The Red Dog Cafe in Colchester

We've been going to the Red Dog for years. It's always been great; the burgers are the best in Essex, and the loaded fries are fantastic. Used to live closer and pick up to take away, but now we're further away it just takes a special trip! The menu changes sometimes but that keeps it fresh, and the classics remain. Nothing is ever too greasy either, which is real skill!!

Great breakfast at a good price with free car parking, will return!

Often come here for breakfast or a take away burger, always fresh and tasty! Lovely to sit outside when sunny as well

Excellent choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Good service and great staff. UPDATE, May 2019 new menu, I tried Asian Salmon fillet, albeit with Parmentier rather than sweet potato, and it was excellent. Update 2024 Only breakfast in morning and burgers to eat in and takeaway later nowadays. Check opening times for more detail on web and social media. Still very good with great staff.

The best burgers ever! I no longer order burgers anywhere else as nothing beats red dog. The selection is great, love the veggie and vegan options as well, fries are superb! Good value as well.

Really helpful staff who helped me carry my food to the car , I had a Chicken Run burger which had a decent sized tasty chicken breast and toppings plus a very fresh Greek salad I've previously had the kebab which is also excellent

Very nice allround. Great staff and food. Nice establishment. Parking a bit tight when busy.

Great food and amazing service. Prices are really good for the quality. Vegetarian breakfast is soo good.

Breakfast is delicious, good portion sizes and reasonably priced. Service is always great....they even removed two dreaded wasps from near our seating area

Visited last night. Oh my. What a find. Friendly staff, great choice of food and my goodness food was incredible. Totally and utterly delicious. Highly, highly recommend

Best burgers at a very reasonable price. Good service and friendly staff

Loved it, visited on a Sunday and very busy so do book, good choice of food and drinks. Will definitely go again

Red dog for a late breakfast. Good food, friendly staff

Best burger I have ever had... And I like my burgers!! Chips are banging as well, highly recommended. Service is always very friendly.

Went there for the first time with several other members of the blue knights law enforcement motorcycle club. Had Sunday breakfast. It was delicious, no grease on the plate, you could tell the eggs were fresh, sausages not cheap nasty but I reckon home made and service was outstanding , felt like we had our own waitresses . This as a club all agreed will be a regular stop and eating hole . Thankyou red dog . Highly recommended.

One of the best burgers I had and the mixed kebab was very nice and good amount of food for the price

A really great burger and loaded fries, worth the short drive from Colchester 😁 The car park is shared by the other restaurant next door, so parking can be tricky at busy times.

Very nice meal again, this was our second visit.

Just popped in tonight for a decent burger and fries following reviews left by others and we weren't disappointed. My son and I both had "The Duke" and my wife had chilli loaded chips. It was all hot, fresh and very tasty. Friendly attentive staff and service with a smile. We thought it was spot on for the money. We ate in but there was seating outside in a garden too. Definitely will be going again and taking some friends along to sample some of the other burgers on offer. Takeaway counter was busy the whole time we were there too.

Outstanding food and great service I’d definitely recommend this place.

We happened to be in the area and were looking for somewhere to have dinner. We were lucky enough to come across this lovely little burger bar where we experienced the friendliest staff and the most delicious burgers we had on our holiday. Simply fantastic.

Beautiful burger restaurant with fantastic food and great staff. These folks deliver delicious and good looking burgers and sides that will make your mouth water and leave your stomach wanting more. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by.

I was told about the Red Dog Cafe a while ago and was told I could take my dogs, but I don't get enough time off work to go there. I did today, and so glad I did. The choice of burgers is great, I had the Louisiana stacker, it was enormous, I ordered chips as well but couldn't eat them all. The curry chips were a meal in themselves, all the portions were quite generous. The atmosphere is very relaxed with helpful friendly staff. We're taking our dogs there for breakfast Saturday.

Great burger 🍔 and lovely friendly service, dog friendly

Top food, great friendly service, lovely staff and relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

Were a regular here and eveytime we come to get a takeaway we are never disappointed.

Very average breakfast not as good as I remembered it from a couple of years ago.

Great breakfast, good value, spotlessly clean, friendly staff, can't ask for any more. First visit, will def be back.

Good quality food at reasonable prices 👌

First time eating from Red Dog and it was amazing. The burgers were stacked and incredibly juicy and tasty. The maldon sea salt chips were lovely and crispy while soft inside. Since moving to Tiptree we’ve struggled to find a quality takeaway, a year on we e found one. Thanks guys

We come here regularly for breakfast and the girls are always polite and welcoming. Food is always nice and they catered for our daughter with allergies whilst in a large party. Never made to feel rushed which makes it even better.

Had a thoroughly enjoyable time here, food was so good and service was excellent

Great breakfast, great burgers, great owner. We've yet to be disappointed.

I accidentally rated the wrong reaustarant so we went there so i could rate the red dog. These burgers are to die for, genuinely the best burgers around. Cooked fantastically, juicy, flavoursome. They are cooked fresh so on one occasion my partner had the black and blue but we asked for the cheese sauce to be on the side. And I had the Duke but with extra cheese. They are really flexible. Really nice sit down or take away and really good value for money

Great food. Great service Great atmosphere 👌

First time breakfast here and food was amazing. Friendly staff serving great food in great surroundings. Definitely worth a visit

Saturday lunch with my son. I had the duke burger which was delicious and my son had a plain chicken burger. Loaded fries were great but we ordered plain fries also which was too much. Milkshake were good but too much with a burger for my liking We will be back for the Hot Dogs soon

A wonderful dog-friendly breakfast! Friendly staff and lovely, clean grounds. Had the pancakes and they were perfect, my other half had eggs and avocado and loved it. My lil' pup seemed to enjoy herself too!

Best burger I have ever had. Cannot recommend this place enough. Portion size is good. Price is spot on

Excellent food,lovely service and staff.Defintely coming back.

Absolute rubbish curry powder with everything

We love the food,breakfast or lunch and love the banter with Charlotte! Great quality food for a remarkably low price. We visit most weeks!

Fantastic burgers, fantastic, great gluten free options. Highly recommend

Newly Reopened in the barn adjoining the original pub. Lovely food and can offer most of menu gluten free.

Loved the food. So big and I liked the fact you could take home what you couldn't manage to eat. The only negative is the milkshake would of been better if thicker

Lovely burgers and a bowl full of cheesey chips with bacon on top, prompt service, dog friendly what more do you need for a lunch

Well worth a visit, we love the breakfasts here and the staff are very professional and friendly.

Great breakfast. Friendly staff.

Good food, reasonably priced. Had the chicken shish and bacon fries. Very nice! Good service!

Brilliant food and service. Never had a bad meal

Very nice, friendly staff and service everything was handled like it was no hassle. Food was great and couldn't vind fault

Great staff. Good food and reasonably priced

Love this place and the humour of the owner

The best burger I've ever had!! Having seen the reviews, we knew we had to give the Red Dog a try and what better than a Saturday evening for a good takeaway. We ordered the Dirty Bun, Ain't half hot mum, Jalapeño poppers, onion rings & dirty fries. Eyes bigger than belly as usual 🤣 There isn't a single other pub / restaurant/ takeaway that I'm aware of that gives the value for money these guys give. The quality of the food is beyond restaurant standard and believe me, it tastes even better than it looks. I'll definitely be back to try out other options on the menu. Everything looks mouth wateringly amazing. Go there, go now!!

Great food, pretty location and lovely, friendly staff - definitely worth a visit!

Great breakfast, friendly staff 👌

Great food, great staff great service

Yum yum yum The kebab was huge! Had to take it home!!

Awesome Veggie Breakfast and great service

Walked here with the dog and we enjoyed Sunday Brunch. Good selection Inc veggie, friendly staff and felt covid secure. Will be back

Lovely food and seating outside

This place is new to us but the food is amazing you must try I hope they keep there take away going for ever 🙂

Regular cycling destination. Great coffee and generous bacon baguette. Charlotte is always sweet, lovely and welcoming when we visit. She is my second favourite Australian after Paul Hogan.

How can they do takeaway breakfast so efficiently, using great quality ingredients at this price? We don't know but it's amazing!We've had takeaway breakfast from the Red Dog and were happy to go back again today. Everything is well presented, well cooked and stays hot, at least as far as Tiptree.This time round we had two veggie breakfasts - poached egg (or fried if you prefer), proper baked beans, button mushrooms, surprisingly tasty 'bubble and squeak' sausages, fried haloumi and hash browns. You don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy this kind of food.To be recommended, thank you!

Delicious food. Consistently good. Friendly staff and good service

We have a weekly treat of a takeaway and The Red Dog never disappoints! The lamb doner flatbread is a firm favourite in our house as is the scampi. I tried the Must Katsu chicken burger and OMG it was amazing! We have all eaten way too much as it was too good to leave anything! Highly recommend!

Currently providing a much-needed take-away service through all the lockdowns. Good quality, freshly-cooked, fast and friendly.

I just wanted to say, oh my, we tried your burgers and fries for the first time today and they were AMAZING I’m currently 8 months pregnant and have been craving a “restaurant burger” for a while and you did not disappoint, I demolished it - I only got the simply beef but it was SOOO good, nothing simple about it and then the chilli con carne and cheese fries it’s been nearly 2 hours and I still feel so good, I will definitely be telling others about you! Thank you so much.

Amazing customer service and really friendly

Friday night could no get thru on the phone, tween 6 and 6.30. Drove there and under pressure the waitress told me. I am not suppose to take walk in orders. I was nice but persistent and she finally accepted the order and we had to wait in the car for approx 20 mins. Well it was worth it. Best take away food we have had locally. Naughty menu but we all deserve a blow every now and again. We did blow out. Value for money ten out of ten. If you are going to eat naughty food you must try it. there is a more healthy menu too. Chicken kebab is a triumph and the take away boxes truly professional, as food was still hot when we got home. Well done RED DOG

Good quality food at a reasonable price. Good, friendly service. Decor and furnishings could be warmer.

Excellent service and food! Stylish decor too. Hygeine and Covid precautions were tip top. The whole experience was marvellous darlings 🥰

Absolutely love their burgers. The portions are huge, all ingredients are fresh and the taste is great. Best burger around!

Spot on every time, burgers and kababs are excellent. Usually a ten minute pick up time. Can't beat it.

A good breakfast, good service as always, make sure you book though.

First time used the takeaway menu. Wow monkfish was beautiful, my son said the chicken burger was amazing. Cant recomend enough. Will be using alot more.

We found this place purely by chance driving somewhere else for breakfast on Sunday. We are so glad we did as it may have been our first visit but it definitely won’t be our last. The staff explained that we really should have booked but that if we ordered straight away then it would be okay. We did and the service was amazing. We had the sour dough bread with halloumi and roasted tomatoes. It was so delicious.

Another tasty burger night at the Red Dog, both loved our burgers - enormous and great value. Couldn't resist the yummy chocolate brownie as well!Definitely be back soon - next months burger night for sure if not before.Always look forward to visiting one of the friendliest and tastiest places to eat available locally.

Always great food and excellent service. Highly recommend. Burgers are fantastic.

First ever visit and we will be back! The service was very friendly and welcoming, the food was -as previous reviewers stated -homemade, generously portioned and delicious.The prices are reasonable too.The premises felt a little cafe like when walking in which is in contrast to the outside of the building which gives you the expectation of a cosy pub interior. Soft furnishings were a little lacking i.e. Window dressings and possibly some gentle background music?The only other things that could be improved on are serving the food on hot plates and leaving it a little longer to do a check back, we'd had about 2 mouthfuls when asked if we were happy with the meal (we put it down to an eagerness to please lol).My partner had the steak beef burger which was served medium rare (perfect) and I had the gammon steak although we were surprised to be charged for the coleslaw that was asked for instead of the tomatoes and peas usually served with the meal.Overall a good experience and a place to recommend.

Classy little coffee bar/ eatery, but a bit too upscale for me.

Fantastic evening at the Red Dog.

Tasty birthday lunch for family of 9. Really helpful with menu choices, pre-booked and good value for money. Great for breakfast too. Thoroughly recommend.

Lovely place and friendly staff but overpriced food although they do give you large portions

Great food and really excellent prices. Nice place too.

Great food, nice stop for breakfast!

Been here a few times. Gold food and friendly staff

I don't like running a place down, but here we go. Service from the owner who waited on us was good and sociably. This was my meal, roasted half chicken and roast veg. Yorky pud was a cardboard lookalike and tasted same. Roasty pots were re heated too many times , thought I had Brown golf balls. Half chicken-so small it didn't have a leg or wing and flat chested. Broccoli spears were nice. Desert, chocolate brownie with ice cream, Ice cream was nice the rest was pieces of bone hard chock crust in a sea of mud. The place where we Sat adjacent bar had chairs that used to be in a school canteen very uncomfortable and the sound of people talking vibrated through your head as there was no sound absorbing material on walls or floor. So I wouldn't go back, there is some good news, it's up for sale, perhaps someone else will try a different recipe.

This is a lovely, cosy place, especially at Christmas time. We booked Christmas dinner for our teaching team and we had a fabulous time. The food was delicious and the service quick. There is a disco room as part of the venue and it was great to dance around after we've eaten. Will be definitely going back during daytime to try some breakfast or lunch!

Attended a Christmas Dinner & Disco. The food was excellent, friendly staff & great music until midnight.

We came here last night to their Christmas party night 3 course meal and disco. It was an excellent evening from start to finish. The best turkey dinner I’ve had in a long time with fabulous starters and dessert. The service was fast and friendly and Mike the DJ was brilliant. Many thanks to you all and Happy Christmas

Thank you Charlotte and team for a great Xmas party last night. The food was great, some interesting twists on the classics. I think I can honestly say I’ve never been for a Xmas party meal where everyone was impressed. The service was, as usual, spot on. Lovely to be able to have a dance in the function room after dinner.

Lovely breakfast and added bonus we were able to our dog tilly

Been here for lunch several times and never disappointed.

The restaurant is located in an attractive position. The tables were clean and sturdy. The staff was friendly. They were very good at looking after the children in the restaurant — there were at least six energetic young children during our visit, who seemed to enjoy themselves. We had monkfish scampi, roast chicken and tortellini. All of them proved to be good choices. The batter on the monkfish scampi was crispy and the monkfish itself was fresh and succulent. The chicken was tender and juicy. The tortellini was tasty. The vegetables were never over-cooked. The bill of three main courses and three drinks came to below £50, which represents good value for such a quality experience. Definitely 5 stars.

We come here for a girly pre wedding lunch and although my sister run late they were amazing about it, there was no stress although the place was very busy, which was nice, the food was lovely and I would definitely go back here again

Staying at the local spa 4 miles up the road. To celebrate our anniversary we decided to venture out and found this hidden gem. Food was fresh, hot and flavourful. Offering a small menu range but enough to keep everyone happy. The options where of a good size, presented well. Deserts were homemade and delicious. The drinks menu has a wide choice also, from beer to milkshakes and everything in between.The welcome was warm and friendly. Even though we were two adults there was a family friendly atmosphere.

Often back here and it never fails to delight. Recently they've changed the menu - from what was primarily a burger offering (and excellent it was) to more of a varied selection. The good news is they've retained at least 2 of the burgers (highly recommended) and the even better news is that the rest of the menu is gorgeous too - and Sunday Roast was fantastic.I'd also go as far as to say that I think the calamari was quite probably the best I've ever eaten, and the chocolate brownie desert was delicious (although I'd ask for it with vanilla ice cream as the triple chocolate effect was a bit too much for me - however it was my daughter's desert I helped myself to a little of, so can't really complain either which way ;).If you like a relaxed and cosy feel to a place and bloody good food delivered with care - you can't go much wrong with the Red Dog IMHO.

Often back here and it never fails to delight. Recently they've changed the menu - from what was primarily a burger offering (and excellent it was) to more of a varied selection. The good news is they've retained at least 2 of the burgers (highly recommended) and the even better news is that the rest of the menu is gorgeous too - and Sunday Roast was fantastic. I'd also go as far as to say that I think the calamari was quite probably the best I've ever eaten, and the chocolate brownie desert was delicious (although I'd ask for it with vanilla ice cream as the triple chocolate effect was a bit too much for me - however it was my daughter's desert I helped myself to a little of, so can't really complain either which way ;). If you like a relaxed and cosy feel to a place and bloody good food delivered with care - you can't go much wrong with the Red Dog IMHO.

I went with my family for Sunday lunch, charming service and really delicious food. Highly recommend.