Raby Arms in Hartlepool

Really nice pub and garden, wish I lived closer

Went on a Sunday about 4pm. Atmosphere was great, very busy outside due to the weather been nice which didn't effect the service at all. Good sized play area outside for children maybe over the age of 5 / 6. Alternatively, children younger would need constant adult supervision / help getting around. Food - Was good, as you can see in the photo we got 3 small plates + Pizza. The salt & pepper Chicken was very salty which did hinder the rest of the small and made you drink more due to the salt > which then filled you up quicker. The pizza was tasty (hot shot) but I could tell it had been waiting on the side a little while due to it been hot, it was warm enough to eat but I had to eat it first, then unfortunately went cold once we were half way through. The other two plates we got was Homemade Natchos which were lovely, not The Raby Arms fault, as any place this happens but slightly soggy on the bottom but Natchos were very tasty with the given dips. The next plate we got was Loaded Beef Brisket Fries... these were gorgeous with cheese loaded on top. Very tasty and beef wasn't too fatty like I've had in other places. Again, not the Rabys fault but chips at the bottom went wet / soggy due to beef juices so unable to fully finish. The deserts: Sticky toffee pudding + Triple Choc Brownie. The pudding did originally come with Custard but when we asked for it to be changed to Ice cream, they were happy to do this (as well as adding an extra scoop at our request) The chocolate brownie was very tasty and moist inside, my only negative with it was it came with chocolate ice cream which made it too sickly as it was a triple chocolate brownie. If I was to go back, I would request for vanilla rather than chocolate with the desert. Ice cream was nice. They gave us boxes to take the pizza home with. In total with 2 beers and 1 Pepsi it came to £58 for two people on a Sunday. Overall I would return, but would bare the above in mind. Like I mentioned we attended on a Sunday so the menu was limited but I would definitely like to return mid week to their full menu to check it out. As always, my reviews are genuine, fair and honest. Thankyou.

We had a Sunday lunch at the Ruby Arms during our weekend away at Seaham. The pub has a good-sized car park, beer garden and a children's outdoor enclosed play area. The service was excellent, and the food was the same. No long wait for the food to arrive and when it did were impressed. A good size portion really well presented and the taste and flavours were simply gorgeous. Really impressed with the food this was not a pile it high cheap carvery. This was proper pub food at its best. Probably the best Sunday lunch we have ever eaten.

Wow outstanding Sunday dinner.service excellent Atmosphere amazing it was brilliant seeing all the families enjoying themselves.inside and outon the massive garden.

This place is phenomenal, food is fantastic and I highly recommend coming here for your dinners, roasts and lunches. Service is extremely kind and atmosphere is great, everything is great simple way to put it. The chef made me a waffle for dessert, even though it wasn't on the menu!

Lovely place for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or as I did this morning met friends in a comfortable quiet environment for a cuppa and catch-up. Staff lovely.

Starter plates were lovely, pizza was burnt, when mentioned it "the chef is new and practicing" for nearly £13 a pizza it's not worth it imo.

Sunday beef dinner and veggie one really nice. As we arrived for 12_45we were told that we had the table until 2-15 ,no worries but as we didn't eat main course until after one as staff so busy empty plates took time to clear we didn't get a sweet no one approach us four at all, and by the time we realised it was to late we had to leave table shame ,maybe if the same server had our table and not an array of server's it might work better, but all the staff are very nice it was an oversight....

Sunday dinner good, service poor and array of serving staff on table, unfortunately we didn't get approach for a sweet order and by the time the four of use realised it was to late we had to leave table as you are on a timetable for next customer. Shame

Amazing service and lovely food. Took the kids along and there was a nice play area outside they could burn their energy off. Dog friendly aswell. Fab pub!

Beautiful atmosphere and great food honestly the best fish and chips i ever had! will be back there for sure :)

Has a great meal there and it was very inexpensive but very good . Food quality is high ,along with a very tentative and excellent staff it makes for a great visit anytime. Try the food,you will love it

Food was very good I was pleasantly surprised it was a good find. Parmo was lovely and my partner enjoyed hers. It was busy and quite loud which isn’t to my preference so will try to make it a less busy time on my next visit.

Nice pub , enjoyed our meal , my only problem was ..I was sitting near a tv and during our meal this was turned on so loud couldn't hold a conversation.

Went for Sunday's dinner, really nice.

Traveled up here from Preston Lancashire on business and called in for lunch , wife had scampy I had fish , it was without doubt the best fish and chip and scampi and chips we have ever had , well worth trying !

Was given this venue as a place worth trying which we did, we all had different options from the menu but it was just ordinary food that came out, service was not great, waitress seemed inconvenienced to be serving us. I can't say it wasn't busy but I guess people go here for different reasons.

Great food good prices fresh hot brought to table,good range of drinks

4.5 ☆ Our first visit to the pub and won't be the last! Very well laid out pub with a lovely fresh and clean feel. The menu option was brilliant. There was a kids menu, a lunch menu, and a full menu. Service was slightly on the slow side but all staff were extremely friendly!! The kids loved the little outdoor park. Main criticism would be staff should ask if condiments are wanted, as getting someones attention to get some was a bit difficult due to how busy it was. Food arrived promptly and was very tasty. Was also nice to see bathrooms were kept very clean and smelt brilliant - this can often be a downfall for a lot of pubs

Bit expensive and food isn't brilliant. Despite a recent refit there was a bad smell in the bar area.

Food was quite good service was poor asked if we would like the dessert menu waited half and hour and gave up in the end and went to the bar to pay wasn't exactly busy either not sure they would cope in busier periods Won't be going back

Out for a Friday night meal, excited I’m not cooking. Pub is quite a nice environment and the staff very pleasant. Although the food was decent it was below the expectations I had. The main meals were tasty, flavoursome and fresh despite what I thought was average in terms of portion and lacking in ‘extras’. Very little garnish/ side salad, Fries were adequate but the dishes missed that little bit of something to give value. Starters were poor in my opinion. Minimal queen scallops and NO SUBSTANCE TO THE FILLING IN THE BAO BUNS (just simply one battered prawn) It wasn’t a a disaster of a night out but it wasn’t making me want to be a frequent visitor now that I’m only a matter of miles away. Shame really but like I said not disastrous but not inspiring

In for breakfast, delicious food qell worth a visit

When making the booking they never mentioned anything about when the final bill needed to be paid and asked the extended family to pay the final bill. When we rang to mention this to them they said it was our fault and we were to blame. This was a very emotional event (a wake for a man the owner of the venue knew) and the staff on the phone made out like we were at fault although the venue never mentioned anything about how the final bill would be paid for when the initial booking was made.

Excellent food and service, couldn’t fault in any way and would highly recommend. Big group so pre ordered, food was excellent, great quality and decent portions only had mains all round. Staff friendly snd professional. Brilliant night all round.

Quite busy but had a booking. Fish and chips batter was soggy and swimming in oil. Complaint got a half hearted 'sorry'. Been there before and it was good so an off day?

I've loved this place for over forty years now even though I only drop in occasionally these days. It's expanded in size a lot since I first came here for a couple of pints with mates and having a Saturday lunchtime pint with my Dad but it's been done in a way that doesn't make it feel like a barn, there are lots of smaller areas which make it more intimate. The food is always enjoyable but lately my main focus is coming for a good plate of fish & chips. My friend enjoys the parmos, my aunt loves the Bao buns which she has as a main with a portion of chips and is enough for her. My only criticism of the food is the lack of more chicken dishes but that's my own personal taste. There's always a good pint of beer at the bar and a warm ambiance throughout the place.

The parmo was quite nice but the children's burger was hugely disappointing. Was hugely disappointing.

A good breakfast in a relaxing atmosphere.

Chicken Parmala with chilli, legend!! Great food with family fab.!! Had a great time, with family and kids. Back again soon.

Great place, friendly staff & good food.

Booked with 5 friends for the Xmas menu 12th December. I am sorry to say that the meal was the worst I have ever had in the Raby. It was served in a bowl with mashed vegetables, mashed potatoes in the bottom and two fatty pieces of beef on the top. All swimming in gravy. Needless to say it was left. After complaining we got no feedback from the staff or the chef. Over £20 per head !! Never again.

Visited in June with my parents and the food was excellent. Went again today (Dec 11) and to say I was disappointed was an understatement... Burger was stone cold, had to be taken back, partners food was ok but I couldn't order another meal it just put me right off. Ended up going out of town for a meal very disappointed.

Had a lovely birthday meal 4th Dec 2024 only my second time been here but truly enjoyed it

Booked online on their website, wanted 5 or 6pm but after 3.15 there was no availability, so because the Christmas menu was advertised from 22/11 to 24/12 we decided to go for the 3.15 slot as really fancied the turkey. Well first of all the restaurant was about empty so why we couldn’t get a later table I don’t know, when I mentioned to a staff member their response didn’t make sense. B u t to top it all when at table we were informed that the Christmas menu is Not Available on a Sunday S o why was this not stated on the menu? Our first visit here for a celebratory meal for my daughter’s birthday, so disappointing. The starter I asked for was unavailable then my 2nd choice took forever to arrive. The next day I called to speak to management but was told that they weren’t available to speak to but my concerns were made known to them. Unfortunately the response I got was a no care attitude, I would have been pleased if vouchers were made available to me but this was denied. Not a pleasant visit wish we had gone elsewhere. They admitted that the menu should state not on Sunday for the Christmas menu but as yet hasn’t been changed. If you are going there call to book it says this on their FB page but not on website. But tbh not worth going to. I’m putting this negative review on simply because my complaint is of no interest to them. Customer service should be a priority.

I’ll keep this short, we were a party of 6 on a Saturday evening 7pm. When the menus were handed out there was no Mention of the meat pie or crab cakes not being available so needed to pick again at the point of ordering ? Why we couldn’t have been told when the menus were given is beyond me as it would have saved time and disappointment. I went for the normal Parmo. It came piping hot but with no béchamel sauce and the chicken seeped in cooking oil where the chicken fell apart like fish with some grated cheese on top. It was just so sickly, as my plate was collected at the end of the meal I mentioned this to the waitress who said that she would speak to the kitchen staff about the missing béchamel sauce. We heard nothing back and despite me only having one mouthful they still charged me £15 for it. The food other than this was ok, our bill was over £210 but because of this we will never come here again. Oh also they had live entertainment on which was far too loud as we just could hear each other talk, one of the reasons you go out for a meal is for a catch up and have a talk. Don’t get me wrong the live act was good but on far too early and far too loud whilst having a meal as it’s a spoiler. The waitress was good though, so well done to her.

Had hot shot parmo which wasn't very spicy my wife had a burger and fries and the fries weren't very hot. Just popped for a bite to eat and it was nothing special. Good service from the staff though.

We went as a large party with kids and we all had a great time 😊 the food was lovely and the staff were really friendly only problem with the whole experience my steak was overcooked more of a medium than rare but was still lovely would highly recommend

The adults meals look like kids portions especially with steak and ale pie

Expensive for Sunday lunch but food was good.

Love this place. Everytime guests arrive i take them here. Doesn't disappoint. Always spectacular

I was asked to arrange a family party at 2 weeks notice. A Google search for a function room brought up The Raby Arms (a pub I’ve visited since a child that does not have a function room!) How wrong I was, they now have a beautiful room at the bottom of the garden that is fully accessible. The food was amazing and the team at the pub couldn’t have been more accommodating. I couldn’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for somewhere to host a party. We had 50 people and there was loads of space.

Always great food and service. Full English breakfast is amazing

this was my favourite place to eat out to, my first time trying today it was unbelievably outstanding, we got seated straight away, food came out within 15 mins of ordering and it was amazing, hygiene and cleanliness was really well looked after to, lovely staff and lovely place for kids as there is a slide outside, toilets clean and baby change. 100% go again and if you havent i suggest you go!!

Lovely pub, great food. Loved the dog friendly area in the bar.

Called in for a breakfast which was over £25 for two breakfasts and two regular black coffee. Must be one of the worst breakfasts we both have had. When they arrived the eggs were hard, the bacon horrible could hardly cut it ' Dispite having told our waiter that the eggs were well overdone and the bacon ? She couldn't care less. Hash browns were fried and soggy with oil as were the mushrooms. The whole lot terrible !! Won't be going back

Great Breakfast we had, flat mushrooms topped with poched egg and hollandaise sauce, full English breakfast 😋 cooked very well fresh eggs home cured bacon Lincolnshire sausage hash brown fresh tomatoes and gravy boat of Beans jackpot. Thanks to all staff 🙌 ill be Back.

Went on Wednesday 4th September for a meal and I can honestly say I will never darken there door again. The waitress was the most miserable person I had ever met. It was chore that we had turned up. The meal was basically all over the place on the plate due to her trying to carry three plates. I said sorry I carnt eat that and the look on her face was atrocious. I will change it she moaned. Within 30 seconds she was back with the same meal rearranged claiming it was a fresh one after we had waited over 30mins for the meal in the first place. Yeah right of course it been cooked again. Please folks save your money and eat elsewhere.

Gammon steak tougher than expected, but chips were great. Large portions. Service ok, but no-one checked on meal. Atmosphere, typical pub with chatty clientele.

Outstanding village pub. Great food and tentative and great staff

On the whole the service was really good but the food let it down. Mine for instance was bland and the potatoes was rather sloppy .My husbands was very dry and could of done with a little curry sauce with it . Our conclusion was that maybe we made bad choices at the time as it was our first visit. We will visit again and perhaps try different meals from the menu.

Food good ,service Poor manager to full of her self to care for paying customer's needs further training, hope owner will get in touch to discuss my Poor treatment

Really lovely pub with a really nice outdoor area and a play area for kids. Food was great also

Sat outside in the garden, ordered our food and drinks fast and friendly service. I had scampi and homemade chips with salad which was lovely. My granddaughter had chicken nuggets chips and beans from the childrens menu. It was really good value for money .will definitely go back

Booked Sunday lunch 1 week in advance for 8, informed 45 minutes before booking that there was only chicken left. If I could have booked somewhere else at short notice I would have. Chicken was tough. The food and drinks are expensive. This pub used to be very good, I will definitely look elsewhere for Sunday lunch in the future

Disappointed with duck pizza and so was hubby who had the same. Son said the parmo was OK but had had better elsewhere. Overcharged but quickly sorted out when hubby spotted and went back to bar. Don't think we will be returning as for the prices can get better food elsewhere.

Enjoyable food and good service.

Went for the Sunday roast which was delicious with plenty of veg, tender meat, Yorkshire pudding and delicious gravy.

Had a lovely breakfast.... proper sausages

Friendly service though did get overcharged but refunded. Duck pizza wasn't great. Seafood linguine too spicy for my daughter. Not that impressed I'm afraid.

Second visit. Staff were excellent as was the food. Not to be missed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visited today and with my 2 friends and we each got a Parmo, the Parmos were absolutely vile, mushy and watery and undercooked! I’m not the type to complain about things in restaurants but this has to be said. We told members of Staff and their attitudes towards us were appalling, making digs about us to each other. We did get a refund on the Parmos which is a positive but they clearly begrudged giving us one. Our Pepsi tasted like water. For an expensive pub this place is laughable. Serving £1 microwave meals for nearly £20. Absolute joke. If you want food poisoning then this is the place for you.

Table of 4 to eat and we all had lovely food. I had the Salmon which was on the Specials menu and was lovely. The other 3 diners has the small sharing platters 3 for £17, all had 3 small plates each, all enjoyed the selection they chose. Highly recommend the Duck Bao Buns, delicious, and the loaded fries also lovely. We will be returning soon

This is a really nice pub. Good food and a great selection of beer. The Fish and chips we had were excellent and there were lots of menu options that looked nice too. Would definitely return and recommend.

Called in for lunch, very impressed ,service very good, food really good. Would highly recommend.

The ambiance felt wonderful. First time we have visited. Food was tasty. Will go back again.

had sausage couldn't cut with the knife I had had to have a steak knife☹

Disapointed .... Looking forward to a lovely diner with the family for fathers day and i was very disappointed by the one spoon scoop of mash that tasted like smash and had to ask for extra to make the kids plate a bit more fuller and not many veg choices. The prices are ridiculous for the amount you get. Will not be back...

Great night at The Raby. Top class singer on.

The food at the Raby arms was amazing. I went there as a group on an afternoon. Was not packed. So food was delivered quite quickly. So we're the drinks. Nice place with plenty of seating inside and out. Was a few spots of rain in yhe air so took a co.fy inside seat.

A very standard pub menu, but food was good and also great value for money. The service was excellent at the bar and the table. Shame not a selection of real ales

Good bar food. Staff were ok but seemed unhappy. No banter etc.

Friday fish/chips/mushy peas/bread & butter /cup of tea large portion home made chips really nice £24 all in fir 2 people

Food is not bad ..atmosphere is ( ok)..

Food prices have gone up and quality gone down unfortunately. Batter on fish was soggy no crisp in it at all. Chicken and leek pie pastry wasn't crisp and chicken was quite tough.

Good food and generous portions.

Delicious grub in a friendly village pub.

All staff were very friendly and attentive and the food was tasty, and also served really quickly. Looking forward to a return visit.

Visited over the Easter weekend and it was very busy inside and out. We’d booked a table for three adults and two kids for 4.30pm. We were led to our table and were offered waitress service for drinks straight away. We were given the menus and ordered within ten minutes. We ordered a Raby Royale burger, Sea Bass and Steak Pie and mash along with two kids pizza meals everything was good. The kids wanted ice cream and they enjoyed it. As I’ve said, it was very busy but the service we received was top class, prompt and very pleasant. It’s nice not having to queue at the bar👍 Hadn’t been for a while but would definitely go again.

Must say one of the best pub meals we've ever had, my wife had the 4oz rump steak, chips salad and I had sausage chips, fried egg and peas, excellent chips were fantastic. Oh the beer was great as well

Great food and an even better price with even better service. Lovely blonde lady behind the bar was extremely welcoming, big smile and made are whole experience great.

Loved it. Great food and atmosphere

Isn't what it used to be!! Heard poor reviews about the Raby lately and having been twice the in the past week I can see how. The food has always been hit & miss, also the menu is little bit to pricey for what it is. Had a Sunday dinner in there and it was like they did not want to serve you. Asked for some mint sauce for the table and got given a tiny little pot, when we asked for more the lad who looks like he must be a manger, wear's a shirt, tall slim build, just give us the impression that he couldn't be bothered. Took far too long to get someone's attentions when our food was on the table. Thought we'd try again during the week. When the meals came out one of the dishes was wrong so we had to wait 10 minutes for the correct dish, not great for someone to sit there whist the rest of the table is eating. Same thing happened again when we asked for some tomato ketchup, tiny little pot and they expected it to do 3 out of 6 of us, then when asked for more they took far too long, be nice to have sauce with our dinners not after it. One of the serving basket handles was covered in what looked like yellow grease, so clearly it had not been cleaned properly. Choice of beer & cider on draught isn't great either now, they used to do Strongbow Dark Fruits then replaced it to Carling Dark Fruits which is popular with most people but now have changed it again. Replaced Kronenbourg with Moretti which are both good but now do Staropramen which isn't the best but you don't have much choice. Yes I get they want to try other products but I will never understand the reasoning to take something off that sells and it is popular. I understand products go up in price but people will pay for what they like to drink. We Should be able to keep coming back and be served what we enjoy drinking, hence the reason for wanting to return. In all honesty the place has not been the same since Kate left a few years ago. She really knew how to look after the customers and keep the staff in check making sure they were doing their jobs properly. I appreciate that in the restaurant industry they will go through some staff but is it really hard to make sure they are trained correctly and can ask them to smile towards the customers every once in a while. The place has lost its personnel touch towards their paying customers, especially their regulars.

Is not what it used to be!! Heard poor reviews about the Raby lately and having been twice the in the past week I can see how. The food has always been hit & miss, also the menu is little bit to pricey for what it is. Had a Sunday dinner in there and it was like they did not want to serve you. Asked for some mint sauce for the table and got given a tiny little pot, when we asked for more the lad who looks like he must be a manger, wear's a shirt, tall slim build, just give us the impression that he couldn't be bothered. Took far too long to get someone's attention when our food was on the table. Thought we'd try again during the week. When the meals came out one of the dishes was wrong so we had to wait 10 minutes for the correct dish, not great for someone to sit there whist the rest of the table is eating. Same thing happened again when we asked for some tomato ketchup, tiny little pot and they expected it to do 3 out of 6 of us, then when asked for more they took far too long, be nice to have sauce with our dinners not after it. One of the serving basket handles was covered in what looked like yellow grease, so clearly it had not been cleaned properly. Choice of beer & cider on draught isn't great either now, they used to do Strongbow Dark Fruits then replaced it to Carling Dark Fruits which is popular with most people but now have changed it again. Replaced Kronenbourg with Moretti which are both good but now do Staropramen which isn't the best but you don't have much choice. Yes I get they want to try other products but I will never understand the reasoning to take something off that sells and it is popular. I understand products go up in price but people will pay for what they like to drink. We Should be able to keep coming back and be served what we enjoy drinking, hence the reason for wanting to return. In all honesty the place has not been the same since Kate left a few years ago. She really knew how to look after the customers and keep the staff in check making sure they were doing their jobs properly. I appreciate that in the restaurant industry they will go through some staff but is it really hard to make sure they are trained correctly and can ask them to smile towards the customers every once in a while. The place has lost its personal touch towards their paying customers, especially their regulars.

Sunday lunch with family, service poor. Woman serving couldn’t even crack a smile. Got up to ask if we could order as had waited 30 mins after having a table booked at 1pm, had two children with us so they were becoming impatient. When the dinners came the beef and pork was tough as old boots, not sure how long it had been cooked for! Very disappointing.

Great pub for kids and dogs. Breakfast is perfect

Great service and friendly staff with excellent food..... Coming back for the cheesecake..

We don't often go out for Sunday lunch as, being vegetarians, we often find the nut roasts uninspiring. We were taken to the Raby Arms by family yesterday and what an amazing experience. The location and venue are beautiful with stunning views and a first class renovation of old farm buildings. The service was second to none: Josh was friendly, personable and couldn't do enough to enhance our experience. We shared starters, delicious, and had the nut roast Sunday dinner. Not only was the roast exceptional but I counted 8 different types of veg served with it and a massive beautifully crisp Yorkshire pudding. It was like going out for Xmas dinner, it was so special. Coming from London we were also impressed with what good value for money this was. We can not recommend this restaurant highly enough and another visit will be a highlight when we return to the area.

Nice hot chocolate after my bike ride

Worst pub about, asked for the 2 course for 17 rump steak then they give us sirloin and it cost us 38 pound for the useless young woman servings mistake, never again will i go here, severs mistake cost me over £20

Called on a Friday, fish & chips for 2 including peas ,horseradish, bread& butter and a pot of tea .£24. Quality

Reasonably priced food, lovely breakfast! Dog friendly bar area Outdoor play area for children Helpful, friendly staff

Heard rave reviews about this place and was desperate to try it. The range on the menu is decent but the food didn’t wow me and I wouldn’t say it’s value for money. The service is horrific. Not one member of staff cracked a smile the whole time. Not attentive at all. Really, really poor. The place itself is decent, and could be a really good pub if they inject a bit of enthusiasm and attentiveness.

Really nice friendly pub. Staff, food and drinks all very good. Recommend a visit.

Fantastic night out here, place was completely full when we arrived at 6:30pm, we pre booked a table and what fabulous meals and service, do yourself a favour and give this place a try you won’t regret it. 👊

Nice breakfast. Shame bout the customer service. Don't think we met one pleasant member of staff.

Absolutely shocking food, slowcooked featherblade of beef was in fact fast cooked brisket, it was inedible and couldn't be cut with the terrible cutlery. Raby burger dry and tasteless. The cutlery is a good indication of the standard in the kitchen!

Great staff,excellent food and rather quiet so near Xmas...just the way I like it...thanks.

Eat here quite often. New menu is now available too. Meals have always been lovely especially the Sunday lunches . Kids menu available too .

Staff were great we were a big group and they were very attentative and efficient