Red Cat Crank in St. Helens

Credit where credit is emphatically due! We popped in for breakfast the other morning, only to be met by what can only be described as a phalanx of the friendliest staff you could ever wish to encounter. And, my word, what a breakfast it was! A truly resplendent English spread, in a pub that exuded charm and individuality. None of this soulless, microwave 'ping' malarkey you get with the dreary chain establishments. No, no, this was the real McCoy—proper British hospitality, by Jove! An absolute triumph and a welcome respite from the mundane. Bravo!

Excellent! Food was amazing and all Staff attentive and professional. We had Tapas and as it is midweek we had a free side. Great value for money. Would highly recommend

Lovely meal tonight. Four of us, ordered 2 tapas, pizza and gourmet burger followed by gorgeous, generous. desserts and coffee. Food was delicious, service good and venue lovely. Will definitely be back and highly recommend.

Very poor bar service. The other Friday my partner had to return home as he was waiting 15 minutes to be served. It was a sunny Friday and only 2 staff serving and 1 outside. So I suppose was understandable. But even so that shouldn't happen. But tonight there was no excuse. We went into the front bar. No other people in only me and my partner. 2 behind the bar. 1 gormless male 1 female. I sat down my partner waited to be served. No eye contact from bar staff. Not even 'I will be with you in a minute'. We waited. The female was messing with the ice cube container. Then having full blown private conversation with him. The lad was getting 2 cokes. Then the bell for next door bar rang the lad went to serve. Came back no eye contact again. The girl looked at me sat down. Nothing. After waiting ages we decided to leave. 2 customers gone. In this industry you need to keep your customers if you can. Clearly more training needed.

We visited here for a village meal organised by crank residents the meal was outstanding and very tasty the decor is beautiful & very cosy ALL the team stood out as we were leaving we met one of the chefs PAUL who is a lovely friendly & welcoming guy was lovely to meet you , your food was AMAZING we will definitely be back thank you to sam s sister for a lovely afternoon *****

Lovely decor and surroundings, the service was first class ,nothing was too much trouble ,the staff are really welcoming .The food was delicious and the prices are very reasonable.What more can you ask for .

Had a lovely Sunday roast here . All delicious , particularly the meats. The staff are very accommodating and friendly.

We had a fantastic meal at the Red Cat with friends. Great food with slightly left field menu which was most welcome. Lovely staff who couldn't have been nicer or more efficient. Thanks very much, we will return.

We went for Sunday lunch and although the food was good, the service was terrible. We walked in and waited to be seated at the table we’d booked, and bearing in mind it wasn’t busy at the time we were stood waiting ages to even be acknowledged. Staff behind the bar could see us, several serving staff were walking past us, in and out, and it was like we were invisible. Yes they were doing something but not even a glance in our direction or a “we’ll be with you in a second”. Finally caught the attention of someone after standing around awkwardly for a long time and we were shown to our table. Menu is VERY limited on a Sunday. A couple of us didn’t want a big main meal, just a sandwich or jacket potato but weirdly there’s nothing at all like this available on Sundays. Food was tasty though, but then we were given the dessert menu and it took that long for someone to come back and ask what we wanted to order for dessert that we’d finished our drinks and had given up on the idea of pudding! Again, it wasn’t that busy - the room we were in had plenty of empty tables. Such a lovely pub, decorated beautifully, but the limited menu and poor service from the staff make it not worth it :-(

We had a wonderful experience here this weekend. All of the staff were very friendly and accomodating. We had our dog with us and we were directed to a lovely little room at the front of the pub where dogs are allowed. There were dog bowls placed around the room to allow dogs a drink too - which I thought was a really nice touch. We chose to have the small plates deal, which was incredibly good value! The food was delicious and presented really nicely too. It's a shame that we are from Scotland because we would definitely be regular visitors if we were closer.

Just been for one of the best sunday lunches sharing is caring platter with 4 meats pigs in blankets stuffing loads of roasties and plenty of veg and endless gravy All finished off with superb desserts Get down the red cat you will not be disappointed good food good staff and good atmosphere A great veiws for miles over the fields

Bit late in posting but just to say what a brilliant night we had on New Year's Eve 2023...Frank Sinatra tribute, followed by Elvis (aka Chris) fantastic voice...wig slipped a few times & cat suit fit were it touched🤣all added to the fun😂What can I say, great company, good laugh & delicious hotpot Thanks Chris & Sam xxx

Visited today with 2 friends for one of their birthdays. Food was absolutely lovely. Roast dinner was perfect 👌 service amazing, very welcoming pub with great food. Highly recommended

We decided to book because we had heard some good reports and we were pleasantly surprised. What a lovely place! We enjoyed the tapas style small plates which were delicious, well presented and pleasantly served! There was a good selection of food on the menu. Great food and drink. We will definitely return.

The Pub/Restaurant now looks great with a very friendly atmosphere and an interesting and tasty selection of food and drink. But best of all they have bar areas where you can sit with a dog. (unlike the rural Colliers just down the road that staggeringly don’t even allow them in at all, and with only one table outside at the front)

Lovely Christmas lunch . Great choices my starter of figs and Parma ham was delicious. A lot of staff providing excellent service . Thank you to the chef and all the staff .

Had our christmas dinner at the Red Cat on Christmas eve. The food was exceptional the service was superb. Not expensive for what we had. Would definently recommend the Red Cat

We went for Breakfast with Santa and had the absolute best morning! My little boy loved it, the staff were all absolutely lovely so friendly and helpful. Alisha who greeted us was fantastic, so many fun things for the kids to do colouring, decorating ornaments for the Christmas tree and lots of stickers that the kids loved. The atmosphere was great, all the adults really enjoyed ourselves too and the breakfast food was so tasty. Father Christmas was amazing spent so much time with each child and made it all really special, definitely the best Father Christmas we’ve met. We can’t wait to come back for next years already!

Very attentive staff but preferred the previous menu too many add ons for us the pub itself is very homely

Excellent food. Lovely staff. Wonderful ambience. Unbelievable gluten free options. Highly recommended!!!

Grest place for small plates with plenty of choices for every ones taste Served to your table by great friendly staff A nice family run country pub

Went for a meal with my partner last night, honestly couldn’t fault anything, the food was beautiful, served as tapas style small plates every dish was amazing such high quality. The atmosphere is perfect quiet and cosy 🥰 loved it, we will be back!

I went here for Sunday lunch with family. The staff were helpful and accommodating, the food was fantastic and we were really pleasantly surprised by the price when it came time to pay the bill! We will definitely be back to try the weekday menu.

One of our party struggles with food allergies. We spoke prior to the visit . On arrival the manager who greeted us knew about our needs , gave us a warm welcome and showed us to our table. All four of us chose trio of meat off the specials board . The meal was superb, meat was beautifully cooked but what made the meal special was the attention given to the veg and potatoes, delicious. All this was supported by great front of house service; I can’t recommend the Red Cat highly enough, we had a fantastic Sunday afternoon.

Called in Sunday afternoon. Haven’t been for years. Must admit wasn’t my first choice but as the other place was full I tried here. So glad we did. Greeting food drink and service was exceptional. Back to the red cat I knew years ago. Thankyou. 5* well deserved

Went as a party of for a meal. Assistant Manager was extremely rude as we advised the food was over cooked. Assistant manager attitude left a lot to be desired. Felt sorry for staff waiting on and chef who were apologetic. Will not be returning and return back to The Derby Arms for food and The Lion for a drink.

Paid 30£ deposit for six people,having looked at menu and recent reviews.on arrival told table wasnt ready.£40 Worth of drinks later we went to our table to be given a menu of tapas only.we declined and went home and had a takeaway.very dissapointed.wont be back.couple next to us in same situation.

Having eaten here on several occasions, always very good, we booked in advance and had to pay a deposit for 6 people, (which I thought was a bit strange) We were looking forward to our tapas but we we're extremely disappointed. Not authentic, very small portions and one staff member in particular was very rude to our party when we complained,(although the young lady who served us and the chef who apologised were very good) The new menu isn't what we expected. Plus, very expensive for what was served. I'd suggest going back to your original menu which was excellent ...and also have a word with the one member of staff who could do with some training in being and respectful and polite to your customers when they have a genuine and measured complaint.

Fabulous, my daughter and I popped in on our way home from hospital. Very pleasant place, nice music, restful, loved the feathers wallpaper. We had tapas and it was fantastic, every dish excellent portions, cooked to perfection and very tasty lamb Tandori chops, pigs in blankets with sauce, spring rolls, meat balls, chunky fabulous chips, best ever. Could not fault, very good value, will go again and try Sunday lunch. Lovely setting, staff very polite and friendly and the beautiful, laid back dog on the stairs propped himself up like Lord of the Manor watching the world go by. A very pleasant experience. Thank you.

Been quite a few times before it changed hands and was one of the best sunday dinners ,so was looking forward to it as not been in a while staff lovely food very dissapointing, got 3 meats was sliced wafer thin 2 anemic roast potatoes no mash , no yorkshire puddings but could have a Yorkshire at a extra cost !! Carrots n turnip nice cauliflower cheese rock hard and watery gravy every member in our party said they wouldn't return over priced poor food

Excellent food and service. Nice to come to a local pub and have a Tapas menu. All the food was delicious, the staff where very polite and attentive.

Visited here for lunch on our way to see some friends. It was by pure accident we found this pub and what a find it was! The lunch menu had a Tapas option and we were blown away by the quality of the food. The prawns in particular were very tasty. We sat outside as the weather was glorious the tables were shaded which was idyllic on such a warm day. Will absolutely be going back when we're next in the area! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this pub to others.

Five of us went for lunch (age range 16 to 87) with one vegetarian. Apparently it is a new menu but you could not tell. All the food was really really nice. Freshly cook and filling as well. It is a tapas style with 3 dishes for £20 which turned out to be really good value. The salt and chilli pork belly was delicious, spicey but not too hot. The staff were really friendly and helpful. A bonus was it was dog friendly (in certain areas). Overall all five of us agreed we would definitely go back and I would absolutely recommend.

Excellent value for money & great service by all the staff. Served on hot plates to keep the meal warm. A simple touch but many establishments no longer do this. Portion sizes spot on, with great quality ingredients. We could not decide which meat we wanted. But they do a mixed dinner so you can sample them all, highly recommended! We will definitely return very soon 🤌

Lovely friendly pub, beautiful food and such lovely staff! Nothing was too much, really quick getting the food out and such great portion sizes and great price! Definitely will be coming more often! Also love how dog friendly it is, water bowl and treats for...

Good at,atmosphere and welcoming staff. However there was a mix up with the ordering so one of our party only tucked into her meal when the rest of us had nearly finished. And sadly this error was made again with the desserts! Added to this when one of our party tasted the cream presented in a small jug it was sour. I hope that the staff will receive better training in taking orders and that the chef ensures the best quality of food served in a timely way. I should add that the delayed meal was not charged for, however our party member was disappointed that she didn’t eat her meal with the rest of us.

Fantastic starters,the mains were awfull,my wife's chicken wasn't fit to eat and I had a burger to whick there was plastic packaging in the onion rings ,perhaps there is a reason it was so quiet on a Saturday evening

Newly refurbished pub in crank, lovely and clean inside, server friendly and food fine. So why 3 stars and not five? This pub is missing a trick by only doing a lunch menu which only contains sandwiches and Jackets. Took my partner out for Friday...

Lovely welcome. Good selection on breakfast menu. Didn't wait long and was very tasty. Tastefully decorated.

Unplanned visit by 4 of us last evening. Food, drink, service, price and decor all great. Would definitely recommend.

Visited weekday evening. Food was exceptional and staff very friendly. Great value for money. Will definitely be returning

We visited as a party of 7 for Sunday lunch. It was absolutely gorgeous. Staff really friendly and helpful, food amazing and lovely pub. Will definitely be returning!

What a lovely little place this is and some great veiws across the country side to liverpool Staff very attentive and well trained food was really nice and tasty and all very fresh local produce with a good all round choices catering for everyones tastes...

Beautiful country pub with one of the best roasts around. Lovely staff and location. The pub was very busy but we didn't wait long for our food at all

Went for a meal with friends. We were a party of 3 and were seated on a table that really was only suitable for 2 so had to move items from the table to store behind us. Starters were all lovely and served promptly and...

Waited nearly an hour for food when other people who ordered after us had got theirs. When asked if all was OK we mentioned the wait, to be told yes we are busy.....think our order had been missed no apology wont be returning ....

Very busy but we managed to get a table, online menu different to restaurant, I was not overly impressed with the food but we were told the chefs we busy and new. Service was not bad for the amount of people in restaurant. My chicken...

Had lunch here and the food was really nice. It’s been done up since the last time I visited, which it needed and is now very pleasant. It did lack atmosphere and with so few people in would have benefited with some background music. Staff...

We only popped in for a quick drink but it's a place that is so welcoming we ended up staying for a few hours and having 5 fantastic meals! Ourselves and our kids loved every morsel from stater to mains! We were to full for...

Excellent service , staff where very friendly. Food was really nice , we had a roast chicken and roast beef , well presented and delicious , loved the fresh veg, gravy was really nice too.Highly recommend a visit.

Nestled in Crank, surrounded by rolling fields in all directions, the recently refurbished Red Cat really is a glowing wonder. Having visited a few years ago when service was slow and quality was lacking, I have been to the Red Cat several times since it...

Very disappointed tonight. Looked at the menu on line and it was a completely different menu when we got there. Very limited choice. Ordered chicken curry and it came on a skewer with raw carrot! Chicken was thigh meat and not nice. Curry sauce was...

Lovely atmosphere and food. Staff are attentive and friendly. Will go again, especially for the desert!

Excellent food, very well presented staff very attentive and internal decor beautiful will definately be back and recommend to friends.

If you like a good coffee don't come here. Ordered a flat white (for a reason, I like strongish coffee) and a latte for my friend £7.00. Both coffees were exactly the same except the latte came in a glass. Both were like coffee flavoured...

Had a lovely few drinks outside in a lovely beer garden with our black lab Toby, only been once but will return

I found the manager rude and obnoxious not welcoming at all.... Spoke to myself in a very derogatory manner on my query. Upsetting experience all round Avoid at all costs!!!!!

Great service from friendly staff . Beautiful food left feeling full and would definitely recommend to others well done the red cat keep up the great work 👍 didn't get a picture of my main or pudding but beef dinner and chocolate fudge cake and...

Fabulous lunch today with family. Great menu choices, food did not disappoint either. Chicken Wings starter was divine as were the salt and pepper mushrooms. Had the roast beef dinner with the most wonderful gravy and lastly the lemon cheesecake which was divine. Faultless.

Fantastic Visit to to the Red Cat on Mothers day, Lovely Roast Beef Dinner, and Roast Lamb, Excellent staff and nice Land Lady, keep up the Excellent work

I currently live down South, but was visiting St Helens with a dozen friends on Sunday, so I contacted a good pal in the town to ask where the best Sunday Dinners are happening. He told me the Red Cat in Crank is the place...

It was ok but the menu is uninspiring and its expensive for what it is. Its traditional pub grub like pie & chips, fish and chips, curry and rice, lasagne roasts etc. and is the type of food that you could make and eat yourself...

Turned away at door from a really quiet pub due to a big party coming in. Couldn’t squeeze us in despite only one of us wanting food.

First visit since the Red Cat started doing food again. Excellent Sunday roasts, delicious desserts and a warm and friendly welcome. A new team who are getting used to how things work but we didn't wait at all and were very well looked after. Looking...

We have eaten in the Red Cat many times in the past and have always enjoyed the food. With New Management comes a refurb and what a difference it makes. Warmer, brighter and the opening up of the traditional fireplace really does give the place...

My recent visit tn The Red Cat Pub at Crank, St.Helens. The Car Park was small and not tidy-in need of a good "tidying up". Other pubs in the area havd a cleaner appearance.Inside was okay, food average, service slow. Punch Taverns should tidy up...

Very tastefully refurbished. Food well cooked and generous portions. No wine and drinks menu available on request Asked for slice of 🍊 orange with gin and tonic, it was not available. This brought a reaction from our waitress who was standing behind the bar.(It must...

A experience so bad it was comical. Me and a group of 9 friends book to go for a meal at the Red Cat and what an experience it was. Firstly it took it took 45 minutes for the waiter to come and take our...

We booked a table for 13 for Easter Sunday. We were asked to pre order as they were busy After 3 times of asking for menu to be emailed, we had to call in to collect the menu. The order was emailed but no acknowledgment...

Went here for Lunch at Easter. The service was great, friendly atmosphere. Came to take our order when needed. Food was amazing, I for 1 couldn’t finish mine as there was so much. Each family member loved there’s Would highly recommend this place for food...

Great service , lovely welcome by the staff. Food was good . We had the Prawn Cocktail , I had the braised beef and onions really nice and tasty lots of mash and vegetables could not fault anything had a enjoyable evening. Would highly recommend.

We got told the red cat was nice for Sunday dinners so we decided to come. Sunday roast was lovely wasn’t disappointed! All fresh produce vegetables will definately be back!

I've eaten here before and I will definitely eat here again. The staff are very pleasent and friendly. They are very fast on their feet and serve you with a quality, professional standard! The food is served at your table really quickly. The food is...

Hadn't been for a good while and as not disappointed. Mum had Liver and Onions and I had Pate to start with and the Braised Steak to follow. The Pate was delicious and very well presented and what really made it was the nice hot...

Went for Sunday lunch yesterday 12th September. 4 of us, two had half roast chicken and ended up bringing half home , my friend had turkey and i had beef. 4 different vegetables, mashed potato, 4 roast potatoes, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. A very...

We both had chicken with butter sauce. Couldn't taste the butter and the chicken was dire. I dont know when they actually cooked it but it certainly wasn't this week. It was drier than cardboard and we couldn't even tempt the dog with it. Chips...

This restaurant was able to accommodate a large party (7) at short notice with attentive & friendly service, good food & a nice atmosphere. Tfe refurbishment looks great.

Came for tea with my mum and partner. There was so much choice on the menu and when the food came the portions were big. Staff were all really friendly. The jew outside area looked really nice but it was too cold to sit out...

Excited about the new refurbishment of our regular Friday go to, but sadly disappointed! Stunning new look to the venue, inside and out. Greeted by 3 very young, giggling girls, (one with jewels on her face and wearing black hot pants and boots as if...

Thought we would give this “ restaurant” another visit, bad mistake..never again. Beer was good, staff really overworked, felt really really sorry for the girls but when you get an owner that walks around in scruffy clothing that cannot communicate with customers and can’t even...

Visited the red cat for a meal with family and friends was hugely disappointed the Presentation of the meal was very very poor the chips were not home-made and were tasteless overall we all decided we would never ever come back here again when we...

Expected a delicious home cooked meal , ordered cock and bull in peppercorn sauce , offered chips or rice (or half and half with this). Went for the chips , they were of the frozen kind, not home made, average chicken and beef dish in...

Very friendly, polite and well trained serving staff today, who had a genuine pleasent nature about them! The food menu is limited at this time but I was made aware of this fact when I booked my table some days ago so this did not...

upon arrival i was greeted by a lovely member of staff who took our drinks order straight away and gave us menus, drinks and food arrived quickly and exceeded my expectations the steak pie was amazing! Staff where very attentive and very helpful.

Visited with my partner last week. We both tried the steak pie.... beautiful home made food! See you again soon

Been here a few times in the past few weeks and each time the service differs greatly. First time someone was waiting to seat people and took our drinks order straight away. Second time no one there so took a seat and no one’s came...

Excellent service ,food was delicious staff was all friendly best service I’ve experienced after a long walk out will definitely be back again !

Stopped off on the spur of a moment while on a long walk with the dog up to Billinge Hill. A great scenic spot and a really welcoming atmosphere. First week back after lockdown and everything was spot on - the drinks and food were...

I have never had to send food back let alone 3 meals. The food was dangerous undercooked which is concerning considering it’s roast chicken. The covid regulations are non existent but hey at least the J2O was drinkable when I shook it. Of the staff...

We managed booked for Christmas Day and had an amazing 5 course mea, canapés and champagne, lobster and a Christmas lunch to remember, as we left we where given a gift from under the tree a lovely touch, lovely atmosphere and nothing too much trouble....

Lovely Reception, from the Owners and has always Excellent Fish and Chips With many other Take away meals Keep the good work up

We decided to book a table here for Christmas Eve, no mention of only roast dinners on the menu when I booked the table. We walked past the window on the front to see a group of men around a table drinking together, no rules...

Dined at red cat this evening 13/12/20 , first meal out this year due to the lockdown, was so looking forward to it. Unfortunately from the very start was disappointing to say the least Was seated by a young lady, all the staff are very...

Service was terrible the waiter had the audacity to continue to to top a pint up that had been sat there for god knows how long one pint even had something in it and the waiter decided its was a good idea to plunge his...

Sat in the Billinge Arms half an hour after my booking says it all! Rang at 4.20 and managed to book for a table at 5pm. They took my name and number when I arrived they quizzed me on who I booked it with, obviously...

Food ok, staff more interested in chatting. Had to ask for cutlery. Would have ordered more drinks but we weren't offered. Chef had a massive tantrum ( shouting and swearing) for everyone to hear.Absolutely no atmosphere , not even background music. We won't be returning !!

I would of given no stars for this but couldn't. This use to be such a lovely place but myself, husband and 3 sons went tonight and I can honestly say it was horrendous. To start i'd booked a table for 5 of us when we got there they only had me down for 4 but it was sorted straight away. We then waited a long while after ordering our food for the starters to come. Mine and my husbands starters came but no sign of the lads starter. After a while I asked about the rest of the starter and got told it was on its way. When me and my husband had finished our starters I then had to ask again about the lads starter and got told again it was on its way it then arrived 10 minutes later. I'd asked for a gin and lemonade but came with tonic water. We then waited ages and they brought our side orders out which was stood there on the table for 20minute with no signs of our main meals. I then had to ask where our main meals was as our side orders was getting cold I got told they was on its way I then had to ask again 10 minutes later where our mains was. Then someone came along took our sides away. We then had to wait another 10/15 minutes later for the main meals to come only my son didn't get his and we didn't get our sides. So I had to ask for my son's meal and the sides. Which was brought out another 10 minutes later. Me and my son didn't receive any veg with our meal which stated on the menu. We had to wait 2 hours for our meals to come out which is unacceptable. We didn't order any desserts as i didn't want to wait another 2 hours for that to happen. It also states on the menu its home cooked chips which they wasnt at all they were frozen oven chips. The staff were not pleasant at all. A couple sat next to us had to asked for the dessert menu twice which it never came then when they left the girl who cleaned their table up was calling the couple to another couple sat near which is very unprofessional and very rude.the staff cared more about their nails then the customers they served.Me and my family will not be going again and will not recommend this place to anyone.

Decided to give this place a try after it had been refurbished.Amateur Waitresses who were more interested in the length of their nails. Food bland and straight out of the microwave. Chips not hand cut as stated. Frozen chips. Don't waste your money visiting here.

Quality arrangements regarding the social distancing for eating, waiting toilets etc. Food was excellent and staff very helpful. Have already booked a return visit. Mine host very sociable.

Despite booking a table in advance for 19:30, or meals arrived 65 minutes after ordering. No apologies, no attempt at excuses. Of the 3 different mains, 2 were only just edible. But hunger prevailed.Definitely won't be returning.NB - my first ever critical review in 12 years!