The Hare and Hounds in East Devon

Very disappointed. Food didn't look good and didn't taste much better. Turkey was very dried out on the side. Staff attitude was shocking. Miserable didn't seem happy. Even heard a lady apologise for teying to help to her college. Need to learn Customer service. Such a shame as used to be lovely.

Amazing Sunday lunch on Mothering Sunday. Felt like the owners were really looking after the guests as tables were booked out for an hour and 45 minutes and it wasn’t rammed busy as we’ve known it to be before. Delicious carvery too!

This pub was recommended to us while staying at a near by hotel for a weekend break. It was so good we actually went 2 days running. The first night it was myself and my husband. Carvery was the best we've ever had! Gorgeous meat and perfectly cooked, fresh veg. The second night was my husbands 40th so we came back with my in laws and our son after being let down somewhere else. 5 empty plates. We all agreed the carvery was simply superb. The pub itself is welcoming, staff are lovely, smiles on everyone's face which is not something you see often in hospitality. Sensational!

Food and service were ok for a carvery. Areas of the pub being refurbished which was nice to see as other bits very tried and need of updating.

We were very unlucky as the evening carvery had obviously been sitting out for some time, possibly since lunch. We were first up so the meat was dry, potatoes had been cooked some time much earlier so very not hot or fresh. Yorkshire pud was stodgy so all in all not a great experience. We won’t return again.

Carvery was amazing. Beautiful melt in the mouth beef and pork along with fabulous veg etc accompaniments. Wow....a fabulous meal to celebrate my husbands 60th birthday. As good as I remember it when we used to visit with my late parents. Lovely surroundings and staff. Thank you

Great lunch, unbelievable food choices, reasonable prices and very friendly staff. Already booked another lunch this month. Well done all staff.

Booked for a Sunday evening meal. Despite it being extremely busy due to two coach parties arriving, we were served quickly and professionally. Food was amazing too.

Another venue that is so hit and miss very frustrating as you never know which hare and hounds you are going to

Not currently admitting dogs so refused entrance, having been before didn’t think to check the website so drove 20 miles for nothing. All outside signs still saying dog friendly 🫤

Oh, busy place, efficient, but busy on a Sunday

We have eaten here a few times, although not recently. I contacted the pub about 10 days ago to see if we could book a table for 8 plus a highchair for the Carvery on Sunday evening. It was my Granddaughter's 21st birthday and as she is away from her family who live abroad, we had a little family party for her. From the first phone call to the Hare and Hounds to the end of the Sunday evening, I only have praise for the help they offered. We were able to put some balloons, tea lights and party things on the table. We had brought a cake with candles and sparklers and this was assembled and brought to our table after we’d had an excellent carvery. The oldest in our party was 93, the youngest 1. Everyone was happy. The staff were helpful, efficient and made light of the red cabbage that the 1 yr old had deposited on the floor! Thank you SO much Hare and Hounds. It meant a lot to us.

Delicious roasts, tender meats (we had turkey/ beef/ pork) great choice of vegetables and wonderful gravy. Generous portions!

Lovely pub staff are extremely friendly and on the Ball. We had carvery and it was great Would absolutely recommend to anyone.

We booked a table for a Friday lunchtime. On arrival we noticed the pub was already quite full of diners. We were assigned a nice table near the open fire and were provided with attentive service. Three of us ordered the carvery and the others meals from the menu. Everyone was impressed with the quality of the food. The roast beef was excellent cooked to perfection and the vegetables and trimmings were excellent too. This was the best carvery I have experienced in East Devon; I am looking forward to returning.

Lovely carvery and a real family pub we will be back.

Excellent carvery, booking in advance essential.

Always made to feel very welcome. Becky makes a huge fuss of my dogs. Which they love. Great atmosphere and delicious food.

Simply the best place to eat. We drive 40 minutes to eat here it is that good. I strongly recommend to book a table so you aren’t disappointed. The Calvary is stunning and out of this world. The staff are always pleasant and happy. They have everything under control.

Top notch cavery 👌👌 great atmosphere and good staff. Highly recommend

Hare &hounds was ok for dinner. Maybe the fish and chips was on the small side.also the staff service at the bar were interested in their phones that pulling pints.

Lovely old pub with excellent food

Very nice carvery but the food was not hot. Plenty of veg choices. A bit cold in the building but it had been closed for 2 days over Christmas. Staff very helpful and efficient. Definitely book because this place was ultra busy on 27 December.

Fantastic food, great service. Easy parking Merry Christmas to everyone who worked so hard to make a very enjoyable time xx

Wonderful food, friendly staff. 👍

Fantastic carvery pub, which is super popular and understandably so. Great food with several carved rust choices and great veg plus extra. Desserts are also fantastic. All great value.

Food very good and the staff excellent

Excellent carvery today! Chef generous with choice of meat. Going again on Friday! 😄

I have been frequenting this pub about half a dozen times a year since 1997, and even with a change of ownership the standard of their carvery has always been first-class. One of the reasons for this is that they have a high turnover of food - iit never sits for very long. It's also excellent quality. They offer up to three different meats, and you can have all three of you wish, and then you help yourself to the veg, sausages, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing balls and gravy. I'm quite fussy about roast potatoes, as they are my favourites, and theirs pass with flying colours every time. The staff are always very attentive and friendly too. They have an excellent menu, vegetarian options from that and for the carvery, and a good selection of puddings. Their local ales are worth a look too. I thoroughly recommend it.

I recently enjoyed some top-notch salmon and dill fishcakes at the Hare and Hounds. 🐟🌿 It was a delightful rendition of a tasty classic done absolutely right. The fishcakes were a standout, showcasing a perfect balance of flavours with the freshness of salmon complemented beautifully by the aromatic dill. Each bite was a testament to the skillful preparation of this classic dish. For those seeking a delicious and well-executed rendition of salmon and dill fishcakes, the Hare and Hounds is a definite recommendation! 🍽️✨

Five of us all had the carvery food was absolutely outstanding

We’ve always drove past wondering what it’s like! Last night we chanced it and went along to see if it was somewhere we would revisit. It is what it is, frozen veg, deep fried sausages, packet stuffing (even Paxo do a better job) the gravy was like glue. Left feeling sick. Dessert counter filled with bought in desserts and charged at an extortionate fee. The carvery was priced at £16.50 and to be Frank I know I can go and enjoy a roast at better establishments for £16-17 where everything is made from scratch using the best ingredients and not being fed dog food. We won’t be returning, I do however get why the older generation may enjoy it as you get more than a microwave meal, but a very expensive version. Ceiling is about to collapse too.

Excellent value, good choices of meats and veggie options, very busy.

lovely atmosphere with main dining area away from the bar. Great food

Food was faultless, there was about 30 plus in our group, and it was all delicious xx

We've been eating here for years and never had a bad meal. Today, the pub was very full and although the staff were obviously busy, we were politely shown to a booth table and the table was cleaned immediately. The waitress brought our menus over to us and we were made to feel very welcome. I had the carvery which was superb value, the meat was beautifully cooked. My husband had goulash with a side of dirty chips which he said was very good. We love the Hare and Hounds, because although it's a very large pub and restaurant, it has a local feel. The bar is great if you have a dog. Please don't change a thing!

Just been to the Hare & Hounds going for their Daily Carvery. Heard good things about it and the quality of the food. Got a lovely table looking across the fields, nice out side area too for warmer weather. We were told we could go up to collect our food which worked well. No "free for all". Had the beef, pork and gammon. (Turkey available too). Ended up with a huge plate (see pics), really nice and somehow ate the lot. Absolutely amazing food! I fancied a dessert but was way too full. They have a nice fireplace and generally a nice atmosphere. Also very friendly service. Good price - Easy 5 stars.

Visited on a Monday evening, it's a very popular place and was very busy. The food is excellent, went for the carvery and was not disappointed. If you're in the vicinity it's worth a visit.

There were a lot of people there when we arrived so we settled in for a long wait but no need, we were called up for our carvery within about 10 minutes and when we had chosen what we wanted it all turned out to be excellent. The standard plate size was more than enough in quantity, and everything was delicious. Would thoroughly recommend.

Fantastic carvery and the staff were great!

Let me start this review with explaining that I have been a customer of this venue for 20 plus years. On Friday the 17/11/23 a group of us attended for our usual carvery, which I have never had never had to complain about in the 20 years I have been attending the Hare and Hounds! Upon going up for my small carvery I noted a small dried up grim looking piece of turkey left, obviously having been there for some time. As luck would have it just before I placed my order a lovely new joint was delivered and sat in-front of me. I asked for the turkey and the chap behind the counter went to serve up the dried up piece. I said that looks disgusting I would like a slice of the new turkey. He advised "no, i'm not serving that until this is gone." I said but that's disgusting I would like some of the new meat and again he repeated the above. The whole point is I wanted what I had paid for and that was turkey. He told me like a school child to leave the que and re-join so he could palm the dried off piece to someone else. At this point I was a bit like a you for real? The two other members of my group who were in the line declined the turkey and went for other meat. An older gentlemen then asked " have you started the turkey?" He didn't get a response. He asked the same question again with no response until the chap behind the counter said so you want turkey? I said it's really dry but the older guy said "well if you have started it I will have turkey". With that piece gone I was subsequently "allowed" what I had paid for. I went to join my group absolutely fuming as were they at how ridiculous the situation had been and how rude he was and we asked one of the waiters who the manager was. To my surprise it was the chap that served me! This is surprising on numerous levels. One he was in a chef's coat so I assume he is a chef? Why a chef would be happy to serve old, dried up meat is worrying but also we were debating over a small piece of meat, which if it has been served at my table would have been returned to the kitchen. Clearly this manager needs additional training as he has no idea the consumer rights act applies to food and that food should be of satisfactory quality, if it isn't the customer can refuse to pay. The problem with a carvery is you pre pay. He definitely needs customer service training as due to his attitude he has now got the venue a negative review. (Normally I cannot be bothered to write these but he was so rude and totally ruined our night, well done!) We will not be returning anytime soon.

Always lovely food ! Very filling ! We come here a couple of times a year to celebrate with our family since loosing our Nannie, as she always loved your food ! Shame that it is slowly creeping higher in price, but we do enjoy ourselves everytime we visit !

Had a delicious carvery best I've had in a long time. We will return

Lovely carvery, staff were great will definitely visit again

This was my first visit to this popular pub, where a friend took me for their carvery lunch, as a special birthday treat. One has to always book, as they get very full on most days, particularly at weekends. I could understand why, the food was outstanding, good choice of well cooked roast meats and an extensive range of vegetables available. We had a great meal and came away with very full tummies!

Delicious carvery, meats cooked to perfection.

Cozy pub/restaurant that while busy most of the time is very popular, friendly and welcoming.

Absolutely brilliant, great service and great atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back! Fantastic!

Lovely well prepared food as usual. Stopped off for light lunch. Can certainly recommended the gammon. The tuna and lemon mayonnaise baguette was also very good and worth adding the side of fries for £1.50

Manger declined refund really rude food was discussing 😒

Lovely carvery, kids loved their chicken nuggets! Was very busy, looks hectic but staff were quiet organised. Will definitely be back!! Proper country pub

Stopped in before the local tar barrels event. Absolutely amazing, immediately welcomed by smiling staff who pointed us toward a table and handed us menus. My friend had the burger which she said was the best she's had, cooked to perfection! I had the carvery and wow!! You can see why this place is so busy. The staff are so helpful even though its nonstop and the queueing system is great, you do t have to stand in a long queue at the carvery. Definitely be returning!!

fantastic service with a smile fantastic Food at a very reasonable price been coming for years and sure we will be back soon

Brilliant service as always - regularly come for a Sunday roast but opted for the nachos on the specials this time - fantastic portion and pulled pork was done to perfection! Really accommodating with dietary requirements! Fabulous staff always make us feel welcome and show an interest in us and our puppies! Thank you Hare and Hounds see you again soon!

Absolutely delicious, Yorkshire puddings were incredible and staff were lovely and attentive. Thank you so much!

What a lovely meal! Staff were amazing! Very clean! Affordable! Couldn't think of a bad thing to say

Came in last Thursday for a carvery. Very warm welcome from the bad staff as we walked through the door. Restaurant was nice and bright which was nice for my elderly mother that has problems seeing. Was very busy for a Thursday but the service was still fast. Lovely range of puddings that looked fabulous!!! Really looking forward to our next visit!

Lovely country pub, great atmosphere and lovely staff and amazing choice of gin. Had a burger, which was great although the carvey looked amazing. Will definitely be back

Such a loverly atmosphere, staff were polite and well mannered. The carvery was delightful-specifically the pork, perfectly done as always. They are even dog friendly!! Will definitely continue to come back😊

Lovely atmosphere with delicious food to match! Came with family and the staff were friendly and accommodating.

Stopped in before the local tar barrels event. Absolutely amazing, immediately welcomed by smiling staff who pointed us toward a table and handed us menus. My friend had the burger which she said was the best she's had, cooked to perfection! I had the carvery and wow!! You can see why this place is so busy. The staff are so helpful even though its nonstop and the queueing system is great, you do t have to stand in a long queue at the carvery. Definitely be returning!!

fantastic carvery !!!! fantastic service!!!! will be coming back soon

Visited this pub last night and had a wonderful meal. I had the chicken burger which was delicious and my friend had a carvery which was superb as always. The staff were very welcoming and professional. They were all smiling and very friendly to us. They had the fire lit so it was warm and cozy in the bar. 100% would visit again.

Great place, great atmosphere and great food! Definitely recommend! 5 ⭐️ for Ebs too x

Absolutely amazing staff and food! I’ve been coming to this amazing restaurant for many years after the staff were so helpful and kind following a car crash I was in nearby, the amazing waiting staff sat with me whilst the air ambulance was en route. Since then I have been a loyal customer and we have held many family meals here both large and small. The food is perfect, the carvery to die for and the waiting staff patient and kind during every visit. 100% can recommend for delicious food, fantastic service and kind and happy staff, and incredibly child friendly, they always have my daughter laughing and smiling.

Cracking food, amazing location, great service. Need I say more.

Great staff and lovely place to eat

Was lovely to catch up with family at this wonderful place, the food was amazing but the service was second to none. Especially Ebony, she was super helpful and polite and couldnt do enough for us. Will definitely be returning :)

Came up for on Saturday, food was amazing. Lovely welcome from staff as we walked through the door, dogs made very welcome too! Carvery looked amazing and kitchen meals plated up really well. A big well done to all the staff working hard. Lovey traditional pub feel. Will definitely be back

Good food and friendly and accommodating staff to make you feel welcome! Busy every time we've been and for a reason!

The Hare and Hounds is a lovely area. The staff look happy, they have the carvery always full up and whenever talking to a customer there is a smile on their faces. Perfect for family and perfect for friends. Would highly recommend

Took the family (12 of us) for Sunday after food. Most had the carvery which is excellent. Extremely busy place as it's extremely good, especially on a weekend. Might be a little too busy and noisy for some and certainly very warm as you might guess but it's quite an operation to successfully feed so many people with such nice food. Good deserts and selection of beers and drinks. Would recommend a visit and you will probably want to return when you get the chance as we do when we're in the area.

Carvery a let down this time. Meat quite chewy. Kids meals were cheap and not great. Couldn't persuade the kids to eat them. Rather than leave a bad review, we thought we best let the team know - but this good deed was repaid by a grumpy young man telling us that we were liars and that we ought to leave. We were absolutely astonished at their absolute lack of any kind of polite customer service. It's no wonder they (strangely) ask all customers for payment BEFORE meals arrive! We definitely do not recommend!

Awful experience. The staff are extremely rude and unhelpful. We complained about the kids meals which looked and tasted like it was from Morrisons cafe. 3 of the 4 kids plates were hardly touched and for the price it was awful. The staff basically called us liars. They told us to go up for our carvery and the kids meals would be with us by the time we sat down. Some of the adults waited with the kids and even after we'd all got our meals the kids meals were still not out. Just really disappointed with the whole experience and wouldn't recommend

The rudest service I have ever received! Staff were moaning about customers at the bar within earshot of other customers! The drinks were flat and the food was below average! I am honestly so shocked by the attitude of the staff as I used to come weekly for a roast and the staff were lush but I’m not sure whether it’s changed hands as I won’t be coming back.

When we arrived, instantly the woman behind the bar was rude and looked miserable. She told us to hurry up and order as the table was booked out again at 2pm. We should have left there and then as she was actually the most polite member of staff we encountered. She was rolling her eyes and tutting at other customers including children. We were shown to our table where we waited for our carvery. When we were told to go up, we were stood at the counter for ages waiting for someone to cut the meat and a lad came out and replaced the potatoes - he laughed and said I don’t know where the server has gone. Not really funny with 8 people in the queue. The meals were ok - yorkshires were soggy and meat was quite fatty but nothing we would have complained about. Our children’s meals came out 10 minutes later (despite us asking for them to be bought out before ours) and were disgusting. Mash potato was rock hard, sausages were cold and beans were congealed. We waited for a member of staff to complain but to no avail. Because they told us already that we need to be out at 2pm (it was 1:30 by this point) we told the kids to eat some of our roasts and we would speak to a staff member at the end. When they collected our food, we let them know and were accused of lying. Apparently the two (UNTOUCHED) children’s meals were absolutely fine as the chef had looked at them. We explained our children wouldn’t eat them and we would like a refund for their meals (not ours). The gobby waiter said this wouldn’t be happening but he would give a free scoop of icecream - despite already being lectured that we needed to leave due to table timings. We asked him to go away in the end because he was so rude and making our children uncomfortable- to which he said “yeah see you later - you can leave now” would understand if we were shouting and swearing but we were being polite in trying to rationalise with the ridiculous decision not to refund two uneaten children’s meals. The staff were appalling and we were disgusted.

When we arrived, instantly the woman behind the bar was rude and looked miserable. She told us to hurry up and order as the table was booked out again at 2pm. We should have left there and then as she was actually the most polite...

The Hare&Hounds is amazing. We have been coming here for years. Staff are really exceptional and go out of there way to help you. There is a carvery every lunch time and evening which is exceptional and lots of other tasty meals to choose from....

This place is such a good place for family, friends, young ones and even the dogs. The restaurant area is lovely if you are looking to go down with all your family and the pub is perfect for all of your friends. They have a...

This place is great! Atmosphere is warm and welcoming.cosy log fires and lovely traditional surroundings as you would like to find in an old pub. the staff is also really friendly. Me and my family came for Sunday lunch and we was so welcomed by...

Arrived at the pub and was informed restaurant fully booked but there was a table in the bar area free that we could sit at. Was told to pick up a menu from the end of the bar. Bar person then went to walk away...

Exerlant place to eat and good food

Went for a drink and found our table to be one of the last even though it wasn’t late, staff we just messing about behind the bar and being very loud with no consideration for people still there. We were made to feel like we...

Great stop on way home to South dorset after a weekend in Devon. Just what we needed, a decent hot carvery and comfortable sofa seating. Added bonus of dog friendly. Delicious gammon and cauliflower cheese.

We had booked a table. And arriving on time took 20mins to get seated at our table😩Absolute Chaos at Entrance (Needs to be Addressed) Queue separately for people who have booked and another for people that come on chance.STOP the scramble of people at the ENTRANCE Really of putting 😩

I've been going to the Hare & Hounds infrequently over a good many years with a group of 4 or 5 others. But has it now changed hands? Several things have changed. When ordering my meal, I asked the member of staff if they still...

Beautifully cooked carvery nothing overdone or soggy. Really delicious and good values

Fantastic carvary, I went for a plate of beef and turkey with potatoes, carrots, Yorkshire’s and gravy and it was the best meal i have ever had at a restaurant. Drinks were great aswell.

Very dog friendly. Very surprised to find a busy pub at 5 pm on a Wednesday. A reflection of how good it is. Enjoyable meal with reasonable prices. Dogs loved their carvery treats. Will return.

Average carvery. Nothing special. Good range of other meals.

Fantastic dog friendly location. Good food, dogs spoilt rotten by staff.

What a fantastic meal on Sunday 15th October for my sister's 70th there was 21 of us great service and great food

What a carvery, came here for Sunday lunch, all I can say is superb. We went with family as we're from the Midlands, very little wait and boy was it worth it. Four meats, veg were lovely, hot and tasty, service was excellent, felt for the bar staff as three on shift and served at speed, appreciated. Great meal would recommend.

Ok food but rubbish customer service. Arrived at pub 20 minutes early but happy to have a drink at the bar. The person behind the bar was not particularly welcoming, all too much effort! I let staff know we had arrived but they said our...

Had a nice roast dinner but when it came to having dessert I had lemon meringue but it didn’t taste good so told the staff only had about 3 bites when manager came over said wasn’t giving me a refund and said I had eaten it all but hadn’t. The managers was very rude and wouldn’t listen to me walked away saying things that wasn’t true but ended giving me a refund very upset and angry about the way a manager of a well known restaurant public house spoke to me very bad attitude shouldn’t be working in the environment

Had a lovely meal here. Nice location. Lovely food, good selection of beers & ciders. Very dog friendly. It was almost like a kennels. 🐶 Would definitely recommend. 👍

We visited the Hare and hounds at sidbury/Sidmouth On the 10th October 2023 to have dinner with friends. Although the carvery looked and smelt fantastic I fancied a lasagne, usually Staple good, filling pub food. However, when the lasagne arrived I was stunned. If I...

Excellent food and good atmosphere

Not great chilli con carne, not the most welcoming pup

Good food and beer what's not to like. I even got a heart shaped potato