The Merlin, Billingham in Stockton-on-Tees

Just had a outstanding Sunday dinner in the merlin, been meaning to try for ages,and realise I should have tried it earlier ,everything cooked to perfection and the meats succulent,had 3 meats which tbh was to much ,next time I'll go for 1 or maybe 2 ,service was good and quick,the owners paul and sarah have done a fantastic job in making it the go to place in billingham,lost off hard work is paying off,we will be back

Visited Ftiday lunchtime whilst in Billingham. Fairly busy but still got a table straight away. Decent menu, ordered steak and ale pie and peppered chicken. Both were substantial and full of flavour. All staff pleasant and attentive without going overboard. We had been meaning to go here for a while and so glad we tried at last. Won't be long before we return.

This is one very busy place and it is easy to understand why. The food is delicious. The lager was spot on and very welcome on such a hot day. There's a great choice on the menu. Recommended.

What a great place great food and great lager cannot believe just on the door set of where I grew up Me and my brother decided to share half & half Full Parmo with onion, peppers and Chef special sauce the mind boggles then mixed kebab chicken and lamb All the food was piping hot and served fresh from the kitchen totally faultless so glad we tried both dishes All night drank Cruzcampo which was lovely and served at the correct temperature The service was great and considering so busy very impressed overall great Chef great service

Visited with family on a whim. Hadn't reserved but we were seated very quickly. Incredibly busy venue despite it being a weekday mid afternoon! Food was lovely and tasty, large portions. Wasn't able to finish! Understand the hype. Service was swift and friendly, especially for such a busy environment.

Booked a table for 8 to celebrate 3x family birthdays, the reason we chose The Merlin is that they run the parmo menu alongside the Sunday lunch menu, we had bolognese 1/2 parmo, hot shot full parmo and a Bolognese hot shot, these come with the best home made chips, garlic and a side salad with coleslaw the full parmos are absolutely huge and impossible to finish for 1 person, the Sunday dinners were also delicious my wife said it tasted lovely and could taste the individual parts of the meal rather than just the gravy that you normally do, would highly recommend booking as the place was full even at 3pm when we were leaving, staff were lovely, attentive and food was received in good time.

Booked a table during the week turned up hadn't booked us I and had no table for us. Poxy faced woman didn't give a toss so left hostess with the least

Had a parmo from here today was fantastic best one I've ever had be going back to try other things off the menu...........

We had been looking forward to try this place for a while and it did jot dissapoint. We got a half and full parmo oozing with besh and beautiful melting cheese. Excellent value!! My mates full was massive even enough to take a bit home for the dog. Chips were lovely homemade ones and garlic nice and strong and a fresh salad Even the Coca-Cola we had was tasty non of that watered down rubbish Place was packed on a Monday night so says it all really , parmos was absolutely spot on. One of the best ive ever had And I've had a lot 😋

Arrived just after opening 12:15ish. Place was already fairly busy. Orders were taken quickly. Ordered the pulled pork parmo, which I've had before. After sitting down to our table a member of staff advised they had just ran out of pulled pork, which came as a surprise since they had only been open 20 mins. Went with the original parmo and it was spot on, no faults atall. Huge portion size and definitely worth the price. Would still definitely return

Food never disappoints here. Tasty and filling. Parmos are fabulous. Great to have a local with good food. Service good. Good veggie options

Excellent food recommend the parmos absolutely gorgeous , the staff are lovely and pub very clean , toilets spotless .Defiantly book first as very busy👍👍👍

Saturday afternoon visit, food really good and quick despite being very busy service and staff all spot on really enjoyed our food, good choice on menu and Parmos looked massive ( we didn’t try one) home cooked chips delicious- will definitely go back but will book next time as does get very busy which is not surprising as it’s so good. I got shawarma excellent

Been the the Merlin tonight with friends - absolutely Gorgeous parmo definitely recommend one of the best parmos I’ve had great price and portion size

We visited today and honestly had the best food and service. We’re locals and visit here quite often but noticed a change in the place today. The staff were very friendly, which can be quite rare these days and the food was lovely and has a great vibe. Will highly recommend!

I was told the parmo"s here were outstanding!! We travelled just to visit. We didn't book but I think it advised as it was busy. Me and my bro had the parmo shearer. And it was absolutely perfect. The tast sensation. Definitely recommend going to try.......and for the price you definitely can't go wrong 👌 Thank you for the great service! We will be back

Absolutely faultless food ,service and atmosphere, friendly staff great time topped of with live music ,all at a reasonable price

As you walk in the place looks nice really nice place to eat. Food seams highly priced for the area it's in but food ordered and when it's arrived looks fantastic really well presented and tasted really nice, sadly when I need the toilet words can't describe how badly these were, please please if anyone knows how works here please update these toilets to explain these are the worse toilets iv ever been in. Black mold on the ceiling and the smell was very very off putting. It's a shame as I'll probably never go back here because of this. Hope somewhere works here reads this as this place could do so much better.

When I ordered and paid I thought the food was a bit expensive but you really get what you pay for. We’ve been here a couple of times now and it’s one of our favourite places to eat. The menu is varied and the food is excellent quality. The hot shot Parmesan is amazing. One of the places to eat around billingham.

This pub/restaurant is somewhere that I went to because it was handy when I had to be in Billingham. Now though I travel to it for a meal quite happily. I live about 15 miles away. The food is beautiful. It's lovely to sit in, always busy with a good atmosphere. The staff are always welcoming & friendly. If you want to eat there especially on an evening I'd say definitely book, it is a popular place to eat.

Fantastic value for money with an average meal price at £11. I ordered the salt &pepper chicken which came with rice, chips and curry dipping sauce, it was delicious it was just a shame I couldn’t finish it all! My husband had the parmo, again huge serving which he thoroughly enjoyed and the chicken fajitas were tasty with loads of chicken and 2 huge tortillas so nobody came away hungry!! Will definitely be back as lots more choices on the menu, highly recommend

Ok I shouldn't eat here twice a week but I do. The food is awesome - I AM the mixed kebab king although telling me that there's none left on a Wednesday night after cycling 45 miles and needing one desperatley was NOT good. I've barely recovered and it's Thursday. All is however forgiven. Seriously though, the food is great, the staff work hard (please leave them tips they deserve it) and get the job done - they remember their customers (me) and that the mixed kebab IS my favourite (thanks Lauren :)). The chilli sauce is home made and really quite unique (in a good way). Value for money is excellent, food quality is great and it comes quickly enough to still be fresh. I will however need to try the Station as healthy competion is a good thing.... will report back... on the food and the bar staff ;)

Went to The Merlin in Billingham for our sons and grandson’s birthday we chose The Merlin due to getting good reviews for their Parmos a five star by the parmo hunters. We arrived at 18:00 on a Wednesday and it was already filling up but mind you it was a very hot day. We ordered a cheese burger a southern fried chicken burger and scampi for the kids well big kids 10 to 13 they all had clean plates so that speaks for itself. The grown ups ordered salt and pepper chicken that came with rice and chips plus a pot of Chinese curry sauce my sons partner said it was very nice, my wife ordered garlic chicken which came with sautéed potatoes and seasonal veg the chicken was cooked with garlic mushrooms and a white wine sauce my wife said it was very good and the sauce was excellent. Now for the Parmos I went for the fajitas parmo normal size which was a good size it came with chips salad homemade coleslaw and mayo garlic dip the parmo was a lovely colour plenty of sauce and cheese no over done bits like you sometimes get the chicken was cooked perfectly and lovely and moist it was topped with onions peppers and griddled chicken cooked in a fajita sauce and spices it was faultless, my son went for the hotshot parmo large it was very large and filled the plate again lovely colour loads of sauce and cheese and topped with pepperoni chilli and hot sauce now my son can eat but he could not demolish this beast he managed about half so the rest went home for tomorrow’s dinner. If you love your Parmos then you can’t go wrong with The Merlin and for those who don’t care for a parmo then everything else they serve is very good, and finally very reasonable £84 for 7 of us

What a steak pie ! They have changed the menu around and the way they serve Sunday lunch. I ordered the steak pie and it was packed with chunks of very lean steak in gravy in a thin crispy shell it was to die for....

I really don’t know why this place isn’t packed but it was on its way there whilst we were there. The staff are brilliant the red wine house Merlot delicious. We ate really well. Dad had tapas prawns we all ate off the main meal....

our 1st visit here and won't be our last, met by friendly staff I ordered the southern fried chicken my wife ordered salt/pepper chicken both meals were hot and well cooked/presented the portions where huge and the chips are to die for, an excellent visit

Booked for a family lunch, we booked a little later than we would normally go which was 3pm. Ordered meals for 8 of us and unfortunately they had ran out of gammon and pork so the offer of 3 meats couldn’t be met. Kids were...

First time here today Son and partner booked a table for us Straight in and seated orders took for drinks We all went for Sunday lunch son and hubby went for two meats while I went for one Meal came out very quickly and was...

We wouldnt give it any rating, first I asked for mince n dumplings with mash, the girlfriend ordered salt n pepper chicken. 25 mins later I was told there is no mash, why it took 25 min to let me kno.so next I ordered green...

Had a half Parmo and hubby beef ciabatta and chips. Chips are delicious. Parmo was nice and tasty. Beef was great value. Salad and coleslaw with Parmo nice and fresh. Will go back.

Previous times we have been to the merlin I've recommended it as one of the best parmos around, till today! Upon arrival we went in and sat down and was greeted by a member of the team. Waiting time was average and prices were good. I got a full parmo and my partner got half a hot shot. My partner had taken a couple of bites of her parmo and discovered pink chicken which got kindly replaced by a young lady with a black ponytail. Whilst my partner was waiting for her parmo half way into mine I discovered pink chicken which thrown me off for ordering a replacement, the chips were definitely not freshly made. The customer service by the young lady was great then my partner got her replacement and the chicken was wet, will not be returning.

Visited here today for dinner with family, absolute gorgeous food!! Ordered the chicken schwarma and it didn’t disappoint, the portion size was more then enough and extremely tasty, staff were lovely, everywhere was super clean. Will defo be back!

I have eaten here on numerous occasions since I last reviewed this pub in June 2016. I don’t think it is an accident that this is where I came for my first indoor meal following lockdown. In my last review I probably was a bit...

Just had a hot chicken parmo delivered and scampi for my wife, and it was lovely will definitely try a take away again. Regards Tony.

I visited this establishment with my partner who is coeliac upon entering we gave our details online with covid rules are were shown to a table, we ordered drinks and looked through the menu, I was stuck for choice and had three options I favoured,...

Visited regular never had a bad meal. Sunday lunch excellent. We have had Christmas day lunch two years running which is wonderful cannot recommend enough. 10/10.

Just had Sunday lunch at the Merlin. The staff (special mention for Luke) were excellent. Luke had things well under control and was very obliging. The staff, as a whole, were courteous, friendly and efficient. The Sunday lunch was delicious. There were two sizes to...

I can’t believe that Imhave not been here before, only came due good reviews we had heard. We were not disappointed, the staff were friendly and helpful, the food arrived hot and quite prompt and the quality and portion sizes were good. Considering I am...

Over rated expensive for what you get cheap pub food you can get anywhere with prices far expensive for the code you get will not be going back

Sunday lunch for £10 is stunning. Melt in the mouth beef and turkey. Parsnip stuffing roast potato creamy mash and fresh vegetables. Crispy yorkshire puds, tasty gravy. This place should be heaving. Away from home and I’m a great cook it’s the best Sunday lunch around teesside

We always come for the pub quiz on a sunday evening , always a fantastic atmosphere, bar staff friendly and helpful. Food is really good here too.

Everybody says the food is good here but I had never been. I have to agree with everyone who said it. I had the Gammon and it was lush and will be defo going back soon.Not cheap but worth it.

Food is always a good standard but the drink prices have gone up again, they were already pricey in the first place. 4.60 for a bottle of cider.

Is it only me that writes on here when I fly home from Dubai? The chips are mint, no frozen rubbish here, lasagne would serve 2 it’s delicious and cheesy, Parmos went down well. This place gets better but bring back corned beef pie staff are lovely new menu concept looks great loos need a paint however

Prawn baguette, homemade chunky chips and salad from light bite menu was delicious. Portion size was huge and great value for money. Relaxed atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Me and the wife called in on Tuesday night. She recommended it as she’d been with a friend.

The lasagne was huge but tasty it came with chips and garlic bread. My son got a wrap which looked lovely. Always a great meal here we will be back soon

Nice place to eat. Me and my husband both had a rump steak which was very succulent. Very upbeat place, the chips could be a bit better but that’s scraping the barrel, overall put experience was good and I will most definitely be returning.

Absolutely gorgeous yet again, been here a few times now and its always just as good as the previous times, although they should have more veg on offer. Cauliflower cheese mushy peas ect.

We regularly go here for our evening meal. On our last visit we both had the Hot Shot Parmesan, which is my favourite. The chips are home made which makes a nice change to frozen. The Parmesan itself was very tasty and “hot” and overall was very nice. We generally have good service and there is a new waiter there who is very friendly and considerate and polite.

A lunch here whilst visiting home from Dubai was tasty 😋 the bar though was empty and based on the quality of the food I’d expect it to be busier? A beef baguette and half a Parmo was tasty we will go back.

Having visited this pub several times with all my family on an evening i decided to have sunday lunch for a change and have to say i was not disappointed the food was lovely will definitely be back.

I never in my Parmo eating life have I tasted something soo pathetic . It was a soggy tasteless chicken what appeared to have no bechamel sauce with about the same quantity of cheese that you’d find in Asda’s cheese section it was horrific . I love my parmos I will never Parmo here again

Went in 18th June with a friend, staff friendly, ordered food, it was lovely, the lady who brought our food was great, really helpful. Would recommend

Took my mum for lunch in the Merlin as I was told the food was very good.

We visit the Merlin regularly, it's always a solid choice for pub food. The menu covers all the pub classics that you would expect, it's all reasonably priced and the portion sizes generally fill you up. The parmo is generally exceptional.

Had tea with my husband here on Thursday night and we enjoyed our food, hubby went to the bar for our first drinks and it was when I went to the bar for a drink for myself because he didn't want one that I got the shock....£4.10p for a pint of Darkfruits cider!! I was absolutely astounded a pint of cider could cost so much and I did let the barmaid know, her response was I was lucky because the Darkfruits was the only pump drink that hadn't gone up....suffice to say we didn't stay for another and opted to go to the Spoons where a pint of the same Darkfruits cost £2.59p. Our daughter works in Yates in Printworks in the centre of Manchester and she serves Darkfruits for £3.25p....how a pint could cost more in a bog standard estate pub in Billingham than in a top city centre pub I have no clue, the poor rating is for the drinks prices I would give an average rating for the food.

Wanted to stop off for tea somewhere & was really impressed. An honest family run pub with a great atmosphere. All of our food was delicious with more than generous portions, the waitress was lovely as was the lady behind the bar. No grumbles at all from us. Thank you.

Visited last night. Had booked a table for 4 at 6pm. Were told that we would have to wait an hour for food. When we tried to order we were told no burgers or pizzas available - that reduced menu in half. Decided to leave and tried another local pub which was much better.

Good homemade food. Clean local and very good customer service. Good menu and vegetarian available. Clean facilities

We go here for our dinner at least once a month and the food and service are always good. On our last visit I had the Hot Shot Parmesan and my husband had Cajun chicken both of which satisfied us with not a bite left on the plate.

we were lucky to get a table last night, most were reserved (which must tell you something). Service and food good. Great offer with parmo's go in and check it out

The meals were delicious,well presented and very filling. Great value for money Our group was happy to patronise the Merlins for food and drink for at least 7 of the days we were staying in Billingham.

Brilliant Sunday lunch. Great service and massive portions. I'd recommend the Sunday roast which came with home made Yorkshire puddings. The pudding I had was great. Well worth a visit. There is ample parking on site.

Very ordinary. Not a very varied menu and the surroundings don't help. Pleasant staff but I would not recommend for a special occasion.

Buena comida. Menú cambiante. Es apto para todas los gustos. El personal siempre atento. Si ring con espacio adicional requerido, se solucionaría.

Había unas cuantas comidas domingo aquí, así que probé un sábado por la noche. 6 de nosotros a las 6 de la tarde. Pub era ruidoso, pero lo que se puede esperar en ese momento. El servicio era excelente y para comida de pub la...

Muy buena comida y un gran personal a ayudar, también fue agradable tener control sobre childrenratjer que otros pub local que no tiene idea!

9 of us went to the merlin last Monday for tea,some of us having been before we knew what to expect and were not disappointed. The staff are polite and chatty, the order was correct and the food all arrived together. The parmos are fabulous, my only moan would be I was too full to order a dessert! 2 others did though, and they also got the thumbs up.The pub was quiet, but we had a good night and I'd recommend it and definitely return.

Great local pub/restaurant. My second favourite place for a parmo, seconded only to The Blue Bell in Yarm. A great night out on a Friday, especially when there is a band on.

Decided to try this place out as heard it was nice to eat. Bad mistake the food was disgusting, I got a parmo and my friends got fish & chips and a burger. We all had a few bites and got up and walked out because I've never tasted a parmo so horrible. Really was a let down as we all paid for food and not one of us ate it!

I would highly recommend this place for food, I live locally and eat there often, with either family, friends, large groups and have never had a bad meal yet! The chips are always lovely and 'homemade' - great quality tasty food, with a specials board changed daily! Great for Sunday lunch too

Always busy but can get a table. Serves upto 8pm. You can relax as it is a good family venue. Food is always good and hot. Well recommend and we frequent often

Before this visit, I previously held high expectations for both the food and level of service however, on this occasion (which will be my last) I was severely disappointed.The Chicken Parmesan, was dry and crispy. The chips were like scraps and no salad dressing and for the first time in years I didn't finish my meal.The wait time for food was 40 minutes with no apology.I highlighted my concerns with a member of staff and again, received no apology and she explained they were having "some difficulties" and they have a new Chef.Which was once a great place for food has turned into a place I wouldn't recommend.

Wow we booked tables last night for 32 people we pre-booked food and they let me put banners and balloons up and also did a cake for me and it was fantastic everyone had nothing but complements to say about the food and to the staff they could not do enough for you had to change and add some meals during yesterday day time and add extra people and they could not accomadate me any more what a lovely meal really enjoyed it we will be back

Yummy food in here. Me and my husband went in for tea and both had the chicken parmo with salad and homemade chips. Really enjoyed it and will be going back

Food served is always good especially the parmo which is what we always seem to end up with because we can't resist. We only have the small one as its big enough and could think of eating the larger one on the menuIt never lets us down!

I have previously reviewed the merlin as very good as we have always had great food and the service has been fine. However recently we had booked a table for 17 of us to find out when we turned up we were all sat on different tables, we were in the same area but when you go out in a group and pre book you don't expect to be spread around various tables with your back to each other. We had pre ordered all our food when the booking was made but one of our party had ordered a meal that should have come with sour cream but it was missing from the plate, when the waitress asked if we require any sauces etc we told her we were missing the sour cream, she returned with some tomato sauce for one of the kids but did not mention the sour cream. So we asked again about the sour cream and she spoke quite abruptly saying we haven't got any and walked away. There was no apology or alternative offered, this was not the service anyone would expect and for that reason we will not be returning here in a hurry. It's a shame really as the food has been nice in the past. There are plenty other good pubs selling food in our area who do know how to treat there customers.

My husband and I, and friends visited the Merlin for the first time on Saturday night to watch the band (Funk Collective) and have a bite to eat. We where all very impressed with our food. Very tasty and well presented. The band where fab too. We will certainly be back to sample the rest of the menu

We go to the Merlin often for Sunday Lunch. The service is quick and friendly. I always have one meat my husband has a duo 2 meats. Choices of meats pork, beef or chicken. The meat is always tender and really good. The veg mashed potatoes and roast, mashed swede carrots and cabbage. Then Yorkshire pudding and gravy we always ask for extra gravy and there's a choice of sauces. Can highly recommend.

Took my sister in law who is over from Australia, she loved the variety of meals offered. Waiting time for food was a little longer than expected but as it is cooked to order we were happy to wait and were not disappointed with the result. Tasty and filling

Visited for the first in a long while, wish i had'nt bothered, the barmaid who served me was the most miserable woman i have ever come across, obviously not happy in her job, she would be more suited as a professional mourner

Went for tea 18 August. Was busy so a 40 minute wait for food to arrive. Was so worth the wait the food was delicious. Portion sizes generous couldn't finish it all. Will definitely be back soon

We visit The Merlin very regularly and yhe food is always perfect. The parmos are the best in Billingham by far

I've been to the Merlin many times and never had a bad meal yet all food is of a high standard and cooked from fresh and delicious chips and coleslaw it's good value tasty food.

Food was beautifully cooked!! Lovely and clean too! Friendly staff as always ! Merlin is the place to be!

Had a great night recommended by my son for the best Parmo's in Billingham. We will all definitely be going back for more. Good food, great company

Overpriced ready meals staff very arrogant definitely a place not to go would rather go to a fish and chip shop

But it is better than many. Portions are generous and we are eating real chips- my benchmark sign of quality and care. Good value for money : under £30 for 3 with drinks and half parties. In case you don't know a parmo is huge local 'delicacy' - chicken fried in breadcrumbs with a covering of bechamel and cheddar which is then grilled. Lovely but certainly not what I tell my patients to eat.

Excellent food, pleasant friendly staff and speedy service fro beginning to end. Highly recommend the place.

If we lived in Billingham this would be our local, good food and drink, friendly bar staff and great atmosphere, we look forward to our next visit

Been once and will definitely be going again. I had chicken in a garlic and mushroom sauce, home made chips and vegetables ... delicious!! My hubby had a parmo and wasn't disappointed. Great service and great value for money.

Go here if I ever fancy a Chicken Parmo. Their parmo is amazing, and their chips are home made and equally as nice. I get a well done hot shot. They are slightly more expensive than a parmo from a take away, but definitely worth it.Never tried anything else on the menu, so unfortunately can't comment, but if they are as good as their parmos, everything will be spot on!

went for a night out with friends, food was acceptable and reasonably priced, wouldn't make it a regular night out but it was ok

Excellent service, top notch food!! The Merlin serves restaurant grade food, not just your standard pub food, it's definitely not "ping" food.

Been for tea many times and always realy enjoyed it but we had Sunday lunch for the first time a couple of weeks ago and not impressed at all, we would have much rather paid a couple of pounds extra and gone to the Toby cavery to be honest, the previous reviewer who said everything is microwaved is absolutely correct!!! We ordered the medium/standard size meals and got lumpy mash, only 1 small-medium size roast pot, dense/soggy yorky pud and the smallest whole chicken breast ever, the veg pot to share between 4 was tiny which included carrot, turnip and brocolli. Two of the desserts were sent back because they were still frozen in the middle, we were refunded, and the hot dessert was microwaved to within an inch of its life making the pastry/crumble extremely soggy. In future we'll be sticking to tea times only.

Love the food here. Very reasonably priced and quality is fabulous. I usually go for the 1/2 Parmo or creamy garlic chicken. Both are delicious and come with proper home made chips, the Parmo comes with salad too and the chicken with fresh vegetables. Definitely the best Parmo is Billingham. Last night I had a change though and had the tagliatelle carbonara, don't do it. It was very oily and not at all nice once the heat had gone from it. Won't stop me going again but won't be straying from my usual in future. Service is great and drinks reasonably priced compared to other restaurants although not the cheapest beer in Billingham compared to pub prices.

Scruffy inside, could do with refurb. Food hot and basic if you like quick microwave food.Tables were sticky, seating too low for hight of the tables. Not a place to try and have a conversation.

Best pub food in Billingham never been disappointed very popular with all ages, all dishes are great from a big meal to a small snack. All staff very friendly and helpful. Everyone needs to try the many different Parmos

I and my family eat here nearly every week. The staff are excellent and the atmosphere is very friendly.The sunday lunches are delicious and reasonably priced.They have a great selection of beers and lagers so most tastes will be catered for.Well reccomended.