Red alligator in County Durham

We often book a table on a Sunday for the carvery and find the whole experience very enjoyable. The vegetables are not coated in butter as with some establishments. All food is cooked on the premises. There is a variety of meats to choose from and there are 3 different sizes of dinners from child to extra large. Drinks and food can be ordered at the bar or at the table

Fantastic meal, great entertainment 😋 👌 😀 👍. Pop in it a good day for a pint or a coffee

Food was delicious, we had the Sunday Carvery. My little girl wasn't well so we requested desserts to take home & they packed them for us without a problem. The staff are very friendly and helpful & nothing is to much trouble. I would highly recommend.

Cannot fault the hospitality from everyone. Good beers and great food, with some northern specialities that come highly recommended at good prices and portions! We were also welcomed to park up in our campervans overnight as we'd travelled to see the fireworks show at Kynren. We will definitely go back when we're next in town!

The absolute worst carvery experience ever. Cold plates, cold food and frosty service. The staff behind the carvery moaning at each other about work. Tables too close together. You’re practically on top of the next table. On top of that, we were overcharged for an extra glass of wine we didn’t have. On raising this issue, girl on till rolled her eyes and just gave the money back, no sorry, nothing

What can I say! Wow! Came by chance on a Wednesday apprehensive in remembering how poor service I had received previously, but really glad to find out that new owners have transformed the atmosphere and menu. Steak night is amazing value at £24 for 2 steaks and a drink! Food was well presented, high quality beef and very well cooked and prepared. Will definitely be back to try the fantastic looking burgers and parmos! Thanks

Absolutely stunning homemade, fresh food. I will be visiting again soon. The lasagne and homemade garlic focaccia was sensational. All of our meals were great and staff were really helpful and happy to help.

Lovely meal, good value, best chips will definitely be going back 😂

Very Quiet place food was ok a bit salty, but good sized portions servers were pleasant.

Lovely food all home made Service was great

Once again our lunch time visit was met with a warm welcome from the friendly staff. Shown to our table and our order for food and drinks taken quickly. Our meals were freshly cooked and well presented and a full plateful. Certainly recommend the Red Alligator for the superb food at a very reasonable price. Oh and a good pint 😁

Absolutely beautiful lunch time meal. We opted for half parmo and lamb chops and both meals were delicious. Fab service and great value for money.

Food was all fresh and delicious, compliments to the chef the bar staff and waiters are very friendly along with the owners. Highly recommend and we will return.

Excellent home cooked food. Really friendly staff and a nice variety of meals on the menu. I had corned beef pie - a local specialty and the pie was made fresh whilst I waited. My husband had the chicken parmo another local dish which was excellent. Highly recommend a visit

Two young women behind the counter were very welcoming and polite, and the food was freshly cooked and tasted amazing. The portion sizes are well worth the money. Massive compliments to the chef. We will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend the parmo with garlic mushrooms and the steak and ale pie.

We visit here regularly for Sunday lunch as it's our local. Meats are always tender and melt in your mouth. Homemade yorkshires and roasties along with mushy peas, carrots, cabbage and leeks, turnip, cauli cheese and creamy mash potato. Absolutely lovely, can't fault it, would highly recommend.

Stopped in here on our way to an event nearby. The food was absolutely awesome, with generous portions. Would highly recommend.

Very nice food friendly staff excellent service

Not really a good experience. We went for carvery on sunday (never been before) and the food and choice was not really up to scratch. There were 2 meats you could have, the veg consisted of carrots, mash, swede, mushy peas (who has mushy peas on sunday lunch) and leeks. There was no green veg like normal sunday lunch such as green beans, cabbage, sprouts, or broccoli (any of these would have been sufficient) There should have been at least one green veg and garden peas instead of mushy peas. I did not thoroughly enjoy it at all. Best bit was at the end paying for the meal was that it did not have a payment machine for cards, just a contraption of a phone and if your card would not go through and you had to put a pin in, it could not be done easily. Not an enjoyable visit yesterday. Don't think I will go there again for carvery, there are more nicer ones out there.

Lovely pub. Great drinks and prices. Also serve food. Lovely atmosphere and tastefully decorated.

Popped in for lunch, good value lunch menu and the food was very enjoyable

Aboutsloutly lovely, complements to all the staff, food is brilliant... always try to book in advance as its popular 🙂🙂🙂

The restaurant managed to get 16 of us seated in the back dining room just a few days before New Years Eve, which was brilliant. The meals were all served at the same time, they were delicious and the prices were spot on. Great food, great service and a cosy atmosphere.

Menu limited but very nice food. We went at 7 PM very quiet. I'd definitely visit again maybe Sunday lunch next time.

Food was beautiful. Staff were really friendly and helpful,they even made us a prawn cocktail even though it wasn't on the menu. Eill definitely return x

Fantastic food!!! Couldn't fault any of it will be returning very soon.

Found the food excellent across the board adult's children, staff very helpful cheerful ..

Lovely meal at dinner time all home made food & tasted delicious..we will definitely go back...

Great value food, good beer, pleasant surroundings, attentive staff ... the fish is enormous!

Excellent food. Very friendly service. I would definitely recommend

Very good value for money. Pleasant staff, recommend it👏

Sunday lunch yesterday 3rs Dec, busy when we went in , took a short while to get our table but Lizzie behind the bar was working her socks off. Once at the bar we were shown to our very clean table already set for us. The 2 waitresses cleared tables away, cleaned and refreshed them incredibly quickly .

Lovely quaint Pub/Restaurant. I haven't eaten here yet. Very reasonably priced drinks. Great atmosphere, everyone was so friendly. We enjoyed the quiz this evening.

Sunday carvery was delious. Will certainly be going back. Friendly service by all staff

The carvery area was spotlessly clean and the food quality was excellent. Very tasty , great choice and was getting replenished efficiently.

Having to give a 1 star because can’t give a 0. The girl who took our drink and food order was lovely. However when we went through to the carvery the young girl who served us picked our puddings up by hand when tongs where there, and kept wiping her hands on her trousers before picking my partners up with her hands. Stood for a few mins before having to ask for mashed potatoes it came about 5 mins later. Never will return

Great food, Parmo with bolognaise was gorgeous, chicken was juicy and moist great flavour and fries cooked perfectly, wife had the Cajun chicken linguine, full of flavour again chicken was moist and juicy, great portions and great service.

Lovely meal. Our meal choices were chicken and king prawn sweet chilli sizzler with half rice/half chips and a 1/2 bolognese parmo with skinny fries and coleslaw. Both meals were really nice, great value for money and generous portions. Would highly recommend a visit if you have never tried here before. I can also vouch for the Sunday dinners. Absolutely beautiful with melt in the mouth meats. Great village pub for food and drinks.

Superb lunch, two plates of freshly prepared and well cooked fish and chips and a good portion. Very tasty and at a very reasonable price. Friendly staff willing to help if needed. Definitely recommended.

Excellent Sunday carvery lunch 2 for £20 , good meat choice and lovely fresh vegetables

We came here for the first time, to try the Sunday Carvery. All I can say is it was well worth the wait. The price was good and the amount of both meat and selection of vegetables was great. Left with my plate over flooding.

The food was cold .Some of the food was still raw. The plates where chipped and cold. The staff where unorganised and asking customers what they ordered because they had written it down wrong.

Lovely fish x chips staff so friendly

Sea Bass cooked to perfection with proper homemade Chips.

Always guaranteed a warm welcome and lovely food in a very relaxing atmosphere

Very good pub grub. Prices reasonable.

very friendly and helpful.. fot the mixed grill.whoxh was gorgeous... Will be back

Great food at reasonable prices, great helpful staff

Only been once, but will definitely go back, lovely food, good all around, can't fault 🥰

Popped in for lunch, good value lunch menu and the food was very enjoyable.

Excellent food Excellent service and very friendly

Nice food and lovely bar staff.

Aboutsloutly lovely, complements to all the staff, food is brilliant... always try to book in advance as its popular 🙂🙂🙂

We went and had Sunday carvery it was absolutely beautiful and the desert was lush! The staff are lovely and friendly too!

Nice night out. Good food, service and beer.

Generous portions, very friendly, happy staff. Lovely, won't be the last visit

Very nice meal recomend the sticky toffee pudding well nice.

Nice place, more of an eatery than a pub

Great place. Very comfortable and canny atmosphere.

First time at the Red Alligator for Sunday lunch . The meal was lovely, they didn't skimp on meat or anything else.

Excellent service from the girls, couldnt do enough for us, food was amazing!! Brilliant place will definitely be visiting again soon!! Highly recommended!!

Had some lovely meals lately. Much better than previous owner. Lovely Lasagne, very tasty, also over heard another table commenting on the homemade corned beef pie "best they had had in a long time " even took some home for their daughter.

Tasty Ceaser Salad and the fries were very good. A bit too salty for my taste, though. Waiting time was approx. 25 minutes, but only because it's all cooked from fresh. Overall, a good experience, I recommend this place.

Menu limited but very nice food. We went at 7 PM very quiet. I'd definitely visit again maybe Sunday lunch next time.

Went to The Red Alligator for a birthday lunch very quiet only us in,the lady took our drinks order and the coffee was luke warm,so then she took our meal order when it came chips were burnt and the batter on the fish was very hard over to what it should be.Very disapointed with it this was there new of the new lunch menu.Needless to say will not be returning there are better restraunts out there.

Booked for a family lunch, having been recommended by one of our party who said the carvery was lovely. We ordered drinks, had to ask for glasses to pour the contents of the bottle into. We ordered starters then were told we needed to order mains, we said we thought it was a carvery but were told it isn’t now! The starters took ages to arrive (our table was booked for 12:30, we got the starters at about 1:45), the soup was sent back due to it being disgusting, no butter for the pâté, despite asking twice! We waited ages for the main courses, a few of us were served, then we were given a dish with carrots in - because they’d forgotten to put them on the first plates. Watery gravy, I had lamb, which wasn’t very tasty at all, the roast potatoes were greasy, as was my Yorkshire pudding, we ordered cauliflower cheese, which was an inedible plate of mush. The 2 girls who were taking orders and working behind the bar were friendly, and did apologise for the delays. Hugely disappointing as we were looking forward to a proper home cooked Sunday lunch without the washing up (as you advertise). We won’t be returning.

Over priced, poor atmosphere, food wasn't good

A simple lunch time menu, good value, good home cooking, and cheery service from, as far as we could tell, the lone waitress fielding orders from an almost full pub.

Enjoyable visit to the Red Alligator for Friday lunch, well presented and perfectly cooked meals for both of us. Very generous portions, freshly prepared and served with a smile.

Went for a drink but private party on no mention on Facebook or at door not good should at least let people know this is a local pub so come on you want us to support you then you let us down

The food was stunning and such great value and the atmosphere was so lovely and relaxing with a great view of the church. Plenty of grear choice on the menu with something for everyone. Would definitely go back again.

Went to The Red Alligator - South Church with a group of friends this afternoon. The table was booked for 12pm but bearing in mind the pub didn't open till 12 so was impossible to be eating lunch straight away. At 1pm the person who was apparently in charge asked us to vacate our table as the next party had arrived! Now I know that busy eateries sometimes stipulate how long you can stay in this case 1.5 hrs which would be fine! However this person made us feel very uncomfortable and was extremely passive aggressive when pointed out that the table was booked for 1.5 hrs and insisted it had changed, despite having the screenshot of the booking. Also reprimanded a staff member who had brought a dessert menu like we asked and insisted she got back to work! Such a shame as the food was very nice. Not reccomended if you are looking for a relaxing Sunday lunch in a welcoming atmosphere. (We left without having a dessert)

Hey folks! Just wanted to drop a quick note about The Red Alligator over in Bishop Auckland. This place is like a hidden gem that's got a super chill vibe and some seriously tasty grub. First off, the staff here are legends – super friendly and they make you feel right at home. It's like walking into your mate's house where there's always a good time waiting. Now, let's talk food because, let's be honest, that's what we're all here for, right? They've got all the good stuff you'd want from a British pub, and it's all delish. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth good, and if you've got room for dessert, the Baileys cheesecake is a game-changer. They've got options for everyone, so if you're veggie, vegan, or gluten-free, you won't be left out. And if you're looking for a deal, hit up their steak nights – great food without breaking the bank. It's not just a place to eat, though. It's where you go to catch up with friends, have a laugh, and just enjoy the moment. Whether it's a special occasion or just a random Tuesday, The Red Alligator's got you covered. So, if you're ever in the area, do yourself a favor and swing by. Trust me, you'll be planning your next visit before you even leave. Cheers!

Had a wonderful meal with family tonight. Food was really tasty and well presented. The cheese scone starter was amazing. The lady that served us was friendly. Would thoroughly recommend.

Absolutely beautiful fish and chips on good friday 👌👌 lovely crispy batter with homemade chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. Our party ordered 1 small, 1 standard and 1 extra large. The extra large was an enormous amount and well worth the money. Absolutely beautiful meal.

The food was fantastic. You could tell it was fresh so it was worth the wait as all cooked to order. The chef's steak choice today was venison and it was cooked to perfection. The mussels for starters were perfect, not too chewy or garlicy. The menu choice is limited so best check beforehand if you have fussy eaters. We would go again.

Food disgusting. Would never return . Steak was in edible wedges were dried out and hard. Never return . A waste of £90 .

Great place. Very comfortable and canny atmosphere.

Fabulous friendly service, dog friendly and the food and drink excellent. Recommend the lunch menu shall come back again it is that good. Spent too long looking for a dog friendly place to eat where we didn't have to sit outside. This place was a fab find.

Visited the alligator one Saturday evening and opted for the 2 courses for £20. Scallop starter was unreal. For main I chose chicken and ribs with fries, coleslaw and salsa. The chicken was so succulent and juicy. The ribs dropped off the bone. Beautiful food.

First visit and pleasantly impressed. Lovely welcome from attentive staff. Food was great with that home cooked touch. Excellent choice of beers and exceptional value for money. Will definitely be going back 👌👍🤘

First time at the Red Alligator for Sunday lunch . The meal was lovely, they didn't skimp on meat or anything else. Generous portions, very friendly, happy staff. Lovely, won't be the last visit

Very damp smell .menu rubbish food 😑 would never go again !

Lovely Sunday lunch.. one of our guests is gluten free and you guys couldn't do enough for us... very worth a try

Went for roast dinner new year day was told on phone we would get 1 , but the chef said no. Ordered perfect pie, seved with plastic mash RAW veg pie was crap DOOMED for me

Visited the Alligator for a Xmas Fayre meal and it was beautiful. Opted for 2 courses and got the featherblade of beef for main and baileys cheesecake for dessert. The main meal was delicious and the meat dropped to pieces it was that tender and soft!! Cheesecake was homemade and very nice also.

Nice night out. Good food, service and beer.

We had a lovely meal. We both had mushrooms for starters. I had the Sea Bass and my husband chicken kievs. The food was piping hot. Well presented and very enjoyable. The atmosphere was lovely, just Christmas music playing in the background quietly.

Sunday lunch yesterday 3rs Dec, busy when we went in , took a short while to get our table but Lizzie behind the bar was working her socks off. Once at the bar we were shown to our very clean table already set for us. The 2 waitresses cleared tables away, cleaned and refreshed them incredibly quickly . The carvery area was spotlessly clean and the food quality was excellent. Very tasty , great choice and was getting replenished efficiently. All in all a very nice Sunday lunch.

We did Sunday lunch ..which was ok but we were confused ,next table were asked if everything ok we weren't we were charged twise for drinks we'd already paid for ( plus whilst at carvery waiter knocked out drinks over but did replace them ,,we were asked in advance if we'd like a pudding my husband said yes waited and wasn't busy but never came ,no ticket to get it gave up in the end food ok ..help yourself to veg meat ok ..good value ..but unorganised I'd say

Undèr new management, but sorry sunday carverys not nice,at least they weren't when we went weeks ago beef was unbeatable, nothing had much taste,most left on plates,we complained all we got was il tell chef,this isn't good enough,nobody came and asked what problem was,6 meals we all couldn't be wrong. This review most likely removed as they don't like truth.hope it improves but we won't be returning

Loved our meals today and the terrine was unreal with a great customer focused experience from the girl serving, easy 5 🌟 and defo coming back

Under new management and boy does it show, what a spectacular improvement. Our lunch was freshly cooked and good quality. Well presented and delicious. Without doubt Dean is doing a fantastic job to return the “Alligator’s” reputation to the level it was last year. No hesitation in recommending the pub.

Very nice meal recomend the sticky toffee pudding well nice.

Fantastic meal all freshly cooked beautiful will definitely be back you must try this pub lovely staff very welcoming

Under new management. Visited with my mam. Very impressed with the carvery. Choice of standard or large meal. Plenty of meats to choose from. Very tasty. Will go again.

The food here is delicious. New owner, new set menu. Will be going again very soon. Xmas fayre starts December 1st.

Beautiful meal at the red alligator. Under new management and a new menu. Bacon chop was so tender and juicy. Homemade cheesecake was to die for. Can't wait to try other things off the menu.

We have just eaten at the red alligator,the food was amazing,the cheesecake was freshly h9me made and so so tasty,the staff are so friendly and welcoming. Definitely will be back.

Called to book a table for Sunday lunch was told to come along for sunday lunch there will be a table for you ,when we arrived we were told there wasn't any tables we would have to sit outside, Good Sunday lunch we have been a few times ,but when we travelled 30 mins and turned away is very unacceptable