Meat & Barrel in Portsmouth - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A really disappointing experience. We used to eat & drink here quite regularly until moving away a couple of years ago and loved the place. But just a fortnight ago when we visited on a Saturday pm it was a very poor experience. Service lacked any personal touch and burgers were far, far below the standard of those they used to serve. Fries portions have shrunk as well. To worsen things, the place was very quiet (ie. zero atmosphere) when all other venues along the Palmerston Road appeared very busy. Now I know why it was so quiet! I’m really sorry to write this review as it’s like betraying an old friend - but the experience was so, so poor! 😢

Food was below average here for the price of it. I got the double chicken burger thing and it was tough to chew. The oil they are cooking in is definitely burnt, you can smell it walking past the kitchen. Pint was flat and head was disintegrating when he handed it to me at the bar. Interior was probably best thing here. Won’t be spending money here again that’s for sure.

They had some marvel superhero anime TV show playing on a projector which I thought was really peculiar, but honestly I respect it and was quite engaged at times. The staff were really nice too and prices were standard. The location is fairly convenient too, seems to be in a fairly popular area in Portsmouth and not too far from the beaches and a handful of hotels either.

Love this place so much. You deserve more stars. Fab food. Great service.Cosy setting.

I went in for a takeout and I saw it was relatively busy however, I thought i might aswell see the wait time for the food. I asked the server and he told me he guesses about 20 minutes so i went up to the bar and ordered my food for takeout and got told maximum 30 minutes wait time. Keep in mind this was the maximum amount I could do since I had other obligations during that day so was on a strict time frame. Furthermore, I came back in half an hour the server was very nice but, the guy at the till after I asked about my food keep in mind I was waiting for an additional 10 minutes after I arrived. The bartender had a slight go at me saying you can’t always ask about how long it will take it will not make the food come any quicker. Keep in mind that was the second time I asked with a 10 minutes timeframe in between. I got told maximum 30 minutes and after waiting for 40 and asking about it the bartender was quite frankly very rude and not letting me get a single word in to explain myself. I ended up getting my food half an hour later than I should’ve and was very disappointed with the service from the bartender.

Used to come here as a regular but won’t be back again. Every single member of the staff actively goes out of their way to avoid eye contact with you. They chuck the menus on the table and run away - its not until you get to the bar to order you find out they haven’t got half the menu in stock. Maybe they’re just sick of the constant complaints about the food, have you ever had mac and cheese the same consistency as water before? Or maybe they just hate their jobs. Either way, avoid - plenty of better options in the area!

Cheap and Cheerful, well, not really, but was fine for a drink after a long day. Unfortunately when we went to eat they'd sold out of quite a bit off the menu so we were very restricted. Food was expensive for what it was portion wise but was fresh and hot. Staff really did their best but we felt they were definitely over worked after a very busy day!

Just wanted nice meal after a stressful day. Absolutely horrible! We had to wait for an hour for our food. The waiter kept saying they're too busy but i can see they were not, they forgot our food. People who got in 20 minutes after us got their food! When it finally arrived, it was the wrong food and it was cold! They said they've refunded us, have not receieved this yet! By this time it was 9pm and other placed have stopped serving. Only one serving staff seemed to care, the manager couldn't have cared less about this horrendous service! What a waste of time!!

Came here on Tuesdays for the 2 for 1 deal, amazing value for money when bought with the deal. Great atmosphere but very busy so will probably try and get the a bit earlier next time!

Nice pub. Food ok but a bit expensive. Burgers are recommended

We had a really lovely meal here and the service was great. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. We had the Slaw and Order chicken burger (with modifications) and Mac Daddy macaroni cheese and both were brilliant.

Great breakfast, great staff. I had the breakfast burger & thoroughly enjoyed it! Great tasting coffee too. Regularly enjoy the beers & burgers here - first time in for breakfast - and it did not disappoint 👍 Will be back again (very soon)

The Food has gone down hill so badly. A really sad downfall. This place used to be great for burgers and the like but I've tried it again a couple of times in the last year hoping they were having an off day. For their price point you'd expect high quality home made food but it's just poor now. I had the double bacon cheese burger and it was dry, honestly mcdonalds 99p burgers were better. Overcooked and cold chips (some how), my other half had the goats cheese salad (IIRC) and it came back with missing half the toppings, the place was dead at the time too. So it's just feckless from the chefs. Beer choice used to be great too but now if you just want a lager the options are poor. I went for a party at xmas and let it slide that time due to it being insanely busy, but everyone said their food wasn't great. Then again last week and was really disappointed. I'm not sure what's happened, if it's the change in kitchen staff or they're cutting corners, but it's fallen off ridiculously badly in quality. A real shame as there's a lack of good burger places in pompey. Vegetarian options: Good amount of options but too expensive for what you get, also the quality is poor if you even get what is listed on the menu.

Waited over an hour for unappetising pancakes and over priced breakfast.

Brilliant pub with a great selection of beers and brilliant food. Only thing I’d say it needs to improve things is more soft furnishings or acoustic treatment to dampen how echoing it is. When the music is playing, it’s hard to hear people when sat at the tables 🤷🏻

Visited on a busy Food Festival day but seated quickly. Food was delicious and staff efficient and friendly. You don't have to eat, many people just go in for drinks.

If you ever see your pint glass looking like this, with the bubbles stuck to the glass, it means the glass is dirty. This one was really dirty! We had two pints, took them to the bar, gave me new ones and it was absolutely the same. I told the staff the glass is dirty and pint will go flat before I reach the table because of it, they said “that’s what it is”. The food was bad too, two chicken burgers, the meat was dry, the bun was dry, cheese slapped on the burger and served out. Seems like absolute nothing worked for them that day, the loaded fries were the only good part of the meal, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest. I am actually hesitant to even come back and see if this was one off, it was so so bad that I don’t think it was fluke. For now this is 2 stars for me 😖

We came in Monday night. Birria tacos are they not, no cheese in sight nothing had been fried, no dip in sight and the wraps were stale. The beer was flat and staff were annoyed we were there. The food here used to be amazing but not so much anymore.

Really good food, top service, sweet and attentive staff,

I went here for breakfast and it was a 10/10. Lots of different options but not compromising quality. An open spacious room, friendly staff, and a massive selection of beer.

Lovely place to eat, really tasty food, and family friendly place. Good customer service too from the people behind the bar!

Me and my daughter came here for food she loved the dirty fries and the salted caramel milkshake was lovely xx

Great for informal drinks, friendly staff, comfy seating, didn't eat but food smelled great.

With the exception of the vegan burger, all their burgers are incredible and amazing value on Tuesdays. The chicken wings are good, and very good value on Wednesdays.

Picked a quiet time of day on Saturday. Food was very good and fast service.

Fantastic place in Southsea for proper enjoyable and delicious food! Great atmosphere and the place itself is decorated in a relaxing and cosy way. The staff are fantastic and friendly. Food choice is extensive and well priced. The burgers are some of the best I’ve ever had. They had a lot of beers on tap and the cocktails were very well priced. I’d recommend to anyone who wants a casual good meal with a few beers!

Wandering around looking for dog friendly and this place superbly hit the spot. Georgie was a fantastic help really friendly and the food was excellent 👌..definitely recommend if you're in the area.

Excellent breakfast, good value and couple of slightly unusual options on the menu. My second time there in a week.

Really nice place, spacious and very friendly. Food was quality and cooked just right... 🙂

A great place for American-styled Burgers and Mac & Cheeses, all hand-crafted and come in huge portion. Milkshake and desserts are not to be missed. The diner has a chic and comfy décor. It is in the Southsea's high street and not too far from the seaside and the funfair ground. There is no free on street parking so the best is to park along the sea front and have a nice stroll. That may also help burn the calories after the meal. Do look out for special discounts on different days during the week.

Really nice brunch, we booked for 11:30 and it was very quiet, picked up a lot more after we left. Nice atmosphere and food.

In spite of the name, they also have a great choice of alcohol free beer and vegetarian burgers.

It was very quiet for a Friday night. Got a table straight away. Service was quick and friendly. I had Mac and cheese and I didn't like it but everyone else enjoyed their food. Somewhat expensive for what it was but to be expected for that location.

The rum milkshake was incredible, loaded fries tasted incredible as did the mac and cheese however the burger we had was not great, a little burnt and fry other than that a nice experience, we went during a football game and it was busy.

Amazing burgers , great selection of beers and spirits. Will definitely return

My favourite wing place, nothing is yet to compare! I only go here for the wings to be honest and Wing Wednesday is the time you want to go - 50% off wings is a steal! Their rum milkshake is also divine! And the place has a very Southsea vibe to it which I LOVE! I need the recipe for the buffalo wings because the sauce is so gooood! It's like the perfect balance of spicy and sweet! I also love that they do some events in the evening (where you can do some drawing, drink, eat, and meet new people) I'm yet to attend but it's such a sick idea.

Second time going here. Went a few years ago. Certainly changed. No waitress service anymore. Although no one told us this. Went to bar to order food. Not a lot of non alcohol beers and no non alcohol spirits. The meal was good. The only downside is that the chairs are very uncomfortable

Good “pub food” great offer on a Tuesday but make sure you book as it gets really busy, food was tasty but took a long time and took around 10min for all the food (8 main meals ) to get to the table. Milkshakes sold out, brisket sold out, Mac & cheese sold out. Sad but as it’s busy we understand, just was a shame as it could have been so much better. We will try again another time and hope it’s better 🤞🤞

Good bruger and fries. However, a bit overwhelmed with large groups

Nice spacious place to eat and drink.

Terrible chicken tenders, greasy tasteless and wet with no crunch. The staff were not very friendly and the dirty fries were quite off putting too. The food reminds me of a kids birthday party at Playzone. Avoid! Edit : their smash burgers are the best around! Completely changed my perception of the place. Go on a Tuesday and get burger and chips for £7! Best value in Portsmouth imo.

Burgers are awesome! Beer and cider selection was on point! Friendly staff, great vibe! The chicken burger was amazing! We shared a side of frickles (battered pickles) which were delicious. I can highly recommend you get the miso peanut butter and chilli jam dip for your chicken… that was amazing! It’s big so great for big groups. Awesome location for a nice walk on the seafront to work off your full tummy!

Come here loads over the last few years, great place, prime location and always accommodating as they have the space for larger groups or pushchairs etc. Fantastic selection of beers, usually a lot of local ones too. Staff behind the bar are always great at reccomending something and have found a few new favourites here. Food is also great, burgers and roast in particular are awesome and good vegetarian/vegan selection.

Went there for the roast specifically on a Sunday. Good sized portions and barmans knowledge of the beers was good! Would go back!

Really poor food. There’s obvious cost cutting here and it’s been like this for a long time. The sauces are the cheapest available, vegan patties are awful, cheap and bland; and the frozen french fries are the same - pale casings with air inside, and the cheapest available. Wouldn’t normally go so harsh on a review, but it’s quite obvious that Meat and Barrel are buying super cheap and charging standard prices - rip off. Go to Croxtons or Merchant House.

Great choice of beers and really tasty burgers.

We arrived, the waiter showed us to our table, we were sat there for ages without menu’s we had to ask someone in the end for a menu. Then the food arrived and we were sat there for a while without cutlery, so again had to ask for cutlery. Then my chicken tenders arrived and had the wrong sauce on them, so I informed the waitress just to let the chef know that they had the wrong sauce on them, but she didn’t need to send it back as I didn’t want to wait even longer.. and without looking just informed me that the sauce was correct (it was hot sauce NOT the BBQ I had asked for) I tried my friends burger who had the hot sauce in it and we agreed it was the same sauce. The chicken was extremely dry and flavourless. My partners burger was ok, but nothing special. The mac & cheese was really nice and so were the poutine fries. Staff were just standing around chatting although tables really needed clearing etc. We will not return and left feeling disappointed and that we’d wasted our money.

Nice, c;ean tidy and frienly staff. Good selction of food and drinks. The only downside is the 'stripped back' decor, which mean it gets quite noisy when busy, with teh sound reverberating off teh bare walls, floor and celings. Nice place, at less busy times.

Very disappointing, food was very salty no taste and cheese sauce had no cheese. Staff were helpful but I won’t return. Used to be good food here , vary much gone down hill

I was a reguar customer here, visiting almost once in a month. Today 2nd Feb 2024 have ordered 3 burgers and 8x chicken tenders unfortunately all of them disappointed. I have collected the food from store, there were no dip provided for chicken tenders and also the tenders were completely tasteless, no salt neither any flavours. Even burgers were not upto mark.

I was really disappointed with this place, I thought there would be steak on the menu but there wasn’t. Anyway not the end of the world I ordered a burger without the bun and it was actually really nice and well cooked, however they then told me that the chicken wings and tenders that are on the menu are not available, they should be embarrassed !!!

We came here after giving up on somewhere else where the atmosphere wasn’t great. We were welcomed really nicely and had a comfy table with loads of space (we had a large dog with us so that was great). Service by all the staff was super friendly and helpful. Food was quick and delicious. Vegetarian options were great. Really good experience and will definitely be back.

Served an inedible roast. Most of it cold, meat like rubber. Complaint ignored.

Good choice of food and drinks.All reasonably priced

Brilliant beer and burger selection in a chilled atmosphere 😊

Meat and Barrell used to be so much nicer and feel like it's really gone down hill. The last 2 times I've been I have complained. The first time was because my order was incomplete and didnt come as described on the menu. It was rectified but still not completely as described on the menu. The most recent complaint was because we ordered off the festive set menu and ordered the baked apple tart. It came out cold and soggy and was told it was served cold. Felt this was misleading as baked would suggest it would be warm (aka baked). The Waitress was very good and went back to the kitchen to see if it could be warmed up but they said it couldn't (because they didn't have an oven) and then she checked to see if we could swap to have a different dessert, but apparently we couldn't change because they only had enough for what had been reordered (although I'm sure there would be enough for walk ins). I sent it back and said I didn't want it, I asked if it could be taken off the bill and was told that I'd need to speak to the manager, in the end I was given a glass of prosecco and I was happy with that. The burger was tasty but it was very oily and left a weird after taste. It's a real shame as the food used to be so good and there used to be a lot more vegetarian options but feel like its lacking now. I don't think I'll be eating there again.

A fast moving restaurant that also have ales on the bar cater for all

Went to Meat and Barrel for a friends' birthday. Had been looking forward to trying the place out. The menu was pretty good, and most of the service was fine. I was a bit surprised when the gentleman who took my order didn't know what was on the special dirty fries offered that day; and had I known too, I probably wouldn't have ordered them, or asked for my order to be amended. All of the staff were great, other than the manager on duty. I made a mistake with an order due to the way it was presented to me at the till, and it took a lot of discussion to get a refund, when I would have preferred a replacement for my order, and even then; said manager was very reluctant and very dismissive and unpleasant. Food was okay, but not really worth the disappointing customer service. It seemed remarkably stingy by comparison to a multitude of other places I've eaten at, and wasn't a pleasant experience, and it left all three of us disappointed with the place.

Visited on a Sunday afternoon. The burger was very good and the service was friendly and helpful. The menu changes on a Sunday and this wasn't clear, so we had to change what we were planning to eat. Was a bit quiet. Good overall and would be happy to revisit.

We visited on a Sunday, a few of us met up here as Southsea is fairly central to our locations, approx 25 miles away for all parties. Turns out they have a very limited menu on a Sunday due to serving roasts. Nothing about this was mentioned anywhere; website, when booking or receiving the booking confirmation, at the restaurant itself. We chose from the menus on the table, to be told that they shouldn't be there either, so even less to choose from. Food came out quickly, there was a lot of it but it was all very salty; the chicken, the gravy, the fries. Except the Mac and cheese, this was bland and a bit sloppy, I would have expected there to be melted cheese and the breadcrumbs mentioned on the menu on top, but no. The desserts were ok, nothing exciting though. In all, I wouldn't return in a hurry. 3 stars for being dog friendly.

The food here is unbelievable. Firdt class mac and cheese

We had a sumptuous dinner at this pub . Had a couple of drinks .. very spacious.. lot of seats to choose from.. staff are very friendly. Be back soon! Highly recommended

Lovely atmosphere and great selection of craft and IPAs. Decoration has been updated recently and the vibe is great.

Lots of great vegan options and solid selection of ales. Food is always tastey and worth the money. Staff are always kind and by ordering your food at the bar you save a lots of hassle. Have accommodated a large party of 16 for me once and without a deposit.

Delicious meats, washed down with some of the best brown liquids in the area, served by a charming team of barkeeps, in the most plush and salubrious of confines anywhere on Palmerston Road, for outrageously competitive prices.

Good choice of drinks and the menu has changed . Gutted that they don't do the dirty bird anymore

Stumbled across this gem accidentally. Great selection of beer. Didn't eat, but the food looked amazing 😋

Enjoyed a lovely late lunch. Restaurant looks great after refurbishment. Cocktails were delicious and Food was incredible, two of my guests said chicken was absolutely fabulous. Ambience is laid back and friendly. Staff are so lovely and have incredible patience with children visiting. Would highly recommend.

Delicious food and a great selection of beers.

Dog friendly... staff very friendly. Good selection of drinks. Highly recommended

10/10 visit to Meat and Barrel It’s been a while since I last visited Meat and Barrel. They’ve always had a great selection of beers on tap and cans. Glad to see that hadn’t changed. Visited on Southsea burger club which happens on Tuesdays which means 50% off burgers. My server didn’t quite put the 50% off through right properly but thy fixed it super quick. The food came out quick and was delicious!

Burger was very good but fries and coleslaw tasted very salty wasn't a fan. Don't see how the reviews are so high was dreadful

Really nice place. Service was really quick. However sadly the food wasn’t great. We had the vegan tenders which were a bit hard, the coleslaw was bland and didn’t taste of much and the Mac and cheese didn’t come with breadcrumbs as it said on the menu. Bit disappointing.

Tasty, messy burger 🍔 Would love a different chip option (even if it's extra) Otherwise, I'd come back 👌

Extremely rude staff and not even good food, three of us the same opinion

Best Burgers in Southsea. Utterly delicious and consistently good no matter which you chose! My only call out is there aren’t enough staff to deliver food to the tables. Whenever we are in and it’s especially noticeable on deal nights. One guy with black hair, maybe early 30s is always run off his feet (although super polite and friendly), whilst bar staff have a chat and several others mingle to the sides. This one guy practically covers the entire floor, clearing, delivering and getting condiments. His effort is relentless and deserves acknowledgment.

Pretty good (but expensive) craft beer bar in Southsea

Very nice place and the food was excellent

Fantastic choice of great quality beers and excellent food! Ordered a flight of beers to try more, all were superb. The family loved the burgers and I devoured to louisiana pulled pork mac and cheese. Would highly recommend!

The service and food were excellent

Staff helped with tasting different drinks to see what we liked and disliked. Also gave us recommendations for there burger which were amazing and some of the best fries I have had.

Great range of beers. Regular tap takeovers too. Food discounts on some days. Very large space indoors. Outside tables too

came in on a whim as our first choice was closed but this place was so good, super accommodating for dietary restrictions (Gluten Free) the guy behind the bar who took our order (monday 3rd july) was fantastic in explaining everything and recommending what was best for me to have and was super friendly, food came out quickly, was very nice and would definitely recommend the milkshakes! a great place for dinner but also doubles as a nice bar in the evenings

Sas (waitress) was excellent and food and drink delicious. Sat outside after the 'Race for Life' and was very enjoyable/reasonable.

Customer service is great and the food is damn good but no accessible bathroom 👎🏻

Great place to share a lovely beer and eat some amazing chicken wings! Bravo!

Such a friendly welcoming atmosphere. Great service . Staff here are really helpful. Came as a family of 4 . With a fussy eater and they couldn't have been more helpful.

One of the largest selections of beers I have come across. You are guaranteed to find a great beer. The food and service were great.

This place is really good! Whether you are in a group or just a couple of you. The staff and brilliant and accommodating. Food is brilliant, for us fussy veggie/vegans and dogs are welcome 🙏

We loved Meat and Barrel! Great vegan options and sour beer, nice atmosphere!

I had the Barrel burger, it really wasn’t very good, grease-fest! Made me fell quite bad afterwards. My wife had the Vegan burger, that wasn’t great either. I wouldn’t return.

Nice if you have a dog (we did) but wouldn't go unless you had a dog... there were 5 in there when we ate :)

Didn't eat this time, but love the relaxed atmosphere, the friendly helpful service and the superb range of beers - keg and cask. They have a superb selection of bottles and cans too.

Lovely food .... really nice staff ... definitely recommend 👌🏻 ☺️

I got uber eats with my friends and asked for extra pickles. They gave us many pickles. Whoever did this I am manifesting good karma for you. You deserve the world. I hope you have a great shift. 💞💞💞

Why put cheap sachets out when charging £14.00 for a burger 🍔

Decent place, good atmosphere and service. Would prefer plates rather than paper lined baskets

so for an outsider that doesn't often come to the coast, this place is a place to stop off at, the clue is in the name meat and barrel, great meat, burgers, ribs and even down to the chips, worth the money and every bite. the beers ales and all the drinks behind the bar changes all the time and worth trying one of each, my partner and eye came here for the 3rd time in a year and worth every penny, even managed to take a few local brewed ales home too. highly recommended place to stop off at too. thanks again guys/girls for the great meal too.

Great spot. Good food. Great atmosphere. Huge selection of beers. Even have ice cream and coffee for those who don't want to drink at noon

Really nice experience, The food was great although pricey but as a one of I don't mind, The drinks were great to, will definitely visit again in the future. 👍