The River & Rail Country Inn in Shropshire

My partner and I have been here for drinks a few times and I would highly recommend this place for drinks. It has a cosy country garden feel and just a few yards away from a beautiful river. However this is the second time we have had food and this visit took the biscuit for bad food and rude, unwelcome service! The middle aged bar lady has the customer service skills of a spoon. Considering her age you would think that she could’ve racked up a few years in hospitality however she should check her face as any experience doesn’t match it. We asked for food menus and ordered two fish and chips. I asked for olives as a starter and was told rather bluntly ‘we aren’t serving starters’ and also ‘you cant sit in the beer garden either’. We hadn’t decided where to sit yet but on leaving the pub the beer garden was approximately 30cm away so i’m not sure what the problem was. Maybe the waitress had a wooden leg. I politely asked if ‘no starters’ includes the olives - as I could’ve waited at the bar for a bowl of them to take away - but was flatly told ‘no’. The guardian of the olives had refused freedom of the olives for one day. After ordering we were told (again, bluntly) that the food would have an extra 10 minutes waiting time on-top of cooking because there were other people to serve first. Having worked in a kitchen myself I understand, however there were only two other couples in the whole vicinity so i’m not sure why the wait was so long - maybe the cook had to go down to the river to catch the fish on a spear or something. At this point we noticed my partners bottled cider was warm. In hindsight the fridge lights weren’t on so maybe the electricity meter had run out of change. The food arrived half an hour later and the fish was soggy, the chips were undercooked and the onion rings undercooked in loads of greasy batter. We diddn’t want to complain incase the miserable spoon held us captive in her olive prison.

This place is closed despite website says open . Its closed and has been for quiete a while by the looks of things. Don't waste your journey like we did

Had a lovely 40 min drive over for some lunch by the river. Food starts at 12pm we got there at 2pm, to be told they’d stopped serving food as they had been ‘bombarded’ Handful of tables were eating. Disappointing! Perhaps need a rethink for the summer months when it’s extra busy:

We have visited a few times and the food has always been excellent. On our most recent visit we tried the new specials which were outstanding. The meals and drinks are good value and the young waiter is pleasant and helpful. A tiny point is that it would be nice to have a few more choices for vegetarians and vegans.

Popped in for a Sunday lunch and left without. The (I think manager) was stressed out and very rude. Didn't know whether she had a table and we would have to wait She was annoyed as she was trying to do her orders? Sorry to disturb you ..Won't happen again! Shame seemed a nice stop off after a nice walk in the country park.

My wife and I decided to visit the River and Rail for lunch on a sunny day in August and, whilst the pub may not be the most attractive, the staff were all very friendly and helpful and the fish goujons were an absolute delight. I suspect we were there on the day in August that the reviewer below was also present and the conversation that we listened to was very polite on the part of the young lady in charge and the lack of a booking the reason given for being unable to provide lunch for the canoeing party, covid restrictions obviously causing some limitations. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will be back soon.

By far the worst experience of our summer, and a view shared by all of our group of adults/couples who were directed to the pub as part of a day canoeing the river severn. It seemed that everything and anything was too much trouble for some very unfriendly staff and that no one was actually interested in taking our money. Empty tables, but not able to provide any food, even a basket of chips or a cold sandwich. A request for a coffee was received with almost distain. It was a beautiful sunny day and a missed opportunity to make some easy money. I simply don’t understand how these types of business hope to survive or make a profit when the simple things like a smile, manners and a thank you are missing.

Had a lovely Sunday dinner plenty of food service was excellent and always very friendly and lovely place would recommend to everyone Denise Barry

My wife and I had lunch here yesterday the 17th of April. We were shown to our table by a very attentive and friendly young waitress. The table is in a lovely, elevated position giving a view of the Severn Valley Railway. I ordered a pint of Doom Bar which was perfect and my wife had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. For our main course I ordered fish pie which turned out to be full of fish which is unusual for any fish pie eaten out, and my wife had sirloin steak which was tender and done to perfection. For dessert we had Eton Mess which was delicious, and finished off with filter coffee. It was a lovely way to spend two hours. The pub has loads of space outside with plenty of well-spaced tables. The waiting staff wear masks at all times. There is plenty of hand sanitizer available. Can't recommend The River and Rail too highly.

We visited the River and Rail whilst on holiday nearby. Advance booking was very easy on Facebook and the owner was brilliant in helping us planning our small celebration of our wedding anniversary. The atmosphere was so friendly and the staff only too happy to look after us. Knowing of our love of seafood, the chef had prepared a platter for us, which was absolutely delicious and so thoughtful. The main course was also superb (dressed crab and pork belly). We spent a perfect Sunday afternoon at the River and Rail. I can thoroughly recommend it.

Had a lovely meal sat outside having a fish Friday menu. Fish pie was delicious. Had to pinch some chips off my son to mop up the sauce. Lovely staff and everything done to a safe standard.

We decided to have our first eating out experience since lockdown at the river and rail, we love Hampton loade walks and saw from the website the it seemed very Covid-19 safe. I went on the website and booked a table in the beer garden from 1-3. We arrived just before 1 and sat down. The, I assume manager, sat 2 other tables and took their drinks orders but not ours, so the 2 tables that arrived after us had drinks before us, it’s as if we weren’t there. A lovely girl came over, took our phone number for track and trace and drinks order. She came back with drinks and asked how I booked, I said online, luckily I took a screenshot of the booking and showed it her, she said there was no record of our booking and would have to speak to the man about what he wants to do as we hadn’t booked, to which I replied “but we have” I must say she was lovely about it all. The man came over and explained there had been a problem with the online booking and had no food for us (apart from chips) the same happened to another couple behind us. The thing that annoyed us the most was the fact that he didn’t apologise and had no appreciation for this being a big deal being the first time out and that it’s not as easy as just going somewhere else in these circumstances, if I wanted to “chance it” I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of researching and booking. The same happened to my sister in law the night before, luckily she called on the Friday to check and said the online booking hadn’t gone through and couldn’t accommodate them. I would also add that although they seemed very COVID safe, the service was extremely slow, he seemed to only take one tables drinks orders at a time instead of writing them all on his pad. We paid the bill and left and went hungry till tea time as couldn’t get in anywhere!

Just been for Sunday lunch , absolutely lovely roast beef , and delicious veg and gravy. First class service from Judy and Wayne . So friendly and lovely atmosphere. Deserts are best I’ve had. Highly recommend lots of different meal offers through the week to going to try the fish and chips on a Friday 2 for 1 .next.

here for a birthday celebration made to feel very welcome good selection of beers and the sunday lunch menu was good also catered for a vegetarian portions on sunday lunch were huge with seperate veg bowl to share lentil pie and venison pie also went down well this was a few days after flooding on the severb=n so not many in restaurent but that didnt spoil the atmoshere and the huge log burner was a welcome sight

Absolutely wonderful food and lovely lady serving us for a family and friends meal at this lovely reataurant pub set in a beautifullspot near Bridgnorth . we all had roasts and the food was plentifull and piping hot the deserts were perfect as well . there were 10 of us in all and we were all made to feel welcome and we will certainly be popping back for more thank you for the wonderful food and drinks ...........10 out of 10 for a sunday lunch .

HI we have been here a few times now and I have to say it does the best sunday dinner around we have also eaten of the menu and this was also very nice. could maybe do with some extra staff the lovley women is run of her feet but worth the wait a must try

12 of us rocked up, asked if ok? Lady explained may be a little wait for food but fine. Wonderful food and great outside space lovely atmosphere, great time had!! Thank you very much all xxxx

My partner and I have been here for drinks a few times and I would highly recommend this place for drinks. It has a cosy country garden feel and just a few yards away from a beautiful river. However this is the second time we have had food and this visit took the biscuit for bad food and rude, unwelcome service! The middle aged bar lady has the customer service skills of a spoon. Considering her age you would think that she could’ve racked up a few years in hospitality however she should check her face as any experience doesn’t match it. We asked for food menus and ordered two fish and chips. I asked for olives as a starter and was told rather bluntly ‘we aren’t serving starters’ and also ‘you cant sit in the beer garden either’. We hadn’t decided where to sit yet but on leaving the pub the beer garden was approximately 30cm away so i’m not sure what the problem was. Maybe the waitress had a wooden leg. I politely asked if ‘no starters’ includes the olives - as I could’ve waited at the bar for a bowl of them to take away - but was flatly told ‘no’. The guardian of the olives had refused freedom of the olives for one day. After ordering we were told (again, bluntly) that the food would have an extra 10 minutes waiting time on-top of cooking because there were other people to serve first. Having worked in a kitchen myself I understand, however there were only two other couples in the whole vicinity so i’m not sure why the wait was so long - maybe the cook had to go down to the river to catch the fish on a spear or something.At this point we noticed my partners bottled cider was warm on this handsome sunny day. In hindsight the fridge lights weren’t on so maybe the electricity meter had run out of change. The food arrived half an hour later and the fish was soggy, the chips were undercooked and the onion rings undercooked in loads of greasy batter. We diddn’t want to complain incase the miserable spoon held us captive in her olive prison. On driving away from the place the waitresses eyes burnt through my wing mirror and bats started flying into the sunset (ok thats a joke but fair to say this establishment needs new staff).

11 of us came after canoeing down the river, lovely staff, lovely welcome and fabtetric food.....most excellent venue.Looking at their menu...it seems brill....look online and book tho as it looks like a place very busy one day and empty the next.10 out of 10

Myself and my other half decided to have lunch here whilst exploring the local area on our weekend away. The waitress was so friendly and accommodating the atmosphere was relaxed. The location is perfect for those wanting to explore the river and surrounding countryside. The prices are reasonable to say the least look at the air of the sarnies wow!!! I struggled to finish it was that big but beautiful soft bread with plenty of filling.

We have recently been to the Friday supper evening, cannot believe the amount of food we were served, so much and amazing, we then went again to the Wednesday evening set menu with friends and it was equally as impressive. Excellent food, service and surroundings.

Food was fantastic, all 13 people were full and very satisfied had Sunday lunch 3 course meal. The waiting and service at the table was excellent.

Visited the River and Rail Inn on a Saturday lunchtime after walking upstream along the river from Bewdley. I went to the bar to order a drink and a cheese sandwich, which I was informed I couldn't do as I was not part of the party of canoeing group who had booked ahead. I explained all I wanted was a cheese sandwich but no was the answer. The chef there cant be any good if he/she cant fit in an extra sandwich, so if you intend to visit this establishment call ahead and make sure they can cope with feeding you. Service is also very slow if they know in advance that there will be a large party there they should put more bar staff on duty than the one very slow one that was there today. All in all a very poor showing. I carried on to the three crowns in Alderley where the welcome and service was 10 times better. This will be my preference in the future I shan't stop at the River and Rail again.

My Mother and I were out for a drive and looking for somewhere to eat. I should have known better than driving down to this pub as when I first walked in the place was empty. It was a beautiful summer evening and the pub is situated by the river Severn. It should have been packed or busy at least. There were only 2 couples there, both sitting outside.I waited 5 minutes to be served even though the owner and chef were chatting in the kitchen and the chef saw me waiting and ignored the fact. The lady came out and it all went down hill from there. I ordered drinks but could not open a tab as we were sitting outside, someone once many moons ago left without paying and "Ruined it for everyone else" especially my Mother and I. We ordered some food which again we had to pay for by card. Later on I ordered another drink and because the price of the drink was under £5 she could not take payment as there was a minimum card charge of £5 charge no offer for me to pay any surcharge, if one existed I am unsure as she never explained my options. It was somewhat strange as at that point I had already spent £26 and wondered why that could not be waived, peculiar? We finished our main meal and my Mother asked for the sweet menu, well I am sure the lady owner thought my Mother had asked for the crown jewels, the lady cast her eyes to heaven and then said I do not think "HE" whoever "HE" was will "let you have them outside". That was the final straw, we packed up and left, never to return.

We visited Oswestry for the weekend and on the way there we notice this pub sign at Hampton Load and decided to call on the way home for Sunday lunch.

We went for a birthday meal food was excellent and the staff couldn't have been more helpful will definitely tell friends to go and try

AVOID ADOID AVOID. Do not spend your hard earned cash here….keep on driving….there is better just down the road

My wife and I visited here for our 45th wedding anniversary. A quiet evening possibly because the Eropean cup final was on that night. After a drive down a country lane down to the River Severn where there is a National Trust car park opposite this beautiful Pub/Restaurant and a walk on ferry that crosses the river during the day. Beautiful walks along the bank side or through the small yet beautiful village of Hampton Loade.

After ready other re rows I’m abit confused. I’ve used this place fir years. Mainly in the summer and always greeted with a smile. Beer is very reasinbly priced and it’s gd home cooked food. Lovely outdoor space. Very peaceful.

Popped in for lunch on a beautiful sunny Sunday.

Visited recently as we have been a few times before and really enjoyed it, but not for around five years, the standard of the food has gone down hill. Steak burger tasteless and tough, tasted like it had been boiled. Served on a brioche bun filled with cucumber and tomatoe and sitting on the top of the bun a large picked gurkin, the cucumber made the bottom of the bun soggy and likewise the gurkin the top. Served with skinny fries and some watercress and yet more cucumber. Also a pot of very cheap tasting relish.

A well priced Sunday roast - lovely slow roasted beef. Very big portion. Noted that part of the restaurant with tiled floor is dog friendly which is good to know for future reference.

Called in on quiet weekday lunch time. We ordered fish & chips and venison pie. Both beautifully cooked and wonderfully presented. Service excellent. Décor smart inside. There is a lovely outside eating area, slightly enclosed (but still a bit cold for March!) but will be great in the summer or even a warm spring day. The added advantage for the energetic is there is a great walk along the river Severn from the pub - ideal to work up an appetite before your meal - or a leisurely stroll post-meal.

Visited with a few of our friends at the start of October, had a drink and a light snack. Great location will return in the summer.

If your thinking you would like a quiet relaxing walk then Arley Arboretum at this time of the year is worth a visit.The colours on the trees are beautiful and if your lucky u will see a steam train pass by.Then onto Hampton Loade to The River and Rail Inn,good menu,had excellent lunch.

Absolutely wonderful meal and service. Food was Superb..Faultless. Beautiful decor inside..log burner..very clean. Very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend a visit. Looking forward to returning.

Lovely meal well presented good menu choice relaxed dining visited several times and menu changes very pleasant location plentiful parking and outdoor seating nice walks on riverside setting

We joined some friends for an evening meal here and what a pleasant surprise....We only ordered main courses as we were saving ourselves for puds. To our surprise we were served a sample course, as a starter, which was a pulled pork dish, very yummy. I chose a black and blue salad which was a really beautifully char grilled juicy medium steak and some creamy Stilton with a really fresh and interesting salad (not just lettuce toms and cue), hubby had faggots and peas which he said was excellent, our friends had Duck and Chicken both of which looked amazing and I am told they tasted just as good. This was a birthday celebration and so ordered puds and the lovely lady who served us had organised a candle in the birthday boys pud (totally unprompted). We ladies ordered something called "The straw that broke the camels back" a perfectly sized portion for those who have no room left, but need a sweet treat, a scrummy chocolate mousse.

I haven't visited here since it was the Haywain which, in its day had a great reputation. In some ways little has changed and they have staff who remember those early days. I was really impressed. Everything was freshly cooked and my vegetables, mange tout, were really innovative with fish and chips. A nice terrace for sunny days. A great re-discovery.

Stopped at the pub as part of a Canoe trip.

Omg 5 chips in a cup ,a fish and some uncooked runner beans for £13 what a rip off ,overpriced for what you get would never use again beware if your hungry go elsewhere

Travelled with 2 young children to have some lunch and visit a relative who lives close by.

Travelled here this evening got here for 6pm on a Sunday, weather hot and beautiful to find it closed... nothing on website stating opening hours or on Google... missed opportunity I feel... please state opening hrs...

Always enjoy visiting this pub as the lunch stop on our annual river Severn canoe trip. After trekking across a field in very warm conditions we were gasping for a drink but although the pub were aware in advance of the large group due to arrive for lunch there were only two bar staff resulting in a lengthy queue and a tortuous wait for a drink. One extra person to help with the ‘rush hour’ would have made a big difference. Buffet lunch was great - hats off to the catering team for managing to serve such a high number of people in a short window. Guys please put on more bar staff for the canoe trip lunch stop it would be much appreciated!

Nice and quiet only had a few drinks but food looks fab well worth the visit dog friendly and a great outside seating area kids can play on the grass lovely pub

We had the worst experience ever!! Turned away even though we booked!

Found this little pub by accident and decided to stop by for a drink and Sunday lunch. The staff were friendly and welcoming and we opted to sit outside as it was a glorious day. 3 of our group opted for the Sunday roast, wow ! An impressive lunch,huge slices of slow roasted beef,rich gravy,fluffy Yorkies and a big dish of veg,chanteney carrots,new potatoes,cauli and broccoli..all cooked to perfection.Our friend chose the ploughmans platter and again,this had the wow factor..beautifully presented and inventive. Sad that there was no pudds..Im sure based on the quality of food we had today,that they would be knockout,but we happliy settled for an icecream. Big thumbs up to the staff for excellent service and the chef for fantastic,fresh and delicious food..couldnt fault it.

What an amazing find tucked away by the river Severn. Very popular by the amount of people there. A complete suprise to us as we were just trying to find somewhere next to the river and we found this eatery. We were running late but they had room for us inside the spacious dinning area. Most people were out side having drinks and food in the sunshine.

The food was lovely, there was a huge choice on a very big menu! Great value for money, would recommend after a lovely walk and swim

They advertise that they cater for groups and they certainly have an extensive range of tables and chairs - but a unique approach to customers. The somewhat dour but honest staff informed us (at 6:30 pm) that any meal we ordered, including sandwiches, would take an hour as they had 2 bookings. At the time there was only one family dining and during our stay no more than 6 people joined us. It was also deserted as we drove off (after a walk) which was a couple of hours later. The "special offer" could only be enjoyed inside. Although the service was poor (we had to collect our own cutlery and condiments), the food was excellent and we can thoroughly recommend the fish pie and goats cheese salad. Lovely surroundings too. Sad that more people can't enjoy it.

Popped in on Saturday, sat outside and got drinks, we asked about food, we were told there was a long wait, I will add there was only 6 other people in the whole place!!! Decided to take a chance and order food, out of the 6 things we picked they didn’t have 4 of them!!! When we asked about the 10% discount for posting on social media, we were told not sure we offer it as you aren’t sat inside? My reply was we shall delete it then, she double checked and said we could have the discount, by this point she had already lost my business, from the moment we walked on the service had been so unwelcoming, a smile seemed difficult to find. Won’t be returning due the the customer service.

Potentially a great location very close to the river Severn. Plenty of space outside to sit on a sunny day and also quite spacious internally too. However, the whole pub could do with a real lift, with improvement in all the decoration, tables and chairs. Everything is a bit tired as are the staff! Woefully understaffed, but despite this they tried hard and were pleasant. The food was good in parts, but again, the chef seemed under too much pressure to really prove himself. My starter of smoked haddock chowder was delicious but my main course of pot roast beef was tender in parts but dried out in others.

My husband and myself called here one Sunday lunch time just for a beef cob and a slice of cheese cake plus our drinks it was a lovely sunny day so enjoyable.

A large group (100 approx) did a walk along the river and as it happened this was the only eatery spotted. Our smaller group of 5 arrived at about 3pm to be welcomed by a lovely bar lady working on her own on what must have been a most exhausting day. We were told that a few items on the menu had sold out and that there would be a delay on food as the place had been so busy (we thought the food was served remarkably quickly! Credit to the over worked chef). Food absolutely delicious and most welcome as we were all tired and hungry. A great place to stop at for great food, drink and a warm hearty welcome.

Visited here on bank holiday monday we booked a table as from previous reviews saw that it could get very busy. On arrival seated very quickly and the lady that served us was very helpful, I chose one of the speciality wines to drink cherry which was very nice they serve numerous flavours and I can’t wait to go back and try more, we both chose beef sandwiches which came with a choice of salad chips or soup, the soup was delicious and the beef sandwiches were great there was so much beef on it we were very full but couldn’t resist a pudding and both chose chocolate orange knickerbocker glory which was also great.it is a very pleasant pub with very nice staff and well worth a visit, but may be worth booking as near river and gets very busy.

Went here on Monday 7th May 2018. Drove 13 miles to get there, not very busy a few people outside drinking, went in ordered a pint of Enville for myself and the wife asked for a pint of Carling, bar girl says "we havn't got any Carling" asked for another lager and this ran out mid pour, bar girl says "sorry that's not on now either" wife's not a cider drinker so she's stumped, other bar girl says "we were hit hard yesterday due to the weather" first bar girls then tries to sell all the expensive drinks like Gin, glasses of wine and bottled drinks, wife has to settle with a cider. Wife asks if it's possible to book a table, bar girl says "we're fully booked and not taking anymore bookings and we're not serving food outside either". Hottest May bank holiday for ages and they're not serving any food and most of their drinks are not on either WTF is going on with this place. So we had our drinks and went elsewhere. Seriously bad management and drinks ordering going on, not to mention the food not being served. Get your act together people, cause you have some serious issues going on.

Had lunch there today on a canoe trip down the Severn from Bridgnorth. I enjoyed my Smoked Haddock 'chowder' which was a nice piece of smoked haddock in a 'deconstructed' chowder. Kids had the nachos with cheese which has lots of exciting additions. Overall I thought it was very good...

What a lovely lunch we had. The food is excellent this is the 3rd time that we have been for a meal here in recent years and would highly recommend it. Service excellent lovely location we are definitely going back in the summer cause with the large beer garden and excellent menu and location the river and rails is a must. Many thanks to you all.

Spending a day in Bridgnorth ended up at the River and Rail Country Inn. Not sure what to expect we were very pleasantly surprised at the price service and quality of the goods on offer. Made very welcome we were offered two menu's including 2 courses for £10 lunch menu. The food was brilliant and washed down with a lovely real ale it set me up for the afternoon.

Had starters and meals here today, the starters were quite nice however my wifes which was the bone marrow onion dish was little more than oily onions served with bread inside a bone no marrow to be seen. I had the crab pot which other than a layer of congealed butter on top tasted good along with the fresh bread.

We decided to try this pub as it looked good on the website. I had actually tried to get a meal here before in the daytime, but it was early in the week & was unfortunately closed. We ate early evening & it was quiet in there. Service was attentive, quickly bringing drinks & menus. We had 3 courses, mussels were an excellent starter, tomato & pepper soup was tasty too. Main courses: steak was cooked correctly, served with huge chips, mushrooms & salad. The slow cooked beef was not what I thought (I imagined a casserole type dish) but it was amazing, I don't usually eat that amount of meat, but managed to clear my plate, it was so good & tender. For dessert, I had petit fours, served in a small biscuit tin, a good variety & the coffee was good too. Prices were reasonable. I think we will definitely be returning.

Out for a walk, called in for a drink, service was OK, you would think for a Saturday it would be busy, there were four of us in the whole place, when we walked up to the pub we were not quite sure that it was open, they could do with a sign on the car park, nice location, but just OK

We based our September, Wednesday walk from here and 9 of us stayed for lunch at the end of a pleasant walk. The food was excellent the service was very good and nothing was too much trouble for them. We would definitely recommend it.

This place should be a roaring success but it is not.

Not been here since it was The Haywain. Popped in to the have the special tapas style menu. Very disappointed. 4 very small dishes of food for £10. Had to wait forever for it to be delivered.

We have been here before when out walking around the area with the dogs, but we have never eaten previously, just refreshments. However, today we both ordered a Fish finger sandwich, which was amazing. Plenty of tartar sauce in the side, oodles of dressed salad, proper chips, fresh crusty bread and to top it all of loads of battered white flaky fish. Really good value. The lady that served us was friendly and stopped to chat. The setting is lovely, with no road noise - just the toot of a train as they pass on the opposite side of the river. Next time we will try the restaurant as there was lots of different food on the menu!

We popped in here on our return from Wales by chance in 2016 and loved the food. So we came back this year while visiting the local area. Food was as lovely as before but sadly the pies in a pan were no longer on the menu. We did have to delay arriving as they had a canoe trip in having buffet or sandwiches, so we visited the lovely Severn Valley District Park about about 2 miles down the road for a while. This is the downside, there are limited staff in the kitchen/serving and because everything is freshly prepared there is a fair wait if you are not having starters, or they are busy, which to them means more than half a dozen people, when they presumably struggle and result in the poor reviews for friendliness. The manageress was lovely and chatty to us. I do not know how they make a profit on the numbers visiting, we were the only others apart from regular canoeists and horse riders there having buffet and sandwiches. But if you are prepared to have a leisurely meal and your food is as good as we have had you will not be disappointed. If they could be more flexible with the service (and a better sign at the end of the road) I think they would see much more custom and fewer poor reviews as long as they provide the staff to cope, but in the meantime I am more than happy to enjoy a restaurant to ourselves and wonderful food. Thank You River and Rail

After a short walk from the river to this pub, we were greeted by the landlady and a young man serving behind the bar. We ordered drinks and waited to see if the buffet we had ordered would soon be served. When nothing seemed forthcoming, we checked with the landlady and looking horrified, she confirmed that a buffet wasn't being served. We decided to order from the extensive menu as we were hungry after our morning canoe trip and were not disappointed. We ordered light bites of nachos and cheese and a goats cheese flatbread. They were both delicious and when the landlady checked if we were happy with our food, we told her that we would definitely return for a full meal next time we are in the area. She suggested booking in advance as we would get preferential treatment. This is because they get quite a lot of casual visitors.

We visited as part of the River and rail canoe trip, pre-booked the buffet and really pleased that we did, all homemade and served by the chef, Red Pepper soup was the best we had tasted, as was chilli, pulled pork, jacket potatoes etc, there was lots of choice and you could have as little or as much as you wanted, plus all served with a smile, we will be back.

We stopped off by chance at this pub and had a sunday lunch, my partner had Roast Beef and I had the Cajun Chicken Salad. Portions are large, we were quite hungry when we arrived and still couldnt finish the meal. Salad was excellent, very nice and well presented. The beef was delicious with well cooked veg and 2 yorkies! - if you have been canoeing on the river, or been walking for miles, this is the place to stop for a well earned meal. Very nice thank you and friendly service too

Arrived at 1pm on Sunday only to find a pre-booked function. No problem, however, food would be available in half an hour so why not grab a drink and sit in the garden. Since it was such a lovely day, this was absolutely fine.Once menus were available, ordered the pulled pork sandwich, flatbread and 2 burgers for the kids. Food took an eternity despite it not being overly busy and was awful. Beans had a thick skin on them, pork was overcooked and the flat bread was tasteless and missing the parma ham. We complained to the staff but they weren't interested. In summary, wish I'd have read the reviews before going. Had we not had to pay upfront I certainly wouldn't have been paying full price for this rubbish. Menus sound nice on paper, but food is far from it in reality.Oh and you can't have table service if you sit outside, nor will they bring food out unless you're sit on the terrace.Avoid.

The last review could have easily been a summary of our groups visit!! 8 of us arrived, seated inside. We were presented with 4 menus to share although there were only two other tables occupied?? Food took an hour to arrive, a couple of people had salads (large bowl of green leaves with small portions of fish)... we too queried the apparent lack of dressing, the 'manageress' simply informed us that it was already in there a walked away! We asked for desert to be served outside given the lovely weather. Again the manageress told us she couldn't serve outside! We persisted and although the young chap did bring two deserts down to the garden the arrival of the other deserts were announced by the manageress shouting us from the patio, we had to then fetch them ourselves. Give the place a miss... much better food,atmosphere,staff (referring to the manageress.. not the young lads serving the bar) can be found within half a mile. Sorry River and Rail but simply MUST DO BETTER and present a far friendlier front of house/dining experience. Oh... please do be careful on the steps down to the garden, slabs broken and loose - an accident just waiting to happen!!!!!!

My Wife and I stopped with the intention of eating lunch here. It was only 12.00 am so we opted to have drinks first while we saw what food was on offer. It was a very hot day and I ordered 2 large glasses of Pino Grigio wine. A young man got a nearly empty bottle from the chiller behind the bar and split what little there was between two glasses. he then went into the back room and returned with a new bottle whic he opened and topped up the two drinks. I paid the £9.9 and we sat outside.On sipping my drink I found that it was luke warm and not chilled at all. The other glass was the same. I went back and said that the new bottle could not have been chilled. The young man denied this and assured me that it was . I asked if they had a bottle of chilled white wine but the answer was no!He then put ice into the glasses and gave me them back. The drinks were still not properly chilled and now were rapidly diluting with water. I was very unimpressed and went went elsewhere for lunch.The older lady was present and heard the complaint but did not intervene.

Stopped here for a light lunch after walking with girlfriends, light was certainly what we got! A few salad leaves with,in my case,three small pieces of what seemed to me to be smoked salmon but what was referred to on the menu as "home cured trout". That was £6.95! It was miniscule. My friends had the crab with avacado, again a minute portion.It was supposed to have a lemon dressing,they couldn't find it so we asked for more. This did not go down well with the lady who was serving( I laughingly call it service, it was no such thing) and was grudgingly brought,but we were told that chef said to look in the bottom of the dish as it was most probably down there,unfortunately no one had a magnifying glass handy!When she came to clear our plates we asked for some coffee and although she was actually standing there she told us that there was no table service outside and that we would have to go inside to order.Being a group of girls we usually tip generously....we did not tip.....we will not ever go again......and I strongly advise others not to as well.

This was a strange first visit to this pub. Its a fabulous setting, with a large garden on the river. We entered what look like a large bungalow to be greeted by gathering most miserable and snappy landlady I've ever met. She was downright rude to both the two young lads behind the bar and customers. There were not many people around but we were told that she 'would have to put a wait on our food'. She wrote '20/30 minute wait for food' on our bill, however it was one ran hour before we served. We actually didn't see much food coming out. So at this stage we were not overly impressed. However, once the food came it was fabulous. My husband had the best Ploughmans we've ever seen. The rest of us played it safe, there were some strange combinations on the menus, but we wished we had tried some of them. All meals were wonderful, even though they were served by the sour faced lady. We will return, the food is so good we must. It struck us that its the type of restaurant you would see on Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare. The food is wonderful, but totally undermined by almost everything else. Hence it receives a 3/4 rather than a 5 that the check deserves.

We stopped here during a 25 friends canoe trip and requested lots of veggie options beforehand. Food was excellent and the setting wonderful despite no river view. The only downside was that despite knowing we were a big group there was ONLY ONE person serving at the bar....and we had a tightish timetable.

went for sunday lunch 3pm ish..there is No riverside view altho the beautiful river is nearby. the place altho recently refurbished wasnt anything special.a little dark i thought.dark floor.furniture.curtains.even black napkins. it was Clean. toilets clean & stocked. food was ... acceptable. there was No yorkies & was topped up with anaemic roast pots. veg al dente (which i like) meat was thick & cooked perfect. Gravy was like water. Service at bar was ok.quick & chirpy staff. my bloke said hobgoblin was bit tooo flat. my lager was lovely. plenty of parking but then there wasnt many in the pub at the time

Great stop off half way through walk .4 of us had meals, 2 the chicken breastfeeding burger, one fish goujons and one pulled pork sandwich .Good value for money , hot and very enjoyable .If you have a dog you can use the hard floor bar area. We had three and used the covered terrace outside .Be aware food isn't served to you at the beer garden in the dip to the side of the property .We all left satisfied and ready for second half of walk .

ive used this pub for years and canhonestly say the food there now is the best it has ever been , great menu , with classics with a twist , very very good value with generous portions, drinks are very reasonable too compared to other country pubs , have just booked for 7 off us to dine there for our wedding anniversary , will be visiting more often and cant wait to try the different dishes , lovely walk along the river after too just mins from pub , give it a try , i,m sure you will be impressed , did take a while for food to come though even though not busy but i think this is a plus as you can tell its all freshly cooked and no microwave pub food crap , nice staff also , some of the best pub grub in the area ,

I was with a hen party & we'd gone canoeing for the day down the river Severn. Part of the day involved stopping here foe lunch. Having Google the place before we came I was very much looking forward to eating here, however when arriving with a canoe group we were advised that we are to have a buffet as the pub could not cater for the number of people turning up. The buffet was £8 a head, and was very underwhelming. Also we noticed other custom was being turned away due to the canoers being there.Would have loved to have tired something off the menu but unfortunately this was not the case. I wondered if in future maybe they gave the option to pre order to ensure they were prepared and you could have something off the lovely looking menu.

Visited the R&R a few times and always had a good meal. The menu has a fantastic variation for all tastes and the kids menu suits all. I must recommended the Ploughman's as its up there with the best in Shropshire/Worcestershire.

My husband and I have just returned from an outing to Bridgenorth.On the way we stopped off first to The River and Rail Inn at Hampton Load.Even though it was a bit chilly,we sat outside under a large covered comfortable seating area.We ordered beef and pulled pork sandwiches,and wow they were superb.Thick tender slices of meat,a bit salad and chips.Also chose nachos with venison chilli and, a novelty 1/2pint of pork scratching and Apple sauce.The lady who served us was lovely and welcoming and the area right next to the river is beautiful.Years ago when younger and fitter we have had long walks along the riverbank.Good memories made once again today.Hope to visit again.x

I've been to this country pub a few times in the past & have had fond memories, however it must have been taken over as is now a Chophouse. Fish & Chips were good but quite greasy, triple cooked chips etc. Petit Fours for dessert but unfortunately seemed like they had seen better days so were taken off the bill after we complained.

We have visited this pub before with a very fond memory but today certainly didn't live up to previous expectations!!! Even though the pub didn't seem to be too busy, we waited for a very long time to be served. There was only one person serving and you waited in the same que regardless of if you wanted food or just a quick drink. We waited over an hour for our food to be served. When it eventually came, my chicken salad was was not the best. The chicken was quite tasty but the only salad I got was leaves, my husband actually got more salad garnish with his sandwich than I did in my main meal!! The lady who served the food was very miserable and snapped at me for taking a bucket of condiments!!! I certainly won't be rushing back!! Shame as it's a great location.

Ordered mixed breads with oil and balsamic. Bread was the consistency of play dough. The chef could not understand why I had complained, even though it was totally inedible. His attitude was totally off. Won't be returning

We pass the River and Rail every day on our way home and we decided to stop for dinner one evening. We were very surprised with the food! It was lovely. The lady who served us was lovely too, very helpful and accommodating. My partner had the bangers and mash and I had Mediterranean vegetable pasta dish. (Sausages are a must)We will definitely return!

If you want fantastic food this place is a must visit! Lovely staff and hidden away by the river one not to miss! Our second visit and can't wait to return!

My husband had been seriously ill in hospital for five weeks and is now home- this was his first time out for a change of scene and I decided to take him for a short drive. We passed the sign for the River and Rail and I asked if he would like some lunch. We called in and looked at the menu - what an excellent lunch we had. My husband has had a very poor appetite of late but he was able to clear his plate and enjoy his meal. The ambiance was also very good - the suns was shining and we were able to look at the river and surroundings. A delightful escape for a little while. Cant wait to go for Sunday lunch soon.

At first glance, the menu can look a little bemusing - daunting even - but it is well worth taking the plunge. Between us we had: beef dripping, clondykes, gray paes & bacon, fish pie, roast turkey & sausage meat, belly draft, pheasant Kiev, jelly and ice cream and bread and butter pudding. Each was quirkily differ not from our expectations but D E L I C I O U S! I can honestly say, theirs is simply the best fish pie and the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Ok the decor is a bit simple and the premises appear to be a converted bungalow (!) but the location is beautiful and if you can be bothered to venture off the beaten track (in more ways than one) you will be surprised, delighted and pleasantly stuffed!

Dropped in for Sunday lunch by chance on the way back from Chester. We knew as soon as we walked in it had new owners. Lovely log fire. The menu was amazing so much choice but as it was Sunday we chose the roast beef, which was tender and tasty the roasts were great yorkshire pud and loads of veg and choice. For pudding we had spotted dick doughnuts and custard. OMG this is the best pud I have had in ages a little bit of heaven. They also serve and sell local wines cherry damson plum etc loads of choice. An excellent price for a great meal. Will we be going back oh most certainly

Thanks for great lunch, the food, service and ambiance were excellent. Potion size and taste of beef unbelievable, we will return,

We stopped there for lunch. My boyfriend had the roast dinner(turkey and beef) and I had three starters( I couldn't make up my mind, so many choices): beef dripping, crab trifle and smoked pigeon breast. I have no words to describe the food, I was literally crying happy tears; that's how good everything was. The roast turkey was the best we have ever had and the rest of the dishes were outstanding in every possible way. We will definitely go back to try more of their delicious dishes.

We stopped off here after visiting a nearby National Trust property. Just had one course Sunday lunch which was very good and reasonably priced for the quality of food. Added bonus is that it is dog friendly. Hoping to return.

We had a wonderful lunch whilst visiting to see the Flying Scotsman and Tornado. Yummy fish and chips, with choclate brownie for desert. My friend had faggots, which he said were delicious, followed by cheese and biscuits. Very good selection of wine and lovely country views. Staff were friendly and extremely helpful. Excellent value for money!

Stopped off for a drink on the way home from a weekend away. Lovely place superb location well kept and very friendly staff well worth a visit

What a lovely place. We arrived at the pub in baking sunshine and sat outside for a drink. When our food arrived we moved up to the top seating area, where staff were really helpful. We had children who have disability and staff were great in dealing with this. The food was to a high standard and we had large portions. They have a good selection, but more importantly they are reasonably priced!!The place was clean and tidy, but toilets were well maintained. To top it off plenty of long walk nearby. A really great experience overall! Thank you to the staff, we will be back soon!

My wife and I called here on the way back from a week in Cornwall for a quick lunch.I had a beef sandwich which was really good and my wife had their version of a Caesar salad which didn't have any anchovies as described and did have a breaded chicken drumstick sticking vertically up next to a seared Little Gem half lettuce. My wife said she doubted how fresh the chicken was after she had finished and off we went.On the way home she started to get bad stomach pains and when we got home was very ill to the point that we almost went to hospital. It took a day to get over and she didn't want me to make a complaint but I did send an email that night. No reply at all.We won't be going again.

We arrived on a Bank Holiday Monday, so we expected a bit of a wait. Head Waitress was very bossy and a bit aggressive, strange for a country pub. There is so much potential for the venue but service lets it down. Menu was odd, food took ages to land, was actually decent quality.

My group and friends and me visited the restaurant for lunch on Bank Holiday Monday. It was a beautiful day and we thought where better to go than by the River Severn. We had a table outside in the sunshine. Perusing the menu, I was struck at some of the bizarre juxtapositioning of old pub classics such as Cheese Ploughmans with more avant-garde modern fare such as "Crab Trifle". I feel the menu, and indeed the pub is suffering from an identity crisis somewhat. Most of the waiting staff were pleasant, however the manageress did not appear to be all that welcoming and snapped at us when we requested some condiments "I told you when you ordered - they're on the end of the bar in pots". I am deaf and sometimes struggle to hear, so this may have been why - I don't believe I deserved to be spoken to in this way. Most other restaurants would have kindly brought you the condiments to you. The ordering process at the bar was yet another bizarre feature. Having taken the order, the waitress had to walk all the way around the building to the kitchen to give the chef his order (surely they could have a teleprinter connected to the till in the kitchen?) - needlessly adding time to the process. We were also given a copy of the handwritten order to take away with us...? The food was ok but a bit bland and lacked in freshness. The pork pie on the Ploughmans was dry as a bone. We tried to order dessert but were told haughtily "we don't serve dessert outside". Given that it was one of the hottest days of the year and no one was sitting inside, were they not prejudicing a significant proportion of potential revenue by adopting this bizarre exclusion policy? I would have quite happily have paid the stated £5.75 for the dessert course. The aforementioned manageress came out with food orders from time to time and barked the surname of the customer "EVANS! EVANS? YOUR FOOD IS HERE!" She had the air of a disillusioned army major. The whole atmosphere was very strange and unwelcoming. The interior of the pub was bland and boring, and did not appear to have been updated in years. The toilets were squashed together and lacked in any ambience. The glass ware at the bar was oddly assorted. It's a shame given the lovely location by the river, however I would not return in any great hurry.

Visited here, for our 32nd Anniversary, to sample its wares because its the sister inn to the Crooked House at Himley, and i have to say the food is the same excellent quality, the staff, very friendly and attentive and although on this occasion it was a light rain, it was still a beautiful sceanary all round, i can only imagine that in the sun it would be an exceptional views and you can hear the sound of the severn valley steam train.