Polite Vicar in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Went on a Saturday evening at 19:15 and sat at a table that wasn't reserved. After standing at the bar and waiting for drinks I heard a memeber of staff say that they weren't taking orders for food if a table hadn't been booked. There was a sign on the till stating that no food orders would be taken from any non booked tables between 5-7. I asked if we were ok at the table as it was past 7 and the table wasn't reserved. I was told no, the staff hadn't had any breaks so the kitchen would be closing. We weren't even allowed to have drinks. The place wasn't even that busy as there were plenty of tables available. I dread to think what the people who had booked tables were to do if the kitchen was closed!! My partner asked a member of staff (whilst I was at the bar) and she was told as it was after 7 we would be fine). Not very good service or communication between staff for a business wanted to make money!!

The gentleman behind the bar was very very rude. We came as a party of 16 and he was incredibly rude to atleast 4 members of the party. Food was OK however the Tikka Tandorri was inedible, very powdered coating which made it very dry and it couldn't be eaten. Pint of Beer had to be returned to the bar as it was off and tasted of vinegar. No refund was offered for this or the meal. Desserts were forgotten about and had to approach member of staff. We will NOT be returning to this location so we are now looking for another Greene King restaurant to try.

Very delicious food and drinks and all the staff are very friendly and polite we highly recommend this pub

Love this place. Always such lovely friendly staff, good food and great venue. What's not to love?

Came in for dinner and tried the new chicken and rib combo and it did not disappoint! Perfect service came quickly and hot

Brilliant pub to visit, warm and friendly staff. Food spot on every time.

Lovely pub and amazing food! Would definitely recommend to anybody! Staff lovely over Christmas felt very welcomed.

I went to this restaurant where you can only order online, the food was well cooked, the drinks were ok, only the atmosphere was like a neighborhood bar, the service was decent.

Our booking was for four adults. On arrival we were greeted and led to a reserved table where we ordered our drinks and chose our meals from a great selection menu. We were informed by our waitress that there would be approximately a half hour wait for meals which was understandable as it was very busy with being close to Xmas. There was a good happy atmosphere in the restaurant (some people were also watching sky sports on the flatscreen tv). Our meals arrived on time-sizzling hot on the plate which were delicious!

Booked a table for 6 and did the same this time last year. Unfortunately on both occasions the share menu was off. I'm guessing they want to make as much as possible. We then went for 2 sirloin steaks which were really good. After we finished, within 20 minutes we got told if we're only drinking we need to move to the bar area. Basically if you're not eating do one. Not sure we'd be wanting to go again after that. Update 2024. Again table for 6 booked. This time we didn't get turfed out after eating but everyone in the group who'd ordered ended up having cold food. We have agreed as a team not suffering again.

Always good food, polite bar staff and good service

The staff were very accommodating. The seating was perfect and the meal was excellent. Have eaten here previously and not been overly impressed. However on this occasion extremely impressed with the food, would recommend to others and will definitely visit again.

As usual a warm welcome from the team,for Christmas dinner the food was bought at a nice pace tucking into 4 courses ,yum not skipping over the prawn starter but that turkey was delicious really generous portion served with lots of veg,roasters,yorkie,stuffin,2 pigs in blanket ,I was ready for my nap,but ploughing on to pudding,we'd still course 4 where we got coffee and more treats that choc torte, just about finished us off,hats off the team who had time to chat to every one although I'm sure we're rushed off their feet weldone sign me up for next year Merry Christmas x

Kids enjoyed it and can't wait to go again.

After going to The Vic theatre today we called in to have lunch at The Polite Vicar, 5 adults and 2 toddlers. Quite empty at just past 12 o'clock . On my daughter politely asking a table attendant if a large table could be cleared , the unfriendly reply.was she hadn't had time and had we booked ,some tables were reserved but she'd not had time to put notices on them. We hadn't booked and so were told the wait was until 1.30. On going to the bar my self to ask ,another lady told me she didn't know why we'd been told that . As went to tell my family I then saw the first lady waving her arms at the lady behind the bar . I went to the bar again to see if we could eat there and was told the problem being all the large tables were pre booked , I asked if we could use 2 smaller tables . At this point the rest of our party wanted to go elsewhere. What a hostile welcome . I've never been before and I'll never go again.

The atmosphere is warm. Food and drink are ok.

Really let down by our recent visit; don’t come if you have dietary restrictions or preferences. I ordered a vegan meal (due to preferences and lactose intolerance) and was served dairy. Fortunately I noticed before eating too much and returned the food. The staff didn’t even apologise for the carelessness which shows no consideration goes into the food preparation. I am fortunate that I’m intolerant not allergic; this could be much worse for someone who has allergies.

The Christmas burger is absolutely worth trying 😍 Scores down for the lack of service, however the barman was polite, drinks were served quickly, bit waiting time on food but when it came out, it looked fresh and hot. Yes it is another Greene king, but they have flaming grill menu which in our opinion is top of the franchise options. The pub was nicely decorated too, plenty of parking too.

Very friendly place staff work hard.. Food is good for the price point..

Coming here for Sunday dinner was the best decision we made, absolutely amazing delicious food.

This is our local and you always get a lovely warm welcome from the outstanding staff here! We only realised recently that you can get a veggie roast dinner on Sundays and this is now a regular treat - we have Yorkshires, stuffing, roast and mashed potatoes, lots of fresh veggies and generous helpings of gravy - what's not to love!! Other veggie/vegan options too.

This was my first visit to the Polite Vicar in a long time. I was welcomed on arrival by a lovely member of staff. Her name was Kira. Nothing was a problem. Watching her work rate throughout the afternoon considering how busy it was, was really nice to see. Simon and Brandon were also on shift behind the bar and always greeted you with a smile. I’ve not met Jess the manager, but she must be doing an amazing job with the great staff that she has around her. I shall definitely be returning. 😊

Great food, sizzling skillets and brill service will be coming back again. Great for sports as well. I enjoyed my food yh

Lovely food,service brill, will be back soon.

Comfortable, welcoming with great food, amazing choice if drinks and affordable

Popped in after a hospital appointment today for food and really disappointed. Ordered burger and nachos, the food came out very quick but unfortunately nachos were cold, as in not even warmed or cheese melted despite being served in metal bowl, burger was over cooked and chips wernt cooked enough so slightly hard too. Left almost all of it and even though only handful of people in as mid afternoon, looking like 3 staff on behind bar, there were no checks from any staff if ok, so we just left! Don't normally come for food just drinks but dont think will be trying in a hurry again unfortunately.

Really pleasant meal. They honoured my request to serve my dinner on a plate instead of a skillet, and the food was fantastic—the steak was cooked perfectly. :)

Lovely food and service especially from Kira. She was really friendly and helpful. The Tikka Tandoori plate was excellent.

Bar staff were lovely ,but the meals were not so good.wouldnt go again

It was all nice but there's always room for improvement.

A chilled, friendly place for great food & drink. Footy on TV too.

Brandon’s Quiz was excellent we had such a good night the drinks and food were 5 out of 5 the atmosphere was amazing

I loved the quiz! Can be competitive or just for fun! We enjoyed our visit and have to come again. All bar staff very welcoming

Long wait and food was cold when it arrived. Quality of good wasn't great either.

Came to watch the football, great atmosphere & Brandon was a real Gem behind the bar👍🏻

Food is always excellent and staff are welcoming and friendly. Perfect for nice meal before going into the new vic theatre

Manger at the bar was really helpful and welcoming really good service great pub to go to for food and drink

Food was immense, had the ultimate feast as a starter to share with friends - great value for money, lovely atmosphere and friendly staff! will defo be coming back!

I decided I'd pop in for some lunch while I waited for my son. It was only on the off chance I saw this pub at all as it was pouring with rain. I had a jacket potato with butter( you could have toppings) and a portion of corn on the cob. My tea arrived promptly then my lunch. It was lovely and hot and proper butter too. Very nice. There were people in, but not many as it was only 12.30pm and there were people coming and going , but just nice for a single person lunch. The staff were courteous, friendly ( that's Stoke for you!) and helpful.

Just had Sunday roast ,it was terrible .veg not cooked beef was tough and fatty could not cut it roast potatoes hard not enjoyed at all left most of it .don't think we will go back in a hurry.

Lovely service from Brandon. Incredible atmosphere and warm homely decor

Fab place fab food! Was warned about the wait on food but didn't mind waiting as it's always top notch! Proper good food. Lady running round clearing tables and running food is ace Sat 12/10/24

Food very good but having booked table for three which was really only sized for 2, and food took almost an hour to come.

Really great place. Food is spot on staff are great 👍

Lovely place, with great Halloween decorations, truly gets you in the spirit. Great choice of food on the menu! Special thanks to Brandon for his service!!

Excellent service, excellent staff, haven't been here for awhile but will definitely be back

Lovely warming place for friends and family to enjoy food and entertainment. Kate was very polite, she went above and behind to make me feel welcome. Would highly recommend to any auidiance 🍻

Food was lovely and the staff very pleasant and professional, especially Kate Brandon

Halloween decs and darts impressed the kids 👍

Went in for food and drinks, the staff were great and the food was decent and reasonably priced would recommend for a chilled visit out

Terrible Experience from start to end unfortunately. Bar Attendant was rude especially condescending. Service was very slow even though the venue was quite empty. Food cold and under cooked, had to send it back. Highly suggest avoiding this one, didn't take food pictures for once as so disguised with this place, would score 0 if it wax possible.

The food wasn't great they had nothing we asked for available. We asked for a steak flatbread and was told there was no salad so we asked if it was possible to swap the salad for some vegetables and suggested onions mushrooms and peppers that kind of thing. What we received was a flatbread with 4 small pieces of steak and nothing else with a pot on the side with a few slices of carrot. This was after waiting over an hour and a half. They were busy due to the football and we agreed to wait but I mean come on they knew they served up something not worth anywhere near what we paid for and it was just shoddy. We just decided to give up and leave in the end. The side of tater tots we ordered separately what came on the plate was the steak flatbread meal. 🤦

Jess is just amazing! Great atmosphere and food is spot on every time!

It’s a great spot for a cozy meal and a glass of wine if you’re stuck for things to do. The food was adequate for the price that you pay, but it didn’t blow our minds. But it was nice for what we expected it to be

Good ale ...friendly helpful staff ..nice food ..what more do u need

Our daughter is autistic and has a very particular dietary needs and she has a big appetite and it’s nice how the staff don’t judge when they place the food on the table. Some places we’ve been you get a vibe of judgement but we get NONE of that from the lovely staff at polite vicar which is why we keep returning.

Really impressed with my meal, service was really quick and staff were friendly. Food was piping hot and the pricing is fab - highly recommend the mixed grill! Great options for vegetarians too.

Great steak, cooked to perfection and really good atmosphere great for the football, Jess is amazing!

Nice place with reasonably priced food

Nice food lovely customer service

We booked a table for 12 people for my daughter's 18th birthday.. the online booking system was confusing as it said we needed to pre order food, then it didn't and then a final email just 2 days before said the date had been confirmed but not the time... So I had to get in touch with the pub directly to find out if we were actually booked in, which we were. We were asked to pre-order the food and given the direct email of the pub.. that was the only issue we had . The Friday night meal was fantastic, all meals came out at the same time and all meals and desserts were lovely and enjoyed by everyone.. The staff were fantastic, polite, friendly and hard working.. Great night and glad we choose the polite vicor for her birthday... Many thanks to all staff at the pub.

Brandon was lovely and able to have a laugh and a joke with him.

Inedible uncooked veg and Yorkshire pudding and dissapeard stuffing too. Third time now having a bad experience here and final time.

Terrible!! Waited over an hour for Sunday dinner. After which time I at least expected the food to be edible. It wasn't. Veg you couldn't get a knife through. Fatty beef. Soggy Yorkshire pudding & stuffing that resembled a cannon ball. Please don't waste your time as we did.

Good place 😃 And also so nice to us when we come here

The gentleman who looked after us Brendon was really friendly

Very friendly foods nice n lovely incitement.

Jess and the Polite Vicars Staff are always friendly and welcoming on a visit to there pub. They have a wide variety of drink options including cocktails, loads of different beers, spirits and ciders. They serve great harty and tasty food, with great reasonable prices and wide variety to choose from. Lovely hospitality a great place to go for some pub food and a couple of drinks.

Really nice pub great service friendly staff great atmosphere food fantastic give it a try really recommend 👍🏻

Brandon very friendly , food brilliant value for money! Nicest Gammon had in a pub for a long tome!!!!

Top place . Good food. Cracking landlord

Great food, welcoming staff, pleasant atmosphere.

Amazing food, and very quick service!

The staff are really polite and friendly and welcoming. The food is cooked really well and the selection is amazing. There is always sports on the tv and really good atmosphere

Food and service was amazing and Brandon is the nicest bloke ever always smiling

Food was OK but slightly overcooked and the tables were sticky after clean which is common in a lot of pubs now

VERY helpful and friendly, happy staff. Food was cooked to perfection

Food was lovely, could not fault it at all, we thoroughly enjoyed our meals and the table service was good. Unfortunately, the chap behind the bar older and of stockier build had the customer service skills of a pea and came across as rude and arrogant, completely ruining our visit, I will not be returning again.

We love this pub, and vist regularly, the food and atmosphere is fab. Couldn’t recommend this place enough. Brandon and the team are friendly and helpful

Jess and her team always make me feel so welcome. They're friendly and happy to help with any questions you may have. Delicious food served. Great variety on the menu. Fantastic pub, even if just for a drink!

Great food and an amazing place to chill and have a drink and great service and friendly staff definitely coming here again great pub.

Jess and the staff are brilliant food is a great standard came hot and fast will definitely return made to feel so welcome

Jess and team are lovely, came with family and had a warm welcome food piping hot and fast to come out. We will return

Lovely pub, great for food and staff are absolutely smashing will definitely return!

Brandon has been a good host, very helpful with his advice.

awsome tasty food as usual...really good serving...

Ordered from the app as the bar was busy with picky eaters, drinks were reasonably to be delivered to our table. However the Sunday dinners were over 45 minutes wait. Once it finally arrived we were delivered under cooked veg, burnt roast potatoes, microwave mashed potato and the little beef that was on the plate was over cooked and tough. I would have told the service staff however we never received a check back while we were there, I would understand more if the pub was busy but it was not.

The Polite Vicar is always very welcoming. The staff are very helpful and friendly. The food is very good, and there is a pleasant atmosphere.

The service was absolutely brilliant unfortunately the meal I ordered was a let down due to portion size I know it was value meal

Visited here today. The food was spot on and so were the drinks. The staff were very attentive and friendly and Kate went out of her way to make our visit pleasurable. Her smile brightened my day.

Visited here for food and drinks, good food and drinks. Fairly priced would return again. Friendly and welcoming staff

Came in with my child and has a lovely meal, it was early afternoon so it was quite which was nice for the baby, staff were friendly and helpful, will be coming back

Can't knock it, worth a visit. Wouldnt hesitate to go again.

Nice drink very friendly staff well done

Excellent service and quality as normal with the new refurbishment food was amazing, visited again today 24.02.2022 although didn't have bread for 1 meal it was still as normal....just great, visited again today and again new bar staff but food and drink as always very good 11.09.2022, 25.11.2023 and had chips and scampi and mushy peas with few madris.once again 28.05.2024 great steak meal and chicken skewer on way back from few days in chester and not let down, gret pub great people.27.08.2024 2x fish and chips and few san miguels and again value for money and nice hot food and Bert can't fault it.

Very impressive on a first visit. Good choice on menu plenty of hot food when it was served

Called after a walk to swimming, I had an amazing burger with chicken and spicy sausage! Disappointed there was no turkey for the Sunday lunch, but this was due to some quality issues, hopefully they find an alternative soon. Great service, very welcoming and priced just right. Already planning our next visit. Thank you

This was the 2nd time I went to the polite vicar. The pub was clean, tidy and had a lovely atmosphere. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Then the food arrived.... I'm sorry to say it was awful. Cold in the middle. I took it to a member of staff who apologised and said they would bring me another.... this time it was burnt and rock hard (microwaved) to a crisp! I won't be eating there again. Having said that, the staff were lovely. I just had a horrid food experience.

Came a few months ago and was totally unimpressed with bartender who was downright rude, telling us he couldn't possibly accommodate us even though there was hardly anyone in and we'd prebooked. Shouted at us when ordering drinks, saying he could only serve one person at a time, clearly not realising we were all together but no apology when we explained it was all on the same order. Decided to give it another chance, this time for lunch. Sorry to say the bartender still has a bad attitude, so our previous experience can't be excused as him having a bad day. It was a beautiful day, and we asked if we could sit outside. A simple answer would have sufficed but he chose to be sarcastic and say 'sit outside if you want, but you'll wait a long time for food'. What used to be a carparking area has now been taken over by loads of tables, which seems pointless if you can't sit there on a sunny lunchtime. Food, when it did arrive, was OK, nothing special but ok. The poor girl serving seemed run off her feet, but maintained a pleasant attitude. Place wasn't busy, so I dread to think what it's like if it is busy. Pity she wasn't getting any help, barman was too busy leaning up the bar chatting. Everything about this place seems a bit tired but would still be ok if you felt welcome, but you're just made to feel like a nuisance, just for ordering a drink. Given it 2 chances, won't be returning.

foods amazing with big portions for the price, staffs lovely aswell. would definitely recommend this place i love coming with family and friends.