The Blue Bell Lodge Restaurant in Middlesbrough

Great place to have some drinks with friends with amazing food and good music all night long. Would definitely recommend to family/ friends! Great service from Amiee, Tegan and Ella !!

Lovely staff, especially Kirsty who is great to talk to! Very accommodating and nice clean bar area! Great breakfast. Perfect for when working away!

We were given a very warm welcome by Kirsty the lounge area very clean&tidy. All staff very pleasant will be going again.

Staff were very warm and friendly. Good buffet provided - range of food including vegan options. Very positive experience.

Good food good price and pub quiz at the same time can’t go wrong, BBQ mac burger was nice, onion rings spot on.

I would like to give Harry a big thank you for helping with my dad who had collapsed in the restaurant and went out of his way to help my dad and mum and my wife reassuring them and phoning 999 to help us ...what a top fellow worth his weight in gold a total credit to the blue bell

Family friendly pub great value for a family especially for a family of 5. Lovely atmosphere great service and the food was fantastic. I would recommend a trip in.

We come here every other week for Sunday lunch and never had any complaints. Friendly staff, competitive prices and the food is always lovely homemade fresh food. I prefer a carvery as I love roasties but not mash and I like to be able to choose the veg I want on my plate. The puddings and gravy are lovely too.Keep up the good work 5 stars from me.

This place "boasts a welcoming atmosphere & extremely friendly staff" Clearly not today!!!! The friendly staff must have been having a day off. After laying my brother to rest in the crematorium; myself and my other 4 brothers, 5 sisters and my elderly parents hoped to meet for drink/meal - adhering to the COVID rules and socially distancing. Upon arrival we were met with the worst customer service i've ever known (and I've travelled the globe!!!) Even when there was only 2 family members there was rudeness from the start!!! My sister left in sheds of tears and even after explaining our situation and that we were all IMMEDIATE family members who had laid our brother to rest the small, blonde, old looking woman with specs just shrugged her shoulders and left us just walk away. Admittedly the old bald man said he is sorry I was left feeling this way but did not attempt to rectify the situation and as a result we left to go a 4 minute car journey to the Rudds Arms where we received a 5*++++ service, the overall service was quick and prompt, food was amazing (and actually cheaper) and the COVID restrictions were actually tighter yet we had a much more welcoming experience? I WILL NEVER STEP FOOT IN THE BLUE BELL HOTEL AGAIN - NOR WILL ANY OF MY FAMILY!!!!!!

Disappointing lunch. Very poor quality food, unappetising pub grub. Staff ok apart from the girl behind the bar, Alexandra I think, very miserable, no chat or eye contact. Won’t be going back

Saved me cooking and pot washing but that's where it ends. Very poor quality, just cooked frozen veg including the potatoes. Was also cold but most carverys are. Cranberry sauce tasted of mint. Gravy wasn't labelled. If you want better quality meal go elsewhere. Sorry won't be coming back.

Had a great stay here. Rooms have everything you need. Breakfast is brilliant. The staff are helpful and friendly. I would definitely stay again. I've recommended it to family and friends who are thinking about coming down from scotland.

Food ok and decent prices had the mixed grill however it seems people at the bar can summon the only barmaid to serve them before an orderly queue of at least 10 other people so rude I was in the process of ordering deserts but stormed out in protest

Wow! Where to begin???!!! Walked into the reception (receptionist barely acknowledged me) and gave me the ket to the room. I walked up the stairs, the hallway carpets were worn and threadbare in places and got to my assigned room. Looked at the lock and it looked as if the door had been kicked in! Went back down to reception and told the receptionist about it, he shrugged his shoulders and 'oh, yeah' and just gave me another key. Not a great start. When I finally got into my room, there were suspect stains on the carpet and the whole room smelled a bit 'fusty' The bed wasn't particularly comfortable. The fire alarm went off twice during the night for what seemed to be no reason. The bar was quite lively, its seems to be a bit of a 'locals' type place. Everyone chatting and seeming to know each other. The staff were friendly enough. Menu was standard pub fayre and wasn't that expensive. To be honest, it wasn't that great either. I ordered nachos once and they came out burnt. All in all, not a great experience. Definitely would never stay there again. Not even as a last resort.

came for a meal I was bad after had my meal and the toilets are not clean this pub wants to be closed down this is not the place tto be in at all the toilets and the pub is not clean at all people that come in must have had food posining and not had nice meals and if people that have kids might want to be careful what the kids eat and might want to check that the toilets are clean before going and sitting down before going to the toilet and makes sure the food is cooked before they eat it that's why had food posining

Last time I ate here it was very poor. I had the fish which looked good but inside the batter it was some sort of grey mush. Never again.The drinks are very expensive and the staff, although trying hard, are no experts at pulling it. The cider was undrinkable and had to be tipped out several times.The clientele is a mix of quiet, older regulars and loud, sweary, tattooed chaps with ear-piercingly wives and partners.What do you expect when a once superior estate pub advertises Male Strippers next to 'Breakfast with Santa'.Oh, and the all-pervading smell from the toilets is getting worse!

Visited recently for Friday evening tea, been here many times as it’s local even though bar prices are not the cheapest. My husband and I both ordered our meals and were surprised by the small portions when they arrived, considering we had paid over £10 each. Main issue was the chips. As well as there only being a handful they were actually frozen chips. When a staff member came to us and asked it everything was ok, I was honest as I feel establishments cannot rectify the issue if you don’t tell them there and then so I said it was disappointing from previous visits and that I was surprised to be served frozen chips. He replied that if we wanted upgrades they had to be ordered and extra money paid which we had been unaware of. He apologised but made no attempt to rectify or offer us an upgrade, which we would have paid for even though I feel that is penny-pinching. I can’t help but think that this pub now is all about charging more for less. Incidentally the food used to be delicious. I will say it was edible and we did eat it but all in all a disappointing visit.

Popped in on Saturday and grabbed a mixed platter and a couple of drinks. Just over £15 and we were full. All good quality too. Staff all great. Emma & Dan are spot on.

Visited for carvery which I love but lady serving wasn't very friendly and was stingy with the meat. Good range of accomplinents Drinks not particularly cheap compared to other places in Boro.

Carvery nice enough, kids meals were really quite small and not much choice. Could do with a bit better organisation, the queue was really quite big for the carvery. Staff were really nice and friendly.

They do a lovely sunday carvery here, much better than the ordinary menu. It is really busy around lunch time so I rang up to see what time they served till and was told 7pm. We arrived just after 5pm to find it all closed up. We were told they serve til 7 or till the food ran out but that wasn't mentioned on the phone.

Really enjoyed my food I had the parmo with homemade chips and was the best I have tried the staff were very welcoming , friendly and helpful especially lewis who served our food and the manager on the bar Chris was very polite and welcoming to I would recommend to anyone to try as was worth every penny

Went out for some food and drinks with a england game on it was a Monday and it was very busy but was actually very organised the girl Who served our food was very polite her name was Kirsty ( as I asked another member of staff )she was very friendly and helpful and went out of her way , I would highly recommend the place to eat and drink as was a brilliant atmosphere and everything was to a high standard and England won which made it even better we had a few of the planks to eat and we’re Lovely

Me and my wife took advantage of the hot weather for a lovely lunch whilst the kids were at school.

On good points: staff are friendly and helpful. Room was basic but lovely and clean. Having fresh clean bedding and towels is really appreciated.

Taps in the toilet broken Hand dryer broken Food was ok but looked nothing like it did on the menu. Fairly priced Nice staff

We came as a family for a bite to eat and a couple of drinks. Mary was absolutely fantastic. Attentive, friendly, informative and most of all knowledgable. She helped us make things more comfortable for our 10 month old son which made our visit much more enjoyable.

We booked a small, informal wake. The Acklam menu turned out to be delicious, especially the quiche. The service, attentiveness, drinks, space and layout were all entirely satisfactory. Thanks very much to everyone at the Blue Bell for coming up with the goods at a difficult time, making everything so smooth. Much appreciated.

Perfect service from recenption from the beautiful leanne 10/10 also great table service from emily h

Food excellent as usual impeccable service from Mary on food and Jackie at the bar would definitely recommend

Bit rough and ready, once the queues get large it gets messy and scruffy. Not for a relaxing Sunday lunch certainly but nice staff and the the portions are generous.

I booked table on friday for family birthday meal on Sunday. When we arrived were informed we sorry but no table available as we are very busy.this really went down well daughter in law on her birthday.I rang to complain on Monday after speaking to manager was informed we were very busy . Yes you were but you always recommend booking which l did .so why did you take booking if you cold not accomodate us .but manager said if you book again we make sure you get table . I dont think so got impression get as many people in as there can very poor service to the customer. I have no intention evrr booking again here.

Very pleased with the room looks like it has just been refurbished. Beds comfy and lovely bathroom. Corridor areas look like they need a bit of decoration but the room was very good for what you pay. Nice bar area with nice breakfasts.

We stopped going here for a while as it was always so busy and we sometimes struggled to get a seat, also seats in room where cavery is gets way too hot to sit in.

We went for the Sunday Carvery - table booked for 12.30. There was a bit of confusion at first as...

I eat here quite often and the food is usually pretty good so we decided to try the Sunday Carvery....

The place was quiet on Tuesday lunchtime. We had a comfortable bench seat and chairs in a sunny room. The...

Been to Blue Bell 3 times as it's not very far from home, the fish@chips are good as I've had...

I have been critical of the food here in the past, but called in for the carvery on Sunday and...

Op weg naar Schotland komen we in dit hotel terecht. Na aankomst meldden we ons bij de bar en ondanks de drukte in de pub werden we direct en allervriendelijkst ingecheckt en konden we naar onze eenvoudige kamer aan de binnenzijde van het hotel zodat we geen last hadden van het verkeer (het hotel ligt aan een drukke rotonde). Goed bed, wat gedateerde douche en kamer, met voldoende comfort.

Mi marido y yo fuimos un domingo y nos gustó, aunque hacía frío me informó de que uno de los camareros le dijeron que le permitirán conocer. volvimos chef el domingo siguiente y estaba indignado. Nunca nos comimos hasta las 4. 00 y fue un desastre que difícilmente cualquier zona izquierda y servir verduras estaba sucia, me preguntó si me estaba cualquier salsa dijeron no. Me quejé de nuevo como mi factura no estaba reflejando la que me no vegetales y sirve la comida era tan inútil. Realmente decepcionado con el personal que realmente no tienen habilidades de servicio al cliente.

I only stayed one night. That was probably enough. Not a bad room, not brilliant. Just an average budget room. A comfortable bed, a tv. Not much more you need on an overnight stay. What did make me giggle was the sink tap, when you turn the tap on, the whole tap turned, not just the top. So it was a bit of a pain. I didn't pay a lot, so I guess you get what you pay for.

Considering the doorstep funeral trade they get, the food is awful. It closed down for a refurb couple of years ago, not only was the refurb terrible but the food was no better. Probably get a better meal at Macdonalds up the road and that is saying something

Went to the bluebell on Saturday for a family event the staff were respectful and took time with us all.Very nice and lovely little function room well done bluebell

Stayed at the bluebell again and wasn't disappointed. Outside seating area had been enlarged including a fair sized covered area with heating ,lights , pool table and a tv .9 of us sat down for an evening meal and no complaints.the pic attached was the "royal challenge ". Decent choice of drinks including 4 real ales on offer and a capacino machine. Friendly staff.Breakfast was pretty standard but adequate enough from the all you can eat full English , cereals juices available. Will be back.

Wouldn't dream of charging nearly double for drinks simply because you close family member has passed away But the "bluebell do" Thank you

Staff are very friendly (except one male) the food is as good as you would expect for the money sometimes better and the pub has a nice atmosphere, it's a shame it doesn't start attracting decent singing acts as it used to in the past.

Attended a paid for function with spread after a Funeral Service. Advised to pay for parking, and it would be refunded inside. On entering - bar staff refused to refund, and said they would only take money of bar drinks, However the food and drinks had been pre paid as part of the arrangements. However the staff did hand out a free parking ticket to number of people arriving later and not purchasing parking ticket. Cark park was virtually empty btw. Thinking of post funeral spead - try elsewhere ( unless you want to be charge for paying respects)

I've given the Bluebell 1star because it won't let me give minus scores!!! Room.. pokey and dirty! Sleep... woken up by fire alarm TWICE!!! .. breakfast... every item cold,toaster broken,no butter,tea and coffee cold. Honestly this place used to be fantastic I've stayed here many times but it's gone downhill to the point of awful.

Our first time here and will defiantly be returning. Amazing food couldn't fault anything. Really lovely Sunday dinner.

Today we went to the blue bell hotel in acklam, we got to the very busy queue in the carvery and enjoyed our first course even though no one came to ask how anything was, I then got up and ordered a plain vanilla ice cream and a chocolate fudge cake, after 15minutes nothing had arrived so I asked a member of staff that said it will be 2 minutes. Mine came 10 minutes after I'd spoken to the staff the fudge cake was cold and had clearly been waiting there for a long time. After half an hour the ice cream came with chocolate sauce, even though we asked for plain, it had to be taken back and re made. My experiance was very bad and I didn't enjoy it I wouldn't go back.

I love the blue bell it amazing the sunday roasts are to die for and the puddings are bigger then my head haha, but in total i love it always go!!

Visited here for buffet Sunday lunch thought very little of cooking standard's looked a bit mass produced. Roast potatoes were really nice and Yorkshire puddings were good too but veg let it down. Been here before and sampled its large menu but cooking is nothing to write home about. Such shame the bar staff are really friendly.

Have eaten here before a few times. Previous visits for food were only average. Not sure if they've changed the menu or something but we loved it this time! Nachos, mixed grill and wine and lager. Loved it!

Well where do I start?! Had booked a table for 8 for a party night on the 3rd December. I was contacted on the 1st of December that they were cancelling due to a flood and asked if we could pick another day. I informed them that there was no way we could pick another night as we all work for the NHS and work shifts, so trying to get us all off on the same weekend won't happen anytime soon. I was offered a meal in the restaurant instead but the whole point of the night out was for the disco/karaoke so declined this. Obviously I was really annoyed by being let down at such short notice and mentioned to the lad on the phone that they would be no way we would get booked in anywhere else, he replied 'yea you're right, you probably won't get in anywhere now'. Didn't seem to care less and no apology given. I was told I would be called back later with regards to our refund but wasn't. In the mean time my friend had rang head office due to her finding out that her Mum was booked in on the party night which was to be held on the 2nd December (the night before ours!). So seemed strange that this was going ahead but ours was cancelled???!!!! Especially as this was on the day before. The reply was that the flood wasn't as bad as they first thought so the nights could go ahead apart from ours as everyone else (except us) were able to pick an alternative date (lucky them!). No one knew why the later date was cancelled first. So that was that! I had to ring on 3rd to request my refund and explained that I needed it ASAP. I was told by the lad on the phone that he would refund it but couldn't guarantee it would go though straight away! Strange how the general public can do bank transfers and it happens within 2 hours?? It didn't go into my account so more money had to be spend on our night out (couldn't get booked in anywhere but had an awesome night in the micro pubs!). I rang again on the 5th to request my refund and the lady I spoke to was very helpful and explained that the others I had spoken to hadn't asked for my card details and as they don't keep this info on file there was no way they could refund me!!! So everyone else I had spoken with were completely incompetent!!! Money finally went into my account on the 6th!So basically ruined (well almost) our Christmas night out and then held on to our money! I certainly won't be rushing back there and I would advise people to stay well clear unless they want disappointment!

Myself my Daughter & Grandson all had a carvery, the food was lovely, there was plenty of choice to pick from, my Grandson even got to meet Santa there & recieved some sweets which was all free, I will definitely be coming again.

Had an excellent meal on a Thursday evening. The bar was busy and vibrant but the staff were friendly and attentive, recommending meals and sides rather than just talking you into buying more. There were excellent recommendations from an Eastern European girl "Nataliá" who took the order. Another lad and lass served the food with smiles and checked all was good. 4 people, with food and drink and £50. Thanks!

2 meals out of 3 were sent back, food was terrible, service was even worse. Would never go back. Food items were missing off 2 plates, one food item was stone cold. Bar staff not bothered at all. Truly awful experience and not cheap either!

We had a lovely Sunday roast at the blue bell at only £8 per adult and £5 per child it is very cheap it is a carvery, but it's cheap and cheerful. we often come here and it's always packed but it's worth the wait the only thing is you have to pay for parking although you get it back

Came here for a carvery on a Sunday. It was £7.99 so not too bad on price. It was packed and we had to walk around looking for a table for ages after we'd already paid, which I thought was a bit strange. Anyway we got sat down eventually and after a long wait in the queue we finally got our food ! You get a lot of meat. And you pick your own Yorkshire puddings which I appreciated!! Proper yorkshires as well, not aunt Bessie's. And they do 2 types of mash. Food tasted really nice, no complaints really. Except that the plates are tiny. Wouldn't rush back but it was okay.

The food was really unappetising, similar to pub grub of years ago, nothing seemed to be freshly made, it appeared to be frozen pre-prepared or boil in a bag type fare; most disappointing.

A hat-trick of annoy snippets to kick things off. Firstly having to pay for the parking (yes you get it back, but annoying trying to find a pound coin). Then asking a waitress whether there was mash on the carvery only to be told "I presume so." What use is that!? And then finally buying a pint of juice and not getting it filled. Still we were here now so ordered our food - there was mash! Another annoying thing was the que both in length and how long it took to move, especially as it passed he door to the toilets - which people obviously needed to go in and out of. The food itself actually saved this review, as almost everything the carvery was delicious. 3 lovely tender meats (beef, gammon and turkey) 2 types of MASH! And lost of other veg and Yorkshires! Excuse the messy plate!

Worst breakfast I have ever had in a UK Hotel. Breakfast was from 7am till 10 am. it seems it seems the breakfast was put under the heating lights at 7 am almost raw so that it has not dried out by 10am. I came down at 7.30 and the breakfast was so under cooked it was inediable. Complain there was no one to complain to. No staff, help yourself cereal and coffee, make your own toast on a toaster that made hot bread OR came out on fire! Stay there again but no Breakfast.

Popped along for a family lunch. It was OK service was fine, food was ok, as I was expecting really. I would go back as it's within walking distance from my home and I take it as it is.

Service ok, food was responsible for the starter, but the main course was just not nice. The chicken burger was chicken filet things- overlooked so hard to eat, the rack of ribs seemed like they were boiled and the sauce added as an after though and the coleslaw was off! No thanks

Scruffy , due to staff being ran ragged , turnover of staff is ridiculous the place is an absolute goldmine , constantly advertising for staff, so whats the matter the management or management companies demands, Absolutely failing.

I've been eating at the Blue Bell on business trips since 2001. It has gone through a number of changes over the years, but still serves traditional pub grub at an honest price along with a good selection of beers.My only criticism is that the Blue Bell seems more geared to football fans than diners as there is no escape from large screen TV's showing football most evenings.

This is a busy bar/restaurant, with the majority of staff being young but with a good, friendly approach though a bit slow. The menu is similar to many cheap chain hotels - plenty of variety. Unfortunately the quality of the food left a lot to be desired, only average in taste or value. The (vegetarian) nachos came with extra sour cream as they'd run out of guacamole! On the way out we noticed a sign advertising for a Chef. Aha! Won't be back.

We have been customers of The Blue Bell Hotel for many years so this is why we booked the hotel for our daughter’s 18th birthday party. Overall we all enjoyed the night but it could have been better. We had a few issues with the booking from the beginning and had to keep checking on the arrangements.The buffet – we had requested to change the set menu, selecting two items from the slightly pricier menu and removing two items. A member of staff telephoned us to confirm the menu and gave us a revised price which we accepted. However, on the evening we didn't receive all of the items we had ordered and this left our guests without sufficient food. Quite embarrassing. The Blue Bell have since given compensation after we contacted them to express our disappointment.The room – this was excellent. Newly decorated and they allowed us to add our own party decorations.The disco – we booked their resident DJ (Parmo disco). Prior to the evening we gave them a full play list and arranged to play photos on the screen of our daughter, from her childhood. They even went around taking photos of the guests which was great.The bar staff – worked hard to make sure our guests were served. We couldn’t fault them.The car parking – we only found out about the new car parking charges on the afternoon when we went to set up the room. We arranged with the reception staff that guests could get a permit to park for free, all evening. However, when our first guests arrived this was refused. A change of staff had not passed on the message. We spoke to the staff on reception and the agreement was honoured, all be it begrudgingly. The toilets – some of the facilities were poor with one ladies toilet out of action. Further toilets in the main bar were not pointed out to us on the evening.Sadly, some of the staff were not very accommodating. They should be polite and not so argumentative.Recommendations to anyone booking: Get any changes to menu in writing from the hotel so you do not have a problem with your booking.

I would never go to the Blue Bell again. It does well for after funeral groups from the nearby crematorium but even when prior booked for this purpose they now charge for parking. I would advise people to use the Golf club instead which is nearby. The buffet was mediocre too.

Very reasonably priced, staff always helpful and friendly. Warm, welcoming atmosphere. Food hot and fresh. Definitely try the 2 for 1 deserts. Personal favourite is the hunters chicken, worth while paying the extra£1.50 to double up your portion.

My daughter grandaughter and dad went for a meal there wer two barstaff on and very slow I asked did they do a children's menu and he said yes it what it usually is baring in mind I live in Manchester and had never been bluebell before how did I know what food they did for children the place we're cold no heating on and a que a mile long for Carvery I would never go here again staff very unhelpful

We booked the blue bell for my mums 90 th birthday. The room was free providing we had their buffet. We ordered the hignet menu for 50 people and we ordered some extras. We paid £356.00. We had some requirements regarding any kind of sauce or Mayo not to be put on sandwiches but to be put in a bowl seperate . The sandwiches were beef / cheese and pickle/ and Tuna .We were assured that would be fine. The day came and the food came out .....,What a dissopintment. There were sandwiches WE DID NOT ORDER, such as corination chicken and colesaw on buns. These both looked sloppy and just plain nasty. The pizza wasn't what we ordered and the base was uncooked. There were more sausage rolls and nuts than anything else. We had a lot of food left over and it wasn't until we got home we realised that most of it was the sandwiches that looked like they had just been thrown together. The cheese cake was curdled.... And the gale pie was not gale pie. Several of our guests commented on how the blue bell had let us down regarding the buffet. The staff were not nice at all. When we went to decorate the room there was a lady stomping about and we over heard her say ' I don't do party's I am better with funerals' charming!! We asked for a comfy chair for my elderly mum and we were told, no we don't have one. Another member of the family asked someone else who promptly got my mum a comfy chair. They made us lattes with out the milk and some guests complained the cups were dirty. We feel totally ripped off.. We have complained and got back a poor reply from the manager who didn't address all our complaint. Avoid booking here... Do not waste your money....The food is just awful.

A good choice of food including vegetarian quick service food well presented and hot. Very affordable.

The carvery at the blue bell is great. With plenty to chose from and not that expensive. Even tho it gets busy you aren't rushed to Finnish your meal.

Went here for a wake after a funeral, they do a lot of these prob 2 or more every day, so one would expect it to be good.The buffet was poor in selection a few open sandwiches, jalapeños fried with cheese, sausage rolls and cheese rolls, everything was very dry like it had been prepared for hours, not enough staff to cope with the bar and our group. I think people use this place because it is close to the crem, I would look else where

First time we had visited this pub/hotel and frankly never again was a total let down.They advertise " try the famous Middlesbrough Parmo" well if this was the famous parmo then Middlesbrough better find a new claim to fame,I have seen better food threw in the bin,the chicken was as thin as a fag paper it was over cooked and flavour less after one bite it was left such a dissappointment,chips were so greecie you could tell they were warm ups.The waitress asked if everything was ok and I expressed my opinion ,she went into the kitchen then came out and spoke to another gentleman she came back and said we will give you your money back for the parmo, I declined the offer telling her that it's not about the money it's the fact that they think it's ok to serve food of that standard.No apology but we would not recommend this place to other visitors.we have had better food out of a polystyrene cartons.

Had the burger and drink deal was very nice will be going again. Had onion rings to where very crispy and quick service and very clean.

Stayed for one night whilst visiting friends. Nice room, clean facilities, staff friendly tasty bar food.

Have not stated in any rooms.Since new management took over have been the bar for drinks and meals.Food has been excellent and well priced so will be calling in more oftenFriendly staff and enjoyable place just to have drinks with friendsThanks

A very nice restaurant,plenty of space,different size tables for small or large parties.Excellent service,very pleasant staff,nothing was to much trouble.Food was very good and well presented.Very reasonable prices,and have two meals for a set price,very good.Well worth a visit.

Had lovely time again today meeting up with friends for Xmas meal. Good food and company. Staff friendly and on the ball as usual.

We decided to go to the Bluebell for Sunday carvery; 2 adults and 3 children. We hadn't booked and it was very busy but we waited only a few mins and were shown to a table in the bar. The lady said other people who hadn't booked were moving reserved signs off tables and just sitting there anyway which obviously caused problems. There was a longer than average wait in the queue for the carvery but the food ok, nothing special. I agree with another review about some people being "rough and ready". The staff were friendly and helpful. I would go back if it was a lot quieter because it wasn't a relaxing Sunday dinner.

My last visit, at the weekend, was very disappointing. The lodge is not only a hotel but includes a rowdy bar and function room.It now seems to be attracting a much more 'rough and ready' clientele than the last time I was in, which in my opinion, is due to the kind of entertainment they are providing (namely male strippers).To add insult to injury this pub tries to promote itself as a "Family Friendly Venue" which appears contradictory when this type of entertainment is on offer.Avoid if you want a quiet, relaxing, up-market experience

Visited the Blue Bell for the carvery. Was ok. Paid £8 beef was dry and over cooked for my liking, the gravy was too thin and the broccoli had been there for too long.It wasn't terrible, the gammon was nice and the mash was good. Wasn't wowed by the food but for £8 you can't really complain.

We recently visited here as a family group of 5 for tea for my partners birthday. We had been informed it had recently been refurbished. Upon arrival it you could see the venue was freshly decorated and looked very nice. It was very busy but as to be expected due to the location and new refurb. We all ordered something different only to be told by the bar staff certain items weren't available then they asked another member of staff who said check the kitchen. The items were in fact in so maybe a bit more efficiency at the bar.I was informed the steak salad was beautiful, the curry was average, the broccoli pasta tasted like a microwave meal unfortunately so was a let down. The regular chips were under done. The two other diners had burgers, one being the pulled pork beef burger and the other the inferno. The inferno was not hot at all even when more hot sauce was added but the burger itself was good. The pulled pork was delicious and they would get it again. The general atmosphere although busy was lovely and very welcoming. I feel you are lacking in vegetarian options so maybe look at that in the near future but the rest of the menu is very diverse.Hopefully in a few weeks things will have improved after all has settled down and we would gladly return with some adjustments mentioned.

We had a carvery with 2 meats proper mushy peas and lots more it was beautiful, we sat at the back of the bar area which was nice the room where the carvery was looked like a school canteen don't let that put u off cos u can sit any where, the breakfast was beautiful a bit to much really tea coffee toast and jams and all cereals and stuff well worth a visit x

Look up the hotel and reviews on Tripadvisor. No very many good ones at all. Understandably!Breakfast was swimming in oil.....more calories in one meal than the RDA for an adult for a day!

We often go to this pub for Sunday lunch because to be quite honest its cheaper than buying a joint and vegEverything is always cooked nicelyI can recommend this restaraunt/pub

had a meal here last week and have to say this is the worst meal we have ever had,made a complaint to staff twice but just laughd at us and ask us to move because the tables were needed for a funeral party,the must be the worst pub on teesside.

went here for a sunday carvery after talking to some friend's as they said it had been taken over after the last pub chain had gone bust and were now under new management, and we were not disappointed,got there about 1pm and it was very busy which is a good sign, got our ticket's from the bar, large plate, £6.99, small plate, £3.95 and they also done baby bowl's for small children at £1.50, great idea, the usual 3 meat's, yorkshire pudding's at various sizes which was good, mushy peas, roast pot's and parsnips, green veg and carrots, the standard seasonal vegetables, plenty of side's, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, mint etc, the plates were hot which i like and the food was hot, this let's a lot of other places down,they also do a range of main course's, steak pie, pasta arrabiatti, steak, fish and chips, beef curry, spare rib's,dessert's, cookie cup, chocolate brownie, chocolate fudge all with ice cream, apple crumble with custard and vanilla cheescake with berrie's, the drinks were very cheap, i had a pint of draught courage and got a j2o orange, both came to just over £3, that's value, a very good range of draught's, they don't seem to be ripping customers of over the price of drink's,if they keep this standard up i can see this being the the talk of the sunday carver's in our area,alan

I met with family for a get together and it was my sugestion to go to the Blue Bell as there had been an advertisement for a new menu,What a let down, we ordered 2 southern chicken wraps mine was burnt the other had a hair on the chips, the chicken &sweet chilli noodles was made with reformed chicken and thick noodles, the curry & chips was a curry sauce served in a jug that was tasteless, Never again.

Very nice carvery, the meat was delicious, the yorkshire puds probably the best I've ever had, very generous amounts of veg, will definitely go back. However, they need to sort their desserts out, worst I've ever had, we left them. Service was fantastic and very friendly.

Visited this place twice in the last two weeks and have been very impressed with the food here. You have a choice of four meats beef lamb pork or gammon. I had a slice of them all and they were delicious. There is a good variety of veg and the yorkshire puddings are huge. The gravey for me is perfect. Four adults one child a bottle of rose wine a pint and three cokes only came to £40 so really good value for your money. The desserts are aldo really good and well worth the money. Staff are also very pleasant and helpful, asked were the pork crackling was next ghinb we knew they brought out a big bowl full it was scrumptious. I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys this type of carvery much better the all the other one I have tried locally and I have ate at most of them. Would I visit again too bloody sure I will excellant food and value for money.