Old Ox Inn in North Dorset

Went for a Sunday Roast. Potato’s awesome! Meat, thin slices and not much of it. Cauliflower cheese burnt. Gravy had no taste and was clear and water like. There just wasn’t enough. Shame, as the pub and the staff are lovely. This is my opinion so don’t necessarily let me put you off.

Lovely friendly staff great local pub for good beer and good pub food. Excellent.

Just had the Christmas roast and it was absolute perfection. I had the turkey and my good lady had the beef (which I got huge food envy over!). Portions were immense, we've all left very full and happy!!

Fantastic Beef Wellington for our pre Christmas family meal. I could not fault the meal at all, cooked to perfection. Was absolutely delicious. Service was amazing and would 100% recommend.

Extremely over priced for quality of food. Clearly microwaved and not freshly cooked. The raspberry roulade is not a roulade. Only a Christmas menu on offer with a very limited choice. Very un-impressed and won’t return. Atmosphere friendly but spoilt by a customer with unfriendly dogs who called his dogs Dicks! Not what I want to be around to be honest when I’m paying for a meal.

Really lovely Sunday roast, super friendly staff and the pub is spotlessly clean - what more could you want!

Very tasty food. Change of management since my last visit, the new team are very welcoming. Good variety of dishes on the menu, certainly something for everyone. Friendly environment in a cosy pub.

Very prompt, friendly and efficient service. Menu was a bit limited but portions were good and food well prepared.

Nice little pub and great prices. Enjoyable place for a drink

Stopped off for a meal with family on our way through. Slightly limited, but high quality menu. You can't beat a lovely, welcoming village pub and this is just that!

Excellent customer service great to see so many people enjoying the weather great staff 😊 only comment is that the glasses looking rather dirty when serving beer and bottled cider

The 'locals' vibe is strong here, but that's no bad thing. It is a well frequented pub, with some nice beers and friendly staff. Just about managed to persuade them to do me some chips before the kitchen closes. Kitchen hours are short so check before.

Ate here yesterday after Googling their menu which showed several suitable vegan choices . But only vegan food available was their daily special of soup . So very disappointed! My Hubby ordered for both of us but my soup was brought out way before his soup and toastie. I also had asked for brown or granary bread but was served a white bread roll . When I asked for it to be changed I was given 2 plain slices of brown bread . The soup was also only lukewarm but couldn’t be bothered to ask for it to be heated up as felt the lady who runs the place was not very friendly and a bit harassed . Also no doggy ice cream available even tho there was a board outside advertising it as available.

I've been meaning to visit this local pub for years. It's recently been taken over so thought we would give it a try. The interior is fresh, cosy and comfortable with a bar and restaurant area so you can take your pick. There are two great aspects here, the people and the food. You can tell it's a good team, the service was friendly and relaxed and one reason I would definitely go back for. The food was also great quality. A good range a vegetarian options and general choice, and excellent pizzas with dough from a local baker. Overall I would say this is a must visit and definitely a local business that needs supporting. They have the balance between service and food spot on!

We came on Saturday unfortunately you were not doing food except a BBQ sadly my hotdog was far from cooked properly it hadn't been on a BBQ think it must have been microwaved as it was the palest sausage I have ever seen.

Really friendly hosts and a banging burger. Will come again 👌🏼🙏🏼

Landlord landlady and staff lovely and friendly up for a laugh. I’m working in the area popped in on Fri after work lovely

Such a real shame, we didn't have a great meal for our 1st and last visit. Don't know why I paid at all. Food was bland, was supposedly a trio of meats locally sourced where /when possible. I can't believe that on this occasion.

New owners, serious improvements

Really nice atmosphere and dog-friendly. They have a bowling alley, which I didn’t use but thought was an interesting addition. Glasses were full to the brim, so you know you’re getting your money’s worth for drinks. Waiters and manager were very polite and friendly. I didn’t think service was slow, but they came out and apologised anyway for the wait and seemed really lovely about it. Very nice service The food tasted alright. Did think the food prices were a bit too high, but this wasn’t a huge problem

Honestly I was surprised as from the outside I didn't expect much from the outside.. One in good service and beer. There was nobody else in when I got there (early on a Sunday) so hard to judge atmosphere. Worth a visit for a pint though.

Sean and Marcia have just taken over, and if you have been to the Shack in Spetisbury, you will know they are awesome. Come on down for a fresh look of a great pub. Support your community, use it, or lose it!!

Fantastic food and so reasonably priced! £53 for four mains and five drinks between us. Lovely decor and vibes in the pub too. We will definitely go back 😀

Excellent food and friendly staff

Lovely village pub and hopefully it will continue to be! Sat in the Beer garden with a beer last Tuesday on a fine summer evening but sadly some irresponsible owners who were also sat outside who obviously owned the dogs were not under control and one dumped just where I was sitting! The owners were oblivious to this as they were too busy in their own way Not great!

Popped in whilst cycling along the trailway. I arrived late for food but was still served by the very kind bar lady. Curry was scrummy and really good value.

Lovely atmosphere and great curry

Welcoming..dog friendly..a good place to catch up with friends and have a drink. Ample parking.

Very friendly staff, lovely pub

This pub has sadly changed hands .No atmoshere .Sunday lunch was very dissappointing plus we were the only ones having lunch on that day. Staff all very nice and pleasant.

Greeted by Barry the landlord. A man made for the job. Shown to the dining room. Great selection of food. We opted for the Sunday roast, great choice of meats at a good price. The food came very hot, separate vegetables. The wine was well priced. Opted for a sweet, again big choice. Very pleasant waiting staff. Highly recommend.

Fabulous staff also I know them

We arrived with our staffie in a dog buggy which is the size of a large pram. The landlord welcomed us in and he took the buggy into a back room so it wasn't left outside. Very kind of him! My wife had the chicken supreme with new potatoes and veg which she enjoyed very much. I had,what is probably the best I have had, liver and bacon with mashed potato and lovely thick onion gravy. All freshly made. My wife then had the sticky toffee pudding which was a very large portion and tasted great. The landlord and lady behind the bar were very friendly and helpful from arriving to leaving. Would I go back? Certainly!!

We arrived with our staffie in a dog buggy which is the size of a large pram. The landlord welcomed us in and he took the buggy into a back room so it wasn't left outside. Very kind of him! My wife had the chicken supreme with new potatoes and veg which she enjoyed very much. I had,what is probably the best I have had, liver and bacon with mashed potato and lovely thick onion gravy. All freshly made. My wife then had the sticky toffee pudding which was a very large portion and tasted great. The landlord and lady behind the bar were very friendly and helpful from arriving to leaving. Would I go back? Certainly!!

I came here on two occasions, once for a meal where the food choices were great, and service was friendly too, albeit a little muddled with the order. Tasty food, a little pricey. Second occasion was for drinks. Good choice again and excellent price for drinks. Sadly the couple behind the bar were clearly having a rubbish day as they weren’t particularly welcoming to new faces. Hopefully next time we visit their day will be better, I can imagine running a rural pub is a challenge. For good priced drinks, and a great choice of food I would recommend the Old Ox 👌🏼

Extremely friendly staff. Lovely decor and comfortable chairs. Food as excellent as ever from Sherry. Very good portions and prices. Fish dishes very good. Large variety on the menu to suit everyone. Will be going back.

Sue and Paul went to the old ox inn. We were not disappointed lovely pub very friendly staff.lovely atmosphere.and there food was the best .definitely go back again

Plenty of parking, tables in the garden, selection of food, fairly expensive but tasty. Good service and friendly, enjoy xoxo

The warm welcome gets you from the moment you arrive and the food is delicious. All home cooked - no ready prepared bought in stuff here. Sherry works here socks off in the kitchen and it’s amazing that she delivers a varied menu with each meal cooked from scratch. Barry and Sherry have built a great atmosphere village pub and eatery and even covid didn’t dampen their spirits. Loved our visit and would recommend every time.

A lovely pint of well kept beer at tea time, relieving a long and hot afternoon .

Brilliant, well worth 5 stars. Friendly welcome, good selection of well kept real ales, a good menu with plenty of choice and fantastic home cooked food. We are not local to you, but next time we are within a hour of you will make the drive over to come to your pub again.

Our first visit to the Old Ox since moving to Blandford. Instantly made to feel like locals and given a helpful guide through the drinks options and menu. The food was unpretentious good quality pub food, well presented and served by attentive staff. We shall definitely be returning.

Lovely pub just off the North Dorset Trailway. Very friendly, good pub food, nice outside area. Will visit again

Lovely pub. Very friendly, amazing food. Would definitely recommend

Tasty food, save environment, friendly staff, definitely worth visiting!

Visited with my mother and father in law. Had a really enjoyable Sunday lunch and we were well served by Barry and his team . Really enjoyed the chilli con carne

What a great place. Lovely, welcoming staff, varied menu, high quality food and modern clean surroundings. Well done team!

So glad all the other pubs were fully booked or we might have missed this great place! 5🌟 service by the staff, always polite a very well kept pub with the best food we've had in many along year.♥️ Lovely comfortable and spotlessly clean thanks for a great experience.

We own holiday cottages for people with disabilities and recommend The Old Ox to them. The guests we sent could not praise The Old Ox enough. Great food, hospitality, and staff even helped them to and from their car as one of the guests used a wheelchair.

Friendly staff and owners Food and dr8nkswere brilliant

We had a table for 4 booked last night. The landlord was very attentive immediately on our arrival yet apologised straight away that he was short staffed. This led to a limited menu, however it was well balanced so ordering wasn't a problem. Our meals arrived promptly, were hot, and well cooked. I had a gammon, and can honestly say it was the best I've ever had at a pub. Bravo!

Visited a few months ago, great welcome from the landlord and landlady, food was great and the service was even better. Will definitely be back if we’re in the area.

Barry and his team serve up a very warm welcome, great beer and delicious food. On a busy Sunday service, they catered to our needs with a smile and without fuss - moving us to a bar area table (because we had a dog - take note for bookings), keeping our three youngsters quiet with complementary colouring books and bringing me extra horseradish sauce for my roast beef! Really looking forward to returning.

Lovely lady behind the bar. Good range of pub food available. Barry was both very efficient and personable. The portions are generous. The toilets were clean and had some interesting photos on the wall, both mens and womens.

I have just had a fabulous lunch with 17 female friends for a group event. I was amazed that all our meals came out quickly and beautifully presented, despite the fact we did not do a preorder. Everyone was friendly, helpful. The food was fabulous, from Macaroni cheese to Lamb Shank. All fantastic! Great pub food. Highly recommended. Nice range of beers and cider also. Pudding list was also great. I wish I had taken some photos to show how nice the food presentation was. Good value also.

Great food, cosy rooms and very friendly service. The sunday roast is my favourite.

Went for a meal,with 15 others, very good welcome by the landlord and lady. We all had a selection of meals, all presented well. Good choice on the menu and nice desserts. We'll recommend this pub.

Thought we would go out last night and support the local village pub. Checked the website to see pub open until 11 but if you wanted food you had to order by 8.30p.m. Wandered down the road and arrived at 7.50 to be told no food as the chef had gone home. There were others eating in the pub, maybe served before said chef went home. Rather disappointing but won't make the same mistake again.

Great Sunday lunch to celebrate 60 th birthday. Roasts to enjoy and savour,deserts that can’t be missed. Thankyou both so much. Back soon.x

Lovely little place, food and service

Delicious food , beautifully presented.

The food and staff supurb as well as the ambiance - well done James Dudley

We just went for afternoon drinks , thought it was warm friendly & nice to it being used by the locals

Met up with friends last night for dinner and a catch up in the Ox, we had a great evening and the food was wonderful with huge portions, you won’t go hungry here and great value. The couple who run the place are very welcoming and run a very friendly pub, look forward to going back soon. Thank you to all the staff,

Fantastic Breakfast Just been to the ox for breakfast. Full of flavour. All food hot. Definitely recommend. Fantastic service and very well priced.

It is well worth a detour to experience the warm and friendly atmosphere at this lovely pub. The menu has an amazing choice and it was so refreshing to be offered fully home cooked food and fresh vegetables. You will certainly get your 5 a...

Absolutely wonderful food and great service. Went for a meal to celebrate my father's 70th birthday. Nothing was too much trouble the staff are so friendly and welcoming and the food is so tasty. Really worth a visit!

Really enjoyed the trip to this wonderful local pub. The food was fantastic, service was great, couldn’t recommend more! Next time I’m in Dorset I will definitely return.

We enjoyed a really nice wedding anniversary dinner at The Old Ox. The food was lovely, the service superb especially the " Special" Tia Maria ☕️ coffee to finish with. Will definitely recommend to our holiday cottages guests ! Thank you Sherry and Barry

The Old Ox with Barry and Sherry at the helm is always my go to place…today with girlfriends but more usually with family. The 3/4 hr. drive to get there is the start of a great meal and if time allows them a chat with...

My friends live in the village and decided we'd have Sunday lunch at the pub. A really lovely homecooked menu with much to choose from, in addition to the traditional roast options (on the day, chicken and beef). Everything we ate was wonderful, tasty and...

We have stopped here before when cycling on the trail way but never eaten until now. The food is exceptional and the staff are lovely. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Top drawer.

Great food - so much choice! We both had the roast, one beef and one pork.. delicious! Good pudding choices too. Landlord and staff really friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back !!

First outing for food after all this COVID madness and of course it had to be the ox. Food there is always a delight can always find something tasty and well cooked and the puddings yum. Had the salmon cooked to perfection and the other...

Fantastic service and delicious Roast dinners had by all, large portions and all freshly cooked. Great atmosphere and the hosts were delightful and made a massive effort , I would highly recommend this pub and will be back soon, the best landlords the Old Ox...

Exceptional tasty food! Lots on the menu. Great night with good friends! Would thoroughly recommend!

Just had a Fantastic meal. Great service and food. What can I say. Well above normal pub food. Good vegitarian selection. Everything was just great! I would not have normally liked the starter it was mushroom with bacon and in a lovely cheese sauce stringy...

Absolutely brilliant Sunday Lunch. From the time we arrived to the point of finishing our meal. Food is beautifully prepared and cooked will visit again.

Having lived locally for years I’m ashamed to say I’ve never thought about going here for a meal before but I’m certainly glad we have tried it now. Nice atmosphere, attentive staff, extremely cordial host and excellent food. We will definitely be back. Thank you.

Their photo is not an ox. it is a highland cow, maybe if you changed it you wouldnt have an angry scotsman like myself giving you a negative review.

Haven driven past for many years was really keen to visit this pub. Certainly not let down. Great pie and service!

Thoroughly enjoyed lunch today at The Old Ox. Good quality home cooked food, generous portions, big selection of vegetables. Excellent service Barry made us feel very welcome. Pub all very Covid secure. Would highly recommend.

We enjoyed a delicious Sunday roast as a family today, everything was superbly cooked and presented, everyone was very friendly and helpful, can not fault anything! Shame we are going into lockdown again but we will be ordering takeaways for sure!

For only the second time since lockdown, we decided to go out for a meal. We have often driven passed the Old Ox at Shilllingstone and had been frequent customers at Barry and Sherries previous pubs so it made sense to have lunch there in the middle of superb Dorset countryside.The pub has plenty of car parking and nice views to the rear. Inside it is very cosy and is a typical country pub. The menu was varied but not overly wide that it took hours to decide what to have and they have a very good range of St Austell Brewery beers. I know from years of experience that Barry keeps a very good pint!The meal was excellent- I needn't go into details because everyone will have their own tastes but no one will be disappointed. The quality was first rate and service really good ( to be fair it was quiet but again, the level of service we would expect from Barrie and Sherrie).We cannot recommend the Old Ox highly enough- it really is a hidden gem- and we will be back very soon! Place like this deserve support and recognition. Don't take my word for it . Try it yourself.

Had a wonderful meal here while on holiday in Shillingstone, food was exceptional,perfectly cooked, they really understand food here. Owners are fun and friendly and pub is dog friendly too, even provided some dog treats. Highly recommended

Although we live locally hadn't been before but went on a friend's recommendation and so glad we did. Imaginative and reasonably priced menu with lots of fish. Lovely decor and helpful and friendly host We will be back

Even though my wife and I are local, it is the first time we have dined at the Old Ox. The hosts were absolutely charming and the food was absolutely beautiful and very well presented. Having tried numerous pubs in Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire, we rate this one 100%. The owners deserve to succeed in these trying times.

Had a super couple of nights enjoying the amazing hospitality and food delivered with such good humour and grace by namesake publican Barry. This is such a quaint little pub in Shillingstone village which has recently changed hands to a wonderful couple who deliver fantastic customer service and delicious food. Some fabulous fish dishes of skate, lemon sole and hake are on the menu with fabulous steaks and much more. Dining as a four we had to stay for puddings and the crumbles and Sticky Toffee pudding did not disappoint. We were equally fortunate to be visiting on a Saturday for their Pizza/Pasta night which were equally cooked to a very high standard. I thoroughly recommend trying this place for food and drink and the warm hospitality of the pub team. Can’t wait to visit again in the near future and book in to “The Old Ox Inn”

Me and my father came for lunch and a drink. Delicious food which came quickly, friendly helpful staff; nothing was too much trouble! Beautiful outside seating area and perfect country pub for a pre-booking OR walk in. I love this pub!

A lovely pub with a warm welcome. Really scrumptious food bursting with flavour. Nice selection of largers and ales and furnished to a high standard. Friendly locals and a landlord who takes pride in his wonderful pub.

Microwave food. And we now all have the coronavirus. Got angry with me when i asked them to change the food to the point where i didn't even want to stay there anymore

Absolutely first class dining, what a fabulous place to have found a real credit to the new owners Everything from reserving our table to being served delicious home cooked meals was pure joy, wonderful staff. Very attentive service, all our meals were faultless, well cooked, well presented. We have just moved to the village of Shillingstone and booked a table for Sunday lunchtime for five, so very glad we did as it was extremely busy . Large selection of vegetables, and very satisfying slices of delicious roast beef This will be a definite regular for us now ,and if you are looking for a new place to try I would thoroughly recommend you visit . Great menu choices. You won’t be disappointed!

Absolutely fabulous food with a friendly welcoming atmosphere. Well worth a visit. This is our third!

A tastefully refurbished inn, at Shillingstone, where a good local was sadly lacking. Great food, freshly cooked and good service from the Owners. Everything cooked to order...liver and bacon a must and the lemon posset. Best pub grub we have had in ages A big Thankyou.

A lovely little pub with a great atmosphere. The owners were attentive and friendly. The food was amazing. A really good choice of dishes. Will definitely go back.

Our village pub deserves to prosper under the capable guidance of Barry and Sherry. A friendly welcome awaits, and the food is well above usual pub grub standard. Definitely worth a visit - or several visits!

Lovely home cooked food. Particularly impressed by the sea bass. Barry was very welcoming and the food was cooked to order.

Had Sunday roast here today. Lovely new management. Great service and atmosphere. Warm and welcoming. Food was amazing, freshly cooked and very tasty. Great value for money. Lemon posset to die for!

I phoned this pub last minute as I decided to take my mum and son out for lunch. They told me they were serving food until 3pm. On arrival we were greeted by the staff and waited for a table to be prepared. The pub was very people and dog friendly and had a lovely atmosphere.When the food arrived it was delicious,hot food on hot plates, at least five lots of vegetables (including cauli cheese) extra gravy and all accompaniments. Service was so lovely, the owner of the pub served us, his wife did the cooking and their son served the drinks. It was a real family affair. I believe they have only taken over the pub two weeks ago. On leaving, the owner shook our hands and thanked us for coming.... Very courteous. Will DEFINITELY be visiting again. One of the nicest pubs with the nicest service I have been in for a long time.

We are just coming to the end of a week staying a few minutes walk from this lovely pub. After popping in for a few drinks over the weekend, enjoying the friendly atmosphere we met friends for lunch. Wow! Glad we didn't have starters. 2 of us had the steak pie which was amazing, chips and veg lovely too. 1 lasagne which was also lovely with a salad and garlic bread. ! ham ploughmans, my wife just couldn't finish it. As our friend said, the portions are out of control. Sad to be going home as we don't have a good local. Trina & Boycey are running this place very well and are lovely people, real characters that will be missed by everyone when they move to a new venture in Cornwall in October. We live in Southampton and have promised to visit them there. If you are near Shillingstone i advise you to get there before you miss the opportunity to meet these lovely people.