The Border Gate in Carlisle

Came to this restaurant as part of our stay at the adjoined premier inn. Firstly, I arrived at this food place for dinner before staying in the hotel. I had an exquisite burger, which was incredibly tasty, but the service could have been quicker. There appeared to be only one waitress actually doing their job as all the others were busy chatting to each other, but this wasn't a major issue as the food more than made up for it. The second experiencehere was for breakfast the next morning, and it was an incredible experience. It was an all you can eat breakfast, which made it rather well priced for the amount of food you can receive.

Booked a meal for 18.30 . Told it was busy 20 / 30 minutes for meal .I asked if this was 20/ 30 minutes or 50 mins .No it will only be 20/30 . Ordered and waited 52 mins .Complained to manager food arrived one min later cold. guess it had been sitting on side for ages .very poor service tonight

We have eaten here several times, and always receive a good, friendly service. The waitress was very attentive to all our needs.

Awful experience. 3 hours for a 2 course meal, with small children, they were shattered and hungry! Granted we were a large table, but from ordering to paying, there were many issues. We had to change our order x3 times due to menu items not being in stock, but each time we were not informed of this until some time after ordering which should have raised alarm bells. First no nachos, then no salmon, then no half chicken. Pizza was burnt and barely edible, chocolate brownie was the same, overcooked in the microwave and hard. Issues with items being charged on bill that shouldn't have been. No offer of anything being taken off the bill, even the inedible food. Restaurant should not take so many bookings if they can't cope with it. Felt sorry for the staff working under such pressure.

Visited for an evening meal today (04/10/24), we visit every 3-4 months and it's always okay, you get what you pay for which is fine. Today the meal was very good, much improved from last time and also very good compared to other city centre locations. The service by Sian R was also amazing, she was very attentive, checked with any extras and the dreaded allergies that has to be checked and re-checked. Sian was also the same with other tables, consistently good and definitely made our experience improved. Good food, nice drinks, environment was relaxed, I think we will be back sooner than usual.

Misleading info on website. Booked on basis that it was open until 11pm. Kitchen shuts at 9pm weekdays and we arrived at 9.03pm so no dinner. Last orders for drinks called at 9.45pm. Don’t bother stopping here if you need dinner on the M6

Stayed in the hotel on Sunday evening, unfortunately we arrived too late for the evening meal. We had pre booked the breakfast for the following morning on the advise given from reception. It was extremely busy when we went over, however we were given a table right away. Everything was as expected, plenty of food which was replenished quickly, staff didn’t stop but they were efficient and friendly. We always enjoy our stay here. It was also great to see Amy! As regulars in the hotel over the last few years we thought she had left, so it was a lovely surprise seeing her in the restaurant.

Staff fantastic across the board. Very welcoming despite its motorway location. Drinks are very fairly priced and food is good. Was served by multiple staff, Emma behind the bar is great, Jade Emma is a delight within an award winning smile and a sense of humour

Service was very slow. The only steaks they had were fillet! The starter was good but everything went downhill from there. Our mains arrived eventually but were lukewarm at best. The waitress said that she’d inform the kitchen staff but there was no offer to warm our dishes through or replace them. I found it inedible but my husband managed to work his way through his plate. No reduction in our bill despite finding my main course inedible. A very disappointing visit.

Waiting staff were friendly and really good. The steak was average at best. Tender. Decent seasoning but over cooked. Surface dried out. Accompaniments were great. If you’re a steak restaurant, try and get it right.

Had a great meal in a spacious restaurant. Staff were friendly and treat our children brilliantly, even giving them some sweets when we left! The food was hot and tasty and we didn't have to wait long.

Excellent service and lovely food. Really enjoyed and will be back. Friendly atmosphere the staff were very welcoming

Food was poor waited longer than I should asked 2 times for my child's sweet corn came and wasn't even worth eating place needs to reduce its prices aplute rip off ad rather had Greggs won't be back

Went on Friday for a meal with some friends that I’d not seen for a while. Was served by jade? (Purple hair) she really went above and beyond. It’s not very often you come across someone that has so much love and passion for a job like she does. Food was really nice, no massive wait times or anything. Will certainly be returning

Excellent food and even better service! Myself my partner and our son popped in for some dinner. Was looked after by a lovely lady named jade I believe her name was. She has purple hair. She was so welcoming and really upbeat, she was also great with our 4 year old. She seems to really enjoy her job and went the extra mile to provide excellent service. The food was also great, really tasty and not a bad portion size. Food only took around 25 minutes and there was no issues with it. Reasonably priced too. Lovely pub all round, very nice atmosphere. Will certainly be back!

We stopped for breakfast on Good Friday. I booked a table because I suspected it would be busy. We were greeted by a friendly member of staff and it was very clear the staff were very busy and working very hard. Unfortunately the restaurant was a mess with many tables piled up with dirty dishes. Some tables looked like a pack of animals had been rating st them. There was very little food available and the food that was available was not very nice. There were no pan at chocolates, pancakes and only strawberry jam. The cooked selection was no better. It was topped up often but the beans were cold, the scrambled egg was disgusting and there were no mushrooms or boiled eggs. The coffee machine was empty whe we first arrived and when it was filled up the coffee was cold. Also the orange juice had been watered down. The quality of the food was rubbish and there were not enough staff for a busy breakfast. It would have been one star but the staff were doing there best and clearly working very hard.

Stopped off on the way upto Scotland as didn’t want to go to services. Food was hot and fresh. Drinks went down really well. Plenty of food on the plates and rolled out.

Come in after checking into the hotel. Greeted by really friendly team. Service was quick and very good. Meals were hot and very plentiful.

Stopped by for some food on the way to see family. Was met at the door by a polite, smiley face. Sitting down, there was a very nice atmosphere I think you struggle to get in most chain restaurants. Food was brilliant. I will be back again.

My friends and I came here on Good Friday for tea. We hadn’t booked but we managed to get a table even though the place was packed. The young blonde waitress who served us was friendly and efficient, and the duty manager with the bright hair was great also. Both rushed off their feet but still provided exceptional service. Food was good and came out quite quick. Slightly expensive compared to other chains but we all enjoyed it. We will return when we’re next in Carlisle.

Decided to stop here while travelling up north to visit family as it’s just off the motorway. Food was delicious & didn’t take long to arrive at all. Will definitely stop off here from now when travelling

Great food and excellent service friendly and attentive staff. Food was fresh and delicious. Worth a visit will definitely be. Plenty of parking.

If I could give zero stars i would. £55 for 2 adults and 2 children to leave absolutely starving. Kids pizza was like a burnt 50p warmed up Asda pizza. Salad looks like its been sat out for a week. All dry and scabby. Presentation of food looks like a 5 year old plated it up. Beans dripping everywhere. No wonder the place is dead at a lunch time.

Had a lovely lunch and catch up with friends for my birthday today, lovely meal, extensive menu to suit all tastes, good prices, great friendly and efficient service.

i have been here quite a few times now and although it is quite expensive the food is usually very nice , however today 10th march 2024 we went as a treat for my wife on mothers day, The problem today was we arrived at...

My daughter took me for Mothers day, Sian is an outstanding member of staff. Nothing was too much trouble for her very polite member of staff. Well done Sian

We’ve used this place a lot. It’s always been a good stop off, being close to the M6 and it’s always been good with friendly staff. Today, it might as well have been a different place. The service was dire despite the fact the place...

Lovely food & great service by Ella & Sian. Nothing ever too much trouble for them. Steak cooked to perfection. Thank you

This is such a cozy place with such great food! Amazing staff they made it so comfortable for us. Nothing negative !!

First time visit since it became Beefeater. Excellent food. Taste & consistency very good. I was pleasantly surprised and I was part of a large group. Waiter, Cameron, was amazing and very helpful, particularly dealing with a large group.

The menu provided has become very expensive for what it is and obsessed with BBQ sauce. The staff are poorly trained and should not remove plates and give out desert menus when some of your party have not finished their mains

I was travelling all day and came for food part way through my journey. The food was great and waitress Olivia was so helpful. Overall great experience!

Had the festive menu, it was absolutely delicious. Sirloin steak was cooked to perfection! Staff were great as always. Thank you

Food was alright, nothing spectacular but very slow service, especially given the fact that the place was super quiet.

Delightful place to have a quick breakfast. Staff this morning were extremely friendly and welcoming. Food options were great and coffee was lovely.

The staff, although rushed off their feet, still were able to accommodate me and my dad, who had just broken down, on junction 42. Bearing in mind we only stayed for a little while the customer service from what i could gather was impeccable and...

Great tasting breakfast! Special mention to Kayleigh and Amy for great friendly service! Will be back again

Haven't had dinner there for a while, but tonight the staff were lovely and my ribeye steak was cooked to perfection. All the family enjoyed their meals and we will definitely return.

This is the best meal, my mum dad and I had, fish and chips and 🫛, the meal was filling. The service was great, the waiter/ barman did a good job, he was polite he kept asking was everything okay. Well done beefeater

A typical Beefeater experience! Good food, well priced Drinks and excellent Table Service. Well done!

Amazing service from Ella who was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The food was first class as was the service. We will definitely be coming back!

We used to be regulars at the border gate but haven’t been in ages, decided to go because I believe it’s under new management, and what a lovely lunch we had! Everything was piping hot and fresh and the staff were so friendly and polite. Dan our server was great! We’ll definitely be back

Had walk in breakfast before travelling down M6. Right next to motoway. Staff very friendly & helpful. Would highly recommend to everyone. Buffet breakfast perfect.

Came for food with my family. Excellent service, everyone was very smiley. Food was good value. Will definitely be back.

Mum Dad and I had the best fish and chips, excellent food and service, thank u beefeater I will be back

Brilliant breakfast, staff all very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Good selection of both hot and cold food would definitely recommend.

We were staying overnight at the neighbouring Premier Inn and popped in for dinner to use our Meal Deal Vouchers. The meal was good, good food, drinks and a whole lot of options. The restaurant was very warm which was pleasant after coming in from the cold but got too much when sitting for as long as we had to. We checked in to our dinner at 7:30pm and didn't leave until after 9:30. A lot of the time was spent waiting for service which got very tiring. One of the male waiters with glasses and brown hair was very pleasant and helpful. It won't put us off coming back but the service could definitely be improved.

Lovely food as always. Staff very attentive and nothing is ever too much trouble. Always a good stop off for us

Great service and food, highly recommend the hot sauce and habanero sauce. I had a selection of sides and each one was delicious.

We stopped off at the Premiere Inn and used the Beefeater for dinner and breakfast on our way up to Scotland. Dinner was nice, as expected, however the lemonade and lime I ordered was not pleasant really. Not very fizzy I feel they put soda and lime instead. I bared with it. Breakfast was nice, hot even off the hot plate when usually things get cold.

Was on route to Scotland for a week . looked the Border gate up on web. I was not sure if i had to be a guest here , so just called in and asked. Was greeted with a lovely friendly smile, pay at counter taken to a table , then it was all you can eat and drink Breakfast , Good selection of food and drinks, Tasted excellent . very good value for money. spotlessly clean. a absolute must will use again next visit up North. and a bonus was just down the road was a petrol station to refill the Car up at good price per litre. Well done Border Gate.

I don't have time to list all that was wrong but terrible service food and terrible value for money!!

The food was great service very good I'm surprised at the low review score as all of our food was very good especially the fillet steak.

Visited here again on Sunday to use 33% off voucher. Despite seeming very busy food arrived quickly and was very tasty . Served by a young blonde girl who was very polite and helpful . Will be back again soon

Slow service, zero phone reception, asked for WiFi amd they don't have it? This is 2023, how can a restaurant have no Internet, food okay.

Only, Our two grandchildren could eat their meals. My gammon , chips and eggs seemed to have been under a hot plate for a couple of hours and my wife and daughters ribs came with a totally different sauce and were overcooked. We will not...

We stopped in on the road home.very disappointed.the good thing was our waitress.very nice girl with blonde hair and ponytail.she is a good credit to you.my calamari wasn't that warm.my wife had the make your burger which said was 10.95 I think but ended up...

Great stop off for breakfast on our way home from Scotland today, friendly welcome from a blond haired lady. Good deal with the kids eat free, they were more than happy with the pancakes. Plenty of food available and good continental option too. Staff were...

We arrived Sunday at 2pm and it was practically empty!that should have been first red flag but we a family of 4 was starving so after being seated by are energetic waitress who was polite chatty and extremely happy we ordered.my husbands Calamari came not...

Stayed at the premier inn and pre booked meals. The breakfast was fine hence the two stars but it’s a big fat ZERO for the evening meal. Our severs were fine but the food was awful! We waited over an hour for our main but...

We were served by Emma W, she was very professional and helpful. Staff overall are helpful, friendly, but Emma went above and beyond. Food didn't disappoint, over all good experience.

Called in here for some food on our way to Scotland Greeted with a very abrupt girl with green hair she was short and not friendly at all pointed us to our table waitress was a lot better food is average fair nothing special acceptable...

I’m sorry to say this, but we spent all Monday in A&E with acute food poising all we had for the day was this breakfast , we got home mid day and felt funny so no other food was eaten, not a place we will...

Portion sizes for the prices small , I got gammon I had to send it back was overcooked how you can serve that to a customer I don't know it was disgusting waiting times for food to the table was very slow staff was standing...

Visited restaurant whilst staying at the Premier Inn next door. Not much else around! Pleasantly surprised, service was great, and attentive. Food was fantastic, although I think it was a little expensive. We both had steaks, and it was disappointing, that you had to pay...

Popped in to use a voucher for kids eat free which allowed the kids to have 3 courses free of charge with the purchase of an adult meal. All courses were served promptly by the friendly staff who always have a smile. Great food and...

Had an amazing lunch yesterday with my friends, great choice of food at very reasonable price and great friendly and efficient service from all the staff that served us. I would highly recommend you visit, we will definitely be back again soon

A great stopover on our way to Glasgow. Were served our 'meal deal' dinner by our friendly and helpful waitress, Ellie. Thank you!

The buffet breakfast is great. The boys love it! Good availability of everything & everything was kept topped up.

It must be me but clearly its volume over substance at this place. I would have thought that you wouldn’t really travel out to this Restaurant as it serves the Premier Inn but I did notice people arriving and leaving by car. I suspect that...

Quick meal driving back home and wished we’d stopped somewhere else. Waited 35 mins for food to arrive which was very lacklustre, looked miserable and was cold . Poor service and staff not very bothered that we’d had a bad experience… but hey someone else...

Popped in for the Unlimited Breakfast. Everything you could want hot and ready, using the self service method. Food was excellent and staff were lovely. Great value. 👌

Really good experience, friendly professional service. Our waitress was courteous and really helpful. Would definitely come again. Even got my drink perfect!

Great start to our family holiday. Breakfast was delicious, good value for money, staff were helpful and friendly and made an effort with our children. Thank you

Tolles Essen, tolle Bedienung und tolle Preise. Würden wir in der Gegend wohnen, wären wir hier Stammgäste Die Essensporrionen waren...

We arrived at 10am for breakfast I had been staying at the Premier Inn next door my friend drove to meet. No times on the menu at the Premier Inn....no times for breakfast on the website.... Breakfast finished at 10.30am. How can you call this...

Food was perfect for all of us! Staff friendly and very helpful. Amazing experience! Will definitely be back

Great from start to finish. Reserved a table which was waiting with high chair and kids colouring/activities. We were greeted by Simon who took drinks orders. Nadine and Erin then looked after us, kept checking in with the children and topping up drinks. Food was...

Perfect family lunch , didn’t have a table booked but they managed to squeeze 6 of us in no problem. Service was fabulous and food even better . Kids 3 course meal great price for what you get.

Despite actually living in Carlisle for over 20 years, I had never made it to this venue, so whilst visiting family, I put this right, and I so am glad I did. Warm welcome (tick) spacious (tick) spotless (tick) we were shown to a very...

Food was great - service was better ! Had the pleasure of being looked after by Amelia. What a lovely young lady. I felt like a VIP throughout my time in the restaurant, although there were many other tables being looked after. Amelia was superb...

After being at work all day it was lovely to be greeted, as a solo diner, by really friendly staff. I was given a nice big table rather than being sent to a small table. I had a BBQ stack which was absolutely lovely. This...

Lovely staff who are so friendly. We only had drinks and puddings but the cocktails were delicious! Good range of reasonably priced puddings and the kids puddings are excellent value for money! Nice and clean environment too which is a bonus.

Great breakfast with an excellent choice of cooked and continental. Staff were very friendly ( Kayleigh)and helpful. The breakfast/bar area was clean and tidy as were the toilets. All round a great experience and will definitely visit again.

Great environment everyone was so friendly, Ange very attentive and made sure we were all happy. Matthew was our grill chef I believe, food was delicious. 5 stars

Lovely good. Very reasonable. Decent choices for a multigenerational family. Used blue light card making it even more reasonable. Lovely staff. Veggie options. All in all very nice.

Just had lunch and it was delicious, the staff are so friendly and helpful. Would definitely come again and would recommend.

Just had a great meal for 5 at beefeater. Food was great. Service was brilliant. Ashleigh and some of the other female staff were just so friendly and even our substitutes and changes to food were all correct and served up with a smile. Dessert...

Was here on Sunday & the roast dinners are delicious. Great selection to choose from. The staff are always friendly & helpful too. Will be back soon

The staff are very friendly, Food served promptly and was hot when it arrived. It is always a warm and inviting environment.

Great friendly staff, nothing was too much trouble. Food was great. Best cannelloni ever! Will definitely be returning

IF THE STAFF HAD CHANGED WE WOULD NOT BE GOING BACK We go here fairly regularly and usually great service and staff, occasionally a bit slow when it is busy but we went on Sunday 5th March and was very disappointed. 1. service very slow,...

Always had really good service/food from here when we've stayed at the Premier Inn but tonight, well, not so much. Staff said from the off that they were 'just covering' as they were from Scotland and the 2 systems were different (England vs Scotland). Drinks...

Had a great evening enjoying food and drinks. Service was brilliant and nothing ever seemed to much trouble. Food arrived piping hot and in good time. Recommend to anyone wanting reasonable priced food and drinks

Lovely meal and drinks even though it was busy. Food came out hot too which is great! Great atmosphere for families. Rob was great making cocktails too!

Just got back from holiday and called in for a quick bite before we went home we weren’t disappointed the service was very good I had a burger and my husband had a steak both very tasty and cooked to perfection staff couldn’t be more...

Had a delicious Sunday Lunch today, great choice on the menu, reasonably priced, great service and a lovely warm friendly welcome from all the staff, I would highly recommend you give it a try

We visited on Sunday, stopping off on the way home and weren't disappointed. We opted for steaks which were cooked perfectly before finishing off with kit kat churros and waffles. Angela our waitress was a breath of fresh air. Looked quite busy but this didn't...

Visited Friday evening with a couple of friends , our drinks order was taken on arrival and the cocktails were fabulous . I ordered the rump steak and it was cooked perfectly . Staff were very helpful and friendly even though it appeared very busy...

Visited for dinner while staying at premier inn next door. Service awesome. Food was hot and great choice on menu. Something for everyone. Accepted blue light card discount for food which was a nice bonus. Staff were friendly and checked back on us regularly. Special...