Rafters & Friels Bar in Magherafelt

Been here a few times for food and a few beers. Nice spot clean and staff very friendly. Food not amazing but pretty good, good portion size and quality produce used. My last visit the prices had risen quite dramatically unfortunately but as prices were already higher than we would pay in a larger town/city we wont be returning. I understand everyones costs are going up but £16.50 for a burger then another £5 for a small portion of chips is steep and the quality didn't justify it. Sorry we will drive on through next time.

We stayed on site in our campervan last weekend. The food was second to none! God portions and excellent value for money. Staff excellent and couldn't do enough for us. Highly recommended and we will be back soon. The music and craic in Hen house was excellent too! An added bonus

We didn't reget popping in here for our dinner. The food was lovely, the portions were huge. Lovely staff and service and quite affordable.

Came for lunch with a tour group, such delicious food, and such a lovely staff. Highly recommend!! Everyone enjoyed their food and drink!

We stayed on the motorhome Park which was excellent absolutely first class with all the amenities. We also had a meal booked for the evening just like the motorhome Park, we weren't disappointed the food and the service was second to none. All this for a very reasonable price. We will return when in the area.

Hospitality at its finest,we stayed overnight in our motorhome fantastic facilities large parking area and lovely clean facilities extremely cheap at only £15,fantastic bar areas and good value food,all staff extremely welcoming and friendly

Stayed at the motorhome park for two nights and had two meals in the restaurant staff where very friendly and the food was great

This is some spot. How such beautiful food can be ready so quickly is a mystery. And the service is first class. The first class service here goes by the name of Shakira - and she is great at her job. This was the first visit here - heard only good things about Friel’s - and all of it turns out to be true. This won’t be the last visit. Back soon.

Stopped at Friels today for Sunday lunch. It's been a while since we passed this way but the same high standards are still in place as we remembered. Had Cajun penne pasta and Salmon with vegs and lemon and prawn sauce. Food was excelent as was the service. Good value for great food. Thank you.

Good excellent and Shakira, our waitress, gave us the best service! She was warm and friendly. Thoroughly recommend.

The food was so good! I definitely recommend eating here, the vegetable soup with all the sandwiches are amazing.

We stopped in for lunch and had terrific food and service. I highly recommend if you are in the area.

We prearranged a big group of over 40 people. It was awesome! The restaurant is delightful, the staff were so friendly and helpful, and the food was great. We highly recommend it!!!

Had lunch with our tour group, the staff was fantastic. Friendly, efficient, and the food was delicious. The inside of the bar is really beautiful, well maintained and updated. There is a cozy fire place and the food was plentiful. We took a group of 45 and planned ahead but if you call in advance they are happy to accommodate!

The whole experience in Swatragh was so great! Friels Bar and Restaurant had great people and was ready to serve us! With a very small town feel it was so great and yummy! Must stop if near by.

Friels is a wonderful pub and restaurant! All the food looked amazing and the seafood chowder is the best in the world! Plus the staff is wonderful as can be! Highly recommend a visit!

Our group of 40+ stopped for lunch today between touring destinations. The staff was incredibly welcoming and the decor charming. The seafood chowder was second to none and the fish and chips was by far, the best I’ve had in all of Ireland and Northern Ireland . Thank you for creating such a special experience for our group. (Save room for dessert ☺️)

I can’t recommend Friel’s Bar enough. With its consistently excellent service and great food and drinks, it’s a place me and the family come back to time and time again. We’ve used Friel’s as a venue to hold various family parties or events and Dermot...

Lovely meal and motorhome overnight stay in Friels bar. All facilities including electric hook up, toilets, waste and grey water disposal, toilet gasete emptying. All for £20 per motorhome with £10 discount if you have a meal in the restaurant. Very happy with the meal...

Dined Saturday night past and had a brilliant evening. All staff very attentive and friendly. Food was excellent and reasonably priced. To top the evening off we were able to park our motorhome on site for the night. Would definitely recommend anyone with a motorhome...

Called for a bite to eat. Asked what the rose was (as in Zinfandel etc) and was told wine!! Ordered the wine. Food order was then taken in good time. Unfortunately the food was a letdown. Chicken was tough and champ was a solid lump...

Food amazing prices good staff friendly very clean tidy and quick. Will be back and definitely recommend. Plenty to choose from perfect home cooked food

Dropped in for a quick bite on the way home….food excellent as usual…would recommend to anyone as staff so friendly and helpful the service could not be better….top notch.

went here thinking we where going to have a roast dinner as u had specially asked at time if booking got there none available no apologies for not having one .got our soup it was thrown down on the table by an inexperienced staff member...

We really enjoyed our visit here at the weekend. The food was lovely and cooked fresh. Staff were very friendly and welcoming and it was just lovely to be out again after the long covid lockdowns. We ate inside then moved outdoors to enjoy the...

My family from swatragh glenullin galway maghera limavady and about was in friels for a meal because of family deaths. It was 1st class service and 1st calss meal. There was 1 person from about 50 of us complained but you will always get 1....

I was at Friels for a meal with 35 to 40 family members ,as per usual the meal was great. I had the beef. Most of us have been coming here for over 30 to 40 years. The owners and staff are always very friendly...

I dined at Friels a week ago for a large extended family gathering; there were well over thirty of us, booked in for a pre-ordered meal. Basically the entire restaurant (bar one table of eight) was taken up with our group. Friels were brilliant. We...

Spent an afternoon here last weekend at a family gathering. Had a really enjoyable day as always in Friels. Would highly recommend this pub for food and drink which is always 100%.. When we visit this area we would never eat anywhere else. Staff are...

Approximately 35-40 family members went for lunch after a family members months mind mass for 1pm lunch. At 1.40 there was no sign of food being served so I went to the bathroom. On my return some meals were served at my table of 6...

My wife and I are staying outside Kilrea and chose Friels for our evening meal. I had chicken and rump steak from local butcher with Bushmills sauce. All were top class. My wife had sizzler of chicken and vegetables. Also excellent. Staff were extremely friendly. Owner made you feel like an old friend. Very safe with menus online. Highly recommended.

We had a very nice Sunday dinner, food was delicious & it was good value. Owner made the effort to speak to each table & check everybody was happy with their food. All of the staff were attentive & very smart. I would definitelyrecommend.

Just had a lovely meal with the family. The Kids menu is in a league of it's own not full of cheap processed food. The salt chilly chips were amazing, thanks to all at team Friels. Well be back again top notch

Me and friends visited this place on 23rd November for dinner. It was really lovely place. One of the things that made place even better was fireplace. Food was really good.

First time to Ireland, visiting from California. Had the pleasure to hear Bruno sing many American songs and raise it to the next level with a few of his native Italian songs sung in Opera. The Irish were so kind and made us feel amazingly comfortable. The employees were charming, atmosphere was delightful and wish I lived in Swatragh!! Pub photo was a highlight! ❤️

We booked Friel’s for a large family get together brunch and had a fantastic time. All my contact with them was friendly and helpful. The staff were great, very friendly and courteous and they catered beautifully for our group and served a delicious, hot, freshly cooked breakfast.

Stopped off at this gem of a place on way home from Coleraine. 5 star rating all around for food and service. Well worth a visit. Thank you for the hospitality.

I was in Friels for dinner and the food was outstanding. A great selection on the menu from locally sourced produce all of our party had something different (5 dishes) and each one of them was delicious.

L'accueil est chaleureux, tant côté pub que côté restaurant, la cuisine généreuse et la bière tout autant.

We enjoyed Friel's so much we ate there 3 times in 2 days. The food was great as was the service. They've done a wonderful job with the facility, too.

as I was over on Friday 2nd with a group I must say that the food was delicious. And the service was very quick and all of the group Very happy. I must complement Dermott and his Wife for for the good atmospher. Regards Sean Murphy

We were en route to Royal Portrush early one morning and the weather was quite dreadful so we stopped for breakfast. It took a while to come out but was obviously freshly prepared and really very good.

Dermot, his wife and his mother, Moira, really have something special in the heart of Swatragh. We had breakfast there three of the five days while in the area. The aesthetic is very pleasing, the staff, delightful, and the vibe awesome. I can’t recommend Friels more highly. It is definitely worth a stop. We’ll probably be there tomorrow on our way out of town. To top it off, the history of the restaurant is incredible!!

We called in yesterday after our day out. Lovely environment, really pleasant service and very nice food, what else can you ask for? When in the area, I will make sure we visit again. Thank you for an enjoyable experience.

We called in yesterday for dinner and I am so glad we did,with the quick and friendly service and the food was out of this world not a bit was left!!!we will most definitely be back!

Had a meal with my wife. Surroundings are very pleasant. Service was good and staff were friendly. I had the mushrooms and the steak, both very nice.

Enjoyed a meal here over Easter, and have to say the food was excellent I had steak my husband had salmon both were cooked to perfection, service was first class as always. If your in area this should definitely be a port of call as we enjoyed drinks in the in beer garden, which is brilliant to have in good weather,great atmosphere. Keep up good work

Very definitely worth visiting. Excellent food on offer and plenty of it - very ample servings and a great menu. Welcoming, friendly, attentive staff. Great atmosphere too. Really enjoyed my meal and looking forward to my next visit.

4 of us called here on Good Friday evening. We all had the fish and chips, which was DELICIOUS, beautiful fresh fish in batter with chips and all the trimmings, beautifully cooked. Went down a treat. Would definitely go back again. Very pleasant bar manager and staff. Would recommend.

A lovely bar - one I use as a resting point when I travel between my home in County Down and my second home ( a caravan ) in Portstewart. I have always found the staff to be friendly, pleasant and very professional. On this stop I had Beef and Guinness pie. The meal was well prepared, generously portioned and presented by a delightful bar man. For little money I had a very tasty and filling meal which was washed down a treat with the black - If it's my shout, make it stout and if it's not black - send it back! The bar/restaurant is a clean and tidy wee spot with a lovely Irish ambience. I have no hesitation recommending it. .

This is by far one of my favourite restaurants. My fiancé and I always would stop for a bite to eat on our way home from the coast and it never fails to impress. The staff are friendly and welcoming. The food is absolutely beautiful. The bar is cosy and homely. We always love to get a seat by the fire.

Called for a bite to eat and a pint .food delicious and Guinness excellent .well worth a visit to anyone passing through or going out with the family .

Four of us called in for something to eat. Place was very busy with at least two big family celebrations happening. We were seated quickly, provided with menus and drinks, and when we ordered, were served soon afterwards. Menu was excellent and varied, and all our choices were really good. Bar service and food service were first class which contributed to a very pleasant dining experience. It had been ages since we had last dined here, I hope it's not as long until the next time.

It really has been too long since my last visit to this iconic pub and restaurant. Called in today and the food was exceptional, and very reasonably priced, the staff were friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the menu. Warm and cosy surroundings. Great offers on Christmas fayre, best I've seen anywhere and some great music lined up, including one of my favourites, Jackson Rox. Planning on going back very soon

Had dinner here, was delicious, quick service even though it was very busy. Great choice on menu. Will be back for a dessert too!!

We saw Friels Bar and Restaurant advertised in the Mid Ulster Visitor Guide and it sounded very appealing. It did not disappoint. Although we arrived just twenty minutes before food ended at 8pm, we were made to feel very welcome and the service was personal and excellent. My cod was cooked to perfection with light batter, and the chips were the best I’ve had in a long time. The bar is currently run by the fourth generation of the Friel family and has been in the family name for over a hundred years. Highly recommended.

Great bar and amazing atmosphere, the staff are very friendly, I would have to say we will definitely be back 😀

We called in for the first time on Thursday evening the 12th July, on our way to Portstewart. Beautiful food all home made, very good value for money. Nice friendly staff. We called in today on our way back home, had a gorgeous lunch. We would highly recommend this restaurant, so glad we found out.

An excellent place to go. Superb food and good value. Staff are so pleasant and helpful . A very well run and welcoming place. Will recommend and return.

Called in last Sunday and had a lovely time. The team were very professional and the attention to detail in every way was superb. The food from starter to sweet was absolutely delicious. I returned today with family and we enjoyed every minute. Thanks everyone.

We went for a meal here at the beginning of June. The menu was so poor for choice. When we placed our order it took 30mins for the food to come. The food was not exactly hot, the fries were extremely greasey and the mash was slightly warm. When i mentioned this to a member of staff i found them quite rude. I definitely would not recommend this place to eat. I also found it quite expensive for under average food and service.

I asked my host where I needed to go for a Guinness and he sent me here. I went for Sunday lunch and I was very impressed. I asked the waitress what she would recommend and got the roast beef with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding. OH My Heck! So good! The gravy.... drool! They have this black currant syrup they add to the water, so good. The portions are HUGE! I could have shared with my wife and both been full. Go! Go now! you won't regret it!

I stopped here with my family on the way home from the beach, from the moment we arrived we were impressed with how beautiful the place was decorated in old vintage style. As it was so warm we sat outside to eat in the back courtyard which provided a very welcoming atmosphere. Our waitress was so friendly as were all the staff we encountered. There was plenty of food choice for our kids as well as ourselves, all reasonably priced. The food was generous portions and every dish was extremely delicious and thoroughly enjoyed. It was a delightful break in our journey and we hope to certainly be back.

we travelled 40 minutes to go back to Friels. the chose of food, is second to none. lots of things i could have picked. the place is warm. cosy and and quick services from Hannah and co. i highly recommend a visit

My husband and I were out for the day and called in here for lunch on the saturday ,I have had great reports from my friends about his restaurant as it was highly recommended to me ,I had sweet chilli chicken goujon wrap with salad and chips and my husband had the meal of the day peppered chicken with mash and veg Omg this was to die for ,I have to say very very tasty and big portions for the price we paid I will defiantly come back here next time I aam down this way.

We called in for a bite to eat one evening during the week and ate in the bar area as the restaurant was closed. The bar was quaint, cosy and full of character. John, the bar man, was very attentive and friendly and had a great rapport with customers. We had just missed the Early Bird menu but their extensive dinner menu was still excellent value for money.The food was simply amazing! I found it hard to make a decision and John was very helpful giving his recommendations. Our main courses and side orders were huge and extremely tasty. I always look forward to sampling a dessert but on this occasion, I just simply couldn't find the room. A great excuse to make a return visit and I'm really looking forward to going back already!! Hats off to the staff and management at 'Friels' - don't change a thing!

Was over for a meal in friels bar tonight first class service and the food was so good we had lamb just the best ever Will definitely be back again the staff went out of their way to make us welcome and the owner took time out for a chat with us all a party of 4 would recommend this restaurant to anyone very clean it gets a 5*from me DD

Ate here Sunday night 14th Jan with my family and Dermot was on hand to say hello. The food and service was great. I had the Prawn Cocktail and Honey Chilli Chicken and it was divine with Garlic Fries. The others int the party had the soup, garlic mushrooms, caesar salad and all were great. Mains were Chicken Maryland - enormous and tasty, Chicken and Champ with a bacon & leek sauce beautiful, Pan seared Salmon with Champ gorgeous, Chicken burger again really good. Only 1 could fit in a dessert which was the trio of desserts which was gorgeous too. We had coffees and teas and 2 special coffees and the lot came to £140 with drinks which we thought was great value. The portions are huge so make sure you are hungry and the Guinness is great too. Well worth a visit and the staff are always very nice.

Went to rafters for a meal and was really impressed. Friendly service, good quality pints and tasty food. We had a young child and staff interacted very well.

A excellent service and food a quick service from taking orders to your food serve I have a excellent three course meal. Outstanding restaurant. Good service great staff.

He bee aquí antes y era precioso, así que fue mi propuesta para ir de nuevo. Nos espera una hora y 10 para los entrantes. 3 Mesa nos levantamos y salimos. Sin duda era manejable ocupados pero no demasiado concurrida. La comida era buena aunque todos nos falta algo de la placa descrita en el menú.

El viernes por la 7ª un grupo de nosotros estábamos más para el almuerzo, unos 25. Tan pronto como todos estábamos sentados no era largo hasta el primer plato salió como nos envió una orden a mediados de la semana comprobar así que el Chef sabía qué cocinar y para cuántos. Debo decir que estoy muy impresionado con la propagación de servicio y cómo el personal era muy profesional.

He visitado este jueves por la noche 6 Friels h Julio 2017 para una comida

Visitamos este precioso tesoro escondido en el pasado sábado poco y tenía un delicioso almuerzo. Tuve la hamburguesa de carne y pedimos algunas alteraciones de la hamburguesa como aparecía en el menú. El servicial personal estaban más que dispuestos para satisfacer mi pedido. La comida era para morirse y no podría recomendar lo suficiente.

Sentarse en el Bar Friels mientras escribo esto después de un magnífico servir alimentos. Qué lugar intempestivas y su personal Dermot todo lo posible para que su experiencia culinaria que no olvidará. Personas y entusiasmarse estabamos llamados grandes restaurantes llamado en grandes ciudades, créeme, este lugar es tan bueno si no mejor que la mayoría de ellos, la comida sencilla cocinado a la perfección. Hermosa Lubina en salsa de coco y filete de pollo empanadas en un brioche bun impresionante! !

Supongamos que, sinceramente, no había mucho donde elegir, porque en esta zona no ofrece mucho a los turistas en términos de comida. Vinimos aquí nuestro anfitrión sugirió este lugar y, créeme, todos tuvimos una de las mejores comidas que puedo recordar.

Vine aquí para mis sobrinos de bautismo. Era un hermoso. La comida estaba muy bien conseguimos un montón de comida. No podía mover después de la cena, que es una buena cosa que venía hambriento de odio. El único inconveniente a mi colega le encanta la piscina y de madrugada la mesa de billar está afuera y era muy frío. Jajaja. Los amantes de la piscina, tome un par de guantes. El personal es muy amable nos dieron una cálida bienvenida.

I called in today on the way from Coleraine. The food here is wonderful I ordered the silverside on the Sunday lunch menu. There was a lot of beef and veges etc. The staff were attentive and friendly.

Nice environment, stopped on speck; easy parking. Place had relaxed ambience. Good general selection on the menu for most tastes, prices within usual mid price range. Prompt service and follow up..Will call again.

Been coming here for a while. And I've never left hungry only full. They know how to load the food. And in my eyes this is what I want. Just left there today and wanted for nothing after a lovely steak and onion and chips. It's a lovely place, quiet but the food is always good.Try the wings as a nice starter quiet tasty. Also they've a lovely room for small parties,,,

Lovely food,very efficient friendly staff,would highly recommend .I had steak,best I have ever tasted.The desserts were excellent as well.Food freshly made.Very good service

Always comment to my husband when passing that I would love to try this place & so glad we stopped today!! Place os very clean & staff helpful, seated straight away, hubby had stuffed chicken, I had roast beef dinner & daughter had kids sausage meal. Not much of a wait & it was perfect, beef was so tender I could've used a spoon!!!! Hubby loved his chicken even commented that it was moist, ate everything!! Def will be back-compliments to all staff!!!

Called in on a Monday, there was an extremely limited Lunch menu. Sandwiches, Omlettes or baked spuds. Only other exception was bangers and mash which I opted for. Spuds and gravy ok but sausages were the cheap nasty type. Then again I should have guessed it would be inferior at the price around £5. Only ate one sausage out of the three and almost felt sick the rest of the day, quality was the cheapest ever, full of fat. Bar man was very helpful, friendly and attentive. Won't be eating here again, it's put me off.

I called in for a bite to eat, there were 3 vegetarian options, lasagne, a wrap and pasta. I asked for the lasagne and was told they only had pasta 1 or the 3 options! So I took the pasta then realised there was parmesan cheese on it. This is NOT a vegetarian cheese it contains rennet. I wonder what cheese was on the lasagne now too. But as these dishes are advertised as vegetarian the restaurant should ensure all aspects of each dish are fully vegetarian, otherwise this is false advertising!

As our group the freinds of the disabled go out on the 1st Friday of every month just to diffrent restaurants. I thought about going to Freils of Swatragh so i rang the restaurant and i was specking with the boss Mr Dermott Freil. So dermott was able to discuss a sutible price for a group booking. Then Dermott was able to email a good menu to me that was suitable for all. When we arrived and showen to our table the food came out within minute's i must say that the service was very fast and efficient.I must say that i am well imprest with the staff and good service. Regards John Murphy.

We have been here on several occasions for family meals. Wide choice of meals for all pallets available. Very family friendly and always checking that there is sufficient food for all. Very reasonably priced and quality of food is excellent.

Great food, service was poor. We ordered 1 cappachino and 2 latte ' s. Two cappachino's an 1 latte came out, the waiter tried too tell us that there wasn't a difference between the two instead off changing it. They didn't seem very busy either or I would of understand, also very slow.

Lovely welcoming family owned bar with an excellent menu and great friendly service. Great for families.

Just have to review this splendid old style bar/ restaurant …a group of friends organised to meet here last Sunday … fed up of the dreary January blues… also no one could be bothered hosting lunch and there was a good opportunity to break some folks January resolutions!!We booked the bar / snug area beside a glowing, welcoming fire. The service was top notch and the food to die for … I had roast beef which was like butter! High recommendations to Rafters… will definitely be back! Many thanks!

Me, my sister and son visited this restaurant for our Sunday dinner. The staff were very friendly and we were seated immediately. The reataurant itself is very clean but the interior would need a little revamp. For starters i had the prawn cocktail which was fresh and nice. However it was very plain and nothing i havent had before. For my main i had the chicken and champ and i thought the food was fresh and delicious. I had this with pepper sauce and it was very nice. I most certainly would be back again. I just feel this place does need a wee revamp and the wall lights were a no no for me. Its time to move on. I definitely would be back again.

Arrived for Sunday lunch. Staff very friendly. Three course set lunch has a good choice and very good value. Service very prompt. The food portions were ample and well cooked. Restaurant area was roomy and clean. Why 4 stars and not 5 - I would have preferred turines with the vegetables and a greater selection instead of the standard peas and carrots ( with sprinklings of sliced turnips ).

Lovely inside. Real Irish feel to it. Food was nice. unfortunately my chicken burger was a bit raw in the middle though.

Stopped here by chance but so worth it. The service was spot on and very friendly. The food was a delicious and more than plentiful. We ordered from a set Sunday selection but options were good. I will stop here again of if I'm in the area.

We went on Sunday for birthday dinner for my mum, early evening time (5pm). It too a good while to place our orders! Never got asked if we wanted anymore drinks after our first round and took 20mins to get a sweet menu (after having to go and remind them!)! There were only another 5 tables there but they said they were busy? Fabulous food but the service would make me think twice!!

Called in here in August for lunch with the family. I've taken a while to write the review in case I'd change my mind but I haven't. I ordered an open chicken sandwich which was advertised as being served with wheaten bread (soda bread). That's something I love and that's why I ordered it. When it arrived, it only had plain old white sliced pan on the plate. I asked why and was told "we've run out". I admit I got into a bit of a sulk over it and decided I wouldn't have another dish instead, I'd have nothing (it's called cutting off your nose to spite your face)! About 5 minutes later, they came back and said we've gone to the shop a few doors away and got some wheaten bread now - would you like the open chicken sandwich? Why couldn't they have done that in the first place? I'm a very large bulky guy and i was left with the impression that they just thought he'll eat anything. Anyway, that's my story and I review as I find. Apart from that, my wife and son's food was great and it's a lovely little pub that has Irish music as well so in all honesty it's just me being harsh but, as I said at the top, I've thought long and hard and I still think it was poor form on their part that left me with an impression they most likely don't deserve.

Excellent pub & restaurant to visit if you are in this area. 1st visit was for drinks only but we immediately booked a table for a few days later. Free pick-up & return service is brill with no hassle of times. Staff are brill very welcoming and chatty. Guinness to table service and a chat - what could be better when you are on holiday.Prices are Good - portions are better. And most importantly taste & quality are Good.Visit for a very pint - stay for 2!

Rafters is a welcome stop on the main road from Cookstown to Coleraine. We ve always had a very enjoyable meal there, the food is very good.

Fish and chips not so hot but the Ham steak was really good. Nice staff. It seemed like a place locals really hang out at. Very friendly staff.

Recently visited for a meal with 2 young children and elderly aunt and uncle. We had a beautiful meal, the childrens food came out early which was great. A very relaxed evening which was made possible by the excellent service. Will be back again soon

I did a review 2 years ago and decided to return today for lunch.Me and my 2 daughters ordered off the afternoon menu..pepper chicken and garlic sautes were very good.My daughter had lasagne and really enjoyed it..for good portions and tasty meal i paid below £18.fantastic value for money..good waitress serviceWill certainly be back