The Countryman in West Devon

Over the past year, The Countryman has seen notable improvements, particularly in its exterior, creating a more inviting atmosphere. However, the interior décor is noticeably outdated and could benefit from modernisation to complement the external upgrades. While the food menu offers a variety of options and imaginative dishes, some fall short in terms of both selection and quality. For instance, the salmon with peach sauce had well-cooked salmon and perfectly prepared crushed potatoes, but the addition of a tinned peach topping didn't meet expectations in terms of presentation or taste. Although the desserts are reasonably priced, the meringues seem a bit overpriced for what they offer. On a positive note, the steak was well-received by my husband, and the restaurant's dog-friendly policy, along with the cozy open fire, add to its charm. While the staff are friendly, they can be a bit disorganised at times, although they are always willing to assist, as evidenced by their efforts to accommodate a takeaway request for my son. The Countryman also offers a delightful Sunday carvery and weekend takeaway/delivery options. Overall, The Countryman is worth a visit, but there's room for improvement to elevate it from being just "nice" to truly "great." One drawback is its cash-only policy, with no nearby cashpoint machine, so it's advisable to come prepared.

I've been to The Countryman several times, today was outstanding. All the meats were cooked to perfection, with an excellent selection of veg', sauces, yorkshire puds, & stuffing.

What a wonderful carvery! You have got to book. Otherwise, there is no chance of getting a table. The amount and quality of the meat was outstanding. The slices of meat were at least a centimetre thick, which is unheard of where I live. The choice of vegetables seemed endless and constantly replaced. The owner was a cheery happy chap who was very visible having a laugh with all the customers. I would have no hesitation in returning fir another enjoyable experience!!

Absolutely appalling customer service. Booked Mother’s Day lunch for 9 of us, 3 weeks in advance - used the messenger service so that the booking was in black and white…. Arrived for our confirmed booking at 12 noon to be told there was no such booking. Proceeded to show them the message confirmation to then be told “oh yeah, you’re booked for 2 PM, our fault, can you go and come back” Really? Waste how much fuel, sit hungry for another two hours with small kids in tow?!? Are these guys for real? Will not be going again. I left a review on their social media being polite and factual, to just be blocked. No apology. Also, be aware… they are tax dodgers…. Cash only apparently. Nice honest people.

20 of us went for Sunday carvery loads of meat and lots of different veg had a job to eat it all food was lovely and the staff were friendly and very helpful 😄

Great carvery selection, had three roasts to take away and was able to select everything myself. The Beef and Turkey portions were very generous, cooked to perfection and proper tasty. Staff were very helpful, friendly and had a sense of humour which might be wasted on some people. It's a bit far for me to go for a takeaway but it was well worth the trip and as the saying goes "I'll be back!"

A local to us family, run, pub and gourmet experience. I have to say the friendly outgoing attitude of not only the owners (who work in the pub), but the stuff they employ made our visit more so memorable than the food they served, highly highly recommend you visit for Sunday lunch, or even the evening menus are equally as fantastic

My partner booked for us to go for a Sunday carvery after looking at there photos on there website Stating there one of the best places for a carvery is a joke in itself….😂 Nothing like the photos!!!!! It’s was probably one of the worst places we have eaten by fare The veg was just sat in water No seasoning what so ever just over boiled veg sat in the water it was boiled in, The gammon was so salty and beyond edible Beef over cooked My partner asked if there was any more stuffing there wasn’t the chef just scrapped the dish that was there The roast potatoes where deep fried If you like a cheap basic nearly non edible carvery then this is the place to go Would of rather of gone to Toby carvery than what we was served Going out for a roast you expect decent quality food/produce but it’s basic to put it lightly. Save yourself the trouble and money & go somewhere else Shocking after reading a number of reviews they still haven’t made any changes after a number of people saying exactly the same things A chef that clearly doesn’t know how to cook or just doesn’t care what’s being served!

We've just got back from celebrating my 70th birthday. I couldn't have wished for better. Thank you to everybody, staff and customers, for your service and all singing Happy Birthday. Although I was highly embarrassed it was brilliant.

Amazing carvery, beautifully cooked and plentiful portions, really warm and welcoming staff and every effort to make sure everyone had a great time. A must visit ❤️

Food was good, lots of meat and veg to choose from on the carvery plus additional menu. Staff were very friendly, great customer service. Lovely place, very chrismasy, not your traditional cozy country pub style but a little more open, with a 1970s feel. We will visit again.

Fantastic carvery service from the staff was spot on.i can highly recommend the countryman crediton road okehampton.we have had 2 carverys there now and can't fault it.👍👍👍👍

An excellent Carvery,left feeling proper full ! We used to go to our local pub which is also very good but seems to have reduced the portions which is not something you can say about the Countryman.It gets very busy on a Sunday so its certainly better to book beforehand if you can.

Fantastic , lovely friendly staff with a real genuine atmosphere to give great service

Very friendly and accommodating family run establishment. Good value for money and fresh food. Would go again.

Best carvery I have had in a long time. Nutroast was yummy. Staff were all lovely

The Sunday carvery is wonderful, a choice of four meats and lots of variety of vegetables with really tasty gravy. The staff were extremely polite and helpful and it is a very nice dog friendly place. They even do dog take always! Recommend to anyone who has a dog and wants a lovely meal.

On holiday not far away and we really fancied a carvery so booked here after a Google search. After a slight hiccup with our booking we were seated and could not have had better service! Everything was lovely, food portions were huge! None of us were able to finish and we are big foodies! We had the large plates. Could not fault at all only wish we lived closer so could visit again!

Oh my goodness it's a long time since we have service as good as here.Warm welcome, lovely staff. I walked in with a crutch as I recently had a hip op. and the lovely lady (sorry I didn't get your name) immediately swapped my chair over for a softener seat. We had a carvery which was fantastic, my plate was carried back to our table by the same lady. Thank you for the lovely top notch food and service with a smile x

We came for dinner, on quiz night. Was a fantastic atmosphere. Staff were kind enough to include us. Food was delicious!! As we're the cocktails! Friendly & fun staff, highly reccomend.

We visited as part of group of around 34 as part of a classic car run. The Countryman were very accommodating, made us feel extremely welcome, the food was excellent and real good value too. We have already rebooked a return visit. Thank you from all at The Triumph Sports Six Club (Devon)

Brilliant place..Carvery 2nd to non.

We visited the Countryman for a Sunday carvery. We received a warm welcome as did our two dogs. The entire team give fantastic service. We were greeted in a friendly manner. The gentleman serving our carvery did so with great humour and was very helpful in providing gluten free options. The team at the bar were great serving our drinks and water for our dogs. All in all a brilliant team and a credit to the owners. The food was fantastic a top quality carvery with great meats and a huge selection of veg. Top class desserts which we had to take home as we were so full!. I would not hesitate in recommending the Countryman for anyone wanting a great meal served by a friendly good humoured team.

It's always a great venue the food is fantastic. If you get a chance check it out.

Fantastic place!!! Brought our 20 week old puppy with us. He was loving the attention and dogs had their own menu. The carvery was lovely, so much to choose from. Staff were friendly and attentive!!

Excellent restaurant for a brilliant carvery at a good price!! This place is very popular and we can see why!! A family business doing what they do with excellence!! A special shout to Bex, Richard and Roger - you are running a great business and doing it so well!! Thank you for a delicious meal!

Awesome place, the food is spectacular and the staff are friendly and attentive. Great atmosphere and good value for money. Will definitely return.

We had our wedding reception here and the staff went above and beyond to make it a special day for us. We can not thank them enough. All our guests commented on how nice the food was and what a lovely relaxing atmosphere. We would highly recommend to anyone.

Arrived to an almost empty pub, huge pub lacking in atmosphere. Bar lady was very friendly and an asset to the pub. we had 2 Steak and ale pies which were nice, but not very big. My son had chicken goujons from the kids menu. He enjoyed them. I ordered a Southern Fried chicken Burger. I was given a bread roll with the same chicken goujons that my son had. It was not southern fried and it was not a burger. I mentioned to the chef that it was not what I was expecting for a southern fried chicken burger, he abruptly told me that is was a southern fried chicken burger. When paying I mentioned to the lady on the bar and she did reduce it by 50%, she was very good and understood my disappointment. However I would have rather had a decent meal worth paying for. Son really enjoyed the kids doughnuts, but other puddings weren't really worth the money. Great bar lady, but food was not the best.

Loved the food and staff are friendly

STAY AWAY... We went for a family lunch large male staff spoke to us like we were 4 years old. About the carvery and size of portion. Most of the family hated the CARVERY. my meat was very sour , all vegetables were under cooked and cold and left in water that it was part cooked in. Roast potatoes must of been yesterday dry and hard. Gravy well god knows what that was or even if it was gravy was disgusting taste. Yorkshire pudding was shop brought cheap about 49p from Tesco value range. They were not crispy and NOT HOT. . AND THIS WAS NOT WORTH MY TRAVELING AND NOT WORTH THE £63.80.I PAID. PLUS if you wanted to buy another drink on card you have to spend £10 or more for them to except your card. And there is not notice to say this. Not alot of choice of alcohol or drinks. When I messaged them on Facebook there is no response to your message.. I did not want to complain while I was there because I did not want to embarrass my family to ask for my money back. I only had two month full. SO BEWARE AND STAY AWAY.

Went today for a 60th birthday food and service was absolutely amazing

Family birthday celebrations for 26 people. Excellent hosting by Richard and Bex, nothing was too much trouble. All staff friendly and helpful.

We used to regularly go to the Tom Cobley for Sunday Lunch which is very good but we prefer the The Countryman simply because you get more for your money.We only ever go for the Sunday carvery which is really excellent,we like the fact you have a decent choice of veg and you can put as many roast potatoes on the plate as you like.It can get pretty busy on a carvery Sunday but we have never had a problem getting seated,its probably best to book though.We rarely have pudding here because its too expensive

Fantastic we were a party of 9 fantastic food fantastic service 8 carverys 1 veggie pizza.price is right great atmosphere an not rushed.Can highly recommend the countryman crediton road just outside Okehampton

Recently visited for food on a Saturday night, brilliant staff, the steak was amazing on the sizzling cooking dish. Not sure if under new management or new kitchen staff but this place has been amazing for great food the past 6 months. Highly recommend. Keep up the good work guys. I live locally and will definitely return.

Had one meal that was rubbish everything else okay,nice people.

We visited The Countryman for the first time this evening and were blown away with the quality of the food. We sat in the garden there was a lovely atmosphere, the staff were attentive and friendly but not over the top. The food was served in a reasonable time and was spectacularly presented, I had a wagyu burger and chips the burger was lean, tender and juicy. The chutney that came on my burger was delicious. For dessert I had chocolate fondant which was very light and fluffy. The ribs were spectacular too. We really enjoyed the garden which had lovely summer vibes, wasn’t too close to the road and the tables were thoughtfully placed with large umbrellas. We would definitely recommend The Countryman and will definitely be back thank you for a lovely evening.

Excellent steak and ribs for main meals. Sharing plates for starters were lovely, salt and pepper squid was cooked perfectly and presentation was very good . Service was great from everyone too. The only letdown was the cocktails. Two very small mojitos for £12 was extremely expensive, and they weren't great. Had to send the pint of Guinness back as it was off. We will go back again though as the food was great and we will have different drinks!

Best steak I’ve had in a while 👍

Very friendly staff, really helpful. Had the small carvery, meat was cooked perfectly, plenty of veg that tasted amazing. We will be back

I am not one for writing reviews but I had to come on here to do so for this pub. We went 2nd June as a family of four, the food was absolutely amazing!! The service was outstanding. It is lovely to have such a great family friendly place to eat with great food and service! Couldn’t recommend this pub enough! Definitely will be heading back. Thank you!!

Excellent service and top quality cooking . Very good value and good if you’ve got little ones with you too.

First class service, with amazing food. Highly recommend the steak. Kids under 10 eat free with a full paying adult. The desserts were delicious!

First time at The Countryman. Driven past many times but never stopped! I urge you to try their carvery! Wow! Fabulous food, staff very helpful and attentive. A bit of a queue for the carvery, but well worth the wait! I highly recommend a carvery at The Countryman. Can't wait to go back and try their standard menu. Looks amazing!

I was let down to be honest. We booked via facebook because the pictures were lovely of the food and people had said the magic bags were good so thought we would give it a try; I was rather shocked at how little service we actually got. I waited at the bar, got told by the barman that he would be with us in a minute twice and then watched him serve everyone coming through the door and not the people waiting; I finally had to speak up to the lady as we were just ignored. We went to the calvary, the member of staff serving didnt bother to talk, just threw food on the plate like we were at school. The leaks and cauliflower cheese was tasteless and too watery; the swede was very pureed and also tasteless; the veg needed seasoning really. The ham and potatoes tasted good though. Expected a nice sit down calvary but we couldn't get comfortable with the amount of people walking past the table for food or the loo; we were going to spend a fair bit, have a few drinks and food but ended up with just the roast and got out of there. When we left we tried to make an effort to say thanks and bye but the staff were not that bothered; lacking in rapport. Shame really as I had been told it was a lovely place. We wont go back.

We went to the Countryman for the sunday carvery, not only was the food lovely but the service was also fantastic. We have children with allergies and one with aditional needs and the chef cooked food especially for us to accommodate the allergies and staff also helped us with carrying our meals back to the table.

This place has potential, however I wouldn’t return here again. My friend and I came for a roast dinner which was okay. But it’s super expensive and the plates are tiny! The staff have no self-awareness at all. We had been there for 30 minutes (maybe 15 minutes into eating our dinner) and then a member of staff came up to us at 4:05pm asking us if we were finished yet because they were ready to go! She was really rude and they definitely weren’t ready to go. If last serving is at 4pm maybe they should stay open later so people can finish off there dinners in peace after paying so much of their hard earned money for an over priced, tiny roast dinner. She came over a couple of times and this really set a bad taste for us. We then asked if we could have a to go box and we’d take our food away with us to which the waitress replied, I’ll have to charge you for a takeaway box! We were shocked about the comment and said to her that’s is pretty stingy. To which she replied, tell the manager that. Then came back with one take away box for us to share to put our roast dinner in! This place is a joke and they have no idea what customer service means and how important customers are to their business. I would never return back to this place and I wouldn’t recommend it either. Terrible service and a terrible experience. Very rude staff, tight owner and the portions are tiny and the food is well over priced. I don’t like to feel taken advantage of and I don’t think it’s right to take advantage of paying customers that keep your establishment open. I’d rather spend my money where its appreciated and where people are valued.

Great food, very good atmosphere friendly staff and reasonably priced

I like my food. Home roasts are very hard to beat. The carvery at the countryman surpassed all expectations. Great food, cooked to perfection, amazing portions and great selection for vegetarians. Definitely coming back when in the area. Have not found a better Sunday carvery than this!

Went there with my brother yesterday to pick up takeaway for our dinner and food is amazing so yummy

Absolutely fantastic place, the food is amazing and priced very reasonably. The Sunday carvery is superb with a choice of usually four different meats and a great amount of vegetables too. Totally recommended.

This is our second time at this establishment, and once again we were not disappointed. From the moment you enter the staff make you very welcome indeed, in fact they do throughout your time there. The food is second to none, we went this time...

Very busy Mothers Day but organisation very well executed, didn't have to wait for anything, que for Carvery moved quickly. Young staff very friendly and competent, lovely Waitress named Tina. Carvery meal was delicious, I counted 9 different veg on offer. Nice deserts too. We...

Had a fantastic birthday celebration here last night. I can not fault the staff food, service or venue. Really helpful in the planning too. Would thoroughly recommend to anyone! Thank you Countryman

We had a fantastic big birthday meal here last night and can not fault the booking, staff, food, service or venue. It was absolutely perfect. There was another very large group in and we all had carvery which was delicious, gluten free friendly and great...

Visited this lovely place for a carvery. Absolutely lovely from the minute we walked through the door. Nothing was too much trouble . Carvery excellent - meat was of exceptional quality. Desserts were delicious too - had beautiful homemade meringue. Not overpriced either ( which...

Carvery nice, service good. But paid too much for a 2 and 3 year old. Paid £9.00 each. Would be nice if their was a toddlers size. I only put on their plate what they would eat so apart from the meat not much on their plates. The meat was shared between the rest of us so not wasted. The white sauces were runny with no flavour on the cauliflower and the leeks. The creme brulee was lovely the red velvet cheesecake looked good but no flavour and dry in the mouth. But would return especially if a more exceptable price for the toddlers. The day we came there were lots of toddlers eating a small carvery at £9.00 and alot of wasted food on there plate probably because the parents thought they were paying for it so would take it anyway.

Went to the Countryman for a Meal . We ordered Steak which looked very nice until we started to eat the STEAK and it was tough and like rubber. I complained and was given 20% off the bill . We left most of the steak...

We go out for a meal every know and then Roger and Pauline are very good .

Slow bar service, Sunday carvery, good selection of meat & veg,but was only just warm,I like my food hot.could all have done with seasoning .Disappointed .

I for one can’t wait to come back when the suns out for your amazing cocktails in the garden. Throughly enjoyed ourselves last night for food and cocktails. Such a warm welcoming place to go. Thank you

First time eating at the countryman and I will definitely return. Staff were very friendly and helpful, food was amazing and very reasonably priced.

Our first experience of this Inn and we weren't disappointed the owners and staff are extremely helpful and friendly, we had a carvery with a choice of small, large and extra large and the quality of the food is spot on. Inside is roomy and very clean and tidy with a large beer garden, can't fault this place at all it's well worth a visit, one thing that I should emphasize and that is it's cash only at the moment. We will definitely be back again!.

Quite possibly the best food I have ever eaten really friendly and helpful staff

Another lovely carvery today, staff are brilliant too especially the old man with his banter. Keep up the good work and see you next time

Back for another visit for Sunday lunch, excellent as always. Really juicy, local meats, excellent selection of vegetables all freshly cooked (no dry foods sitting on hot plates like some caverys). Reasonably priced drinks, including wines. Owner very friendly and all staff polite and attentive....

Was made welcome by staff and manger .fantastic good quality cooking .fresh meat from local butchers and vegetables from local growers . What more can you ask for .amazing value. Thank you to all staff and chef and manager .

Good efficient service. Had the carvery of which the veg was a tad overdone. However, we were late sitters and one can't expect it to be perfect under heatlamps. Would come again.

Visited for a ‘famous’ carvery with family. Truly awful. Vegetables were cold, meats were dubious (very fatty / chewy). Plenty of staff but mainly kids who didn’t seem very busy or attentive. Didn’t stay for dessert, so can’t comment on that but after such disappointing...

Really tasty, great value, make sure you book as fills up quick!

Warm greeting. Flawless Sunday Roast. Nice work Roger et al!

Ok! Everyone has their own opinion, so lets take an objective look at the restaurant. Located about 3 miles outside Okehampton on the Crediton road, nice and easy to get to with ample parking. It is easy to drive past as there is no currently...

Very busy, and noisy but with plenty of staff. The carvery had a good selection but I was so disappointed as it wasn’t HOT!!! The waitress didn’t ask how it was when she collected the plates , never returned to ask if we wanted deserts...

We were told to arrive for 12 and have the table til 1:30 however when arriving it was very busy and we didn’t want to add to the crowd so went up in twos to join the line for the carvery, this took some time...

Top drawer carvery, really nice warm welcome. Customer service was excellent also, they even sent a lady to help carry dinner back for my mother in law who is a bit unsteady on her feet. Thank you very much

Nice food and plenty of it. Food took a little while to come out but we were with friends so we were chatting.

We had booked a table for four people as per the instructions on their voicemail leaving my phone no . Voicemail said any problems and they would return a call We arrived on time , to be told we had not booked , I tried...

Good morning hope your all well 😊just wanted to say a massive thank you for Mums 70th Birthday Meal last night 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👌the food was exceptional, so tasty 😋 ❤️even the staff bringing mums cake out and singing happy birthday was so lovely 🥰. We couldn’t of asked for better service and can’t thank you all enough 😊x we will definitely be back and will spread the great experience

Updated, after our first visit, we booked a table for 7 on a Sunday, to take visiting family members. Upon our arrival they could not locate the booking, which they had confirmed via messenger, they advised we could sit outside and eat as they had no booking for us, it’s October and we don’t want to set outside. They had tables that they could have set us at, but simply offered us to sit outside, no apologies at all, all done as if we had not booked. Luckily the New Inn managed to cater for us and was a much better experience Won’t return. Original five star review: We booked in for our first visit on Sunday for a carvery lunch, when we arrived we were seen to very quickly and seated at our table. Once we had ordered our drinks arrived promptly and we headed up to get our Carvery. There are three options, small, large and extra large. We had several choices of meat and a wide range of vegetables to choose from. The portions were sufficient and the food nice and tasty and piping hot. The service was very good. Several things struck me on our first visit. Firstly while chatting to the proprietor he said that providing a good service to customers was more important than filling tables. Secondly I later overheard the proprietor telling his team that they had done a great job that day and that he was proud of them, Thirdly after they had finished serving, the team all sat and had a carvery dinner together. I think this is a great way to run your business and look after your team, who will then look after your customers. I wish more businesses were run like this.

Good carvery, catered for gluten free as well, booking advisable

Just returned from our first visit to the countryman. Its our new local eatery as we've just moved to the area. Warm welcome from.the.owner and his friendly staff. The.chef even gave us a little taster of an amazing tomahawk steak that may be added to...

Ordered the roast to go. It was amazing, definitely will be having another. Really looking forward to having a meal there soon. The place looks amazing and the staff are really on the ball.

Amazing rump steak cooked to perfection, even better price! Friendly and helpful service, cheers guys!😁

Lovely Sunday Carvery, very warm welcome, would advise booking popular place.

Easy to find, great cavery, the chap cutting the meets was very friendly as were the staff, Lovely selection all seemed to be freshly cooked too, very good value, we'll be back!

Booked over the telephone, they were very busy but managed to fit in a table of two. Met on arrival by the owner who was very polite and welcoming. Dog friendly, we took our two dogs in with us (on leads) and they sat under...

Excellent food, well cooked and presented. Staff friendly and helpful

Great people 👏 good food 👌 👍 fantastic 😋

Family lunch , food was great not normally a big fan of carvery but this was very good . Good selectiction of food and all piping hot , will definitely be going again. Staff were all very helpful

Great wagu burger with gorgonzola, service a little slow but all good

We’ve recently moved to the area so thought we would try the Countryman for their Sunday cavery. Was not disappointed. The greeting was very friendly and it was explained to us how the cavery worked. We both opted for the large cavery and I have...

We have had their Roast2go and also been for a roast in. The food is great and the staff are just lovely. Nothing is to much trouble and Richard and his staff are very friendly. Well worth a visit. 👌👌👌

Wow, what a lovely clean place,the lunch amazing and staff couldn’t be better.

We came for a carvery, which had a good variety of meat and vegetables. Special mention for the potatoes, honeyed parsnips and green bean and sweet corn mix. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming; like being at an old friend’s house. The chef was so...

The staff are friendly and a lovely place to eat, and a choice of small, large and extra large carvery, even booked in again disabled access is good and you can take dogs there too….even try there deserts while you are there! You will not...

Had a very nice carvery here. Good portion size and quality of food. Not too busy so no queues or crowds

Nice food well presented. Only complaint was mine was very salty. Next time I will ask for no seasoning. Didn't have room for a pudding.

I visited the countryman this evening with family for a meal, welcomed upon entry, ordered drinks then sat outside in their great newly refurbished front garden. A little splinter off the table that needs sanding down a bit but no big issue. Good menu, (no...

A great local food pub. Simply the best carvery I have ever had. Great staff lovely pub. Friendly helpful staff. Big car park. Just a great place to get together, eat, laugh, relax and spend time together.