Mckees Farm Shop Restaurant in Ards

Homely, friendly and delicious. Just be sure to check how busy it is, this is one justifiably busy place.

Great place to go and have food, wonderful shop and butchers

The food is great quality and very tasty

The farm shop with the best produce in the area, by far! Great food and great service, the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Our breakfast was very nice, the chocolate cake is one you shouldn't miss!

Love this pace for a bite of breakfast or brunch then onto buy fresh, delicious food they have absolutely everything you need and the prices are very reasonable.

Nice experience, plenty for sale in the shop, good parking, very pleasant staff.Worth a vist.

Coffee was good. But scone was too brukle. Impossible to butter. Sadly no staff interested or asked was all ok. Very sad.

Got 4 ribeye steaks for a Saturday night family dinner, they were full of gristle, no flavour and not nice at all, ruined our meal, its not like steaks are cheap, shop here often, prices have risen as well, I will definitely not be buying steaks again, very disappointing.

Reason to visit your shop yesterday and the food and staff are excellent and we’ll presented but your carpark is ridiculous the amount of huge pot holes is off the scale there so bad if you hit them especially on the way in if it’s getting dark and there full of water that’s worse you don’t know how deep they are any chance of seeing to it surly the cost of filling them is not that dear very disappointed Was back with friends and had a meal And was disappointed on the small turkey and ham dinner pathetic it was Cold and was heated again I will not be back to mckees again turkey tasted like full of water not turkey terrible for the cost of it the ham was fatty

Myself and my family have been shopping here for years, recently there food quality has went downhill massively, we recently purchased a turkey stuffing and ham pie, the only meat was dark meat in it and we were not able to eat it. Spoke with the store on Monday and they needed till Tuesday morning to decide rather or not to refund and offer compensation. The attitude of the staff is like they don’t care for their customers or food quality only for profit. This is not the first issue we have had with them from a food quality point of view I have had bones in a chicken pie, chicken breasts with blood and veins though. Each time needing to complain and not getting the right outcome for the customer. There meal portions are tiny with very little meat in them. Sadly this a farm shop now charging a fortune for poor quality food example is using dark meat in there turkey pies which is a cheap cut there meat is poor and over priced added with the poor customer service. I would avoid !! Better places to get good quality meat with a customer focused price point and service.

Food great quality staff very friendly

Staff at the tills are great and so helpful.

Stuck in the 80’s. Shop nice, cafe / restaurant unimaginative and a bit dismal.

We had breakfast here for the first time and it was GREAT. We always come to buy their products when we visit Belfast. Especially the cheeses...I love them! I Will always go there when I visit Belfast ❤️

Treated myself to dinner..... very professional and courteous staff.....food was absolutely lovely....got the turkey and ham..... disappointed didn't include roast potatoes...... however the food I was served was first class.....as for the blueberry cheesecake.... absolutely lovely!!!....first time there today.... highly recommend it.

Great tasting food , good service and the best of cuisine , an unbeatable combination. Also the waitress made us feel welcome and has a great friendly way

The restaurant is absolutely fantastic. Shop is great as well.

What a place! Great food and stunning view in the restaurant plus whatever you eat in the restaurant you can buy it the shop which is an awesome touch. The shop is officially my new go-to for my monthly bulk buys, i love the fact you know where everything comes from. It beats tescos by a mile. I highly recommend the burgers, chicken and the steaks are fantastic!

Great location, great produce, reasonable prices 👍🏼

Great atmosphere and good food. All the staff in the cafe/restaurant are fantastic. Make you feel very welcome a give great service. The woman Karyn was specifically helpful with all our needs and requests. Nothing was a bother to her. Will be back again.

Purchased a biscoff cheesecake slab for £5.20 what I actually received was a tray of whipped cream with an extremely thin biscuit base and absolutely no biscoff taste, tasted of whipped cream. Absolutely shocking.

Disappointed with the Turkey and Ham meal. Had to search for the ham (nearly invisible it was so small) and not much turkey either. The food was barely warm. Never again.

Overcrowded with no proper supervision,staff running about like headless chickens

Fantastic scampi and chips! Also got some lovely gifts from the farm shop.

Great spot for breakfast or coffee and cake. Splendid views towards Scrabo Tower. As for the Farm Shop great variety of meat and vegetables and almost everything else in between. As for the sweetie section, brings back memories of childhood,….. at least until you have to pay :-)

Mckees food is beautiful. But it would put me off returning as I much prefer the old system of sitting, reading over the menu and ordering. We felt much too under pressure at the queue, reading the board on the wall, while people were waiting behind us. We ordered hastily. Our food was lovely but we definitely would have ordered a breakfast but in the rush and panic, just decided on a scone and coffee.

Had sandwich was disappointing, very little filling and not buttered to the crust, and the bread could have been fresher. Expensive

Great spot, fantastic views on a clear day. Can get very busy, avoid the restaurant at peak times.

Treated ourselves to brunch at mckees but hadn’t been since covid so was surprised that it was no longer waitress service. As others have said, the process of ordering/ paying for your meal is rather strange - there is a menu board outside and you have to remember what you want when you go to the till as there is no menu at the till point. I like to browse my menu and take my time over brunch. We had hardly sat down when our food and drinks arrived. Food was fine but something that used to be a treat seems a bit ordinary now. Dont think we’ll be eating there again.

Great restaurant and shop. Called here today for some lunch. Have to pick your menu on the way in . Not a lover of that as would rather look at the menu when seated.

What an amazing place this is. The variety of produce is stunning especially in the pre prepared meals section. The fresh meat looks good as do the burgers and steaks. There is a fresh meat section at the butcher/ deli counter and a great choice of bread, sodas, wheaten etc. You can see why it's constantly busy especially with a coffee shop too. Highly recommended.

Lovely well designed farm shop. Fresh meat, bakery, sweetshop and flowers all under one roof. Also have a restaurant beside it which had a very long queue waiting to get in. Produce is local well priced and good quality.

Disappointed Today! I have been going to McKees many years and after today I don’t think il be back. Ordered a Pot of Coffee for 4 cups this was to share between two. COST £10 for POT OF FILTER COFFEE!!!!! Well for the size of the pot myself and my mother got 2 Half Cups Coffee Each! After nearly finishing the pot I called the waitress over said is there any chance of a small refill because WE NEVER GOT 2 FULL CUPS EACH! The woman gave us a look as if I was asking for a lot she said “I have no idea I just serve the food I speak to barista.” The woman who making coffee then came back to the table said “this is the pot for 4 people there’s a pot of hot water.” Not even listening to us saying we hardly got 4 cups out of it. So they brought back the pot of coffee with barely anything left in it and an extra pot of hot water. Absolute Joke! If you’re going to serve a pot of that size give smaller cups because it certainly DID NOT GET 4 FULL CUPS OUT OF IT! The way the staff handled it in my opinion wasn’t professional. The staff are normally lovely but after today has put me off. I know there’s cost living crisis BUT A FILTER COFFEE DOES NOT COST AS MUCH AS A CAPPUCCINO!!

Excellent, catered for a large youth club group 60+. Excellent service and warm welcome

Had the best ever bacon, brie and cranberry panini for lunch today here.

We went at 1230 on a Thursday and queued up outside in the hallway area to await entry into the restaurant itself, once a table was available. Probably waited about 5 minutes. This gives you time to look at the menu board. You have to be decisive and know what you want as once you are let in, you go straight to the counter to order and pay for your food and drinks. Ask for water for the table if you’d also like this. You’re then allocated a table and paddle with your order number. So far, so straightforward. The restaurant layout is good with a mixture of table sizes and a good atmosphere - very busy. Drinks came first, followed shortly by the food. We had the seafood pie and the beef casserole - both were very good. The menu is varied, ranging from scones to light bites, jacket potatoes and full dinners including roasts. The meat is from their farm. Prices are good - £13.95/£13.50 for our dinners - gives you a break from cooking! They do a regular roast dinner for £10.50. Afterwards you can have a browse in the farm shop. There’s also a few flowers and plants. Would recommend a visit.

I was invited here for lunch and I ordered a panini with brie, bacon and cranberry. It was very tasty, but could that combination be anything else? My side-salad was drenched in vinegar, which was less appealing. My aunt had a baked potato which looked very fresh and fluffy, and was a huge size. She ordered a tea which she was assured would come after her main, but they forgot and she had to go looking for it. The system of reading the menu in the corridor no doubt makes service faster, but if you are there for the first time or genuinely interested in the menu it is difficult to make a decision so quickly. There was nothing bad about our experience, but I know their reputation as being incredibly popular, and I really think you would get the same food anywhere without having to drive so far. There is indeed a lovely view, but only from a couple of tables. Most are well inside and because there are lots of customers, it feels impersonal and busy. Not a place to meet a friend and chat.

Food is average quality in the shop but seriously over priced for the quantity and most of the food apart from the butchers section is filled with rubbish like additives, e numbers etc

Family trip for breakfast. Service was good and the staff were friendly.

My partner and I had been looking forward to trying McKees restaurant for a long time. Finally on a day off work we were able to go. You have to stand outside and look at the menu on the wall then order inside at the till before getting seated causing people to be standing on top of each other. We ordered pannins and chunky chips and were really underwhelmed, they were dry and just didn't taste nice. I still ate mine but my partner just left his whole meal. Chunky chips were raw inside also. The staff were really friendly and welcoming, the views are stunning and I could have spent hours in the farm shop. It's just really unfortunate that we didn't enjoy the food. I will go back for the shop though.

Good quality 👍 bit expensive but worth it 👌

Extremely disappointed in McKees restaurant. Lunch yesterday was cold ,tasteless and dry. Very small portion of chips came in a tin mug. No staff approached us to ask how we were enjoying our meal. It's as if once they get the money of you at the till they don't care what kind of food they serve. Really dire, won't be back

Fantastic breakfast. Farm shop was choc a bloc with produce all top quality Good selection of bakery goods. Will only shop there from now on. Everyone I encounter, during my time there was very friendly and courteous.

Excellent farm produce very good restaurant overall I would recommend

Great staff and fantastic food and a great service

Great place for local quality produce and wheelchair friendly

First time visit bit disappointed with couple of purchases...mushroom vol au vent very dry and not a lot of filling...garlic bread big thick slices with little garlic buttter. Leek and potato cake was OK but with 3 small pieces of bacon? Nice shop staff friendly butchers looked good

Excellent food in the cafe. Very tasty, decent portions and friendly staff.

I have ordered delivery from McKee's for my family many times. I live in Canada and we have been delighted with the delicious food and great delivery service. I can order from here confidently knowing that it will always be a lovely surprise for the recipients.

Really great selection of food. Staff where super helpful especially to my dad who struggles to speak due to a stroke.

This morning the shop delivered to family in East Belfast. They were prompt,really friendly and good banter with elderly folk. The food was lovely presented, generous portions and variety. The family really appreciated the quality. Great old fashioned standards and reliable food. Keep doing what you're doing.

Just love this place....Great fresh farm produce and excellent restaurant - food is yummy and portion sizes are generous.

Very disappointed long term customer! I bought a pot of beef stew for £4.49 for lunch but on returning home discovered 3 finger nail sizes of beef. Pitiful. Mostly potatoes and celery, a couple of small chunks of carrot, pale and tasteless stew as if stock had been forgotten too. Very strange why this batch was ever served out as portions to buy. Label stated beef should have been 16.9% however definitely not a described. Whilst the lack of quality control for the stew put in the pot may not warrant a review here what does is when I phoned to speak to the manager to give constructive criticism and suggest perhaps removing the batch of unpleasant stew from the shelf to avoid many more disappointed customers that I am still waiting for the call a day and a half later. A message was left with a female staff member who informed me the manager, who would be the owner, he was not available but she would ask him to phone me back. I took time out to make McKees aware so I had hoped the owner would welcome an opportunity to speak to me. As an alternative I have shared my constructive criticism here. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed a decline in quality control. The lentil soup has been progressively watered down over the last few years too. UPDATE - Quality Control Manager phoned today, apologised and offered to deliver new stew (offer declined) and will speak to kitchen about mixing and quality control. Fair enough. I will check out the stew next time I’m there and hopefully there will be an improvement.

The food was very good (I had a Christmas dinner and Pavlova for dessert). It was VERY busy when I was there with a friend,so the table we got wasn't the best, but otherwise it was good.

Beautiful meal very friendly and helpful staff

I go because it reminds me of my Mum and Dad, three weeks ago I had a large Scampi, basically it was burnt small bits if batter with 13 chips peas and bit of Salad. Not happy but thought I just ordered the wrong thing. Today I ordered a large Turkey dinner, thick Chips instead of mash, I actually had to call the girl back to check if it was a large portion, to which I was told Yes! Two small thin slices of Turkey and a small equally thin slice of Ham with a mush Stuffing between. "I would hate to see small" Lots of Veg and 11 chips most either to hard or not peeled correctly to eat. £14.00 Staff are always nice and friendly! Last time I'm afraid just a rip off now! Very disappointed indeed!!! The shop is good but expensive, with it, although it is quality produce at least.

The food has been a hit or miss. Recently I got ham cheese toasted sandwich I was very disappointed cheese wasn’t even melted and middle of it was cold. Was just quickly put the toaster. Also partner had chunky chips with his meal and they were rock hard and raw in middle he couldn’t eat them. We went after 2 o’clock the place wasn’t packed. The food came quite quick but I’d rather wait a bit longer for a nicely cooked meal. It is also a bit overpriced now so sadly we don’t go as much as we use to!

Overpriced farm shop nothing out of the ordinary. Tasteless. Don't buy into the hype.

Good quality produce, cafe is a bit expensive but the size of the plate of food is very good. Farm shop has a really nice selection of meals.

Lovely shop with a delicious gluten free selection!

Lovely atmosphere, lovely staff & lovely food !!!

I usually have a small fry on a Saturday for breakfast but the servings have progressively getting smaller. The one piece of soda and potato is now so small as to be embarrassing for the the staff to serve.

Surprised at how big the place is. Huge variety of prepared food as well as a butchers and deli. Tasty meals and lots of sweet stuff. Had the large fry in the restaurant and it was very good. Staff were very friendly. Will go back.

Very impressive establishment. I had a very tasty panini in the restaurant, did some shopping in the farm shop where the meat, desserts, produce and baked goods all look great, then finished off by getting a lovely pot of flowers to take to my mums grave.

Great place for morning coffee and then shopping

Fantastic place, so much choice of food and the freshest vegetables. Great friendly staff. Shop local much better

Colin you kept quiet yesterday about your so well deserved award for best breakfast. Always the best food to purchase and eat in restaurant. Congratulations to everyone. Liz and Vincent

Nice selection of goods. Great quality!

Was there for the first time today an found all u could ask for wat a lovely place an staff were fantastic, an the Restaurant was fantastic. Will b back

Good food lovely location and very tempting deserts

Very strange setup I have never been to a restaurant/cafe that works like this! Menus are outside the restaurant on the wall. We had a quick look and then queued. When you get to the top of the queue you are told you need to know what you want to eat and pay for it before you are seated! We had to leave the queue go outside and look at the menu again and decide what we wanted to eat. On a busy day this would be chaotic. Surely there should be a sign telling you to pick your order before you join a queue! There are no menus on the table. Personal touch gone. They say its to do with covid. Surely people are getting back to some normality by now! The meal was ok luke warm! Not impressed won't be eating in the restaurant again.

Went today as was looking plants and my friend also looking plants and pots. Was not aware they did not have nursery of plants which I understand but member of staff rude when asking where there nursery part was ( felt as if I was stupid) lovely farm shop but need to have nicer approach to customers.

Friendly staff, quick service and great food.

When I want good quality and reasonably priced meat I go to mckees! They have a superb selection of sweets, vegetables, ready meals and a deli counter. I find myself focused on the butcher counter. The butchers are extremely help and will advise on various cuts. I have had multiple of their tomahawk steaks which are reasonably priced and great quality. They had a restaurant that is very nice and reasonably priced. Usually very busy at lunch times , especially at the weekend but it has a great view over newtownards if you get luck with your table.

Great food and friendly service

Lovely lunch in the tearoom. Very busy but service well organised by friendly helpful staff. Very well stocked farm shop with amazing fresh meat counter as well as a deli. Lots of shopping opportunities well worth a visit.

Fabulous cafe and shop is amazing. Car park is poor for disabled customer.

Got sandwiches and scones for my daughters baby shower, absolutely delicious..would recommend them to anybody..

Lovely food at a very reasonable price with good customer service.

Very large farm shop with good parking and produce at reasonable prices. Very good resturant which is lways nearly full,

Food adequate but not great for the price. Location great and farm shop equally well priced

Visited yesterday & ordered crepes. Got 2 folded pancakes with a tablespoon of syrup & about 10 berries. No dusting of icing sugar, no cream & not even a half strawberry with a little bit of stalk, (for appearances.) After 15 minutes we had to ask for my friends scone & the drinks, two of which were tap water!

Very pleasant staff with plenty of space at check outs. Pity there is less car parking space.

Food great but quite expensive for a cafe

26th June 2023. I had not visited your restaurant for a while because I did not like the “Covid method” of entering and ordering your food. I was very disappointed today to find that this method is still in place. While I appreciate you probably have very good reasons for maintaining this system, for me, it spoils the experience. I do not want to feel under pressure to pick something off a board on the wall while in a short queue at the door. Neither do I wish to set my own table! When I have visitors staying we usually take a trip to McKee’s for a meal, which has always been enjoyed by all. With this current system, I would be reluctant to bring visitors, because it feels to me, like entering by “the back door’. I much prefer to be seated and to peruse the menu with my guests, in comfort, even if we have to queue. I understand the Menu is available online, but one doesn’t always have time to look at this before visiting. For myself and a friend, calling for a coffee and a scone, the current system is tolerable but otherwise, for the reasons explained, it’s a no from me. I do hope you can reconsider returning to your original way of operating. Your food and staff are excellent.

Very good restaurant and excellent farm shop

My favourite scone is rhubarb and ginger!

Great place food is lovely in the restaurant the staff are really friendly and there is so much to choose from in the shop

The veg, meat & produce are good quality, well presented but very pricey. The cooked pies and pasties are problematic in that the pastry is OK but it looks if the fillings are predominately uncooked meat which makes finished articles either very dry or in the case of beef, unedably tough!

Excellent food. Great shop full of a large assortment of things from food to gifts. A great place to go.

More than a bit expensive, prices have shot up, it's just not worthwhile travelling 15 miles to visit anymore, unfortunately.

Shop is great place to buy food

The order before you sit down process results in big queues and rushed decisions when the place is busy. Ordered scones, tray bake and coffee which were fine. The guy cutting concrete less than 5m from the outside tables was not ideal and resulted in everyone running inside at the same time. Fortunately there were enough tables to spare, not sure what would have happened otherwise. Having said that, concrete cutter raised a laugh when he protected his lungs by pulling his t shirt up over his mouth. Great OHS! Scones and tray bakes came individually wrapped in soft plastic…? Felt very wasteful and cheap. Staff were friendly, prompt and brilliant.

Always a pleasure to visit. Never disappoints.

Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!! Can highly recommend restaurant and shop !!!!🤩👍

Good fresh products and friendly staff

I ordered food for a 40th birthday party to be delivered to the venue. Everyone was delighted with the quality. Sandwiches, cocktail sausages and goujons, also traybakes. Would certainly recommend their services.

Friendly service, good prices and value for money. Plenty of parking.

What a great farm shop - we are home with lots of treasures - fresh strawberries and raspberries, traybakes for hubby, steaks and beef sausages etc etc plus himself was delighted with the old style sweet shop section and has almost finished his bag of sweeties already. There are the most amazing array of scones and other baked goods and sauces, preserves etc as well . We will definitely be back to stock up for family BBQ's through the summer.

Absolutely best cinnamon and apple scone I've even tasted. Will definitely be back for more☺️