The Prickly Pear Bistro in Middlesbrough

I actually came here on Pancake day but forgot to write a review. Food was gorgeous my portion of pasta was huge and we got free pancakes too which was a lovely touch. I also visited a few weeks before that and got Sunday lunch and it was gorgeous will definitely be visiting again. Staff were also lovely

Disgusted with how I was spoken to by manager. Told to stop my child crying or get out. I won’t be visiting again. Management is poor.

Disgusting attitude on manager. Won’t be coming back.

This morning went to Prickly Pear for breakfast 😋 and was greeted by a lovely young man .His customer service was outstanding and very welcoming.The breakfast was 10/10 and it was delicious 😋. We will all be back again .

Not informed there were no parmo platters until we were ordering food. Two out of 3 red wines on the drinks menu not available. Cocktails were terrible - too sweet, no fruit or little "touches". Food was decent but nothing special considering the price. Service from some of the staff was downright rude. Won't be returning.

Value for money . Tasted amazing. Staff very friendly . Great atmosphere

Went for breakfast, really nice catered to me well. Defo returning!

Gone down hill since been taken over, a real shame to what wasa really a good little spot, slow staff, poor food really disappointed and after been regulars to the old one we won't return

Went here the other night to give it a try as a friend recommended it, I ordered the big one burger and I wasn’t disappointed, absolutely massive burger with quality meat for an affordable price. I don’t understand some of the bad reviews I’ve read because I couldn’t fault the place

Came here for the first time for my daughters birthday, room was freezing sat with our coats on there was a few things on the menu unavailable and at the time was offered free desserts for the issues with the menu availability, and as it was so cold the kids didnt want to stay and eat them so took them home. And the time taken for food was a long boring wait in a cold room, the younger kids weren't interest as much in their food after waiting so long. There was a really bad taste on the chips like dirty oil/overcooked taste and was sat in a quarter of a fish of oil, And was supposed to be a meat feast parmo but only had 3 peaces of burnt pepperoni on the top, The following day on reflection, she was frustrated with herself that she paid the full bill, and the children where unwell due the the conditions, and the number of issues we had, she decided to contact the manager to raise these issues, so she was told the issues was being addressed and was told she would recieve a full refund, but when she attended was given £100 and asked to take the review down, when she queried the amount refunded was told they don't refund drinks despite the drinks coming to nearly 20.00 less than was taken off and my granddaughter had 2 coffees due to the fact she was so cold and shivering. This was my first and last experience and definitely wouldn't recommend this place.

Food was banging, staff were on point, top notch atmosphere I would highly recommend

Had breakfast with friends. Service a little slow but food fresh and delicious

Went for bottomless brunch food wasn't very nice atmosphere wasn't much of the girls serving were ok

Just had a Sunday lunch delivered 3 lots of meat all over cooked and hard mash was awful powder mixed. Also doughnuts were very dry and overcooked. Absolutely awful

Continental breakfast is lacking no croissants no pastries no yoghurt and fruit Cooked breakfast is lovely poached eggs perfect bacon lovely

A nice little placeI like the decor. The people waiting on very friendly I noticed they were dressed smart too. Very friendly and polite.. Mid afternoon we booked in. Got coffees and refreshments for children. Not busy 2 or 3 tables in use. Waited a long time nearly an hour or more the waiter came over very sheepishly and very embarrassed... I felt sorry for him. He told us they have a problem in kitchen and won't be serving us. We were told if we could wait 45mins we would get the order.. Too hungry to wait and a child starving as well as myself. So we went to find another restaurant on a very cold wet and very windy Sunday now tea time.. So can't comment on food.

Been for bottomless brunch today, well worth the money and staff were lovely and polite

Fantastic food Lovely staff Will always come back.. xxxx

Really disappointed with my visit to the prickly pear since the new owners, hopefully it’s just teething issues! It took 20 mins for them to ask what we’d like to drink (even though there were only 4 tables in there, they weren’t busy). The server didn’t know how to use the machine properly to take the order and asked me and my friends several times to repeat our orders. The restaurant was cold and we had to put our coats on. The food (starters and main) came out all at once, which was 1 hour and 25 minutes after arriving. This seemed a long time considering there were only 4 tables of people in. My starter (Mac and cheese bites) were still frozen and my main was burnt and cold. I didn’t end up eating anything 🙈. My friends chips were only partially cooked but she said her parmo was ok. I didn't pay for my food and they apologised, but I felt like if it was one isolated issue it would have been ok, but coupled with the poor service I felt like I needed to put a review on. Hopefully things get better with time! Go back to pen and paper if your staff aren’t comfortable with a machine, it’s not greatly received as a customer if everyone on your table has to repeat their order 3 times 🙈. My friend who paid for her meal found it quite expensive too, hopefully that’s just the Christmas prices! On a positive note, the staff were really friendly!

Amazing little place nothing to much for the staff and food is georgous well done xxx

Excellent atmosphere with really lovely and helpful staff, couldn’t ask for better really. I went here with my Wife and I absolutely loved the Jollof rice, so spicy and tasty. My Wife ordered the chicken parmo (never having tried it) and was pleasantly surprised, so tasty and juicy. We will definitely be returning and are excited to try more things on the menu!

Just had a Parmo Well what can I say it was very greasy and the Bechamel sauce was grey in colour not seen this before I asked what it was and was told it was bechamel sauce very disappointing will not be returning

We went a year ago for my parents anniversary. It was lovely to return a year later following the re opening. Food was fabulous, service was good, new staff trying very hard, polite and friendly. Menus need bigger print (unreadable), but a lovely afternoon, My parents loved it. Thank you, we will definitely return.

I was amazed by their diverse menu and trying to cater for all, they played good music as well as the food was awesome, the service was great and I’m definitely coming back

Ever since this Place has been taken over it has really gone Hill! I got a Regular Chicken Parmo and it was literally the size of 6.8 Inch Phone and there wasn't Many Chips either so for the Price of £12 for very little Potions they want Hauling and it is disgusting Diceive for Customers so it'll be a long Time until I'll be returning😡

After seeing that the restaurant had recently re-opened, I couldn't wait to book a table and take my friend there for a belated birthday treat. We received a really warm welcoming and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely and inviting! The staff were attentive and super helpful and it was really heartwarming to see so many young people working there. The staff were so friendly and smiley and made us feel so welcome and at ease! I went with the steak and jollof, as recommended by the Manager, and my friend ordered the Parma. The steak was so tender and tasty, and the jollof was amazing too (certainly got my taste buds tingling)! My friend absolutely loved her meal too. We didn't feel rushed at all and the vibe of the restaurant was overall really calming, it felt like a home away from home. I will definitely come here again and my friend is wanting to take her boyfriend for his birthday! It's super affordable, the food is yummy and the atmosphere is amazing 🥰

Not usually one to leave a bad review but my lord. Went for a birthday meal as a party of 7. Service was terrible from the start server didn’t know what rose wine was everything we ordered he had to go and ask another member of staff to find it on his tablet. He missed off 4 drinks then brought 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of water and a can of lemonade with no glasses at all (the drinks which we had waited an extra 20 mins for even though we ordered them all together). When I asked him for a glass and poured my drink there was blue roll (tissue) mixed in with the ice. He brought over cocktails and didn’t know what they called so we didn’t know who’s drinks they were. Finally got around to ordering the food they brought 2 platters out 10 minutes before the rest of the food. I had ordered a vegetarian kiev Parmesan I asked him if it was vegetarian when he brought it over to be told ‘I don’t know’. Thank god I cut into it and checked before I ate it because it was chicken. Complained and was told they’d recook my food and remove it from the bill. Brought out a new plate for me which was obviously rushed the Parmesan was cold and soggy even the cheese on top wasn’t properly melted by this point I didn’t even bother to complain again so left without eating. The other parmesans were tiny especially for £17 and burnt to a crisp so another one was taken off the bill. When the bill came they’d added 2 bottles of the wrong wine totalling £50 when they had ordered an alternative which was alot cheaper. When my friend complained the manager agreed they shouldn’t have opened so soon while the staff was not properly trained. If I could’ve gave 0 stars I would have. The full restaurant is absolutely freezing we all had to eat and drink with our coats on. Will obviously not be returning

Garbage. The same bland parmo disguised as many different dishes to fool the people of Teesside into thinking they’re getting something different or premium. Ordered the regular parmo and the shawarma parmo. Firstly the regular. Bland. Flavourless. Burned bottom..to the point that the bread crumbs fell away. It came with about 8 chips. Pathetic attempt. Then the “shawarma” parmo basically a diced chicken breast, smothered in cardamom (seriously, no blend of spices or flavour..just a ton of cardamom) sat on top of a parmo with some peppers and onions. Which again was bland and had a burned bottom. Got some dirty fries. They were a soggy salty mess. Abysmal. The same as the ship in Redmarshall…literally the same menu. Will not visit again.

There were quite a few drinks missing from the menu which limited your choice. However the food was lovely, we brought home what was left.

Was really excited to try here as had some recommendations from others but didn't even end up staying for food. We chose this restaurant because of its great gluten free menu, as we were going with a coeliac, only to turn up and them tell us that they use the same fryers for GF and gluten food? We had disclosed the coeliac on our booking and had no contact about this, and they kept insisting that the menu says "it won't be 100% guaranteed" - but I think there's a BIG difference between not 100% guaranteed and directly using contaminated fryers for all of the cooking, no effort to keep things separate. When we said this, they repeated that is was on the menu, and were quite unpleasant as we left. Was really disappointed as the menu had looked lovely, if a bit expensive.

Abit of a hidden gem, visited during the Christmas holidays and although we waited a while for food to be served it was well cooked and very tasty, plenty of parking available

Lovely decor, attentive staff and gorgeous parmos!

Lovely gluten free range, friendly service and lovely atmosphere. We will be back!

Huge selection of Parmo's and they are amazing!

As a table of 3 we were the only people in there yet still waited 50 minutes for food to arrive at the table which is less than ideal service time considering the place was empty. Burger and parmo were okay but shawarma wasn’t great. Not worth the prices or the wait overall a poor experience. Poor selection of choices for kids menu too.

No problems with the food (*see update), and service was initially very good. However, at one point there were no staff to be seen anywhere for quite a while, and after that they appeared to be struggling to keep up. The place is a bit strange, it appears to be in something like a school hall? It's not cheap either! Bit of a dodgy area, we were hit by a stone thrown by local kids on the way there. *Update: several of us had dodgy stomachs the day after, with one having been ill all night - we won't be back *

The service was really poor. We booked last minute (well 2 hours before!) and it almost felt like we were invisible. It wasn't busy (I'd say roughly half full) and it took nearly 30 minutes to get served, then the food took a further 45 minutes and it only came after we complained. Our meals came out staggered and the garlic dips didn't come, so my mam went and mentioned it to one of the waiting staff who acted very rude towards her. The chips were absolutely freezing (which is why we know they must have just left our order and forgot about us), however the parmo was absolutely gorgeous and for that reason I would definitely go again 100%. I don't typically do reviews but I thought it was important so that you get some constructive feedback.

Visited here for the first time tonight as I'm local to the area and live closeby to this restaurant and i wasn't impressed unfortunately these are the reasons why 1. My parmo was disgusting and sickly because the chicken was too slimey. There was way too much cheese and sauce on top of the chicken which made it feel sickly and difficult to eat it all and finish off so I ended up leaving it. (Photos are Provided) 2. My chips twice came out stone cold and not cooked properly. Tasted store bought rather than homemade chips, didn't eat them all (Photos are Provided) I myself won't be coming back to this restaurant in the future. The food i had was disgusting. I don't recommend this place to people who like parmos because i didn't like my parmo that i received tonight. I asked for tap water because i was feeling dehydrated and that tasted horrible aswell. I didn't end up finishing that as i felt sick drinking it half way down. 1/5

Staff very nice Food nice Not what we expected after the hype that it had been given by friends , expected a lot better Gratitude should not be added when given the bill , we are not in America Happy to leave a tip but rather leave cash to ensure that staff actually get it

Although the food was well prepared and presented, the staff failed to respond to any request with any urgency. Waiting fifteen minutes for a pot of garlic sauce is ridiculous. The seating is uncomfortable for anyone over 5'6" and causes back ache and ultimately an uncomfortable eating experience. Given the choice I would choose better seating and service if I had to put up with inferior food.

horrendous experience I had today at the restaurant! I’ve been to the prickly pear loads of of times and always had an amazing time, lovely meals and brilliant service. But today I came with family who I have been speaking highly of the Restaurant too and it has got to be one of the worst experiences I have ever had! The waitress was so rude she had a massive attitude, whenever she was serving us there was just no interaction. She basically throw all the Cutlery on the table for us to sort out ourselves, she served us warm Coke to be told the bottles had just been put in the fridge. The glasses were filthy. We waited an hour and a half for our food, while we where waiting for the food no one came over and asked us if we wanted any more drinks or if we were okay or if there was anything they could get us we were just totally ignored for the whole time we where waiting! The food order came and some of it was wrong but no apology or anything she just walked away with attitude shaking her head at us! There was no customer service at all! The only good thing is the food didn’t disappoint it was lovely but felt so intimidated by the waitress we felt we just wanted to leave at this point! Also to top it off we were short changed to then have to go back feeling really awkward and get the correct change! We paid a lot of money and the service was absolutely disgusting! Im so disappointed as I have really enjoyed previous experience but after today i will never return!

Waited an hour and a half for food, no offer of drinks on arrival, I had to proactively get the menus. Finally got drinks after 20 minutes. Service was just unbelievably slow. I'd agree with other comments about light, and it being freezing because of the doors. No real atmosphere. And the toilets are rank. Food was nice enough I guess, thankfully on the cheaper lunch menu, I'd be gutted if I'd paid full whack.

Lovely food and quiet atmosphere as am guessing some people won't know where its situated

There was a number of issues we experienced with this restaurant. 1. Doors were not open on arrival meaning we had to wait in the cold until somebody realised we were waiting. 2. Very poor lighting on an evening. When asked to have the lights on above us we were told they could only be on whilst we read the menu and that's it. Because the lights were tripping out other lights at the switch box. 3. Most of the party were cold. 4. Although the waitress' were very polite and responsive. They had to confirm our order 4 times coming back to different people at each stage mixing orders up. They also didn't ever bother to take our menus away. 4. Mixed vegetables, apparently only means mixed peppers (ironically a fruit), no veg on my plate. If you don't want a parmo, menu choices are very limited. 5. We were aware that we had to leave for 8pm when we booked the table. The manager (or owner not sure), kept coming over to remind us we had to leave making us feel very unwelcome, she clearly has a major attitude problem. Especially since there was loads of empty tables which could have easily been moved together to accommodate another party. Some of us wanted desserts but felt rushed out so we didn't. We left at 7:50 allowing plenty of time, but they started asking around 7:15. 6. Prices were also extortionate. Looking at a minimum of £30-£50/head. Starter and a main + 2 drinks each 9 came to £330. 7. When paying, the owner seemed annoyed with us for paying separately and was even snappy when handing over our money. Not recommended. Waste of money. As a positive the furniture is very nice!

Where to start with the issues... On arrival the doors were closed so we had to stand outside in the freezing cold. The table we were seated at had barely any lighting making it difficult to read the menu, to the point we had to use the lights on our phones. When we asked if we could have the lights on, we were told that the lights above our table tripped the other lights in the restaurant, which they did. I also had to leave my coat on as the place was cold. We hadn't even all sat down before we were asked about drinks. Our drinks hadn't arrived before we were asked if we were asked to order food, we told the waitress that we were still waiting for another person. When we were ready to order food, the waitress came back to the table about 4/5 times to check our order which is ridiculous. Especially seeing as it is put into a tablet. The food was mediocre at best and for the price I would have expected something a lot better than what we were given and unless you want a parmo there's barely any choice. Then there was the rudeness of the manager/ owner. She continuously rushed us to leave as they needed the table back, although there was 8 other empty tables. When we went to pay the bill, the owner was very rude as well, we all paid for what we ordered but the last person to pay was told someone hadn't paid and he was charged for more than he got. If I could give this place 0 stars I would have.

Excellent service lovely friendly staff . Good tasty food Will go back again ...

Nice look interior and friendly staff. However... The womens toilets were awful and resembled the final day of an outdoor music festival. Many of my colleagues were female and ended up trying to hold in their urge to go toilet and wait until the first pub we going to after food. The food was not inedible but lacked taste/flavour. The Katsu curry didn't taste like Katsu curry and the cookie dough was very dry and stuck to the bowl. We were a big party and it was a common theme of not meeting expectation. I think price is a factor. It was VERY expensive. £37 I was charged for £10 menu Katsu Curry, cookie dough desert, a side of chips and x1 lager shandy. For the price it was VERY underwhelming. Better food for better prices elsewhere. Won't go again.

Went here on a work dinner with some colleagues and loved the place. Relaxed atmosphere, staff were responsive, funny and catered us very well. The food is great with a lot of choice for toppings for the parmos or if your fancying variety, a combination of 5 smaller parmos. The portion sizes are very good and they use terms like ‘large’ very accurately so don’t be shocked if you order a large thinking you could get it all down easily only to be defeated by it like I was. Not a critique of the restaurant; my eyes are just bigger than my stomach. Highly recommend to anyone and will definitely be popping in again.

Awful service and unfriendly staff. No one smiled the whole evening, nor apologised for messing up the order tried to overcharge is for the bill. Food was mediocre at best and extremely overpriced. I would recommend to avoid. Spend your money elsewhere.

Just tried first time El Chapo, Kiev, Funguy Parmo,s absolutely top class really tasty 😋

Tees side restaurant week, 3 courses for £20.00. great deal ,really tasty food, lovely staff

1st time weve been but will be going back great place for different parmos the staff couldnt do enough for you they are excellent great place

We rang a head for a table today sunday 6th Nov told to just turn up . We were greeted by friendly staff and shown to a table . My partner and I both went for the roast beef dinner . The waitress told use what a great choice as in her words it's the best beef dinner anywhere. A bold statement I thought but she was not wrong. Wow what a fantastic plate of food the beef was outstanding, the Yorkshire pudding was massive and the best roast potatoes I have had in a long while. We were stuffed but there is always room for dessert. Sticky toffee pudding for me and a chocolate garden for my partner. I never give a 10 out of 10 but this was a 9.7 we will be back with friends next time . Take a bow prickly pear

Went above and beyond to try and meet my kidd allergy requirement. 5* just for that but the food is amazing!

One of the best parmos we have had, and really lovely cocktails. So happy we found this little place

Tasty food, friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. Loved their less for less options too! We got the smaller £3 desserts which were just the right amount after a big main!

Been there several times.and every time the service,food, drinks and atmosphere are excellent. Thoroughly recommend it .

Lovely food, seated quickly and prompt service

Best Parmo's I've ever tasted would recommend you try.

Absolutely fantastic atmosphere, great quality food, peaceful, hidden little gem. Sarah Andrews our waitress was spot on with the service polite lovely lass made us feel right at home. Made our day worth while celebrating our anniversary will definitely be returning

If you ever have an urge for an amazing parmo, look no further. The staff and food were people and things of legend, and left me satiated at a top tier level.

Its a well decorated, rustic type of restaurant and the staff are all lovely. The prices are just way too steep for where it is. £18 for a parmo and it was fairly average. Cocktails were around £8 each and nothing fancy. Glad I've tried it but I doubt il be back as there's tastier food out there for less money.

Couldn't believe I spend £50 on 2 parmos and 2 drinks. They dont have the prices on the parmos and was shocked when I got the bill £18.00 each for a regular Parmo. I think it's really expensive the chips weren't even that nice. Wont be going back.

Love the idea of all different parmos. Daytime platter reasonably priced so you can try different ones. Takes a while to come as they making different parmos but if you not in a rush well worth the wait. Its great that they do the different vegetarian parmos also.

Amazing food. Definitely a hidden gem. The tapas plates were amazing, looked good but also very tasty. 10/10 ⭐️

spot on. fair enough some kids set off the fire alarm. the staff that were in, both were informative, apologetic and down to earth. set up a table outside as could see my partner getting anxious about the sound of the alarm. Ellie went above and beyond, she deserves a bonus. don't let the staff you had in tonight go, or at least let them choose their replacement. food was spot on too.

What a lovely experience. Service was great and food was good quality. Lovely interior, atmosphere great (although it was quiet with only 2 other tables) Only suggestions would be a change in location and to provide free garlic sauce and coleslaw with it being so pricey.

Lovely staff, lovely food, love it!

Great food & very friendly staff.

Popped in for lunch ,ordered the pick and mix parmo platters,service was great food was delicious, took what was left over home ,we will be back again

I had been encouraged to go to the Prickly Pear for a meal and finally got there on Fathers day. Great service and staff were helpful. The food was nice although I didn't think it was worth the prices charged. I understand that prices are going up but £18 for a Sunday dinner seemed a bit steep in my opinion.

A little expensive considering the location. Food was nice

Top quality food, great banter with staff, and a brilliant range of choices of food. One of the best places in the north east I have been to.

Went here is a big group, and the food was great, slightly pricey. Staff were not very attentive however, helpful when you flagged them.

Like Parmo? Love The Prickly Pear! They have a parmo menu! With a choice of 35 different options! I couldn't tell you about the normal menu as I honestly didn't bother to look. Food was very fresh and not greasy, which is key to an amazing parmo, considering what they are made of. Bistro setting is very pretty and the staff where extremely friendly and helpful. Can't speak highly enough of this place. Only downside, you kind of feel like your driving into a nursery and that your satnav is wrong. Will definitely be back!

Very friendly staff, menu is massive and food is excellent. Would highly recommend

Fantastic food and service for Mother's Day, would highly recommend, thanks very much to Chef Martin and the team!

Wow. Just wow. Don't let the location put you off. This is some serious food served in a slightly offbeat setting. But my jiggins it's worth it.

Impressive looking place and the parmo platters are awesome! Staff are very friendly and welcoming. I only managed 4 of my 5 parmos.. I'm ashamed to call myself a Teessider 😀

Excellent food by far the best parmo in the north east great service too

Great meal and great choice of parmos but I think they need to change this really description really quickly

Parmos are massive and really nice

By far the beat parmos I have tried

Parmo heaven. Wonderful food, super service and friendly.

Lovely little place for food and drinks, cocktails were my fave

Best place to get Parmos in Boro, in my opinion. Great staff. Food is always nice.

Terrible Service, asked for a table with a chair due to having disabled person with us was told point blank NO, no effort even made to add a chair to our table or move things around , yeah the foods nice but the staff are terrible

Went with friends and at first thought we must be in the wrong place as yhe building did not look like a restaurant. There was no sign outside to say it was the prickly pear. But o ce inside the large building the signs pointed to the restaurant. It has a beautiful glass wall. In side it is all very nice. The staff were efficient and friendly.great choice of food and everyone in our group enjoyed their food. The temperature of the room was fine for me but a couple of our group found it a bit cold due to a draught.But we all agreed we would go back again

Took a while to come the meal tbh nearly 1 hr and it was dead ,the new skin on chips are awful ,parmesan was sloppy ,we have been before and it was a lot better ,prob give it a miss from now on.

Really nice restaurant. Cozy atmosphere. Food was really good. The sizzler parmo and the chicken skewers are nice! The desert platter was really good. Giving it 4 stars because I found the wait time a bit too long, had to wait nearly an hour for our meals to arrive. However we did go in the afternoon with quite a few people in. Amazing food, will go again to try the parmo platter!

Lovely food, might be one of the pricey parmos on teesside but definitely one of the best. Great choice will definitely go back

Not impressed very overpriced. £7.50 for 5 little greasy oily prawns that were overcooked and a piece of garlic bread i nearly broke my tooth on. £7 for 2 chicken satay chicken sticks. had better from iceland £7 for a glass of wine. Beware of the hidden service charge. Not that we got any service !

Gorgeous food !! Lovely environment x Staff friendly and helpful ! First visit and certainly won't be the last xx

Lovely restaurant, fabulous meal and great cocktails. Would definitely return.

Food and service was amazing! Highly Recommended!

Really enjoyed the selections of 5 parmo I had here, my date enjoyed her classic too. Staff were fantastic

Very nice atmosphere and service food lovely but we ate far too much in a food coma now

Fantastic food, really good selection on the menu and friendly staff

The Parmo Platter was a treat,picked 5 different mini parmos from a large menu which were served with chips 🍟 it was delicious and would definitely return 😋

First time visitor to the Prickly Pear,staff very polite food spot on, will be back soon.