The Engine Room in Sunderland

A pleasant place to spend some time whilst waiting for the theatre to open. We have had drinks there a few times. This time we decided to have a look at the menu, with a view to having a meal. In the end, we decided to try the 'hand raised Pork pie with piccalilli, which sounded very tempting to a pie lover. What we got was far below our expectations. The piccalilli was very nice but the Pork pie was a miserable specimen. The hand raised pastry was flaccid and the meat was firm and dry. On the grand scale of pies, this ranked on the low side. Ideally their chefs should have the capability to make their own pies but if you are going to buy them in, they should seriously consider changing suppliers. The seating is comfortable, though the older seats in the entrance were better. I'm not a fan of the high seating in some areas, as this is unpractical for many customers. The staff and service are very good and it is a nice venue. It is a pity that the food let it down. It also makes you wonder if the other tasty sounding offerings are of a similar ilk.

Saturday 13:45 there is no food served, waitress at a loss as to why, yet there is sign referring to lunch service, no sign saying kitchen is closed. Opted for a drink and went to the bar. No cocktail menus on the bar, poor girl had to go out on tables and ask to get one. Christian made awesome cocktail and was very professional. Waitress carrying used plates and cutlery to kitchen, dropped a knife. Then returned, stepped on it and carried on picking up empty plates. No other waitress picked it up either. Waitress was cleaning table throwing all crumbs etc on seats, not cleaned them. Booths were full of dirt and napkins underneath. Manager was in a panic mode checking his mobile and computer all the time. 3/5 thanks to Christian and his mean Winter Vacation cocktail

Hugely disappointed with quality of food. Burgers, both chicken and beef, were both overcooked and dry. Chunky chips were over cooked and burnt. I realise this venue is the old fire station so they should have fire extinguishers to hand! Waiting staff were very helpful but it seemed that they were understaffed in kitchen. At one point a bearded man appeared in the kitchen and served handfuls of fries and salad with no gloves. I feel the price of the food for the quality of meals we received was extortionate. We would return to this venue for drinks but will not eat here again.

Poor GF options, no beef burgers ! Bread bun solid. 1 x option for dessert not all good for this day and age. Perhaps my naivety and it was a Friday but one of the noisiest places I've eaten in, I thought it was a restaurant when I booked and not being from area didn't realise it would be a pub/eating place, so if you're having a date look for somewhere quieter in town. Staff friendly but slow service. Wouldn't go again sorry.

We called in for a drink around 830pm, we were the only customers. My partner wondered why it was so quiet, as the building is airy and full of character. Bar staff explained that it was because of a show at the nearby theatre. Ordered our drinks and sat quietly to then be told the bar was closing at 915pm. Very odd end to our evening.

Great food and a great atmosphere is what I was promised and I wasn't let down. I visited one Monday night for dinner and wasn't disappointed. A Chicken Burger and Home Cooked Chunky Chips were delightful. This is a great place and highly recommended if you're in the area.

We were rather disappointed with our meal as had been recommended by a friend. We both had the same meal and struggled to find everything that had been listed, actually in the dish. Brisket was tasty , found 2 tiny bits of sausage but no corned beef or bacon .Layered potatoes were in fact a few sliced undercooked potatoes on the top of the meal and had clearly not been cooked together but added last minute . Still hungry when we had finished . Not sure if I would return tbh

My husband and I cams out on the spur of the moment and enjoyed an amazing seafood board. The food was beautifully presented and super fresh! We sat in a relaxed environment and were really taken care of by our waitress Victoria! We will be back and would definitely recommend 👌

Visited today with my partner, daughter & mother law. Table service only food & drinks. We ordered the sharing platter to start, it took ages but was worth the wait, it cost £18, consists of little bread loads, crackers, pigs in blankets, chicken pate, a lovely cranberry & Camembert dipping pot. We ordered a side of squid that came with a lovely dipping sauce, there was no complaints about the starter. The main tbh I wish we hadn’t bothered, my partner ordered the butchers block, he said the steak was good lovely & the rest was nice, but not worth £28 My mother in law got the panackelty , it basically was meat, gravy & potato skins on the top for £17, she obviously complained & they bought her fried potato slices out instead, nothing like what it’s meant to be! I ordered the chicken burger, plenty of chips, it was nice but the bun was crusty because it had sat under the light at the pass & my daughters was the same. Including drinks, £22 for a bottle of wine. The bill came to £133, one expensive lunch!! Probably wouldn’t return for food from the main menu but maybe the sharing board Lovely place, kept it traditional with the decor & clearly popular.

Second time here and really surprised at the poor reviews. We really enjoyed our burger and vegetarian platter - delicious butternut pate and real chips being the stars. The standout for us though is the service , from prompt and friendly seating to attentive service and drinks replenishment thoughout our 90+ minutes at the table all while the place was full inside and out with revellers celbrating Sunderland’s 5 Nil win ! Staff on the bar at the performance venue also deserve a special mention for their efficient well coordinated service and teamwork. Great venue

Recommended to come here and eat before attending a concert. Found a table and sat down and after 10mins a waitress came and took our order which was our starters and mains. Starter arrived in good time we had the fireman's sharing board which was really nice and big enough for four people to share and our 2 for 1 cocktails also arrived in good time and were nice. Then after that it went downhill we waited over an hour after we had finished our starter for our mains I asked a waitress to see where our meals were when clearly we knew we had been forgotten about she never came back with an answer so with my patience wearing thin I asked a gentleman with a clip board who was directing people to tables . He said he would look into it and came over after about 5 mins to apologise it was their mistake and our order had been missed and offered us a free drink. My friend and I asked for a vodka and lemonade and another a Disarano and coke and a bottle of water which arrived within 6 minutes. Our vodka and lemonades had never seen vodka you couldn't taste it at all but my friend said he could taste his Disarano. We waited another 10 minutes and our mains arrived three of us had posh finger sandwiches and the other had a steak sandwich which she left as it was dripping in fat and the roll was barely baked. Our posh fish finger sandwiches were also dripping in fat with no taste we asked for extra tartar sauce to be told by a different waitress that its in the sandwich so in other words your not getting anymore. There was barely any in. We all ate them as we were hungry but they were poor. We asked for the bill and paid and went elsewhere for a cuppa. We know it was busy with being a pink concert on at the stadium of light I personally don't think there was enough staff on to cope with the volume of people so our first visit put us off from ever returning.

As we were going to a performance in The Fire Station thought it would be an ideal opportunity to try out food at the Engine Room. Arrived on time place was very quite as most customers were using outside seating. As the choice on the menu was small we expected great things. Not so. I ordered burger as we had been seated on table 4 we could see when food was waiting for service. The burger was on the counter waiting for my wife's chicken meal, the big discussion by a chef and 3 members of staff was to determine if chips/fries were vegan. Eventually the meals were served my wife's hot mine warm. When we were seated at T4 we didn't realise that we were sitting very very close to the toilets. However when the pub started to fill up the toilets became a major visitor attraction realisation set in. Couldn't wait to get out, food overpriced, mocktails good. For such a large building removing T4 or fitting a screen to the side of the door would not cost much. Would go for a drink only.

Pay d £10 for just a coke and a pint ! The women’s toilets are vile - each time I’ve been the smell is horrendous and they look manky compared to the rest of the place ! For the prices they charge for drinks and food you’d expect their toilets to be clean and not smell like they do

Visited recently with friends for Sunday Lunch. For the price charged we were all extremely disappointed in the quality of service received and food served. At the price charged we expected a good quality, equal to home cooked Sunday Lunch....we received a less than average quality meal with chewy meat served with tepid at best gravy and very few vegetables. The standard of service was also very poor, with staff gossiping by the bar whilst customers left after being ignored or seated themselves at tables still covered in the remains of the previous diners meals while other tables had the dirty plates from the last diners left on them. Such a shame that such an impressive building can deliver such poor standards of food and service. The warning sign should have been the tables outside the front of the building covered in dirty glasses.

In pre-show. Nice welcome and quick service. My mint and pea risotto with cod loin was very disappointing. Risotto is tricky to get right but that doesn’t excuse lack of flavour. No trace of mint and under seasoned. No one asked if the food was OK. Other dishes looked better.

We stood waiting for drinks after the show of Chris McCausland in the Engine room , totally ignored by staff , bad cutomer service , not good 😡

Wonderful food! My husband said that his meal was one of the tastiest he’s ever had in a restaurant. Lovely atmosphere. We have already booked again for pre-theatre dinner next month.

Went today for a meal before going to see the Lion King. Will definitely not be going back! We were a large group so called when booking to make sure we would have time to eat before we were due at the show. I was asked to preorder the food and told we would be served immediately on arrival. Half an hour after arriving our food finally was served, it was mediocre, edible but not exciting. Because dinner took so long, we asked for dessert to be brought before we’d finished eating. Again, another 30 minute wait. All food was preordered so no excuse for the delay, we had to inhale our desserts and were late leaving for the show. Half the food was left at the table. 90 minutes for a preordered Sunday dinner and half a dessert, costing over £200 for 9 people, just ridiculous!

We booked a table for an early supper before going to a concert. Service was friendly and informative. Drinks were quickly delivered with the food taking a lit longer. However, the place was full. The food was good and as described, booked a table for our next 3 concerts.

Good dinner prior to the theatre. Rib eye was tasty , servers pleasant. Big beef -small sparkling water 5 pounds ! Absolutely outrageous. Harrogate water . Watch out diners .

A slightly stuttering start from a member of staff who was clearly new and a little nervous but overall a good place to eat and would visit again. The only negative that knocks off a star would be the gluten free buns. Poor quality and...

Been lots of times when at theatre but never again. Waited almost an hour for 5 sandwich type meals. Fish fingers were more batter than fish and the flatbread were dry. The glazed chicken was tasty and chips were ok but not very hot -...

Well where do i start...Firstly i had the engine burger and chips at 15 pound a burger i thought somethong really special...I have had better burgers at weatherspoons to be honest or even macdonalds...The chips i ordered were burnt as well so i dont rate...

We had a great welcome from the manager on our arrival .. food was very good .. very friendly service. Couldn’t fault it. A very good night. Will definitely go back.

I arranged for my U3A MUSIC GROUP (28 altogether) to have lunch at the Engine Room before a matinee performance at the Sunderland Empire. The setting, the food and the service was excellent as was all the staff especially Eve. The Fire Engine is highly...

Leila certainly did her best to make my lunchtime experience most enjoyable. So kind and friendly. Sea bass was delicious. Really appreciated Leila’s efforts on my behalf.

Called into the bar today at 2-45pm.ordered a pint of IPA £5-50 ....that's a shock anyway ... The bar person quickly returned from the pump and delivered my beer in a plastic cup!!!!!!. When I looked around everyone had plastic cups unless they were drinking...

Nice food, enjoyable surroundings, pleasant staff and good service. Quite busy when we were there which is a good sign.

Big expectations for first visit to this venue. As soon as we arrived I sensed we were in for a very slow service. Approx 40-50 customers dining on arrival, and only one member of staff, looking extremely stressed. He was doing everything from meeting and...

All the tables had reserved on some up to 2 hours away but still said fully booked 🤷‍♂️ there was 20 people in the place but the kitchen can’t take any food orders !!!!

Nice surroundings shown table and told table service only. Waitress came quickly for drinks order asked for drinks menu told there wasn’t any. Asked what red wine they had she said I know we have a merlot not unsure of the rest ! Then asked...

Lovely building and lovely eclectic seating and tables . So much to you look at and enjoy. Was there for lunch , I couldn’t resist Turkey dinner ( love it and my family don’t !) lots of meat and sausage meat beautifully cooked veg ;...

We waited 40 mins to be served our drinks. Asked the server to check the order but she just said they were busy and the drinks would come in time. Finally we asked the manager to step in and drinks came. Other people around us...

It started all so well! We sat down at table 13. We ordered our drinks and food with no problem. Starters arrived almost seamlessly after almost receiving another tables starter first (there were two table 13s). Starters lovely. Our drinks came. Wish we could have...

Me and a couple of my friends dined and had cocktails here on Saturday and the service we received was sensational. The staff were very welcoming and service was fast and efficient. One of the managers behind the bar made sure we were seated comfortably...

Black pudding and potato cake was excellent , beer was really good , burger was good and so was the beef shin , would recommend to anyone

Great food and good choice of drinks, all served well by attentive but not pushy staff. Well done and thank you

Outstanding customer service and delicious food and drink. Amazing team of people doing an amazing job.

Really pleased to see somewhere like this in Sunderland - it's what the city centre has long needed. But the place badly needs to improve its service. I popped in after a long day working, for a quick pint before meeting friends. Place is quiet,...

I visited this evening for the first time, just for a drink, as being Coeliac I didn’t expect to be catered for. Our server Aaron was fantastic. He very confident when taking my order and made me feel at ease ordering with an allergy. I...

Visited here a few times during December, both as a couple and as a family group, and we've never been disappointed. Our food was good, though a little expensive, and the service was spot on. Popped in a couple of times just for a drink...

We’ve been to this place a few times pre covid, decided to visit again as it was quiet. What a mistake! The menu has changed for the worse. The food is now only average. Portion sizes are for dwarfs. And the cost is absolutely ridiculous....

We visited here for lunch, it wasn't too busy, and fee tables but we opted for a table out of the way... we were approached by a lovely very young blonde girl who got us menus and advised on table number and how to order...

I had the misfortune to pay £17 for half as cup of tea and the worst fish and chips I've ever had . I was so desperate for a bite to eat I couldn't be bothered to complain, I just ate it as quickly as...

My wife and I both ordered fish and chips prior to theatre show. The fish looked big on the plate but nearly all batter and very little fish inside. Chips were scarce and hidden by fish, The peas were dry and over cooked. At £15.00...

Saw that the place was open again after some time of being closed, so decided to give it a go. Staff are friendly and food was lovely. Menu is different from what it was previously and gives a more restaurant feel instead of a pub...

Newly re-opened, we had never been before but it’s beautiful inside, Staff lovely and attentive without being invasive, and a really stunning veggie roast ! Huge portions too. Will definitely be back !

Last visited sometime in 2019 and have admit the experience was not top draw. However on our visit today all that changed. First thing we noticed was that car park was almost full. Last time almost empty. Found ourselves a table and got drinks and...

All I can say is I can't wait to go back ☺️ stuck to government guidelines really well, food was absolutely unreal and the service was just stellar.

We went to visit here for dinner and drinks on Saturday night. When we arrived, a staff member took our details, asked us to sanitize and walked us to our table. The layout was fantastic, 2m between tables, one way system all throughout. We were...

5 adults and a new born attended we called ahead to check they could accommodate us with the baby and they were more than welcoming and informed of the live music that would be on from 7pm.The staff were fantastic very attentive and friendly couldn't have asked for better.The food was lovely and very much enjoyed by all of us.Very clean and spacious tables would highly recommend a visit!!!

Decent enough food to fill a hole, nothing to write home about. We had the buttermilk fried chicken burger and the vegetarian hot dog. Burger was a little dry as no mayo, just lettuce and tomato and the burger a little overcooked, could get mayo though so it wasn’t too bad. The staff were really good and in current circumstances with Covid doing a great job

We popped in for a couple of drinks and ended up spending the rest of the evening.We felt safe and reassured covid measures were all been followed with cleanliness and table service. The staff were all really friendly and attentive and the manager professional and was clearly making sure safety of his customers was a priority.Well priced and relaxed atmosphere with the addition of a fantastic singer Emily.We don't live in Sunderland anymore but can't wait to pop in when we are next home.

We visited the Engine Room for food, drink and a catch up. The food was lovely, all 3 meals were excellent. There is a great choice of ales that pleased us all. The atmosphere was perfect for a mid week after work catch up, welcoming and chilled. Looking forward to a weekend visit.

First visit to sunderland for years this was a place close to the theatre and appeared popular so walked in. Drinks and service was good.food was priced around 10 so average pub prices. You tend to find food at this price is good or not so good. The good lady had fish and chips and i had the pie. Chips were home cooked and the rest very average but edible it was border line average to not so good. Which was a shame for such a popular pub restaurant. The wifes fish was wafer thin. Not a place i would rush back to but on a positive note staff were very friendly and attentative we didnt wair long for service at the bar or for food.

Expensive for what thy serve I had duck wrap that was like tuna it was sloppy cucumber that was that thin you could see through it and spring onion well I still havnt found any terrible food I’ll be giving that a miss in future should if gone to McDonald’s

We met our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter here before enjoying a show at the nearby Sunderland Empire. I had red pepper soup and toast, my wife had achicken wrap and chips; we both shared a pot of tea. Afterwards I had a gin and tonic; wife had a lemonade. Pleasant atmosphere, relaxed and courteous service. Prices very reasonable. Wouldn't hesitate to return.

Stopped by to eat. Chicken fajita flatbread pizza. OK. not terribly expensive but as for value for money - i'd give it 1. I wanted something edible, not an edible description. It was nothing like the description. Nothing 'Mexican' or spicy or tasty about it. Bland soggy chicken, two slices of slimy limp red pepper, some sort of chewy cheese, and a thin tasteless stream of watered down sour cream? Horrible. Tasted of nothing but acidic tinned tomatoes. Complained about it. Waitress said 'oh'. I wouldn't bother if i were you.

we were going to an Indians for food (see review) so popped in here before our reservation , this was after a Sunderland match so the place was full and loud , a few drinks ordered from the bar and settled in , the place has seating inside and also a firepit area outside , we were not here long but the place seemed very popular with the locals , friendly staff and would deffo pop in again

This place won’t survive serving cheap ‘from a jar’ bar food of yesteryear....Crispy beef starter - tough soggy beef (no crispness in sight) swimming in mass produced sauce. ‘Shell on’ prawn starter - submerged in cheap liquid fake butter. Fish finger butty - pale, tasteless and utterly boring. Jack fruit wrap - unrecognisable mulch. Chicken gyros - premanufactured but passable. The accompanying rice tasteless filler. Each dish with the same dull side salad and cheap squirt on dressing.A shame because the building is an interesting and pleasant enough place to be. The staff friendly enough. Drinks expensive.So for 2 kids and 2 adults, at £64 it was a pricey affair for really poor food.

Went here for our work team lunch today and it was anything but good. We pre-ordered 3 days in advance and when we arrived they didn't seem to have a clue what was going on. We waited ages for the starters which were average in terms of the quality then ages for these to be cleared. We then waited a further 20 minutes for the mains to be served. One of our team is gluten intolerant so picked the Turkey as it was displayed on the menu if requested there could be a gluten free version made. This had not been requested but unfortunately was not provided so got his turkey dinner without any gravy. All we got was "Sorry there isn't anything we can do". All the veg came out together which was fine but then we wait again for the Yorkshire puddings. The food was below average to be honest. We then waited another 20 minutes for the dessert we had ordered and then we were one short. I was expecting since we had pre-ordered that they would be a little bit more prepared. The whole experience was pretty rubbish and the service was shocking. So expensive for what it was - definitely not worth the money! Over 2 hours in total!! Terrible!

Visited prior to theatre , we were advised the timescale for food prior to ordering , it came on time beautifully presented and tasted as good , great vibe catering for diners and people wanting a drink .Would definitely recommend a visit .

I find it totally outrageous that a venue that is one of the most expensive pubs to buy a drink in Sunderland, can charge for putting lime into a pint (a pint is to the brim of the glass) can actually add for putting lime into the said glass, Wetherspoon and many others are much cheaper places to drink and don’t charge for lime! It’s robbery by greed to anyone who charges for lime, as you can’t get a full pint into the glass if you get lime, you don’t get lager! Greed, Greed, and more Greed!

Lovely food and great for lunch. Child friendly and great staff and love the atmosphere. Really unique experience in the Center of Sunderland. A cut above over choices in Sunderland- a great addition to the city.

First visit here. Really interesting space, pleasant staff and excellent menu. Lots of options for gf and vegan diners. Seemed very family friendly too. Though we had only soft drinks, there was an extensive drinks selection including some very decent draught beers.

Been here twice now, July and September 2019; both Pre - Theatre food. Each time it has been heaving which is always a good sign. We usually arrive around 5.30pm which gives us an hour and a half to eat our food at leisure before we go to the theatre which is literally a stones throw away from here. The first visit was a sunny July evening and we sat outside. Plenty of tables for sitting out and a fire pit with bbq food after dark so great on summer nights to sit and chill with friends. The second time we sat inside as weather not so good. We like this venue as it is fully accessible for disabled people. My husband is a wheelchair user and there is a clean disabled toilet inside - just ask for the key at the bar and return it to them afterwards. In front of this venue there are lots of disabled parking bays on both sides of the road for blue badge holders. Arrive early here pre theatre and you will get a space no problem even on a Saturday evening but if you arrive later I think they seem to be mostly all full by 7pm if not sooner. The food is very nice. Typical pub food - burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, nachos etc. The sandwiches are very good, made on your choice of bread and served with paprika fries or a small bowl of soup. Two soft drinks and 2 sandwiches and fries will set you back about £20 here so it’s not the cheapest, but it’s very nice and worth it for the convenience for us. Door staff and host always seem friendly as do the bar staff. Be aware there is only one till where you can food. There is a sign to say this at the bar. Queue has never been long and food comes out quickly, which is a bonus. It’s very noisy inside on a weekend so if you don’t like a racket it’s not for you. This is due to the music playing and the sheer volume of people in there, but it has a good vibe for all customers. You can’t do much better around the immediate theatre area as the competition is either a greasy burger bar across the road, a couple of Indian restaurants or a noisy pub. We will be visiting again this weekend as we have another theatre show.

First time we’ve visited and won’t be the last. We often visit the theatre (virtually) next door but 1st time we’ve visited here & seriously wish we’d been before!!!

Went for some dinner and really liked the place. great food, and an amazing venue. A complete surprise for the centre of Sunderland and a great location for pre-theatre drinks and food.

We hadn't thought to book before a visit to the theatre, so were grateful that they were able to squeeze us in. The facilities were clean and tidy, and easy for me to get around in my wheelchair. The food was tasty. They were very busy, so service was a little slow although they did warn us that it would take about 20 minutes for our meals to be cooked from scratch, so that's OK. I'd definitely keep it in mind for future pre-theatre meals.

An excellent meal, that we did not have to wait long for in a lovely bar that has managed to retain its heritage from the old Fire Station it is located within.

Slow to place order - food orders only at one till with a slow operator. Very slow for food to arrive.

Visited The Engine Room for lunch with the family and left not disappointed. The posh fish finger sandwiches were delicious as was the kids pizza and fries. Very good value for money. The establishment also offers a wide range of ales with a good selection of other drinks. The service is good resulting in a hot meal freshly prepared. Plenty of room both inside and out. Bookings are taken but not compulsory. Well done.

First time visiting The Engine Room, went just before football for some lunch. Plenty of choice and reasonable prices. Food came out really hot, and was tasty! Good atmosphere and restaurant/bar was decorated really nicely. Friendly staff. Really happy we came here - will come back!

Beautiful pub, great staff amazing drinks selection and the food was incredible we will definitely be returning

We were away in Sunderland for one evening and having never been before, we were told by the hotel staff to head into town where we would find pretty much all cuisines. We actually stayed in the premier inn which ended up being a 5 minute walk to this place and it was amazing. Great atmosphere, great cocktails and the food was absolutely delicious! The menu is pretty much a pub classic menu but the food is that of a 5 star restaurant. If you’re in town, check it out!

Slow Service Overpriced Dont get much of food for your money Lack of quality in food Staff working with fatal hand injury No real dessert options No labels on cakes Inconsistent menus Toilets really dirty

Someone suggested we pop in for a drink as they had eaten here recently .

Came across this pub by accident, we were greeted at the entrance by what I think is the landlord. He took us to a table and told us our table number and how to order. We made our selection and ordered at the bar including drinks, the food arrived very quickly by a friendly waitress, the food was hot and very nice, I ordered more drinks at the bar, and without exception all the staff were friendly and enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy working there which made it a very ambience. A place I will visit again when in the area and I thoroughly recommend this pub.

Looking for somewhere to eat in the sun and decided to try here, we have drank here before but never eaten. Lovely clean table in the sun and excellent services. Decided on the £20 offer to share loaded fries/tortillas, 1 starter, 1 side. Throughly enjoyed our food and drinks ideal place on a sunny afternoon.

Going to start off saying how beautiful the food is in this place but the service is what made it excellent for myself and my partner. Two ladies didn’t catch their names never stopped the whole time and yet still had time to be extremely attentive and could see how hard working they are. One lady had dark hair with hooped earrings and one had blondeish hair in a bun, couldn’t do enough for us just really lovely staff that I hope are well and the management recognise how excellent all the staff are. Excellent experience thank you x we were here on 29/6/19. Around 13.45 x

Saturday night and the place has ran out of beer ....again.

Staff are excellent, really quick to get served and really genuine people. Really stressful day and they did everything they could to cheer us up! Decor in the main area is really trendy and atmospheric (firefighter theme, naturally). Outside area has plenty of seats and is great for a sunny day. Great selection of beers and spirits it looked like too. Would recommend!

The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and the service was quick and courteous. There was also a good choice of beers and even rhubarb cider, which was yummy. We went before going to the theatre, the engine room is next door so very convenient too. Would thoroughly recommend this as a place to eat.

This is a really nice place to go for good bar food and a fine pint of ale. The inside is lovely, looking all quite new, it is very open yet has a good vibe about the place. The menu is good and I had a very nice Chicken Katsu curry, washed down with a very nice pint of IPA. The curry about about £12 and the beer about £3.50.

We decided to call in for drinks before attending the theatre. We were met by the host at the door who explained that due to the event at the theatre most of the table were booked for meals but he did point out other places you could sit. He was very friendly and helpful, he even gave us a discount card for 10% of drinks if we wanted to return after the show had finished. It was easy to get served at the bar and the atmosphere was really good. We will definitely be back to try the food next time.

Called in for food and had one of the nicest Sunday lunches. Roast beef was tasty and melted in the mouth, creamy mash, carrots, mange tout, cabbage and broccoli, with 2 Yorkshire puddings and delicious gravy. All for under £11. Service was quick and friendly. There was also a great variety of food on the main menu to choose from. Would recommend and will definitely visit again.

Horrid experience here. The corpulent and perspiring doorman moved me to what he actually called "the naughty seats" [these are near the entrance by the fridge] even though I originally sat at an unreserved table. I felt embarrassed by the move! I didn't get an opportunity to test out a vegan/veggie option on the over-priced menu. I also observed and overheard that 2 female couples who had not booked were escorted to unreserved tables.

Popped in for lunch. Foot long giant hot dog was a messy choice but worth it. Service was quick and friendly. Came back the following day and had a nice bacon butty for brekky (although it needed more butter). Good choice for beers later too.

I visited recently after hearing good feedback and I was not dissappointed. The staff were welcoming, the pub has atmosphere and the food is excellent. We will be back vety soon.

I dropped by for lunch on Good Friday. The place was already busy, with a mix of young trendies in bandannas and middle-aged folk with good hairdressers. The old fire station was nevertheless large enough to have a few tables and chairs to spare for latecomers, and enough staff to ensure we were served promptly. I had a fish finger sandwich - at £6.50, not the cheapest in Sunderland, but you get what you pay for. 2 doorsteps of fluffy white bread were filled with home-made fish goujons, with enough lettuce and tartare sauce to taste, but not so much that it dripped all over my fingers. The dish was offered with a free side of either salad, soup or skinny fries. I'm pleased to report the fries were ace.

A great restoration of an old fire station brought back to life and living large thanks to the lovely personable staff.

Myself and my husband went here for lunch we both had the cod loin and chips and it was amazing best fish I have had in a long time and chips home made. Most definitely will be going back again absolutely lovely.

Mam had a coffee outside and staff looked after her while I popped elsewhere They couldn't have been more helpful Manager is absolutely lovely too..courteous and nothing was an issue

Excellent friendly staff all very helpful Best cocktails in Sunderland and very reasonably priced Definitely recommend n will definitely return soon !

Food was gorgeous. Only fault is that the service is quite slow. Only one point where you can order food which leads to queues. When ordering at 6pm was told there was 30min wait for food, I said we were going to theatre and was told you’ve got an hour and a half!

Rarely eat or drink in Sunderland other than on a match day (which this was) but popped in here as a last minute decision

The Engine Room is an excellent venue for a pre show meal ...Its the old fire station in Sunderland revamped... The food is first class I had the fish and chips perfect crispy batter, I would defiantly recommend and will be returning soon !!

Have visited here a few time for drinks & it’s always popular and a good atmosphere.

My wife and I decided to have a meal before going to the theatre next door. The atmosphere was good and there was a buzz about the place. We ordered our food without any bother but some how they lost our table number from the order so we waited a little longer than necessary until they found us by a process of elimination.. We both decided to have the hand cooked chips with our meal. Sadly they were rather flabby and soft. Should have tried the seasoned fries I think. My wife had cod loin and (soggy) chips. The batter was billed as a beer batter and looked golden but like the chips it was flabby. My chicken burger was very nice. This was our first visit to the engine room and it was sadly disappointing. Top marks for decor and atmosphere but the food is ordinary to poor.

Called in before visiting theatre. Chose from ‘Warhorse’ special menu. Liver & bacon with mash was superb as was the broth. Full of flavour. Good wholesome food at a very reasonable price. Staff were welcoming and very pleasant, quickly rectifying an error with the order. Will definitely come back. Highly recommend!