The Kicking Donkey in West Lancashire

Starters and main were great, but the desserts were disappointing.

Game hotpot and fish pie very good. Bakewell tart and cheesecake not quite as good. Service excellent and a lovely real fire.

Great menu choices, different ice cream choices. Everything tasty, lovely staff. Cosy fire places

Had our Book Club Christmas Dinner here last night in the 'snug' which was the perfect venue. Food and drink were excellent and copious as always. Service is always so friendly. Thanks all. X

Just returned from having lunch at the Kicking Donkey. Wonderful food in a traditional and atmospheric pub. A special mention also goes to Aimee who was both welcoming and helpful throughout our visit . Many thanks.

Fab time. Great service and tasty food. Friendly to us first time visitors and well priced drinks

Excellent, good value food. Decent real ales and lovely, friendly and helpful staff. It was our first visit but we will definitely be back!

The staff are great we love the pub but the food over the two visits has been poor greasy and not nice ,we will go back for drinks but i dont think we will eat there again

We had a fabulous meal with a large family group. The food was delicious with great service and a friendly atmosphere - what more can you want?

First time visit. Excellent service, nothing a problem, extremely friendly and super food. Well worth a visit. Hidden jem.

My partner brought me here for a meal...she used to visit with her parents...food was top notch...the cask beer was spot on and the haddock and chunky chips with homemade tartar sauce was awesome...the starters were very tasty too..the cod and salmon fish cakes and the Korean chicken wings were gorgeous..well worth the visit.. the staff were very attentive and friendly and welcoming

Freshly cooked food great value.

A great place to have a fabulous meal with lovely friends, highly recommend

Service became worse throughout the night, appalled by the deserts, the coffee arrived spilt without a plate or sugars /spoon, the ice cream was served in a glass without any cutlery and the other dessert was served in a beer glass Not impressed with the presentation at all

Hearty pub lunch. Haddock and Chips, Steaks. All very nicely done, generous portions and reasonably priced. Freshly made tartar sauce makes such a difference and the chef was good enough to prepare an extra portion and bring it to the table himself. Staff were polite and helpful. There are small plates available as part of lunch menu and disabled parking, level access to facilities. Would recommend and will be coming back to try the Sunday Roast.

Brilliant meal and a great place. Couldn't praise it too highly as it really is everything you would want for a eatery pub.

Had a really enjoyable visit. Nothing was too much trouble. Staff very friendly and the food was all freshly prepared and fabulous. Very reasonably priced. Can’t wait to go back.

Came here a few weeks ago only just got round to writing this review, just wanted to say that this is one of the best places i’ve ever eaten at, food was delicious, staff was amazing and the entire family spoke about how lovely the food was for weeks after. The home cooked chips are unbelievable!!! Couldn’t recommend this pub more!!!!

Went to a family party here. Service was very good and staff polite

My friend and I met for lunch at the Kicking Donkey, I am a Coeliac so I am always very cautious about eating out, I didn't need to worry, I spoke to the manager Aimie who reassured me that they do have GF options. While we were waiting for our meal a gentleman at another table became ill and passed out. Aimie was absolutely excellent, she handled the whole situation with professionalism and care, her concern was only for the gentleman his friends and other customers. The gentleman recovered enough to walk out (with help) Aimie was so swift in helping without fuss, she cleaned the whole area and restored the restaurant atmosphere in no time at all, but still made sure everyone else was looked after. I can't stress how brilliant Aimie was, she is an asset in any environment. 10/10 for Aimie. My GF food was fabulous and my friend and I had an enjoyable afternoon and say a bit thank you to lovely Aimie - we will definitely return.

Well won’t be going back there another with a no go next to it. Ordered steak was not given steak knives, soup of the day came with a slice of Warburtons bread, Indian rice with chilli shall I go on. Awful 😞

Excellent. Place. Great food. Reasonable prices. Great. Front. Beer. Garden. Especially when wethers. OK. Dog. Friendly. Which. Is. A. Bonus

Quite possibly the best staff I have encountered in a pub! All very knowledgeable and on the ball. Always get your order right and go above and beyond! Very welcoming and hospitable. Would recommend the pub and the staff in every regard!

Decent food quick service good value for money

Thanks to Cask Marque & The Good Beer Guide pubs like this are showcased and folk come from afar to visit. What a smashing country pub & I’m only here for the beer! The ever changing menu looks like a further visit will be necessary 😋

I can not recommend this place enough. Staff amazing, food incredible..any issues dealt with proper. Well done to all involved in kitchen who we never see...amazing establishment..

Excellent food and well presented. I'll definitely go again

Always lovely food and pleasant staff. Great place to eat best home made soup.

Well worth a visit. Sunday lunch is excellent. Pre booking is recommended.

Food looked lovely but I only had a drink.

We went for a meal here and I have to say it was absolutely beautiful. The staff food and atmosphere was spot on and we can't wait to go again 👍

We've visited the Kicking Donkey a couple of times in the past few months. It's decent for a weeknight meal and reasonably priced. Unfortunately on each visit there were several items on the menu that were not available so we had to choose alternatives but our meals were overall enjoyable.

Lovely roast beef nicest meal I have had for a bit in a pub.

Food wrong...sandwich ordered toasted sandwich given on wrong plate..waited long enough..

Smashing place, wish I could visit more often, great service ,good food it has to tried 😀

I'd arranged to meet with an old friend and had read rave reviews about The Kicking Donkey so decided on this place for lunch . What a huge disappointment. Started off badly because it was closed when we arrived though the website said it was open. Fortunately, it was a lovely day though the round tables with chairs did not have an umbrella. The picnic tables did have an umbrella though but hardly provided comfort for two senior citizens It was 'Ten Pound Tuesday'.... poor value for money. I'd chosen a cheese flan with salad and chips that sounded lovely. It was a measly portion and decidedly average. The smallest salad I've ever been served and about half a dozen chips that were more fried crisp bits. My friend ordered a cup of coffee afterwards and it's the first time that I've seen it served without a saucer....very odd. Splitting the bill proved an almost impossible task for the girl because it involved 0.5 of a pence. We gave her the suggestion of one of us paying that extra to round up to the penny! It's been many years since I've visited this pub....probably won't go again in my life time!!

The four of us went for Sunday lunch, which we all enjoyed. Despite pre booking table not ready. Asked us to sit outside, so paid for drinks at the bar. Got the bill later on which I paid without checking as I didn't have my reading glasses. Got home and realised we were overcharged on the drinks by £15. Namely 2 extra pints of Pepsi £6, along with an extra 2 tins of Funhouse IPA at £9. Not good, as I like to trust people. This should not happen. As pensioners, this was a special day out. If you go there check your bill closely before leaving. If The Manager would like to respond? I have a copy of the bill. We sat at table B1. 11.8.2024 paid at 4.20pm.

Used to go here when was 18, great food lovely service fsb

Excellant country pub. We visited for Sunday lunch. Pub has real ale and is dog friendly. Everybody in our party really enjoyed their meal including one who had a vegetarian meal.I had roast beef which was top class with a giant Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings. All of us also enjoyed our sweets I had strawberry crumble and ice cream very nice. If your looking for a traditional Sunday lunch in a nice country setting this is the place for you. Tables outside are available if you get nice weather.

Best Sunday dinner Very long wait for food however

We called in for a lunchtime meal for three, food was really good, as was the bitter!! Service was excellent. The pub has lovely decor too.

Lovely Gardens, enjoyed a delecious roast me and my partner so tasty full of flavour 10/10 we will be back soon to try the rest of the menu x

Great food, friendly staff, typical country pub, nice beer garden. A nice quiet place

Staff very polite and attentive. Very impressed with range of options available. This was a revisit after many years. We will definitely return.

Plenty of lovely food with Lovley staff good value all fresh

Popped in after a visit to Southport. Lovely warm welcome. Food was fresh, hot and tasty. Staff were super attentive, gutted we don't live closer!!

Have enjoyed many meals at the Donkey food first class as is the service .pity they do not do a steak and ale pie .Malcolm Bannister .

Visited this afternoon, booked table 3pm… shown to our table on time. Lovely Sunday roast I had vegetarian option gravy was delicious over hot food. My Mum had meat option enjoyed hers equally. Staff polite. Allowed dogs in to the pub reason we booked here. Drinks reasonable priced. Would recommend and definitely will be visiting again.

Had a really nice lunch,food very good would recommend

As it turned out nice we decided to go the kicking donkey for Sunday lunch. We regularly eat here and have never had a bad meal but Matt outdid himself today. Everything we had was delicious and well presented. It’s not fast food but we didn’t want fast food anyway. All the staff are friendly and helpful. We opted for the 3 course lunch each and I had the beef main which was melt in the mouth and veg still with a bite my other half had the lamb which he declared delicious. Followed by 2 gorgeous desserts. It was a challenge but we rose to it. The kicker is one of our favourite places to go locally and it’s great value too. Big thank you to all

Lovely food. Lovely beer gardem

Great food although slightly pricey. The whole place though was very chilly and so that made the dining experience a bit uncomfortable.

We stayed nearby and visited twice. Lovely country pub and the Sunday Roast was so good we came back on Tuesday for dinner.Excellent food, lovely staff, and value for money.

Came to celebrate Father’s Day & it was brilliant. Food was amazing. And good sized portions. Definitely be back.

Cracking little place tucked away just off the beaten track. Been here a few times now and food and service is always excellent. Well recommended

Never been before somebody told us about this hidden place , food great , service good too , could improve in warmer weather nice garden outside , well worth taking a visit definitely go again .

Nly had a light lunch, but very good.

Nice country pub,called in for Sunday lunch,I ordered the gammon and turkey and my wife ordered the lamb,we ended up swapping plates because the lamb was just big heap of fat that hadn’t been rendered. Turkey and gammon wasn’t bad. Roast potatoes had a frozen feel to them in texture and taste,vegetables were plenty but al dente which is not my preferred but that’s just my choice,would maybe eat here again but definitely not the Sunday dinner.

Beautiful food - Good portion size - Great service.

Food was great, staff were friendly and helpful. Highly recommended. Try the bhaji burger!

Lovely country pub, great food and choice of beers.

Excellent Sunday lunch. Was planning on no starter but main n dessert but no room after main!! Great quality n variety of veg with shoulder of lamb. Friend had lovely starter and brilliant seafood linguine. Will be back even though not on doorstep. Worth the drive.

The kicking Donkey is a lovely pub dated 1831, you can take your dog into the pub or weather permitting, you can sit outside, the staff are lovely and helpful, meals from the lunchtime menu is about ,£10.00 very nice, the only critical thing I'm going to say is I think that they charge too much for the sweets, ie I had. 3 small scoops of ice cream, paid £6.95 for this, a lot of pubs only charge £1.00 scoop and my husband had sticky pudding and my friend had chocolate brulle, again only small portions and over priced for what you got, don't let me put you off, still a idyllic pub, would definitely go back just bring the prices down especially for the ice cream

Pub food with a difference Efficient staff We've booked for a party of 8 later in month Assortment of Ales were good Retaurant would benefit from a lick of paint but its a very small gripe

Called in for some beers good selection of real ale and some good lagers nice atmosphere will be back 😁👍🏻

Called in for tea, never been before. Food was fabulous. The chicken curry pie was delicious!!!!

Don't like giving poor reviews but I must the hamburger was absolutely vile they did say they make the pattys themselves and the menu was very confusing sorry but I will not be returning left a review and the owner got Salty LMFAO yes I did change my start rating because I was insulted by who ever runs the account and told to go to McDonald's as it would have been more suited to my tastes they have since edited it I review multiple establishments and fairly I would avoid this place at all cost especially now seeing how the owners have reacted to a little bit of criticism if you are in Ormskirk I would go somewhere else

Great food and service, just a really nice pub

Dined here last night with friends - a brilliant atmosphere and a very warm welcome by Aimie and her team . Amazing food - highly recommend trying the onion bhaji burger - a fantastic varied menu with something for everyone, and always a great choice of specials 😋 We are already looking forward to our next visit, hoping the weather improves soon so we can enjoy the best beer garden in Ormskirk.

First time here lovely pub traditional which is rare these days, good menu choice, fish and chips excellent couldn't fault food at all, they do small meals aswell which was plenty for me and my family, definitely will be back and will recommend to friends,seems popular so best ring up and book if it's weekend or Friday night haven't tried all on menu no doubt I will be so couldn't recommend the other dishes, please don't change to a gastro pub stay as you are

Great food, just some of the desserts not too good.

Excellent food especially the roast dinner

Gorgeous roast dinner, cute country pub the service great and the food was lovely, never disappoints going here it was the best roast Iv had for a while, I had the pork with crackling which was amazing and husband had the lamb, loads of fresh veg home made Yorkies. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The best beer garden in town. Lovely food and friendly service. Matt and the team always serve up a great meal and an excellent pint!

Absolutely stellar experience at The Kicking Donkey in Ormskirk! The hummus, salad, and focaccia dish was splendid. The main course of haddock, chips, and mushy peas was generous and delicious, though perhaps a bit too much for one sitting! However, what truly sets this place apart is the exceptional service. Attentive, friendly, and efficient staff made the dining experience even more enjoyable. Great atmosphere on a Saturday night! Without a doubt, The Kicking Donkey stands out as one of the best pubs in Ormskirk. Highly recommended!

Myself and three friends had a casual lunch mid week. I had been several times since the Kicking Donkey re opened after the pandemic but for my friends it was their first visit. Lunch was good. Plenty of selection at a reasonable price. We all enjoyed it. We did have a lovely waitress who was new and admitted it was her first job. Well done. However, when we were served our teas and coffee we weren't provided with saucers for our cups and we're told you didn't have any! Please can you buy some saucers. So important. It's not so bad if the hot drinks are served mugs. See you soon.

IT has been many years since I had been to the Kicing Donkey ,but I had heard good things so me and my lunch friends thought we'd try, How glad we were the decor was in heritage green and very calming even with a full house,and the staff were pleasant and welcoming as soon as we arrived. The menu was very well priced with a choice of small plates £8,95 and main bigger aound £12 _£16 . We went for the small which were not at all small, Chiil beef ,scouse ,and toasted cheese + leek toastie on lovely malted bread all came with extra bitsof salad and colslaw , but we had to have chips to share . It was a lovely lunch and very good value ,as the full house proved and goes to the top of our lunch venues 10 / 10

We had the most beautiful roast dinner on Sunday, 18th February, 2024. I had the slow roasted brisket and it was amazing! Very thick slices of meat in a gorgeous gravy. All homemade! I was very impressed and told my work colleagues to try it. No frozen meat or veg, all home cooked to perfection. Well done Chef!!! X

We have been out for a meal tonight at The Kicking Donkey. Seven of us aged from 10 to 83 and I must say the food was first class. The staff were friendly and the chef was superb. I would highly recommend this pub and will definitely be back again soon.

We visited for a family meal and whilst we overall enjoyed it here, felt it didn't really live up to the reviews. The pub is cosy and traditional with a relaxed atmosphere but could do with a bit of a spruce up in some areas. The staff were very friendly and the meals were well priced. The food was generally good but definitely felt more 'pub' than 'gastro pub' standard; mostly basic options. The soup starter was ok but served with what looked like a slice of supermarket sliced bread. The fish (haddock) was large and crispy but the batter was a bit greasy and the chips lacked flavour. There were some veggie and vegan options available which was appreciated. Service was unfortunately a little slow - meals took longer than expected to arrive despite it being relatively quiet on our visit.

As a family we have been to this restaurant many times and have loved everything about it. The staff are lovely and attentive and helpful. The food has always been great. The last two times we have visited once during the week and once early Saturday evening. First time the food was certainly below its usual standard which I did mention. Saturday evening The menu was depleted and some dishes were not available such as the Game Pie and the Chocolate Brownies. The starters were reduced to about 4 options none of which we liked. So we ended up with just the main course. My Lamb Hotpot was edible but was microwave hot and very bland served with a slice of bread and butter and a small pot of red cabbage my grandsons picantha steak was really chewy I am saddened to be honest and I hope whatever is going on for them improves soon

Called for lunch which was good. The service was excellent. Atmosphere was good but I wish I had a time machine to go back 40 years or so when the atmosphere was fantastic and the Donkey was a destination for all not just another general pub grub establishment.

Really cosy country pub. We booked for Sunday lunch which was delicious. Everything was excellent including the service. Many thanks!

We were taken to the cold room at tge side of the bar away from the warmer eating areas where there were open fires. When we asked if we could move somewhere warmer we were told no despite there being empty tables. Not great.

Took my Husband John for a birthday meal. He had the Game pie followed by Bread and butter pudding with custard. My dad had Ham and eggs followed by bakewell tart and I had Mushroom Stroganoff followed by Bakewell tart. I have to say I was impressed the meals were very nice and the service was fantastic all the staff were friendly ,polite and when that extra step by given my dad a sharper knive to help him cut his ham and they put a candle on John's desert and Sang Happy Birthday to him . There was also a lovely old fireplace with an open fire

Proper country pub. Great food, great staff and good ale. I really enjoy going to 'The Kicker'.

Called in , without a booking, on the Friday before Christmas at 230pm. Didn't have much hope of getting a table, but very welcoming member of staff found us a table for 2 for late lunch. Food was delicious and really enjoyed ourselves

Went for lunch today, as usual food excellent quality at reasonable price, Matt and his staff are excellent, he even made special request for jambalaya for Colin. Excellent place, spotless is a must go.

Excellent food and good service. Always good to visit.

Proper country pub, open fires, good pint.

What a great place to visit.. u must book on a Sunday.. what a fantastic choice Sunday menu.. an red wine.. really enjoyed my self good staff.. a must visit..secret jem tucked away

Amazing place lovely staff and Food

Booked here for Sunday lunch. The food was excellent. Lots of choice and very tasty. Staff are friendly and efficient. Reasonably priced. Dog friendly pub. Highly recommend.

All layered to perfection, dont know how chef did this, best sandwich i have ever tasted! Please keep going, this is a must, partner had pork belly with apple barm for lunch! Equally amazing!

Excellent food and atmosphere would visit again defo

Thank you Kicking Donkey for hosting our Pearl of Africa children’s choir on tour -giving them a delicious FREE meal!

Been there for the first time brilliant food, excellent service, menu so varied, huge choice will definitely be back very soon.

Family group of 6 people visited today Sunday 1st October and it was 1st class from the chat in the car park with the owner when we arrived until we left. The food was beautiful , seasoned hot and very tasty . The waiting staff all lovely charming and polite young ladies were a credit to the owners and them selfs, there was nothing to much trouble to them and a smile on there faces at all times. The atmosphere in the bar and dinning area was a reminder of what pubs used to be like, full of chatter and people meeting up and enjoying the day. We live 60 miles away but will be making an extra effort to return soon. Thank you Kicking Donkey and keep it up

We called in a bit late one evening whilst on holiday hoping they would still be serving dinner. They were. The service was excellent as was the food. As a result, we booked in for Sunday lunch. Again, the service and food were amazing, there is an option for a small Sunday roast, which was ideal for my wife, plenty to eat but no left overs which saved me being stuffed from finishing her food, but did disappoint our dogs who were waiting patiently for the usual treats. Such a great place to eat, and dog friendly too.

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff accommodated 15 of us including children from 2 to 10 years of age. Food was plentiful and very tasty. The pub was pleasantly busy inside and out but not in the least bit noisy. With a good beer garden and sufficient parking. All in all a very pleasant visit. Highly recommended