The Jack Russell in North Devon

Came here for my son and partners b day meal on steak night .,Absolutely spot on . Service drinks and food 20 out of 10 !! Local so will be back .?Never had a bad meal there

Had a lovely lunch. The quality of the meal was excellent. The service was great and a very friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be back again.

Excellent Saturday lunch choices. Super friendly greeting from the landlord. Very well designed and roomy comfortable seating. I would add that the toilets are 5 star for efficiency/cleanliness.

We had a wonderful Sunday lunch here today, best roast we’ve ever had out! So glad they could fit us in. The staff were excellent, welcoming and friendly. Service was prompt but not rushed. Food really was fantastic! We will defo be back! Thank you!!

We had a table booked for 6:30 at the Jack Russell, but after a long drive down to our air BnB for the weekend which incidentally is directly behind the pub we decided to opt for the take out. We explained this to the manager who was absolutely lovely about it and told us to ring up with our order and what time we would like it for. We had large cod and scampi both as meals and they were divine! Freshly cooked piping hot and lots of flavour! The curry sauce was the best I think I’ve ever had from a ‘chippy’. Couldn’t recommend enough. Staff inside the pub when we collected were all so lovely and friendly.

I don’t think I have ever written a review but after several poor experiences with dinning out I felt it was time to leave one. Very poor Sunday lunch, we had booked a table for 12 as a birthday lunch. Table services was very slow and when the food did arrive it was very poor. The roast potatoes had been deep fried and not nice at all. Veg was not of great standard and not very warm. Auntie Bessie’s Yorkshire pudding where also they best they had to offer. Overall very disappointing. Will not be returning😔

Love this place. They do good pub grub, they have fantastic service, and lovely staff. The pub is clean and welcoming with a cozy fire.

A really beautiful place with delicious food and excellent, friendly service. Would highly recommend. Make sure you book.

We drink and eat here regularly. Alway a great welcome good food and great service. Will always go here for music and beers with friends. Great venue

Wow. What a great pub. Stopped for lunch with family on the way home from Devon. Great variety of choice on the menu, excellent quality food, and a lovely environment to eat in. The guy who looked after us was wonderful - really accommodating, helpful, and all round wonderful service. Absolutely brilliant with the kids - so accommodating. Highchairs, kids menu… all round, excellent trip. I wish we lived on the doorstep! Thank you for having us, we will make a trip back when we are in the area.

Fantastic food and great service. Busy for a Saturday night, which is always a good sign. I had the black pudding scotch egg, which was perfect, and the veggie burger. I had originally chosen a steak, which they had run out off. Another good sign for me, a chef who would rather run out of fresh meat than have it hanging around. Book ahead though, it was (understandably) busy!

Amazing food. Amazing service. Definitely recommend. Lovely cozy pub with great friendly staff. Will defiantly be back

The most perfect steak every time! We frequently pop in for the Wednesday steak night and every time it is gorgeous. Service is so friendly and super attentive and we honestly cannot fault this place. Perfect food, lovely staff and always a relaxing atmosphere. We 100% recommend!

Walked out feeling jacked after being russeled up an absolute growler of a roast. Limited on street barking due to the relentless road works on the link road. This roast is of the highest pedigree, what can I say about the roast potatoes those puppies were dogs nuts. And the crackling was bitching and the portions were absolutely mastiff. 10/10

Visited Jack Russell this evening, very accommodating, great service and food was lovely - definitely recommend.

Had a lovely early dinner, allowed to bring our dog too. Nice homely local feel to the place. Very pleasant at the bar and at the table although some other customers were a bit miserable. Lovely menu choices and both our meals were flavoursome and good quality.

Delicious roasts: we are always so chuffed with the Sunday lunch here. Lovely staff with a real family-run vibe, good quality meat and gravy, and a huge selection of veggies (at least 7 different types, all cooked perfectly). Definitely the best value and quality roast dinner in the area.

We called in here a lot over our weeks holiday. The food is fabulous, good home food to a high standard. The owners and staff are extremely friendly and engaging spending time to chat and answer any questions. I particularly enjoyed our chat regarding single malt whiskeys. Can’t recommend this place enough. If we holiday or travel through North Devon again, will definitely be stopping in.

The food was delicious the service was outstanding and the staff very welcoming we will definitely be going again

Lovely meal last night at the steak night. Steak was perfectly cooked, great atmosphere and very friendly helpful staff. Would definitely recommend!

This lovely pub is named after the local vicar of the same name in the 19th Century and in the quiet village of Swimbridge near Barnstaple. The village is famous for its connection with the Reverend John (aka 'Jack') Russell, who was the first breeder of the Jack Russell Terrier and is buried in the churchyard opposite. It is very much an integral part of the community. The food is unfussy and prepared to a very high standard using excellent quality local ingrediaent in its home made dishes. Their pies use hot crust pastry and are wonderful as are the generous servings of ham and eggs. Having eaten there a couple of times with others I have seen (and tasted) the high standard of their different choices of meals such as sausages & mash (great butcher's sausages) too. The staff are all really friendly and welcoming and children are greeted with smiles. Childrens' meals are basically miniature servings of the same great ingrdients as the adult meals: no frozen fish fingers or cheap frozen sausages as kids options here. Divert off of North Devon Link Road just before reaching Barnstaple from the M5/Tiverton direction: it's well worth the diversion.

Omg this place is out of this world! Best Sunday lunch! And dog friendly. We stayed in South Moulton and came here for our Sunday lunch and we’re not disappointed. Service was fabulous and so friendly. We will be back in September. (The Holveys/Snowballs and Alice the sausage dog)

Walked in from the rain unbooked to a warm welcome. Sat down to an excellent meal,steaks cooked to a tee. Vibrant atmosphere and worth a visit but at busy times I guess pre booking will be needed.

We’ve been touring the local pubs in north Devon for the best Sunday lunch and the JR wins it!! Delicious food- Omni/Pesci/Vegan were all catered for with lots of fresh veg to accompany our meals. We were stuffed! Thank you! Highly recommend!

Went with wife for supper and our own Jack Russell. Very warm and friendly welcome. Had fried calamari starter (excellent). Wife had battered cod & chips (excellent). I had belly of pork (overcooked and in too much sloppy gravy-tasted insipid) great chips. The portions however...

Wow … what a little gem for a friends birthday bash, I live in Cornwall and if I lived near by would happily call it my local … clean, great decor, great service and fabulous food … apparently the Sunday roast is amazing … do...

Lovely pub with delicious food. Good atmosphere and nice staff. What could be better! Bar area is more convivial if looking for more relaxed time but restaurant better for more formal occasion,

We met with friends for Sunday lunch at The Jack Russell. The staff were lovely and friendly and they made us feel very welcome. We all had a roast dinner, three of us had turkey, one had beef - all of the meat was beautifully...

My wife and I have been to the Jack Russell twice in the last few weeks, both times on steak night which is a Wednesday. If you like your steak you will not find better. It is always cooked to perfection and you can tell...

Visited at the weekend and since we last visited, been re-furbed...lovely ! Good range of food on the menu and everyone pleased with what they had. Good service and very nice atmosphere... would recommend.

We had the pleasure of going here for lunch. Great location, Bit of a problem parking. once inside,Beautiful, Lot of thought has gone into the design.100%. Service,Excellent, Food Excellent. Staff Excellent. I am very pleased to have had the pleasure of visiting here,while in Devon...

Went to see our friend perform at this Inn and we also had a meal The food selection and prices were superb, as was the meal itself. Really friendly people and will definitely be going back again

Very good food, excellent service. The atmosphere is very relaxed and comfortable and the price of meals is reasonable.

Went for a lovely Sunday roast. It was very nice, generous portions, surroundings and staff very nice. Set in a lovely little village that we went for a stroll in. Dog friendly.

Been there a couple times now, always amazing food! Went the weekend for a roast which was delicious! Portions are spot on you certainly wont go hungry! Plenty of food! And can choose how much/ many meats you would like! Special mention to Jess the...

We stopped by last week for a roast and was soo good we went back yesterday and took my folks for a delicious Sunday roast. The beef on both occasions had been perfectly cooked and tasty, the veg was fresh and tasty and a great...

Best steak I have ever had! The food was a high quality and cooked fresh. The atmosphere was lovely and the staff were welcoming.

We loved both our dinners. The food was really fresh, cooked at a high standard. My partner had the cod loin, which was a proper piece of fresh fish deliciously cooked. I had a lentil and squash salad and although it was a simple meal...

Down for a weeks break in Swimbridge. We visited the Jack Russell pub for a beer when we are arrived, and a meal on the Thursday night when they do Pizza and Pie night. We had a very friendly welcome and were shown to the table we had booked. Apart from Pizza and Pies there were many other choices on the menu. We had olives and bread to start to share which was more than enough. My wife had pizza which looked fantastic, and my wife throughly enjoyed but couldn’t finish. I had the the beef burger with cheddar bacon and onions, it was one of the best burgers I have ever tasted. I had chocolate torte, and my wife had the chocolate brownie which she said topped the brownie we always purchased at Bourgh Market (excellent). It was made by the owners mum. We would definitely come back the next time we are in the area. The service was excellent, very friendly and helpful by all the staff. A special thank you to Jess for her excellent, helpful and friendly service, she gave us a carton to take my wife’s pizza home. A great pub very well run, well worth a visit, with great food and a great pint and welcoming and friendly staff .

As we have recently moved to the area, we’ve been on the lookout for great pubs. Some have been good, some terrible, and some are absolutely fabulous. This pub falls into the latter category. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming as soon as you step over the threshold of the pub. By chance, there was live music and tapas going on in the room behind the bar which was a lovely touch. The singer was extraordinary - and (it turns out), she works behind the bar as well! A lovely way to end our Saturday evening. Thank you to The Jack Russell - keep doing what you’re doing!

We had a stunning evening. The food was excellent and the service perfect Even though our waitress was new she did an excellent job. We really liked the atmosphere. Best food I’ve had in a restaurant for a long time

This pub has for to be one of the best I have found for many years. A good choice of beer. The service was great - very friendly, efficient and attentive. The Sunday dinner we ate was delicious, with incredibly generous proportions. Dessert was also lovely as was coffee. When the bill came I was almost embarrassed at how reasonably priced it was. Amazing value for money! I will definitely eat here again when in the area.

We visited The Jack Russell on the strength of other trip advisor reviews, and were glad we did! The pub and restaurant were very welcoming and clean. The menu was good, as not to expansive, but included offers on different evenings eg Thursday was pizza and pie night, with discounts on those items. All four meals ordered were delicious. My daughters fillet steak was the best she’d tasted, and my burger was honestly the best burger I’ve had in a restaurant! Would thoroughly recommend visiting, but book a table. I wish we had found The Jack Russell earlier in our holiday!

Last evening my husband and i took my sister and her husband for a steak meal while they were down here on holiday. We hadn't been before but I'd heard good things.. Well we certainly weren't to be disappointed. The pleasant welcome and attitude of the young staff throughout our visit was refreshing. The steaks were probably the best we have had(we all had rib eye), tender, tasty and a good size. Plenty of chips or sweet potatoes, peas or salad and tasty sauces. Lovely desserts too(if you can squeeze one in, we did!). I thoroughly recommend the Jack Russell and will return to try more of their menu

We had the calamari and crispy chilli chicken for starters and they tasted and looked amazing For main my partner and I shared the cod burger and Tony burger topped with halloumi The cod burger was firm and flakey and tasted lovely The beef burger was well seasoned and also tasted lovely We would like to personally like the thank the chefs waitress and manger for making our first meal in Devon one to remember

Absolutely fabulous meal, service was fantastic, couldn't rate it any higher than 5 stars amazing, if you want a family friendly night with fantastic food and a friendly welcome atmosphere this is the perfect place to go

Came here on a Wednesday on their steak night. All their food was amazing. Came out very quick, hot and fresh! Very tasty and very filling. Staff super attentive and friendly. Would definitely recommend. We are local and will definitely be back!!

Went for the steak night (Wednesdays) and honestly could not fault it! Juicy steaks cooked to perfection from a local butchers, yummy sides and attentive friendly service (especially the young chap serving us). Our first time here and we will definitely be back regularly. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Two very happy customers! We enjoyed fantastic takeaway burgers last night; very generous portion sizes and really delicious. Paul and Mel have been awesome this past year, weathering the lockdown storms and restrictions with good grace, and continuing to keep the village going with their takeaway menus. We are always greeted with a warm welcome and a happy smile. Hats off to you both!

During Lockdown 2 we have had the Sunday Roast twice and both times it's been absolutely delicious, we couldn't believe the amount of vegetables that came with it (especially for the price of £7.50!) and it was all piping hot! We would thoroughly recommend this country pub to anyone. We really cant wait for you to re-open again!

Absolutely incredible food! Service was brilliant! Drinks choice brilliant! Steak was on point! Would recommend this place to anyone! Thank you!!!

Lovely food, staff were very polite and helpful. Food was presented lovely and very tasty. We were staying in the village for a few days and if in the area again would definitely pop in for a drink and a meal.

First Time and we will be going back. Great food and Service , all the staff really welcoming, good covid procedures in place

Had drinks and food a couple of times in the last week and was very impressed with the whole experience, food and drinks were of excellent quality and all locally sourced. Great value and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. We are staying in swimbridge with family and it's their local, all the the local are so friendly too. The steak night was excellent as was the lunch we had on Saturday. Keep up the great work and hope to see you all again soon

Excellent service and food. Steak night on Wednesday was very popular and you can see why. The whole experience was very enjoyable.

Yesterday,I visited the Jack Russell Pub in Swimbridge,near Barnstaple,hoping to dine.The barman showed me that they had a busy evening with bookings,however,the landlord agreed to squeeze me in,if I ate sooner rather than later.What a meal!! Fantastic T bone steak, with delicious peppercorn sauce.I would thoroughly recommend this pub.Friendly staff,reasonable prices & excellent food. Booking advisable!!Thank you,all at the JR,see you next year!Gareth.

I just wanted to say the takeaway meal, received from the Jack Russell was done with ease in ordering, service excellent & the food popping hot & really tasty. Thank you!!

What a delicious Sunday Roast from the Jack Russell. Hot, tasty, brilliant value & delivered with a smile - think it is going to be our Sunday treat whilst in lock down x

I am missing steak night , best place for steaks with a clean friendly atmosphere. Good car parking .

The Jack Russell is definitely worth a visit especially if you are looking for somewhere good to eat. Nice ambience and very friendly staff.The food is excellent with big portion sizes and locally sourced produce. Steak night on a Wednesday and burger night on a Friday are highly recommended. I would say one of the best steaks ever. If you are looking to hold a function such as a birthday, Paul does a fantastic buffet which is the talking point of the party. All in all a great family pub serving good local food and drink. So if you ever find yourself in Swimbridge be sure to go!

Best food in North Devon, great place to eat with your partner or the whole family the staff are wonderful the ambience is marvellous, would recommend to everyone

We have been to the Jack Russell many times but never had time to write a review before. Every visit we've had, the food has been superb and the atmosphere is fab. We've been with friends, with family, with children and we've always felt welcomed. The reason I'm writing this review now is that despite the difficult circumstances, the owners are still providing delicious takeaways which we've taken full advantage of (see pic of us eating lamb shanks and sausage and mash!) They do two a week and each time they are a sellout. We really couldn't ask for more from our local pub.

Great village pub with excellent food . Good value for money . This pub has a warm friendly atmosphere . Perfect for families .During this period of lockdown Paul and Mel are working very hard supplying take aways which is greatly appreciated.

Great pub fab food. Even in these weird lockdown times the take aways the pub provides are incredible. Thank you Paul and Mel I’m sure it would have been much easier for you guys to not do 3 takeaway nights a week but I know you strive to serve the community which you do 100%

The standard of food at the Jack Russell is consistently high. Coupled with the warm welcome, we return here time after time. Highly recommended.

We’ve lived in the village for over three years and frequent the pub as a couple, with family, friends, and confidently recommend it to all of our Air B&B guests.No matter what time of year it is, who we go there with or whether it’s one of our guests, the reviews are always the same - crediting us for how fortunate we are to live in a village with a “proper” village pub. •The owners are super accommodating (for example went for dinner with friends and their 1year old on a busy night in January and they were rushed off their feet but prioritised an order of a selection of vegetables for the child without us having to ask)•The food is delicious, locally sourced produce and always cooked to perfection. There are plenty of options for all dietary needs and they do steak nights on Wednesdays and Burger nights Fridays which are always a hit and definitely requires pre-booking. •The pub is beautifully decorated and warm and cosy, particularly when the fire is roaring in the winter months. The staff are friendly and we and our guests have always been welcomed by the friendly staff and locals - it’s great to see the pub thriving no matter what time of the week it is. •Swimbridge is out of the way for the majority of our friends, yet one mention of a gathering at The Jack and it’s probably the quickest everyone commits to a group meet up! •Our Air B&B guests have been from all over the country and have all come back raving about the quality of food and ambience. The reason I’ve chosen to write this review now is because I believe the pub is the heart of the Swimbridge and surrounding area’s community, now more than ever. Paul and Mel are going above and beyond to keep their business alive and support what it’s patrons want - their great food and keeping the community spirit alive by being the pillar of support/normality that we all need just now. When the pub is back up and running, I’d urge you to get yourself a table booked with friends or family because you will not be disappointed.

Brilliant takeaway, brilliant food. Can’t wait for it to be open again after covid19. Paul and Mel you are amazing. Great to have a great pub in the village.

I found the pub very cold and lacking in atmosphere with predominant male clientele in the bar area which made it feel very intimidating to walk in as a lone female. The food was ok and presented nicely but quite expensive. There is no pub garden. Sometimes little things can be overlooked if there is a good feel but I really didn't get this from this pub. Not a family friendly place either.

Dissappointed with my meal tonight had ordered a steak was given to wrong person another steak was then brought out to which was inedible and fatty.

We ate here last weekend with friends but i have to say it was overpriced for the bad quality of food we had. Sorry guys but it was not great! Sauces were bland and unseasoned. We all had starters and mains it cost over £200 with drinks and we were disappointed.

14 of us went here for a family birthday, there were 4 children with us we all had different meals mostly roasts, when the meal comes out looks very nice then the vegetables come out and wow there were 5 different vegetables and also roast potatoes, we all struggled to eat it as there was so much the food was excellent and very plentiful and it all came out piping hot, I would definitely recommend to go on a Sunday to try the foo excellent 10 out of 10.

We had a Family meal here to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. The food was excellent especially .the Beef short Rib Bourguinon . Friendly warm atmosphere. Highly recommended

Called in this interesting pub and booked a table for their special steak night. Good job we did because on arrival it was packed! Excellent quality and value steaks. Called again two nights later and had another very good meal. Recommend highly.

Excellent service, very tasty food, great ambiance. Would have no hesitation in recommending this place. Definitely visit again if we are in the area

Lacks atmosphere, but centrally located in village opposite church. The steaks are good and portions generous.

The JACK RUSSELL looked very good from the outside but no disabled entrance two ways into the pub from the car park

Never been to JR before and found it at the last minute online and with great reviews. Reviews were spot on. Lovely, friendly bar staff and a wholesome British food menu. Mussels and calamari were outstanding - both the taste and portions. The burgers were excellent too and it as a half price burger Friday so incredible value. Cider superb and house Malbec great. Highly, highly recommended. I really couldn’t find fault.

The Jack Russell was great for dinner. I tried two different hand pulled Ales, Sharps Doom Bar, and the pub’s own bitter, both were excellent, and as they should be. The food was very good, and couldn’t really be faulted (apart from perhaps the portions were a bit large - we couldn’t finish it all...) my wife started with mussels, then had a chicken salad, I had soup followed by cod cheeks, and my son had a pizza, all were great quality. Service was friendly and very efficient, and the place was very nicely decorated ... can’t really fault it, and will visit again next time we are in North Devon

We visited on a Saturday night without booking and were pleased that there was a table available. There are separate restaurant, bar and outside seating areas and it looks like the pub has been refurbished very recently.

Whilst visiting the Barnstaple area for a family holiday, we were recommended The Jack Russell by a ‘local’ as being suitable for a family evening meal and were not disappointed. The Pub is easy to find and offers a comprehensive menu including authentic Italian style Pizza. I had the Mussels and Burger which were excellent. With Peroni on tap and Man City winning 6 – 0 an excellent and enjoyable family evening meal. Well worth a visit if looking to eat out.

A real gem of a pub, fabulous food, serving a great range of hearty pub classics, homemade dishes and aged steaks. Excellent portion sizes (well Swimbridge is the home of the Jack Russell Terrier so it was rude not to share my ham, double egg and chips with my JRT) and very reasonable prices too.

We had a table booked last night for their steak night for my partners Birthday Meal, 03.04.19...needless to say the food as always is incredible. Our parents have never eaten here and they all commented that it was the best steak they had eaten and are looking forward to visiting again to try more from the menu. The service is great and the atmosphere was perfect, they also ensured we had everything we needed.

Lovely little pub, with great accommodation. Food is good and ales are well kept.

Had such a lovely meal and evening for our first ever visit. The steak works out quite expensive if you want the trimmings as well, as the steak only comes with chips. If there’s 2 of you having steak the extras are well enough for 2. The portions are of a good size.

Friendly service excellent menu very busy on a Wednesday as it’s steak night Will be visiting again very shortly

Called in for lunch and was very impressed by friendly service, delicious food and nice roaring wood burning stove. The village is attractive and home of the vicar who bred first Jack Russell dog.

This was the first time we have been to The Jack Russell, we had heard that it was particularly good. We were not disappointed from the warm welcome when we entered the pub to the décor and ambience, everything was great. The food was first class with a myriad of wonderful vegetable, that just seemed to keep on coming. No room for the delicious looking puddings, perhaps next time!

Having moved to Swimbridge only a few months ago we have witnessed the devastation the effects of the flooding had on this pub and we have also viewed the months of hard work renovating the pub. Recently we have enjoyed the smart, welcoming, cosy new look in the all new restaurant especially New Years Eve when we booked for the 5 course meal with some friends.

We went to the Jack for steak night for an Xmas friends get together. Haven’t been for a number of years since reopening & was impressed. Fantastic setting in the pub with two fires & the drinks selection was excellent highly recommend the Devon mist cider. Food quality was excellent & the steak mouthwatering, many of us had the 14oz ribeye cooked exactly how I asked & the t-bone & fillet came highly recommended. Will be back again highly recommended.

Decor lovely, staff attentive and apologetic, food after match OK, chips fab but chilled pork bap not so. Drinks on the other hand, had artisan soft drink for £2.70 so not too bad, then a simple local bottled still water, £2.10. No wonder people either drink and drive or just stay at home.

Booked a table in the bar for burger night and to watch the rugby. Chicken burger was amazing, beautifully cooked, with my favourite sweet potato fries. Only downside was that I wasn't offered a dessert...

Dropped in to the newly refurbished Jack Russel on the off chance, they had just had a cancellation so fitted us in on a Wednesday night (steak night). Very welcoming and the food was some of the best we have had in a long time, superbly cooked steak with fantastic flavour and texture. We had a rib eye and a sirloin, both were excellent, we've been recommending to everyone since!

What a great visit at the newly refurbished Jack Russell. Will start saying you guys have done a great job.

Great pub! The owners and locals make everyone feel welcome. Wednesday is steak night in the restaurant and should not be missed!

I had the surf and turf, it was amazing! The scampi was well cooked and was proper fish in the middle, not that mashed stuff that some places pass off as scampi. Steak was perfectly cooked and the chips were incredible. Service was wonderful.

Called in for lunch on 24 August to find it was still “closed for refurbishment” despite a previous reviewer saying it was open on 22 August! Who to believe? No website to check for updates :-(

Popped in on our way home for an early dinner to find out that it was their first night open after being completely refurbished. The owner greeted us very warmly, the service, the food and the atmosphere were all excellent. We would definitely return and definitely recommend.

If you are looking for a pub with a great restaurant and excellent locally sourced food, I would highly recommend the Jack Russell.

scallops and black pudding, baked camembert, THE best 16oz t-bone and 8oz fillet steak and a ginger pud.. service spot on! Can't beat it

We had booked for Sunday Lunch but forgot to say there was a dog with us. Paul and the team said "no problem" and set up a table for 9 of us in the bar where dogs are OK. The food ( mainly Sunday Roast) was great value and good quality with a choice of meats and loads of fresh veg - all for a very reasonable price. Our friends from London could not believe how good it was.