Roads End Cafe in Highland

Roads End Cafe is a lifesaver at this time of the year, we were on the NC500 and fancied a bite to eat when we got to John o Groats. It is such a basic cafe but still serves hot toasties/sandwiches, soup and small cakes/scones. The lady that served us was lovely, so welcoming and willing to go the extra mile, she even recommended the haggis and cheese toastie which I couldn't turn down. Since it was so quiet, it was takeaway only but she let us sit in due to the gale force winds outside. I have to say the toasties are the best I have had in a while and not even that expensive despite the location, absolutely fantastic. It is a little gem if you're looking for something eat when you reach the most northernly point in Scotland!

Visited here and ordered food. It was terrible. Turkey stuffing sandwich was off. That was for my son who was 9 and so glad he did not eat it. Pea and ham soup so watered down it tasted like dish water. Terrible experience. Would advise going to storehouse over the road and give this a miss but it wasnt open shame. Will give the girl her due waiting on asking how it was and apologising but we should of got refund instead.

Arrived just before 4 , no food available, couldnt make sandwiches as “ we just cleaned up the kitchen” . The car park was full , lots of coach guests around, all we were offered was a takeaway tea which turned out to be lukewarm. Its a long winter ladies, make the most of your summer guests. This is not the first time we have experienced this indifference in this cafe. Not a great experience for tourists.

Got some simple soup and sandwiches, and while nothing special, they filled a gap and we didnt have any complaints. Staff friendly too, which is not always easy at such a tourist hot spot.

My family ate at this restaurant today and we were super disappointed in the service and the rude, inappropriate treatment we received from one of the restaurants obnoxious staff. It was busy when we ordered so we asked for take away as the few tables were full. A table came available and we sat down and waited for our order. We had ordered 3 hot chocolate, bag of crisps, two chocolates and three toasties. We were drinking our hot chocolates when a rude, abrasive woman came up to our table with our toasties and loudly announced we could not dine in as our food was take away and was priced cheaper, she continued on enraged we were sitting down. COMPLETE LIE, no price difference on menu, sign states only food purchased in restaurant can be eaten at tables which it was. We got up and left, super angry, confused and disappointed. I returned a few minutes later and shared with her what I thought of her rude, crazy and inappropriate treatment of my family as customers. Brutal service, marginal food! This woman is an embarrassment to John O Groats!

They appear to be using cheap ingredients. I don't mind the price, if its good quality and there was some presentation. I ordered a ham n cheese toastie, which is what i got, cheap bread (budget from Lidl probably) was used along with poor quality cheese n ham, presented on a plate, no salad garnish or anything...appreciate cost have risen, but come on for £4.50, you can do better. I have had much better hot chocolate as well which was cheaper in other establishments. Sorry but pretty damn poor.

Poor lassie was left on her own few times in the cafe and the blondie hair lady looked very scuffly who works in the cafe also she give out free soups , scones , cakes to my wife and I when we visited at John O ‘ groats also she came up to us with us without a mask on the free items were nice but I thought I should of paid for them

Me and my husband visited today we got a friendly welcoming and the two girls that served us think there names was Rosie and Laura went out of there way to make us feel welcome and have a good experience the bacon rolls was delicious and we really enjoyed the lattes thank you would really recommend this cafe

My family went to John O'Groats to have breakfast in this cafe and to have a look round. I was aware that it is out of season. However, the cafe was the pits. There were 6 of us, but we weren't allowed to sit together. The menu offered egg, bacon,or sausage rolls for breakfast only. Ham or cheese sandwiches and soup of the day for lunch. Tea, coffees,and hot chocolate. That was it. The sandwiches were so plain. No addition of a wee bit of salad. The breakfast rolls, though reasonably tasty, were on a plate with a paper napkin with not even a knife to cut the roll. We had six drinks. It cost £37 for this. My 12 year old grand daughter could have done a better job. I know we've got restriction for Covid, but it was awful. My brother went in in summer and he said it was bad, but I'd h it to h

My family visited the visitor site during our one week stay in Scotland last summer. Upon arrival we enjoyed hot drinks at the Roads End Cafe, an attractive character building in a prominent position upon the site. The cafe has a good menu to either eat in or takeaway and is one of three food and drinks options for visitors on site together with the modern cafeteria style Northern Point and The Cabin takeaway.

Very nice, lovely hospitality. My brother and I visited, Tried to lentil soup, freshly baked scone and hot sausage and egg breakfast roll. Nice friendly atmosphere. Highly recommend on a visit to John O Groats.

White bread was cold with handprints in it. If you like lots of bad cheese you'll be okay.1 inch thick of cheap cheddar Ham had never seen a pig before Best part was the pakcet of crisps and bottle of pop as they had nothing to do with it. Was recommended to go by someone who came stumberling out of a pub at 1 pm last time I listen to someone. Was dire

If ever there was an establishment that knew it didn't need to bother because of it's location then this is it. Using Covid as an exuse, the seating area and toilets were closed and bizarely only medium sizes of hot drinks were available. These policies were not evident anywhere else on my few days in the very north of Scotland. Consequently I was not tempted to have anything other than a coffee which was adequate although I was funnelled up a narrow passage to queue and could only reverse backwards through the other queuers to get out of the cafe. I had no option but to drink my cofee outside in the cold drizzle once I had gone back to my public toilets to clean my hands because the hand cleanser dispenser in the cafe was empty.

John O’Groats and the cafes and gift shops and area in general is a great place to visit. This particular little place is good quality and friendly.

The cafe was only doing a limited choice of takeaway food at the time we visited so my Mother-in-Law and I got a bacon roll and a roll and sausage along with a coffee and a tea. The drinks were fine however, the bacon was dry as a board and so was the sausage. The bacon and sausage was obviously cooked in advance, left sitting and then reheated in a microwave which caused them to harden. Definitely not worth £3 each! Also, service was slow even though the cafe was not busy and if food in just being reheated it shouldn't take too long. Might be better when the cafe fully opens but don't think I'll be visiting again.

Staying nearby, we were in need of a good breakfast on a Sunday. What a gem ! Good food, great service and very attentive, friendly staff. The prices are not excessive and the quality of food was high. Recommended very highly.

Local people advised me 'The nearby hotel took it over, changed it into a shop and that failed!' so afraid review has to poor. The nearby cafe is not that good either but there is a hot food stall for take aways that looks promising

This was going to be our first UK afternoon tea, and perhaps expectations were too high. I should have known that tea for two should cost more than £15. The sandwiches left so much to be desired, as did everything else. The scones were cold as well. I asked to substitute espresso for the tea, and received regular coffee. Not impressed at all.

We came in after a drive to Duncansby Head to try a different place for a coffee. The espresso was good - and the scones were divine! They had been freshly baked and were warm from the oven. Huge, fluffy and home-cooked, served with butter and jam. I think the last time I had a scone which was this good was over ten years ago.The menu included lots of freshly made sandwiches - will definitely be back for another scone soon!

Simple review... only had a coffee but it was well priced, hot, and nicely tasting. Clean and friendly staff too

Visited on Saturday morning at 10am. There were a few tables of customers but it definitely wasn't full. The lady behind the counter said there was a 20 minute wait for food, which was fine so we ordered. I ordered beans on toast, which I felt was actually quite expensive at £3.50 considering they had 2 slices of toast on the menu for £1.20 (I think it was). My partner ordered the 6 item breakfast. Our food took 50 minutes to arrive which is ridiculous! If we hadn't paid already we would have walked out. The amount of beans I got with my toast was pathetic too. Definitely won't be returning or recommending to anybody.

Very friendly staff, the good tasted really good with good prices as well. We came in for the bathroom and thought buying some food would be better than paying for the public toilet, and ended up eating lunch there. The shop connected to the cafe has a good selection of souvenirs to browse from as well.

6 piece breakfast for 3.50 was cracking, well cooked by rosie. Excellent table service from Tracey too

I'm in a wheelchair and it's very difficult to enter the cafe but I was helped by rosie who then took my order at table very helpful food served quickly it tasted good I visited on the 4th July with my son and grandson all are food serve quickly hot and tasty. All of the staff was friendly. We ate bake potatoes tuna and cheese and cheese toastie and tea and cakes lovely thanks guys they really work hard frendly and chatty gave me ideas of places to visit in the highlands. I have been here before for breakfast that was also very good.

This is the second time I have visited this cafe. The first was 2 years ago and I can say it was a decent place. Unfortunately this time the staff we're unfriendly to the point of being abusive. They seemed to find my ordering a bacon roll and a cup of coffee too much effort for them. The food was rubbish. There was 2 staff working an older and younger woman. I asked for an americano but it had milk in it. When I asked for a replacement the older woman rolled her eyes, the younger one gave me a sympathetic look (she seems like the good one). What has changed in the last 2 years that this place has gone so far down hill? Avoid.

My wife and I ate a pleasant lunch here following our walk to Duncansby Head and back. A la carte it is not but it offers wholesome fare at reasonable prices prepared on site. The staff were hardworking and friendly.

Went in to have a bacon roll and sausages in a roll along with coffee before we caught the ferry. Bacon and sausages very hard and dry. Not cooked fresh just reheated. The cafe itself was very dirty. The cabinet which was housing food was a disgrace, unsure how they pass hygiene standards. Would not recommend and will certainly not be going back. The toilets filthy.

I cycled from inverness to john o groats and got caught in a torrential downpour upon reaching this establishment. As I walked in the door I was greeted with a very stern looking woman with glasses (like my old head mistress) who immediately told me remove my waterproof clothes as I was a health and safety hazard etc . I had only got 2 yards inside the door .. I was looking for the toilet to remove them in private but was told to take them off outside. I duly did this with a red face and then went to the cafe area . I asked for a roll in sausage and mug of tea from the assistant. While waiting the woman who I presume was the manageress by her badge came from the other end of shop to the cafe and proceeded to let rip at the young girl at the till about something she had or hadn't done . I felt embarrassed for the young assistant as it was clearly being overheard by customers . I at one point was going to get up and ask her to please refrain from being so confrontational to her staff in front of customers as I found it intimidating and uncomfortable as the assistants face was red and I think she was ready to burst into tears . The manageress eventually left and I eventually got my roll. It was terrible , the sausage was cold and hard, and I didn't eat it . I think it had been cooked but forgotten about as the commotion with staff seemed to be priority and not that of a paying customer. I have visited and enjoyed many EWMs throughout Scotland and the borders but felt this was more like a crèche with the attitude and behaviour of staff members. Surly staff issues should be dealt with either in private or at the end of day. I sat planning my next part of my journey out then left but not before saying good luck and goodbye to the young assistant . As I headed to the door and down 2 steps the "manageress" was heading back to the coffee shop end and I said goodbye in a polite manner but was totally ignored . Maybe some of the senior staff members need retraining as to their attitudes to both paying customers and staff confidentiality when confronting them and not in a public place where this can be overheard. A very thick and cold atmosphere in what should be a warm and inviting place to sit and enjoy a refreshing cuppa.

Had a little time to kill before catching the ferry over to Orkney so thought we would try a breakfast here. My GOD the worst breakfast I have ever had. Bacon was raw in the middle, Sausage (I think) it was a sausage anyway tried to cut into it would have needed a hammer & chisel to get through it, cold beans & very crunchy egg. Only saving grace was the cup of tea.

Very friendly and helpful staff, hot soup and a warm roll hit the spot. Mug of tea was great value. Tried a fruit scone, fresh out of the oven with butter - generously sized and light on the inside, plenty of fruit and a lovely light crust on the outside -

Popped in for lunch before our ferry trip. Only a restricted menu was available. Opted for Lentil soup which was hot and tasty, couldn't fault it. But the cafe itself was dirty, as were the Ladies toilets which were rather smelly.

Being a popular tourist spot we had expected better from this café. The building itself was disappointing, and the food was no better. The soup was thin, the coffee was uninteresting and the tuna melt was poor. All in all an underwhelming experience.

Went in for breakfast. Initially ignored then a mumbled ‘with you in a minute’. Waitress continued cleaning or something through the back area. After roughly 5 minutes of being ignored we left. Rude staff and wouldn’t return.

Simple menu of good decent grub and despite the remote location they don’t rip you off. Friendly service as well. We couldn’t fault it so give it a try if you make it this far north 👍

As always when touring the highlands it seems to be open season on tourists. Food average, coffee average, prices expensive, toilets dirty and smelly . Sorry but I won't be back

I always prefer the local coffee shop to the one serving Starbucks but this, was just a bad cup of coffee. If you believe bad coffee is better than no coffee, go for it but for me life's too short to drink this.

Very disappointing, no staff at counter when we entered the shop, there was hardly any food on show to entice us in, although all the other coffee shops in the area had customers this had none, a member of staff did get off her seat but stood as if we were disturbing her, we walked straight back out and went to another

Went for a spot of lunch & hot chocolates. Both had the soup & sandwich, very filling and full of flavour. Hot chocolate was very good, a contender to the Starbucks across the road!

went into this cafe for some lunch my husband and I had the lentil soup with a roll soup was very tasty we also couldn't resist a strawberry tart they were huge. Staff very pleasant. This cafe is in the Edinburgh woollen mill shop.

In through the back of the wool shop, basic tables, chairs scrape on the stone floor! Counter service, friendly and quick. Cream scone packed with whipped cream! Toilets ok

We got the sandwich of our choice with salad, a scone with jam and cream and a cake each all arranged nicely on a cake stand along with a pot of coffee for £12 and they are happy to bag up what you don't eat to take away.

We used it for breakfast , even though we stay in at the hotel 600yards up the roadi it was very reasonably priced for a fry up, considering where we were. The food was average not bad , could have cooked the bacon a bit more. Staff was friendly, and when told them they had forgotten our tea it came swiftly with an apology. There was a sort of gift and clothing dept attached to the cafe. The usual over priced stuffs. Nothing more. Its a very welcoming place to be when the weather catches you out while you are outside photographing the mileage sign to New York.

travelled up to John O'Groats on a wet and miserable day had a lovely dinner and reasonably priced would definetly go again if in the area

I was desperate for a nice latte when I arrived at JohnO'Groats in the late morning so went to this place. Staff was not very friendly I am afraid to say, not what I am used to in Scotland. I ordered my latte but to my disgust the espresso was not freshly made but was already prepared in a cup standing next to the espresso machine :-( The milk at least was freshly steamed, but way too hot so I couldn't drink the latte for another 45 minutes. Needless to say that it also did not taste so well.

Avant de partir promener vers Duncansby head, cette cafétéria propose la formule du thé pour deux à 12£ : pot de thé, sandwichs thon, jambon, fromage, scones avec crème et confiture, muffins à la crème (trop sucrés à mon goût) ! S'il fait beau, préférez la terrasse à la salle intérieure.

Normalmente nos visita cada vez que se encuentran en esta zona, la comida es buena y el personal es servicial, cuando el clima no es tan bueno es agradable tener un vistazo a el departamento de lugar perfecto donde encontrar algo abrigadito, me gusta mis...

Auf unserem Ausflug nach John O' Groats wollten wir natürlich eine Tasse Tee trinken und kamen an diesem Tearoom vorbei....

Teníamos su £12 oferta de té para dos con bocadillos, bollos y bizcochos. Muy bien presentado en un stand tarta. Buenas tazas de té. Hizo un almuerzo abundante. No podíamos manejar las tartas cup, así que tomó distancia con nosotros.

Popped in here for a pot of decaf tea and a scone to warm me up a bit a the weather was not that great rain and a biting wind.The tea was just as good as any were and scone was very good as well.

When the rain is coming horizontally..... A cup of coffee at Roads Ends Cafe is really nice. Thank you very much ladies, it was needed:-) /JK

Stopped for a quick photo as you do, decided to have a coffee and a hot Panini here. Food was very nice, staff were very friendly.Would go back.

Had a most enjoyable afternoon tea , reasonable priced too. For £12 we had 2 sandwiches, 2 scones, jam and cream, 2 cupcakes, and a pot of tea, so lovely and filling, was also told that if we couldn't eat it all they would give us a bag, didn't need the latter as we demolished it, lovely cup of tea,

A love cafe with amazing views good mocha served a little bit windy out side but what else do you expect Bit limited on the cake choice

Very much in need of some tlc but staff friendly & strawberry tarts amazing. Slightly overpriced but very much enjoyed it.

Enjoyed a great value for money afternoon tea here last week on way to Orkney ferry, it really set us up for the rest of the day. Tasty sandwiches, scones and cupcakes along with beverage of choice £12 for two. Service was friendly and efficient, highly recommended.

I can strongly recommend the tea special which comes with a sandwich, tea or coffee (i paid extra for the cappuccino), homemade cup cake and scones. Delicious, can strongly recommend. My partner, however did not enjoy her lentil soup, but loved her fruit scone!

We found this café a couple of years ago - it's part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill building. The range of food is not as wide as in a large restaurant but two types of soup with a choice of three or four cooked meals as well as snacks and sandwiches available until 5pm. Elaine and her colleagues were so helpful, even deviating from the printed menu to accommodate allergies. We ate there most days when in John O'Groats.

There is a great range of really good value savoury and sweet dishes. The quality is high, the meals we had were first class. There are plenty of tables and the turnover is quick so if it's packed, wait a couple of minutes and you should be ok. Staff friendly and chatty.

Me and my wife had a lovely coffee and a fruit tart here. It was very nice. Nice view to sit and relax in the sunshine. Would return..

A good place to stop for a quick bite. The food was good for sandwiches and soup. The toilets were clean and functional. The cafe is combined with a woolen store.

We visited there in May 2016, it was unbelievably windy and cold, it was nice to buy a lovely fleece blanket there which was half price as well. Nice store

Friendly staff and polite, so can forgive any slowness of service. Nice cuppa and home made scones

Popped in here with my partner for quick snack and a coffee while making a visit to john o'groats, it was quirky but nothing special, the staff were lovely and friendly, we had cake and coffee, both really nice, the place could probable do with a refurbishment but it wouldn't stop me coming back if it wasn't done.

We popped in here for a quick refuel, it's a standard cafe. The staff are friendly and welcoming, it's quite large and the food is decent quality. There is nothing exceptional about this cafe it just does what you'd expect.If I was to visit John O'Groats again I'd have no dramas using this cafe again and based on this experience I'd be happy to recommend it.

Small cafe. Ok for a quick bite and a few mins rest. Staff polite and caring. Cheepish. Not much on the menu but all ok. Clean and tidy.

Cheap and cheerful, food was ok and sensible prices, place is a bit dated but the staff are friendly and it is well kept

Popped in here a few times now and yes it's a bit old and dated but you ain't got much choice , tea is always hot and the food has always been great , toilets are clean and it's pretty cheap ....

Popped in for a bowl of soup which was named "Vegetable Soup" veg looked like from a bag, oily liquid formed on top. If you visit pick something else, hope you can see the pic.

Popped in here with my husband & daughter for quick snack. We had lattes cappuccino & lovely freshly baked scones which were very tasty. Prices are reasonable and staff are helpful/friendly. We will definitely be going back to sample more of their food!

John o' Groats is a Landmark in the UK......which is visited by many who I have no doubt realise how isolated it is....so it was a pleasure to see a nice little cafe' offering decent food. Our party of 4 however, only required coffees & cakes.......which were delicious.....Staff were very polite and attentive.

I don't know what people expect. Yes john o groats is famous. But not many people get here I suppose. Even in late August on a windy day hardly anybody about. A welcome cup of tea, latte an Eiffel Tower cake and fresh homemade scone. Staff lovely, it's more like a greasy spoon, but if don't like that go across the road !!!

After a long drive we were a little underwhelmed that there wasn't much to do or see here, we did ask what there was to do and we were told to go to a different town!We decided to have a drink to warm us up and popped into this cafeWe had a cream tea, £5 each for a sandwich, scone, jam and fresh cream and a pot of tea which we felt was excellent valueThe place is very basic but the food was fresh, sandwiches well filled and scones were delightful

On arriving a John o groats we needed some lunch and saw this cafe there, we walked through the shop to find this pokey cramped cafe that when trying to get to the counter you felt everyone had to move a little bit so you could pass, the lady serving ( who I think was the owner ,certainly in charge ) was very abrute, I asked if they did toasted sandwiches she said they could toast anything that was in their chill cabinet but everything had salad in it ( we didn't fancy toasted salad ) so we chose one ham salad and one chicken salad sandwich and two mugs of instant coffee total bill £11.00 the next day in tesco in wick we got two sanwchies for£ 4.90 and they were much better filled. The sandwiches ar road end were so poorly filled the tomato and cuecumber so thinly slice you could see through it and the chicken had such tiny pieces . There are also NO views from the cafe which I think is disappointing .

Just what we wanted. A nice plate of soup and a sandwich. Served by lovely friendly staff. The soup was wonderful should have ordered the large. Great little cafe - no trimmings just good wholesome cafe fare. Great prices and clean.

Definitely a basic restaurant, attracting a lot of families. It is right at the area where the sign is so lots of folks pass by. We had a basic lunch with coffee. It filled us up and was inexpensive. The staff was very friendly and helpful. A good place for families on a budget