The Excavator in Amber Valley

Food was nice bar tender was nice however the big woman who collects plates needs to be gone no dress code for public house, verbal abuse of her for sharing a kiss with my partner after a meal as he moved his chair we couldn't sit on any other seats as the radiator was on full blast hence why we sat at the end she came over wearing leggings black puffa waste coat handbag around her fluffy boots, we assumed a customer oh and we was only 3rd set of customer in that night she abused my partner then lied on social media review making out we abused her if CCTV was looked and audio it would show her I did not speak once and she verbally attacked us we will never eat here and after reading various reviews the pub doesn't respond well to bad reviews,

Food was popping hot and good sized portions

Staff are extremely helpful and friendly. Food is really good and lots of choice. Really enjoyed the Sunday Carvery as well as food from the main menu. We hadn't visited for a couple of years, but been x3 times in the last 2 weeks. Thank you

The venue was beautiful, food was exceptional and the staff were great.

Had a lovely meal this evening, lovely service

Didn’t take any photos as we came from work and I just didn’t think but…… we’ve been here a few times recently and it’s superb, the staff are all really nice, the food is done perfectly. The place is nice and clean and well kept. Tonight we had the pub grub menu last time we had a Sunday carvery and both were bang on 👌 can’t fault it, please keep it going guys as we need a go to place and will be returning 🤣👍

Been into the excavator a couple of times this last year. (Live local) Unfortanatly the food was quite bland and overcooked. Especially the sunday lunch. No seasoning on the meat or potatoes what so ever and meat was quite dry. A lot of nieghbors have agreed with this and go to other local pubs in the area that have better quality. Im only leaving this review now as when i commented (politely) on a FB post trying to give some constructive critisism from what local people are saying i then get blocked from the page straight away and comment deleted. I was a chef for 14 years and it pains me to see places still not seasoning food or cooking it properly. Unfortunatly a lot of these chain pubs now will hire anyone that can press buttons on a machine to heat up food and call them chefs but they're really not. Also looking at other bad reviews on google it seems the woman running the pub does not like critisism at all with some very rude responses. Definetly needs improvement and i think is lucky it has the location.

Rather disappointing to be honest. Our first visit for 20+ years and a special anniversary, which I mentioned on the booking form, but went no further. The unsmiling waitress was civil enough, but looked like she would rather be elsewhere. The sharing baked camembert starter was nice, but messy without any plates to park the dipped bread on. The fish and chips were disappointing. The fish was small and over cooked. The pot of mushy peas was thick and dry and the pot of frozen chips was again rather small. Very average service and main course for the price. I don't think we'll bother again.

The Sunday roast is a bit expensive but it's the best I've ever eaten anywhere. The meat is perfectly cooked and you can eat as many vegetables as you want.

I booked a table online for a friend & I, was very easy to do, received confirmation & reminder. All front of house staff were very friendly, polite, presentable & efficient. I arrived early, a member of staff offered a selection of tables, brought menus & enquired if I'd like a drink. The atmosphere of the pub/restaurant area was warm, cozy & inviting. When my friend arrived we were given sufficient time to order, food was fabulous & delivered in a timely manner, and the waitress checked in on us a couple of times .. fantastic experience well done to all

Food was bang average at best on a saturday evening. Pushed review up to 3 stars because sunday lunch is quite good.

We were all looking forward to a family get together as we arrived.. the waitress came to take our orders for drinks and shortly after those of us that wanted a starter were able to order.. Then the mains were ordered and appeared from the kitchen after quite a wait. My Son's girlfriend was shocked to find a dead fly stuck on her bread roll 😳.. not a good start.. She pointed this out and they said it had probably fell on it underneath the grill which I didn't quite understand !! Anyway.. a fresh roll was given and we all started our meals my husband ordered the 8oz. steak ( £21).. and for that price was expecting a decent sized portion but it looked and tasted more like a small pork chop 🤔 not the juicy steak full of flavour he'd ordered.. To be honest we were all really disappointed about the amount given and quality for the prices charged We will not go again..

Very friendly & accommodating, great food, turned around in a reasonable time and well presented, nice staff... nothing but nice things to say about the place really!

I came here with a group of friends for a Sunday dinner and it was unreal. The options of meat and vegetables felt endless which is differently what you want for a carvery! The fact the Yorkshire puddings were homemade made this even more delish! We were that happy we stayed for desert. We will definitely be returning!!!

Not been here for about 10 years and based on the last time, I wasn’t expecting much. But we were all pleasantly surprised. The menu is fresh and varied and the food arrived promptly, and was hot and tasty. The service was really good. Overall a great experience, we’ll definitely be back.

Great service, would definitely reccomend .

Went for the Sunday carvery after it was recommended to us. It was incredible, certainly lived up to the hype! Meat was tender and delicious, cooked to perfection. A great variety or vegetables and accompaniments. Staff were helpful and friendly and the restaurant was very clean. 10 out of 10!

Absolutely world class, service from start to finish was absolutely amazing, brilliant and very polite and well mannered staff, big Thankyou to you all , really enjoyed our visit once again, if you like the meaty dish I recommend the mixed grill!!!!!! Thankyou guys

The Carvery as gone down hill rapidly and the price for what you get a selection of is not great The price has once again increased so there are better options elsewhere I believe going forward. The staff on the Carvery are very friendly on a positive note At the end of the day the Carvery is nothing special and the portion size of meat is now very minimal so don’t think we will be returning anytime soonwhich is such a shame from past experiences

We were meeting friends from West Yorkshire and it was good to meet at this location. The service was really efficient and friendly and the 2 young ladies when served us drinks and food were very polite and professional. They did a nice courtesy check - too often at places these can feel fake but they were genuine and should be applauded. The food was lovely- all well cooked, tasty and good portion sizes. A really good meal before we headed to Matlock Bath for the illuminations. Many thanks for a lovely afternoon.

The BEST Pub meal I've had in years we will be going again, went on 30th September

Decwnt food and much improved menu and service!

Arrived at 17:05 and was politely informed that they'd stopped serving food. I wouldn't mind but to have no signage stating this and also for the website saying Sunday 12pm-8:30pm I was very disappointed. Thus we walked out.

Were to start, 9 of us went for a meal which we was welcomed quite nicely by the guy in a peaky blinders hat, we sat down and ordered drinks and food but from there on all went down hill, portion of chips had a fly on (cooked onto the chip aswell) sent back and 10seconds later a "fresh" portion was bought out (wish i could cook fresh chips that quick), well done steak which could have had cpr and gone back to the farm, lamb shank just fat shank, burgers cold in the middle but very crispy on the outside, starter of garlic bread (well the end peice and 1 slice)... we didnt stay for dessert as tbh we just wanted to get out and be gone, place used to be lovely yrs ago but now it should be buried with a excavator... when mentioned it to staff about the issues all we got was smiles and ok... Will be advising people to avoid and probs stick to kfc....

I usually don't leave bad reviews for anything but considering the price of the food, and amount of us that were there I think this warrants an opinion, we'd gone for a family meal with approx 9 of us for my dad's birthday, the food was mediocre at best unfortunately, lettuce/salad on the burger felt soggy/not fresh, my burger itself was okay! My other half had the chicken burger and she found that okay so nothing bad to say about that! Her meal came with fries and we'd found a fly baked into on of her chips on the top, I requested this be swapped immediately and didn't kick up a fuss about it, we were told it could've gotten onto the fries due to it being on a hotplate before it was served, they were replaced almost immediately for a 'fresh' batch which is fine, although this seemed suspiciously quick.. my dad's steak was requested to be 'well done' it came out incredibly chewy and a little under cooked to be honest. To top it all off my sister and her family weren't the most impressed with their meals either, I won't be coming back unfortunately, it's a shame as I've been here a few times in the past and always had a good experience, everything mentioned in this review was also raised with the staff there as my dad's a rather confrontational person when it comes to his food out and about and we weren't offered any compensation etc for the experience. Wouldn't recommend. Edit; you table checked us twice to collect our glasses and lastly to collect our plates, and at no point did you ask us how our food was. To be perfectly honest I'd be thankful we paid full price, if it were up to my dad he wouldn't have bothered, thanks.

Were to start, 9 of us went for a meal which we was welcomed quite nicely by the guy in a peaky blinders hat, we sat down and ordered drinks and food but from there on all went down hill, portion of chips had a fly on (cooked onto the chip aswell) sent back and 10seconds later a "fresh" portion was bought out (wish i could cook fresh chips that quick), well done steak which could have had cpr and gone back to the farm, lamb shank just fat shank, burgers cold in the middle but very crispy on the outside, starter of garlic bread (well the end peice and 1 slice)... we didnt stay for dessert as tbh we just wanted to get out and be gone, place used to be lovely yrs ago but now it should be buried with a excavator... when mentioned it to staff about the issues all we got was smiles and ok... Wil be advising people to avoid and probs stick to kfc.... EDIT: Glad you have replied, table was checked once when the lady came and fetched the plates back which WERE NOT clean i can assure you on that one, we did mention it and so did another party member, not sure were you read about chicken 🤷🏻‍♂️, the burgers (not chicken) was cold in the middle, lamb (not chicken) was mainly fat and lastly the steak (again im pretty surr thats not chicken). Anyway review stands and will not be coming again, probs best bit we had was the free doggy treats on the way out which i was dubious about giving my working dog.....

2 standard carveries, 1 pt of bitter, 1 pepsi max. Cost £39.53. I've visited this place quite a few times over the past year and whilst it had been good food and good value for money, I no longer feel that is the case. The fact that there are now empty tables and no constant queue at the carvery would suggest that others have also noted the escalation in price and decline in quality. There were 3 meats available; turkey, beef and pork. They had mint sauce available but no lamb on offer. Having noted the dryness of the beef on my last 2 visits, I opted for the standard carvery, this time, which offers 2 meats for £15.95. The turkey was fine but, like the beef, the pork was dry. They no longer offer gluten free yorkshire pudding and the gluten free pigs in blankets are served from the same tray and the same implements as the wheat based stuffing. If you are coeliac you'll have to do without these foods. There were lots of different vegetables available, cooked with varying degrees of success. The cauliflower was cooked until soft and if the sauce on top was supposed to be cheese sauce, I wouldn't have known. It just didn't really have any discernable flavour. If I'd eaten it blind folded I couldn't have told it apart from the red cabbage, which was also soft. Peas, mange tout and fine beans were much better but they were all heaped into one serving dish and mixed together so if you don't like one of them, or are allergic, you can't separate them out. When I asked for table water, I was brought it - somewhat grudgingly - and told "For future reference it's self service". I hadn't known. I'd not come across this before and given that the standard carvery is nearly £16 per head, I wouldn't say it is such a cheap place that cafeteria style self service is expected. I just felt that a carvery that used to be good value for money is now overpriced and over cooked. For future reference, I think it's time to try somewhere else.

Lovely meal out with friends, and a good chat.

Absolutely stunning place ..lovely atmosphere..the food we had was just beautiful..highly recommend

Pleasant experience, lovely staff and the food was amazing, service was excellent. The pub is lovely decorated and they offer a good range of drinks.

Lovely restaurant with plenty of food options and friendly and welcoming staff. Definitely will be returning.

Popped in on the off chance on Monday with my nephew and niece, they both had the kids hummus what a bargain only £1 and great portion sizes, unfortunately they had no cucumber so they substituted it with celery which was completely fine with us. I had the hunters chicken and it was so moist melted in my mouth. Absolutely gorgeous will definitely be returning!!

Great service, friendly staff. Amazing food, definitely will be returning.

Excellent food with a super friendly atmosphere..would recommend to my friends & family...

Absolutely shocking experience. First of all the service was slow, which considering the restaurant was nearly empty should have sent warning signs. I ordered cucumber and carrot batons for my children. The order and my sandwich took half an hour to come. When the kids meal arrived it was celery instead of cucumber. I was told they have a new chef! Not reassuring if they don’t know the difference. No one asked if they kids were allergic to celery or if that was an acceptable alternative. They still charged me the full amount. When I told the staff how displeased I was, they couldn’t have acted less interested. My advice, don’t go there.

Turned up on spec but was found a table for two within minutes, lovely staff throughout, and the food was brilliant. Definitely pop in again when in the area.

Lovely food, shame they don't accept blue light card at this one.

Nice friendly pub staff very friendly and helpful it's got a oldie worldly feeling

Fish and chips poor NO steaks!!!

Amazing find, we were visiting Belper didn't have a table booked but they were very accommodating. 2 course meals and drinks fabulous, we will be back next year when we return, 😊

Excellent Sunday carvery but don't just call in need to book

Just enjoyed a lovely Sunday carvery here today. Had a choice of 4 different roasts with the option to have a piece of all 4. It was served with stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, gravy and a selection of fresh veg. Honestly the best Sunday lunch I've had in ages

My daughter and I stopped here for dinner after popping to Nottingham for an item of furniture. The food was good quality the service was also quick and professional. On the evening that we went it was quite quiet. Parking is plentiful being on a main road.

Just called in for a drink while countryside walking

Not been here for ages. Food was excellent and the service was exceptionally good.

Excellent menu, highly recommended - lamb shanks, belly park, steak and blue cheese, all well prepared and delicious.

Popped in for a quick lunch on our way back from a camping trip. Good service and great food! Would definitely visit again

We have been for Sunday carvery today It was very busy but no waiting around for food Service excellent and food was first class One of the best carvery’s in the area with a great selection of meats and vegetables in a really nice location Will be back soon

Excellent, would use again when in area

Decent enough pub with plenty of outdoor seating! Seems a bit dated out the front! Pub garden could be more sectioned as to hide the main road. Wasn’t very busy but isn’t exactly near anything of interest nearby!

Food was excellent and fast service

Excellent carvery. Great choices for meat and veggie options. Sooo many veg to choose from.

Slight hiccup with our mains being brought out before our starters but the staff were very apologetic and worked to rectify it and make us feel welcome. The food was good and the surroundings smart and clean. A bit of back and forth at times as they seemed to have a lot of new or temporary staff but it was fine.

Good food. Pleasant atmosphere. Really nice pub. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Will definitely vist again.

Good food reasonably priced. Nice clean pub. Friendly staff

Went for lunch at 1pm. Almost empty! Thought it would be busier at that time so had prebooked a table. Meal wasn't very hot. Pie, obviously microwaved because it had collapsed and was soggy. Mashed potatoes were like packet mash, and carrots had skins on like sausage skins. Chewed and spit out! Service staff were very young and inexperienced. (I appreciate we all have to learn) I had taken an old friend for lunch but I'm afraid I won't return.

Disappointing visit, real shame as we visit quite often usually Arrrived at 5pm and ordered starters and mains- second choice for my main as flatbreads not available At 5:45 was told no prawn cocktail left! 45 minutes after ordering? Calamari came with tartare sauce not garlic mayo and rocket instead of pea shoots Steak for main was ordered medium- blood literally dripping from it when it arrived, no English mustard to go with steak Customers were being turned away at 6:30 due to 45 minute wait for food, despite the place not being busy and lots of waiting on staff Not sure what was going on, never had an experience like this here before Shame as we come here as a family quite often

We turned up as a big group on a Sunday late afternoon out of the blue, all ate as well. Bar staff and waiting on team were really good. Food arrived quickly and it was good! (I had goats cheese lasagne). Shout out to new boy Louis.

Good location when on Rock and Blues

Excellent service and amazing food. We came in on Wednesday for pie and a pint and had amazing service from all the young staff, all offers and special menus were offered to us. Our young server was lovely and was very efficient. Overall all staff really nice and the food is amazing. Would come back

Stopped by on Wednesday for the lunch. As we walked in the lovely staff greeted us at the door with a smile and showed us to our table. We was offered a lunch menu which had things like chicken tenders and fish goijons. I had the tenders and the chicken was very delicious. We finished off with dessert and only paid £14.50 for 2 courses, very good value for money, will be back!!

Quick stop on route to somewhere else but nice food, quick and friendly service. Plenty of outdoor seating.

A superb pub. We highly recommend it. Good food, great staff and a lovely atmosphere

Food poor for price. Not microwaved properly. Young staff very welcoming

We’ve just been turned away after walking 2 miles as you claim there’s nowhere to seat us with dogs (pub is totally empty) If that the case you should state that dog walkers should pre book Utterly disgusting attitude from staff as we walked in in a rainy day and now we have to walk back again Don’t waste your time here

Excellent Sunday Carvery great service with a smile

Lovely staff. Di and John always give us a warm welcome. We’ve had other carveries but by far this is the best n we go nearly every Sunday 10/10 highly recommended. Keep up the good work guys !! Xx

Not much to say except great food, great service and ample parking even if it's on a bit of a busy road.

Great staff warm welcome, A good atmosphere and food is well priced and has a good wide range to choose from. Food has always been fantastic and the presentation is excellent, The pub itself has beautiful surroundings and a country feel.First came here few years back for a birthday celebration and always came back since

The best place I have ever been too for the food. Had a Sunday roast and the best I have had the meat was amazing. The staff ere all very friendly and the atmosphere was good. Thankyou so much for an amazing lunchtime

We had our first date with you on Sunday afternoon I'm 62 and she is 58 thank you very much for a great time we will be back 🙃🙃😍😍😎😎🤓🤓🥰🥰

Really friendly welcome, the refurbishment looks great. Staff really helpful and friendly. Food was really good and

Everyone served on our table at once but we had to wait 10+minutes for my 9year old to be served, we reminded them after the long wait that he hadn’t had his food and they were rude and unapologetic. We asked for a bill to settle our costs and they told us to pay at the bar instead of offering us a bill first or checking if we were okay/how we were wanting to pay. We had to ask a second employee twice about the missing food aswell as a receipt for our meals as the first shrugged us off both times. Disappointed, learn some respect. Not professional at all.

Came in on Wednesday and had the hunters chicken and the cheese and bacon burger, was amazing we will definitely be back

Came in on Tuesday, was quite inside but busy outside, we had the signature burger and the buttermilk chicken burger it was amazing would definitely recommend!!

We are always welcomed and the food menu is good. Real ales maybe not so but that has to be driven by demand of course. I tried an IPA and couldn’t drink it as it was a horrible colour and very fizzy. More like a rubbish lager. I’ve never seen that before. IPA is always a draft beer and smooth like real ales. Anyway, our food is always well cooked and comes out cooked hot. Very good. Meal portions are fair and not small. Prices have gone up but this is understandable. People have to make a living and costs are rising all the time. Overall we are very happy with the team there and the food. We will keep going back. Thanks.

Went today for fathers day, really nice carvery meat was beautiful 😍. I was a little put out the main menu wasn't available but understand it would be alot to do the full main menu plus carvery. The main reason for my review was the staff, today was the first time ever I was walking with mine and my son's carvery when a waitress came over and asked if I'd like help. She took my son's plate put gravy on it checking the amount was ok. Then took my son back to the table ( where his grandad was) so I could sort my own plate out. Thank you so much you don't understand how much this helped me I wish more restaurants went above and beyond as this waitress did for me today.

We came here as we'd never been and really wanted to. Quite surprised at how quiet it was for a Saturday evening on father's day weekend. Young girl serving got our drinks order wrong. My boyfriend asked for pure orange juice. She bought weak dilute orange squash. When we said it was the wrong drink and told the manager she had fetched, he went away, came back and asked if it was orange and lemonade we ordered. We yet again said no it was pure orange juice. He seemed to be rolling his eyes at us. The food came very quickly but possibly was this because it was microwaved? I used to work in foodservice so I know the products rather well! All in all, average quality for a couple going out for tea. Not the best date night food for the price.

I hope this message finds you well and that you're in the mood for a good chuckle (with just a dash of constructive criticism). My wife, children, and I have driven past your establishment countless times, always admiring it from afar and eagerly anticipating our visit. We finally decided to give it a try, expecting a delightful dining experience. However, we were in for a bit of a surprise. From the moment we sat down, we felt as if we were in a speed-dining competition. The staff's enthusiasm was, well, a tad overwhelming, with them almost breathing down our necks and hovering over us throughout the meal. It's safe to say that our dining experience was more "rush hour" than "leisurely lunch." Now, let's talk about the food. We were quite taken aback by the bill, which totalled nearly £80, with a single glass of wine priced at almost £9. We had to double-check to see if the wine came with a vineyard. Alas, it did not. Our high hopes were met with a bitter disappointment and a rather sour taste in our mouths, figuratively speaking. We wanted to share our experience with you in the hopes that future diners might enjoy a more relaxed and reasonably priced meal. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we hope to see some positive changes in the future. Best regards, Tom

The carvery was piping hot and the beef was excellent.

If you just want to meet up with your mates for a quick drink, just hope it is a nice day because there is nowhere inside to sit and have a chat. All the indoor seats are set up for food, and if it starts to rain, you are getting wet or standing in the entrance to wait for it to pass

very nice place and serve excellent food, defo worth a visit

Amazing place, great carvery and staff very friendly

A great team with tasty food. Delicious carvery, very accommodating for a group of 10

Hello Just had the wake for my late wife Debbie at the excavator in nice room tea coffee on arrival cobs with cooked fresh joint meat roast potatoes stuffing chips sweet and normal good sided plate full they seem able to cope well the pub was busy on arrival nice food cooked well plenty of it all hot . Dogs welcome to which is bonus Can highly recommend staff and pub for a function Steve+ poppy coates

An absolute amazing place the food is the best I've ever eaten great value and exceptional service have not one single gripe from the whole evening 100 stars if I could

We visited as a couple and had a choice of tables when we arrived which was nice. Since our last visit the interior had been updated and there was a new menu. We had the vegetarian macaroni cheese and the chicken and mushroom pie which was on the daily specials menu. It was a bonus that on Wednesdays (when we visited) a pie main course came with a free drink. Both main courses were delicious. For dessert we opted for a Black Forest sponge with ice cream and a raspberry trifle cheesecake and both were really good. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and we were made really welcome by the servers. I definitely recommend a visit to The Excavator.

Great food, pleasant staff. Quick service. Sat outside in the sun with the pooch. Nice quiet afternoon meal n drink.

New menu is banging. Get involved in the chorizo and truffle Mac and cheese. My fella had the chicken kebab and would not stop playing lightsabers with the skewer. Thank you team! ❤️

Had a fabulous Turkey baguette with chips lovely staff will be back

So we have always loved this pub, my son chose this for his birthday meal but tonight we was left disappointed the food wasn’t all that my steak and ale pie had been microwaved ribeye steak wasn’t the best and for the price that was paid would of expected better to be honest. The staff looked miserable and the general feeling of the pub wasn’t nice I feel sad that a pub we really liked has gone down hill even with a new menu. We won’t be returning any time soon. And as for the cheeky member of staff who took the payment asking if we wanted our change, we would have left a tip if you hadn’t of asked and assumed we was giving you the change and I don’t mean 50p he asked if we wanted our £9 change the service wasn’t good either.

Fantastic Carvery, with small alternative menu options on Sunday. All the food was delicious, would highly recommend. Very helpful n friendly staff too. Will definitely be returning.

Wonderfull food good beer. Nice atmosphere

Didn't try the food but the atmosphere was nice just limited light in the middle of the day and part of the pub is in total darkness and looks so dingy.

Food was hot and good and we didnt have to wait to long. Good service all round. Friendly. Overall very good.

Service and food was excellent, a little quiet around lunchtime though. Clean and looked lovely inside. First time there and I will definitely be visiting again. Chips were amazing, fluffy and crispy on the outside.

Enjoyed a lovely meal on Saturday afternoon. Been here before and would go again. My husbands steak wasn't the best but was eatable. Mt macaroni cheese with piri spirits chicken was yummy 😋

We had booked a table for 2 and we were seated next to a window which was a bonus. We were served very quickly and didn't have to wait long in the queue for the carvery. The food was hot and delicious with a good variety of ingredients. It was very good value for money and we will certainly visit again.

Just had a very nice meal here, during the day, with friendly staff in a great atmosphere, I do feel it could get rather busy at certain times. The meals are typical pub meals at reasonable prices but the place is clean and tidy with free WiFi, and newly furbished. You can sit outside in the summer and dog friendly which is a bonus for some. If you are driving, it can be difficult exiting the car park onto the main road, be careful

Great value for money, good food at sensible prices, Staff are fairly young yet polite and enthusiastic. Main menus varies a lot depending on the time of day. Food nicely presented and looked appetising. Two large car parks with reasonable access.