eran crujientes. Ensalada con torre enorme hamburguesa, pero no ofrecieron vestirse, así que crema ensalada! Explosión del pasado! Dispensador de refrescos cola cola sabor corriente y tarta treacle resultó estar lleno de frutos secos, aunque no figura en el menú, sólo declaración a decir nada puede contener frutos secos - no suficiente para esa cantidad. Personal se disculpó y lo retiró de la factura. No estoy seguro volveremos. Bajo una nueva dirección, así que quizás sólo llegar a dominar todo.

What an amazing place to visit for good quality food and drinks at a great price and amazing views of the coast line

Reservamos comida de Navidad para las 3pm, esperamos 44 para mi primer plato, se quejó al director, casi 2 horas después de las 3 de la tarde el momento de mi reserva no habia recibido mi plato. El personal y la gerencia de capacitación falta. Obviamente, momento en el cual ambos nos fuimos. Un tiempo perdido 2 horas y sin comer. Cjristmas

Mi esposa y yo visitamos este bar/restaurante, aunque fuera para un agradable paseo por la costa con nuestros dos niños. Nos sentíamos hambre, así que decidimos probarlo. Debo haya girado alrededor y entramos directamente de nuevo a ser sincero. Como buscamos una mesa pasamos al menos 2 miembros del personal y al ver que teníamos un niño ninguno de ellos preguntaron si necesitábamos una silla alta. Tuve que enfoque una chica (que parecía ser el gerente) y preguntar si tenían alguna. A la que ella respondió que están allí en el conservatorio! Primera gran impresión del lugar!Cómo ayudar! Las mesas y los menús estaban sucias. Si no estábamos tan hambrientos que hubiera probablemente salimos, pero decidimos pedir comida (que fue hecho en el bar).Afortunadamente había muy pocas personas en, así que no tuvimos que hacer cola. Pedimos. . . 2 atún ciabatta se desvanece, uno de niños y una pizza bloqueada nuggets de niños. Como me senté me di cuenta de que el lugar estaba empezando a llenar y yo comentamos sobre cómo me alegro era tener ordenados nuestros alimentos antes de la fiebre!De hecho, esto no cambia en absoluto, esperamos una hora. . Todavía no hay comida.. Punto en el que comenzaba a notar que la gente que nos pidió una manera estaban siendo servía comida. Yo no sabía que había una RATA, así que me acerqué a la zona de la cocina y preguntó sobre nuestra orden para que la misma chica del incidente silla alta respondió. . . 'ah, sólo hay una mesa antes que usted. 'Eso es raro, pensé que como era la primera a la orden! Yo estaba evidentemente obvio que había sido a menudo sobre niebla! De todas formas, después de más de 15 minutos recibimos nuestro almuerzo. . Sin duda no vale la pena. la espera. Los bocadillos eran apenas tostado y pasada de atún frío y medio Queso derretido en la parte superior. Los Nuggets eran el goteo con grasa y la base de pizza como metal de campana! No hace falta decir que no volveremos! La cerveza estaba bien!

Fui allí con mi otra mitad para el almuerzo y realmente lo disfruté. Nos solía venir a menudo pero que no han sido un tiempo y estamos muy contentos de que el nivel no ha bajado.

Optamos por la cena de navidad, pero nos dijeron que debería ser reservado, sin embargo, no estoy de acuerdo para nosotros ya que tenía los ingredientes necesarios. La comida fue decepcionante ir por la cantidad que a la calidad. Los cerdos en manta fueron quemados en el exterior y crudo en el medio, el patatas asadas estaban frías y la pasada y no Patacas Chirivías o brotes. El personal se disculpó y ofreció un flan para compensar lo que era agradable, pero apenas hizo de una comida horrible.

A pesar del precioso entorno la comida era absolutamente insípido. Pedí la mitad y mitad, pizza margarita y pasta Romano. La pizza estaba bien, pero la pasta no tenía gusto y era bastante aguada. Tuve que pedir la factura tres veces, finalmente fuimos al bar a pagar, entonces tenía que pasar cinco minutos esperando mientras que dos miembros del personal de nuestra cuenta, que era recifieded completamente equivocados. El servicio es muy pobre.

Me alegra decir que esta visita para el almuerzo especial era más agradable que hace tres meses para comer el domingo. . El personal era muy profesional y nuestros cinco comidas traídas en tiempo razonable, el servicio no puede ser criticada.Las comidas eran adecuadas para el rango de precio pero el pescado dejaba mucho que desear en calidad y tamaño, cuando ordene pescado maltratado puede esperar razonablemente las raciones de pescado frito, este tamaño tienda de bacalao no era y no se reflejan en el precio. Estábamos sentados en uno de los asientos que viuda nos dio unas maravillosas vistas al mar.

Went there 2 nights in a row and each time the food and service was excellent. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Definately recommend eating here. Beers good too.

If you like reheated food and moody staff, then you've hit gold with this place. My food had been microwaved to within an inch of its life, when I questioned why it wasn't fresh the staff began arguing with me. I'd never eat here again.

An on-the-day planned visit meant a late call to book {as advised} & the woman taking our call was polite & helpful with requests. we arrived, shown to our table & given fair time to chose from menu. Food came with perfect timing for each course, big portions & hot. there was no pressure to hurry {although not busy, this often happens in places } & the staff were attentive. We really enjoyed our visit, & can only speak as we find. will deffo visit again, especially if this Happy Hour continues. Well Done Rattler!

Saturday lunchtime and it seemed as though the pub could not cope. Tables not cleared. Ordered drinks and then was told that food would be at least 45 mins after ordering. Decided not to bother, drank the drinks and left.

Excellent location very good food own pizza oven. Good value right on beach very good in summer especially when live music on

Great place. Been previously on last visit to southshields..Staff friendly and happy hour offers great value for money at 5.95 for two courses or 7.95 for 3 between 4- 7pm.. good fish menu on al carte menu.

Fantastic food and great prices and really friendly staff was down from Glasgow over the Easter weekend and will be back again

My family and I have been visiting the Rattler for the last three years. We have enjoyed organised nights with food and entertainment, Christmas lunch two years running.The staff are irreplaceable nothing is a problem. The people who complain must be hard to please.

Fair to say I'm beyond annoyed after the service I've just received. Sat down, to over hear the chef bad mouthing another member of staff, "I can't stand her" to be precise, which is fair enough but I don't think this is appropriate in an open kitchen, where guests can hear. After ordering food, myself and my parter were harmlessly looking about; and then I hear, again from the chef, "what? From those over there staring over" I wasn't aware I was "staring" anywhere. To avoid a post like this one, I told the waitress that I wasn't happy with this and she said she would have a word, which I was grateful for. When she did have a word, again the chef said "well what you should have said..." I didn't catch the rest. Personally this is not the level of customer service I would have came to expect from any establishment, and I'm sure that gossiping about your customers is no way to get them back.

We called in on a Thursday evening without booking and got a table straight away - the bar staff were friendly and there was an offer on for £3 cocktails before 7pm - a good deal. Menu had plenty of choice and again there was an offer before 7pm which was good value. My daughter chose garlic bread and lasagne from the offer, partner chose gammon - my first choice wasn't available so had a steak. We did have to wait a while but it wasn't a problem for us - food was mostly good- steak a little over some and the lasagne was very crispy on top but everything else was great. Not the best place I've ever eaten but the atmosphere was good, and we thought t was good value for a family meal - would return.

Went to the Rattler for out fish & Chips we were shown to out table & served our chosen drinks & that is where the service ended...We sat for 50 mins so we asked how long our food was going to be we were told 5 mins as there were a few orders before ours..so we continurd to wait then we noticed that 2 tables of customers who took their seats a good 30 mins after us were being served their food..We complained again & we were told they didnt know what had happened..i felt sorry for the poor waiter as he was having to take all this flack for a mistake which obviously happened in the kitchen..My wife asked to speak to the manager but were informed the manager was off but there was a supervisor who we asked to talk to...The waiter returned to tell us the supervisor had gone home...We asked who was incharge & the waiter said he was....Hold on the supervisor went home without notifying the next incharge that they were going...At that point our food arrived... The waiter told us their would be no charge for the food or drink which was great but as nice as the food was we did not enjoy because of what had gone on before...This was our first time at the Rattler but it will also be our last...The Rattler was very busy when we were there so they must be doing something right ...But its not for us

We visited this place for drinks and found the place inviting. The toilets however were very dodgy!The lights in toilets must be on a sensor but faulty as they were flashing intermittently whilst I was in there. Very scary!

Lovely little bar with good music and a bid atmosphere :). Nice for a coffee or a few drinks esp in summer as you can sit outside and have a drink!

Went to meet friends, had a great time, lovely building ,great decor, lovely food , only down side is we could not stay long,and ipthe live music was a tab load to be able to talk but in all,great but we will be back, lovely staff,

Called in on a miserable day for a drink. Good atmosphere, all seemed spruced up for the summer season. Food looked good, diners all looked happy

We visited here on Good Friday after walking past many other pubs and fish and chip shops because of the huge queues and long waiting times for food. We found a table easily but waited what felt like a life time(maybe about 20 minutes) to order food and drinks at the bar. Maybe more staff could have been working behind the bar. After ordering our food it came within minutes and was very good.

Well where to start. Despite having a booking made we arrived and were told that the table reserved for us was a long way from being ready. As a result we were squeezed onto a smaller table with a chair plonked on the end. We were then told there was no table service, something we weren't told upon booking, although as mentioned, having a booking clearly means very little.So we queued for over 10 minutes to order and the food that arrived was nice. Very nice to be fair. When the time came to order more drinks we didn't bother. The queue was longer again, actually so long that it snaked around our table to the point where moving your chair would ram the person standing behind in the crotch.Now it was good Friday, but this is a seafront pub/eatery that surely deals with large crowds over the summer.Woeful experience, won't be back.

We visit most Sunday's and never disappointedEvening menu is varied as well and good valueBest blue fillet husband has had ..... his words not mine I like it medium rare

We visited the restaurant on March 14 a party of five adults and two children(9&1).Quite a long wait for drink service and over one hour after ordering before the meals arrived.I queried this twice with the server and on the second time she apologised saying they were short staffed.It would have been a nice gesture to have told us before we ordered that there would be a considerable wait.The food was good,however veg was cold,the wait was prohibitive and I wouldn't choose the restaurant again on this basis.

My partner and I have visited The Rattler on several occasions and always found the food to be amazing but the service shambolic. Upon our last visit, we waited over 25 mins to order our food, only to be told that the waitress had incorrectly told us the special was available therefore we had to change our order! This is not a one off and each time we visit we either have to wait and wait to get our bill or order drinks. The food is almost worth the wait! Whatever you order you won't be disappointed and would recommend to anyone, as long as you don't mind waiting!

We hadn't been here for a while as we'd had a couple of pretty poor meals and not great service. It was a cold night and we didn't want to venture far so we decided to give it a go again. Glad we did, food was good, tasty, it was served in a reasonable time frame and waiters were friendly. It was quite quiet, but the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Happy that they seem to have things back on track as this is really handy for us. (Not sure about the Christmas songs they had playing...)

A must see if your from out of town...located on the beach with sea views this bar/restraunt is made up of old railway carriges which makes an interesting venue.

Staff not unpleasant but not interested in customer opinion of standard of food. Firstly served a v weak coffee after requesting one of good strength - renewed without question but second offering still under par. Roast beef lunch - beef v chewy and tasteless, vegetables anhilated - something unpleasant hidden under beef I would guess was an attempt at mashed potatoes but the texture of which actually defied description in food terms, a granular slop is about the best I can manage. Gravy appeared to be a weak solution formed from gravy granules and was more a case of "arrgghh bisto" than "ahh, Bisto". I am in no doubt we will not be eating there again and it is a wise move that this place takes payment up front as I think many an argument would ensue as to the true value of food consumed!

I love the bar and the atmosphere at the Rattler. During the week, the booths are lovely to have a quiet drink. One day we decided we would try food after having been bowling and just wanted somewhere near, we weren't hoping for much as heard mixed reviews but was very impressed! The food was absolutely lovely. We went back and also decided to go there for a meal on New Years Eve with my partners family. A couple of the meals didn't look too appetising but everyone said how lovely and tasty their meal was. Service is average but have never had any problems.Will definitely return :)

I visit here quite regularly and have favorite dishes that I go through. I do find that different chefs seem to put their own twist on some dishes which can be slightly disappointing sometimes, but with specific instructions I've not had a problem.Great, tasty pizzas and excellent chicken!One issue is that it can take a while to get the bill!Overall, I find this a safe bet for decent food in a nice environment!

A family gathering of 36 people was organised weeks in advance with choice of menu selected and given to management at the Rattler. We were correctly given exclusive use of the conservatory and then it all went downhill! We gathered from 1200 for lunch at 1300...starters arrived approx 1330 and then main dishes 1355. But no cutlery etc had been placed and when a waitress proceeded to remedy this, it was by placing a fork (No knife) at each place. The meals duly came and by family cooperation most people got what they had ordered. A couple who had ordered roast beef thought the fish and chips were excellent. By the time the dishes of vegetables arrived the meals were cold I did however enjoy my ice cream dessert. Sorry but will not be in a hurry to go back!

I had a lovely Sunday lunch here a few years back so came back for a meal with my partner. My partner ordered lasagne, what he actually got was ravioli layers with a tomato sauce. I ordered carbonara which had black burnt bits and wasn't very nice. Dessert was even worse. Sticky toffee pudding.. I wouldn't even call it that. The service was also terrible. A bunch of miserable people with no manners serving. I was highly disappointed and will not be returning. It really is a shame considering its right on the beach and is done out lovely. I have never felt so ripped off paying for this meal.

Nice views from restaurant table at window, not busy as it was winter month, average service, food not great, ours was just warm when it arrived.

We visited here for the second time and have to admit second time round it wasn't great. The cocktail was the worst I have ever tasted. The food wasn't great. Much better places in shields

Went for a quick beer and pizza. Even though it was Friday, no problem getting a seat, although weather was cold and wet.Pizza came, along with pasta dish for Mrs, both excellent. Nice beer and all made so much better with a young lad playing guitar and singing, I think his surname was Tennent and he was great. Right music and not overpowering. All in all a great couple of hours.

Popped in as we were out for a walk. Amazing service, wonderful staff.Plus, a delicious meal. Nothing special, just scampi, chips, salad and garlic bread. Must say the salad was delicious. As was the whole meal.

Literally took a chance on the Rattler having never visited before (Sat 30th Jan). Called in with friends after a walk on the beach. Love the interior décor, great atmosphere, nice and relaxed, mix of family's & couples all ages, food great and fantastic value. Saw the Jan offer - Pizza & Pasta, glass of wine or Prosecco or cocktail £5.95. thinking and expecting it would be half size portions for that price was surprised to see that they were full portions. Great value for money. Staff friendly. Toilets quirky, loved reading the notices !! Will definitely be visiting again.

Been going to rattler for years it's gone right down hill went tonight after been away working for a month and very dissapointed 3 staff on very quiet still waited for ages for starter then orderd main then they came back and said they had no fillet steak wot a joke stay away

Not much to say other then rubbish service and rubbish food. Place was empty but meals seemed to take ages. Menus and tables sticky. Staff were not friendly and the food was bland and tasteless. Sat with my coat on the whole time I was there as it was cold. Toilets look like they need a good clean. Would not recommend going here at all has completely gone down hill.

My friend and I attended the Rattler pub this afternoon and we asked to see the menu. I was waited on by a lovely friendly member of staff, who couldn't be more helpful. She explained that there was a special menu available and we ordered the Mac n cheese. It was recommended to us by the staff. We couldn't fault any of the meal and we couldn't fault the service. Would definitely reccommend it and we will be back.

Visited today with friends. Meal was lovely could not fault it. lovely surroundings and decor. Staff could be a litle more personable and whatever the device being used by kitchen staff was deafening!

Over priced terrible food, I may as well went to ASDA & bought a frozen meal, staff nearly threw the meal at us, we were ignored for drinks. The owner didn't even care, when we complained. Terrible. Looks decent, however, looks are deceiving. Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, far better in town.

Booked a table and when we turned up they had a reduced snack menu because they had ran out of food! No apologies or notice despite having our information and booking the day before. L

We booked Christmas lunch at the Rattler on the 3 o'clock sitting the staff were fantastic food was amazing. We took my mam and mother in law we had a very varied order as in we did not all have turkey the menu was very good and well thought out my mother in law had fish for her main and said it was very good, and the others all enjoyed the beef and Turkey. It was such a lovely atmosphere and stress free we will be doing it again and would like to say thanks to all the staff for a lovely day had by all

Came here Dec 29th, same some people wanting their money back but still went up to order food to be told that they had no garlic bread or pizzas! It was only 3pm on a Tuesday - menu very limited so we left

We had builders upgrading our kitchen so, for over a week were unable to cook meals at home. Sunday. We had rang the Marsden Rattler at the very last moment to book a table, not expecting success as its a very popular eatery. Thankfully a table was found. We were given a warm welcome and shown to our table which overlooked the coast line. We ordered the roast meal and didn't need to wait too long. The food was well presented, hot, delicious and reasonabley priced. We will definately return as it ticked all the relevant boxes.

Came for my hen night with 10 friends after my recommendation of how amazing the pizzas were. However I was disappointed and tbh very embarrassed. Tables sticky, service very slow, food below average (had to send some food back as it was actually inedible) cocktail menu was written on a scrap of paper and not all the ingredients were available. Singer was entertaining. But I will never visit again .....

Went with family for Sunday lunch today, 10 of us in total.. We all had main meal and desert with drinks, the lunches were lovely, piping hot, tasty and the veg was cooked just right and you got plenty of it too.. We all had diffent deserts, hot and cold and they were delicious too!!! We had 2 children with us , the staff were very friendly and helpful with them .. The bill at the end was good too , I thought it was gonna be a lot more!!! this is the second time we've been here for our lunch and there will definately be a third visit on the cards...

We visit these premises on our annual visit to the area,this year was no different. The fish and chips were excellent as in previous years with pleasant staff,all at reasonable price.we will be there again next year

The food was lovely.We had a beef dinner followed by cheesecake.The only things I struggled with was the length of time to speak to the waitress and the noise!

first time at the Rattler for a long time. Remember why now, Tasteless spaghetti bolognese, lasagne like lumpy tomato soup !!!.taste indescribable. Meal sent back and sharp exit, Worst meal in memory, Go somewhere else. Go anywhere else.

Six of us had an excellent table great view nice position on the sea front. Staff were pleasant but the order took far too long well over an hour. The food was very much average not up to pub bar standard ! This was our first visit and our last . Very disappointed.

I took four friends for a fish lunch as they lived in Northallerton and expressed a desire to try real fresh fish, what a mistake the fish (cod)??? Was certainly not fresh which is disgraceful considering we are only two miles from North Shields fish quay one of the best sources of sea food in the country!!!!!The service was deplorable and Ill mannered at best surely, this is down to the management who must remember they are selecting staff for a service industry, apparently they are aiming for one off passing trade as repeat bookings will be a rarity.The Couple on the next table to us ordered the special burgers and classed them as cardboard at best with over done French fries. I had to approach the bar for waitress service and disturb a very animated discussion. My disappointment and embarrassment was for my guests.

We went as a family on the 4th of July 2015 and what a disappointment. The service behind the bar was terrible. The first time at the bar it took 15 minutes with people being served first who were there no more than 5 minutes. the staff were messing about and joking so much they didn't really care who was first just serving who could make themselves seen and heard. The 2nd time up the bar I just gave up as it was 3 thick all the way along and it seemed the bar staff just did not care. in fact at least 2 were just standing there laughing and chatting. It was like they were arrogant and couldn't care. We as a family walked along to the Sandancer and even though again was busy got served within 5 minutes. Its such a shame as we live in South Shields and the location is great but If they don't change these idiots behind the bar this bar will struggle.

In any so called pub restaurant if you want to lure in as hoc diners have staff who want to positively engage with customers and not spend their time having a personal conversation in full view of the customer before finally after a good 10 minute wait condosend yourself to serve them

We went for a nice meal and were pleasantly surprised that we could get 3 courses for 7.95. Fab value, however, because we didn't state at ordering that we wanted 3 courses (never been to a restaurant where we had to decide if we wanted desert when ordering!) When the bill came we were charged more than double the cost for cheesecake. This after asking the waiter if this was included in the set happy hour meal and waiting another 20 mins without pudding being delivered. You would think that in the interest of customer satisfaction that it would have been sorted in our favour, yes? ABSOLUTELY NOT. We had to pày tje extra. There was also a rogue £1 on the menu, when challenged, the answer was oh the menu changed and we didnt know. Now we don't visit every week but over the course of a year, probably spend around a grand total. Well no more,we will never set foot again in a place where the customer is obviously always wrong and all froends will also be informed.

Had a meal here with 5 friends and the food was terrible to say the least. I had calamari to start which was soft and and of very poor quality followed by Mushroom Risotto for main. I have never ever had such a bad risotto (and I've had many) - it was so dry and bland with no flavour whatsoever! Disgusting for the price. I was at another restaurant in South Shields a few days before my visit to the Rattler and had a £12.95 three course special (cheaper than my two courses at the Rattler) which was delicious. Would not recommend or go back!

The Marsden Rattler. A family friendly restaurant in a great location with warm interior, ample staff and generally good balance of clientele. What could possibly go wrong? In two words – Food and service! Following the intention of popping in for a quick drink we observed the activity in the restaurant and decided to dine. Allowed to choose our seating preference we were given menus and started to browse. An over complicated Italian menu for the location and clientele with fancy Italian dish names and descriptions making it a bit of a gamble for those unfamiliar. Appetizer ordering commenced, before taking the plunge we ordered only one to share remembered as "Fungi Tripolate" pate stuffed breaded mushrooms in garlic and cream sauce. 15 mins later a less than pleasant lady turned up and proceeded to slam/slide two sharing plates on the table followed by a heavier slam/slide of plate holding what can only be described as greasy spoon type fried mushrooms swimming in oil – Price: 5.95 An immediate inspiration to order bread buns and sausages hit us, having seen similar in a build your own breakfast sandwich at Dicksons.I asked the nice lady that originally seated us to assess the dish against its menu description; she agreed with the inconsistency, this was mildly relieving, this was quite embarrassing for her – shame on chef. She returned and suggested that we order another starter and the plate of mushrooms would not be charged. The 2nd chosen starter (flat mushrooms) not available, ok lets bin the mushroom quest. Next up was a Penne in Davolia sauce with shrimps an appetizer sized version of a main dish perhaps? Ok that will do, lets just get a starter moving. Having mentioned the anomaly in service, i was asked to point out who took the first order and who slammed the plates down, wasn’t really into the identity parade at this time as another order was in process.Appetizer arrived and immediately observed the waterlogged, slimy, overcooked penne. We skimmed the Dolmio and tough prawns from the top and left the pasta. During this time the lady that we’d been asked to point out came to check up on our experience by asking if everything was ok, it was clear in the speed she turned around unable to hide the anger or listen to our hesitant “Ok” we’d been culled from her Xmas card list.What a joke, what a shame and we really felt sorry for the front of house manager as she clearly had the weight of very unprofessional untrained staff on her hands. As for the food, if others were served anything like what we experienced before considering main courses then this place is going down hill faster than a big daddy in a barrel.The dining budget was spent yet again down ocean rd at a curry house, it’s really coming to something when the Marsden rattler cant get simple, quality wholesome food right. Drop the Italian menu, as it does more damage than good if you cant get it right. Service wise, think twice about who you put on the front line, less is more in this case based on the one lady we talked to that was actually responsible and helpful. Going back to English Fayre may not be a bad idea.

If I had the choice between eating here or eating a 99p microwave meal, I know what I'd choose. The food is awful, the service is laughable and the whole place is ran like a circus. Please don't go here. Ever.

Horrendous evening. Food took over 90 minutes to arrive, was terrible and extremely small portions. Waitress (has the name of a flower) had no idea of taking orders. Served the food at the wrong times. Had a disgusting attitude. When serving the dishes she plonked the plate down so the food spilt on the table. When asked to clean the table her response was she'd clean it at the end of the evening. Asked to speak to the manager - non available Best part of the evening was the EXIT DOOR!!!

Popped along about 2pm on Mother's Day for a Sunday lunch, not expecting to get seated in the restaurant because of this. The bar area had two tables free so we took one. After ordering drinks at the bar and asking for the menu's the friendly young lady said she would be a second whilst she got them. Then another person told us we couldn't order food if we were seated at the bar area!! The restaurant was half full at most and we have sat at the bar area a thousand times and ordered Sunday lunch. A simple sign on the door stating "No food in bar area today" would have been sufficient!! One small point, please oh please clean the skirting board to the left of the toilet door, its absolutely filthy. Thank goodness for Franky and Bennys, Boldon, now there's service. We wont be back in a hurry.

Food was normal and we had to wait for a sirloin and a burger a lot. The most interesting thing is decoration because looks in sine details old train vagon, they have empty tables but they move us to bar area to eat. Really nothing special

We went along for Valantines Night - and what a great evening - we arrived late and were taken straight to the table which was beautifully decorated. It was clear the staff had put a great deal of effort into the event and it clearly showed. The food arrive quickly and I must say my steak was excellent. The atmosphere was perfect complimented by great musicians. Well done to the team and chef - we have previously been along to an Elvis dinning evening which was brilliant. Please continue these evenings and how about a burlesque evening? it would blend in with the general ambiance of the restaurant.

We've used this place many times over the years for food, but recently the quality has been on the decline. We called in today as we were passing and ordered 2 sandwich's with chips & coffee. The coffee was ok, but we waited well over half an hour for the food, and it wasn't very busy. When it came the chips were cold, the bread must have been a few days old and fillings on the small side.The qualty of the food was what I would call, sub-standard, "better buy" products.I would hazard a guess that it has eother been taken over, or they are getting greedy. Thing is people vote with their feet if not getting value for money, and that is exactly what we will be doing.

I had reservations about this restaurant beforehand, as we were attending a relatives surprise birthday party with over 30 guests. I needn't have worried as the standard of food and service was very high. Professional staff who were polite and efficient and food that was served quickly bearing in mind the number of diners!My family and I were impressed with our mains, although the starter portion sizes weren't the biggest.Would definitely recommend!

Cannot get any worse. Waited an hour for a starter (pancake drowned in garlicky oil pretending to be garlic bread), then for another 45 min for the main - because apparently we needed 45 min to eat our starter. Lasagna was just terrible soggy mess, mussels in pasta marinara wasn't opened, caesar salad was just plain terrible. Obviously the idea is because of the great location the food doesn't matter.

wow first class entertainment put on for free in an outside , fast service at bar and good food area .. good all round local beach bar

Had lunch here recently as a party of 3. The lunch menu on offer included hot meals, salads and sandwiches. It wasn't particularly busy despite it being a lovely day, however we enjoyed the views of the beach and the sea from our table. Music being played was a bit too loud taking account that it was quiet due to the lack of customers. We opted for 3 of the 'home cooked' pies with chips and peas. The meals arrived in 15 minutes and although quite well presented, the portions were on the small size (about 9 chips and a tablespoon of peas each) and all the pies were over salted to our taste. All in all we felt that at £7.95 each it wasn't very good value. I would return for a drink due to the location and views but would probably not eat here again

Not good at all, half empty went to the bar to order food and was asked to leave and come back in 45mins !!! Get staff that can do the job not very good business practices are they , wont be going back

we go to the rattler quite a lot and love it. Great food and service and a lovely atmosphere. Never had a bad meal and they serve the best chocolate brownies in the world

We booked a table for 8 (6 adults; 2 kids) over a week ago and paid a £5 deposit per adult at the time for the Mother's Day menu. They gave us the menu then and asked us to pre-book our meals at least 2 days in advance. Not ideal but understandable on a busy day like Mother's Day. However when we arrived it was clear that not everyone in the restaurant had done this. And I assume there were no walk ins and everyone had pre-booked. First gripe. Second gripe, even though we had pre-ordered it still took 45 minutes for our starters to arrive. We had requested that the 2 kids meals came with the starters but they failed to turn up. As they were eating later than usual they were starving so were given some bread off the adults starters to tide them over. Their meals eventually showed up about 10 minutes later.The starters were ok on the whole but it wasn't the best chicken liver pate I have had and had quite a strange consistency, a bit like corned beef. The mains arrived within a reasonable time and were generally very nice. However, 4 roast dinners had been ordered and this only came with one tray of vegetables. In the end the vegetables from a different main had to be shared with one of the roasts.There was a bit of a farce when it came to the desserts. Firstly they got the order wrong and then when they came to correct it announced that the cheesecake that had been ordered by 3 people had not set and therefore wasn't available. I would say the desserts were ok but nothing special. When the plates were being cleared we asked for the bill. It still hadn't appeared 15 minutes later so we asked again. Still nothing after another 15 minutes so we asked again. Finally it arrived with a profuse apology from the hassled waitress. And here we realised the £30 deposit had not been taken off. We just paid what we actually owed and left a note explaining as this was quicker than waiting for someone to come over to explain it to!!! All in all not a great experience for Mother's Day and I think I will look for somewhere new to get my Sunday roast in future.

First things first... the food here is lovely. Really nice. Far better than most offerings nearby. The pizzas are traditionally thin, pastas are full of flavour and the steak or chicken meals are my recommendation as the sauces are really really good plus they offer decent value too.If you are lucky enough to get a window seat on the seaside-side then its an almost-perfect night out for either a couple or a family.I have visited half a dozen times and had no problems at all with service. I have been offered a variety of tables and on our last two visits the young waiter/waitress couldn't do enough for us.I do have TWO complaints, one smaller and one big gripe about the venue...Smaller complaint first, I do think that some of the drinkers in the bar area can be loud, bordering on aggressive, and this seems out of kilter with families dining just ten feet away from them in the restaurant. It's a shame when it happens and also that the staff seem oblivious.My big, huge, elephant-in-the-room gripe is the LOUD MUSIC. A jukebox that seems to consist solely of The Beatles playing at ear splitting volume. The management must be utterly deaf to think that this is what the clientele of the restaurant want! It ruins the restaurant at times, being at least three times the volume it needs to be. It makes it hard to talk, stops the place being relaxing and is just annoying.Even worse, for most evenings a week, at about 9am a busker or band set up and play at an EVEN LOUDER volume. The management need to realise that people who come out for a meal want to talk. If people in the "pub" want to a listen to a young lad with a guitar belt out yet more Beatles songs, House The Rising Sun, Light My Fire and other tunes from "Learn To Play Guitar Book 1" then there should be separate room, not a stage is in the Restaurant area.I can only recommend that people visit early - not only is it slightly cheaper from the very good Happy Hour menu but the heavy drinkers are less evident and you are less likely to "entertained" by live music.Its such a shame because, it's worth saying again, the food is really delicious and, from the right seat, the view is second-to-none.

For a bar / restaurant in such a prime location on South Shields sea front. It should pride itself in the standard of food it serves. However the pizza dish was inedible soggy bordering on raw in the centre. It does have fantastic views and serves decent beers. I personally would go for a scoop but not to eat.

I like going here for drinks but food is different kettle of fish.... service is very bad but the food is very nice, value for money? yes not everything though.... last time I went it was full maybe 4 tables free was told we couldn't get a table not impressed! the bad service has been like this for years now really thought it would of changed by now obviously not.....

Right on the beachfront, good views from some of the tables. Very nice outside areas. Food is good, but some of the items are expensive for what they are. Staff are polite and helpful. Council parking at £1.00 per hour, but this is the case all along the seafront at South Shields.

Catering for all tastes this excellent restaurant offers great food and friendly efficient service in a position on the Coast Road in South Shields.The menu is varied with a good choice of dishes.The premises are licensed and has a selection of beers, wines and spirits.Friendly staff will look after you and ensure that your visit is a good one.An added bonus is the fact that "The Rattler" has a view over the beach and also serves meals "al fresco".There is live music to be had in the evenings on stated dates with local performers.

First time we have been in a while as I previously wasn't keen. It's been taken over and has a new menu so we thought we give it a try. Last week we went and I had a chicken Caesar salad which was delicious! Full, big salad with peppers and onions. Not typical of a Caesar but lovely. A lot of soft breaded chicken with dressing, Parmesan shavings and crutons. My partner had a burger which was huge with mozzarella and homemade chips and a little salad. Again delicious! Today we went for Sunday lunch and again fantastic! Big huge Yorkshire pudding with creamy mash, tasty fresh vegetables and loads of meat! So much I couldn't eat it all! The staff were nice and polite and the food came quite quickly. All in all, nice place, nice staff and lovely food! Will deffo go again!

Where do I start? Booked a table for 12 Sat 6th July. £5 deposit per head paid. 10 arrived. Decided with the great weather to sit outside which seemed to cause the Management a problem?? Were told no table service. Not a problem to me. Food bill was £55 and spent around £120 on drinks between us from 5pm - 9.30pm paid when ordering at the bar. Went to settle the bill at the bar and was told by a Bar Maid the Manager has to sort this as a deposit had been paid. She went to get him. 30 mins later still waiting at the bar I decided to go and look for the Bar Maid / Manager. Both were happily serving drinks at the Bar outside at the rear of building. When I asked the Bar Maid why she hadn't returned she told me the Manager came looking but couldn't find me?!?! I hadn't moved. The Manager then tried to tell me no refund of deposit would be made as the bill hasn't exceeded the deposit! Despite the thick end of £200 being spent during the day. I got my £5 back reluctantly which I then complained about the service which was met with an 'I don't give a hoot' attitude! Previous 3 visits resulted in, twice waited over an hour after ordering food only to be told they'd lost the orders?!? Then 1 hr 7 mins to be served a pizza and pasta!?! I vowed never to visit again and I'm now kicking myself. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!

I arrived at the rattler intending only on having a drink, I ran into the establishment desperate for the toilet then upon returning to the bar my friend suggested we have a meal. We proceeded to sit down only to be rudely told by the waitress that we were "supposed to wait to be seated in case the table was reserved" upon asking if our table of choice was reserved she even more rudely snapped "NO!". Although to be fair due to our swift entrance we missed the sign informing us to wait I found it impossible to decide whether the establishment was trying to be a restaurant or a pub. However, the food was fabulous particularly the carbonara and the house white wine was equally as good. Even so our night was ruined by the excessive waiting for our order to be taken and the feeling that we weren't supposed to be there.