The Rose Cafe in Ballymena

We've visited Rose Cafe many times and haev never been disappointed. They do a tasty fry, really lovely coffee and tea, and an amazing selection of homespun Sunday dinners! Highly recommended. Every time we go, we're stunned at the great value for money. The icing on the cake is the friendly owner, who shows she's glad of the business and always make us glad we dropped in.

Had a cup of tea and a white bread sandwich with cheese ,tomato and mayo. Nice and tasty.....but £5.50 was "putting their arm in". Hate being overcharged. It is not the way to get repeat business. Avoid !

Called in on the way back from the Lake at Kilrea. Only ordered a couple of take away chips and a bit of curried sauce (very pleasant!!). Tasty grub but the main reason for writing the review was the service received. Really warm welcome and extremely friendly. Can imagine if you go for a sit down meal it would be first class. It’s the small things that make a difference!!

Love visiting this little place when I’m in the area. Great choice of gluten free food. Staff friendly and helpful. Basic menu but tasty indeed. From breakfast to dinner, I haven’t any complaints. Worth a visit. Lasagne excellent!

Enjoyed a visit to lovely Portglenone on Saturday to make a few purchases in the excellent clothes and shoe shop! Feeling hungry we thoroughly enjoyed sandwiches and coffee from the Rose Cafe and the chat was great to!

Recommended by a friend to visit the cafe and was delighted with the friendly team and the ultra fresh and tasty breakfast. They also have a good variety of lunches and dinners and although I don't drink coffee I hear the Karen special is the one to get

Having been for a walk I then called in for lunch. Just sat down and an old friend came in we had a chat and a brew. The soup was fresh and very hot. The option of panini was a good choice and freshly made. Good to see Willie on what turned out to be his birthday. Even better to get to use the 50% Eat out to Help out voucher.

Rose Cafe does lovely tasty hot and cold meals. Its very popular with visitors and locals alike. Staff are extremely friendly and its lovely to sit at the window and watch the world go by. Meals are reasonably priced and if you are lucky you might get some traditional music being played while you eat.

Great food and service as always. The owner took the time to speak to us. Lovely quiet atmosphere. Will definitely call again.

Visited The Rose Cafe today on our way through Portglenone. What a wee gem. Had a wonderful welcome and shown to our table. Specials were pointed out to us and we opted for a turkey and ham dinner and a roast chicken dinner. Both were served piping hot (which is unusual these days). Plenty of potatoes, a roast potato, three types of veg and lovely gravy. The staff were excellent. We we definitely be back.

Quick and efficient service. Good food. Well priced. Free WiFi. Always busy with customers which is a good sign.

Stoped here with my kids for a quick bite. Very nice place, I had a lovely coffee and cake, children nice meal. Lovely service. Will definately be back.

Very enjoyable breakfast. Will definitely be back. Any chance off a bigger teapot for one person. Newspapers a welcome touch.

I was staying overnight in Portglenone with a crowd of college friends when we stopped off here for lunch. Service was fabulous and the staff were super friendly. Food was great and all very reasonably priced. We liked it so much we came back for breakfast the next morning. Great selection and fantastic service.

We dropped in for a quick lunch-lovely people, great cuppa and good solid food. Clean and very friendly. What more could you ask? Just go.

We had a really good burger and filled soda with sausage and egg. It was piping hot and delicious. Highly recommended.

The rose cafe is amazing. The menu, the service, the accommodating friendly owners, the quality frys and tasty coffees. I absolutely love the rose cafe and would highly recommend that you stop in for a bite to eat. A bubbly young lady called cathy served me the last time I was in. Will be back!

A very good cafe, was able to park outside. Food was very tasty, well presented by attentive staff, and good price. Our plates were well filled with food freshly cooked . Will visit next time in Portglenone.

Called in here and was really looking forward to lunch. Good selection to choose from on the menu and staff friendly enough. But i was really disappointed with portion size and the quality of the food. Left feeling hungry and £13.75 lighter for 1 cowboy supper, a burger and 1 tin of coke.

Lovely cafe. Lovely staff. Food well served. Great choice of menu. Sunday Lunch available (I think!). Couple of outside tables for those balmy summer days. Well worth a visit.

Choice of food, absolutely brilliant. staff are very pleasant & extremely helpful. We had a really good lunch & good value too.

We had some time to kill, and decided to find a coffee shop so as to have coffee and a pastry of some kind. The Rose Cafe was such a welcoming place, in the main shopping area of Portglenone. The pleasant and personal service, and the atmosphere; was so different from the large chain type coffee shops. We will ever stop here for a break when on this road. Good cakes, nice coffee, and a friendly welcome, were well worth the price.

Called in today with my partener and was meet by very friendly staff. We where handed menus and shown to our table , after a few moments or orders where taken and our drinks brought out . I had the Hawaiian burger with small fries and my partener had the soup ( choose off 3) with cheese and ham sandwichs. The burger and chips where delicious and I even tried a spoon off soup .nicest soup I've tasted anywhere and the bread was so fresh .if ur anyway handy to this cafe then I suggest it should be the place to stop for tea, soups, burgers or even dinners .for a cafe it gets 10 out off 10 and the staff where very very friendly

Food was very nice and well presented.

Having just visited the gorgeous forest park in Portglenone, we called into the Rose Cafe for a light lunch. Nicer staff you just won't find and a great variety of menu. Bright and clean Cafe and really tasty food. But the helpfulness and friendliness of the staff was a stand out point and we felt very welcome and tasted almost like family. We will certainly be back and really enjoyed our day out. Thanks so much ladies.

El personal era muy agradable y atento y no tuvimos que esperar mucho tiempo para el desayuno. Sé que fry en el grasienta pero la mía estaba saturada en el aceite. La placa estaba cubierta de grasa y la comida todo sabía que el mismo era el sabor del aceite que había sido hecho. Había mucho aceite empapados en el pan que hizo para una textura bastante pasada. Después de lavarse los dientes dos veces yo aún tenía el sabor de aceite en la boca. Por desgracia, este no era para mí.

Lovely service ,we had a very fresh local fry up and we're both pleased with surroundings,good staff thanks

Myself, the missus and our son come here often. The staff are great, the food is great, the coffee is great and everything else is great. I look forward to getting fed here :)

Popped into this cafe when passing through Portglenone and was feeling hungry. Great menu selection with fabulous dinner deals. Had the all day breakfast which was one of the best ever had. Definitely he returning to try more off the menu

This place was an absolutely amazing. I loved my meal and the staff were so friendly. I would advise anyone in the area or going through it to stop in and have a wee bite to eat. Katie

Por desgracia, este es uno de los pocos cafés en Portglenone así que quizás esa es la razón por la que es popular. La comida aquí es un desastre. Las patatas fritas eran tan hecha que estaban huecos y las tortitas eran extremadamente seco.

Intento ir al menos una vez al mes para comer. La comida es muy buena y muy barato. El personal es muy amable y el ambiente es muy relajado.

Called in here for an All day Breakfast, The café was very busy and there was a great menu on offer, We had the Fry, Was just what was needed. The staff were Very friendly . Will call here again.

I have a jobthat puts me in Portgleone once a year , on a sunday , one of the highlights of the visit is a fry in the red rose cafe ,,, great value , great fry , some of the best coffee around , really makes Portglenone the place to visit.

Been here quite a few times. An every time the food has been lovely ,. It has a friendly atmosphere an their cheesecakes r out of this world . Next time ur in Portglenone pop in have a wee cup o tea an judge for ur self .

I don't agree with the negative comments on here... It's a cafe in a village not the Hilton in the Bahamas. Very friendly staff. For a cafe to produce the roast dinners that the rose produce is a very rare site.. Like being back at granny's on a Sunday! Some one said it was microwaved? Hardly. Mine was perfect. All day breakfast is always handy when your out in the van and have time to call in!

This place is simple but very practical. You go here to get a wholesome lunch or take the kids for a goodie. There's loads of choice and all good quality at reasonable prices. Staff are helpful and obviously go to great lengths to accommodate their customers. Good point to note is a lot of locals seem to use here regularly. Well worth the visit

Been here for breakfast a few times. Always really good and service is 110%.Very friendly and always made feel welcome.

The service is second to none in this cafe. The coffee is the best in town,generous portions of homemade food. Relaxed atmosphere never feel rushed no matter how busy it is . I have been several times and would recommend it for both a meal and a quick coffee and a traybake

Stopped for a quick coffee and bite to eat and how glad we did, great atmosphere and service. Great value many thanks be back again when passing through.

Arrived in the afternoon for some coffee and cheesecake. Cheery staff and generous portions, best cheesecake we've ever had. Friendly atmosphere.When we left the café, as it was closing - on New Year's Eve - without remembering a handbag we had brought, the owner went the extra mile to make sure we got the bag back the next day, coming into town to open up specially, even though it was New Year's Day and the café was closed.Would definitely call back in any time we're in the area. Customer service like that is priceless.

Would definitely recommend! Great food & a great atmosphere! The staff couldn't have been more pleasant.

I am a regular customer to this cafe. I would highly recommend it! The staff are very friendly, the food is lovely and they have a wide arrange of meals, they even have gluten free food! The cafe is very clean and tidy and John the owner also has musical instruments on display, and I'm sure if you asked him he would play the guitar and sing you a song. Isn't that right John? Maybe Jerry O Scullivans? lol.This is a great wee spot to stop and have a bite to eat, very friendly and the food is delicious! :)

We are regular visitors here. Their roast dinners are great value for money and our (large) assitance dogs is always welcomed. Good wholesome down-to-earth food and you don't leave here hungry! Desserts - worth coming for these alone! Raspberry ruffle cheesecake is to die for!! We have been know to even take these away for later as we were too full from lunch!Bust wee cafe that is worth taking a detour for!

We happen to be passing threw this beautiful village right on the river Bann..! Spotted the sign of the Rose Cafe... So decided to trip advice... Got some good, and then some not so good reports ( 4*,5*..2*) ok every man has there own opinion.... Mine: is a beautiful spot beside the river Bann... Menu was huge didn't know weather I wanted an all day fry or the good old traditional cabbage and bacon... Kids were so fussy They don't like carrots I don't like peas! Staff were excellent nothing was an issue... I managed to get best of my two choices.... Cabbage& bacon with soda bread and an 2 eggs, as for the kids they were catered for with so much more, ice cream was on the house as well as loli pops for the movie that might where else would you find it.... Honestly! A wee gem, x

Just Read the Horrible Troll review by 'Alan C ' and felt I had to put a few things straight.The Rose Cafe is a small family run Cafe in the middle of the town. It's not trying to be a Michelin Starred Restaurant it is just a VERY good small Cafe in the heart of the town.....In fact for MANY people it actually is the heart of the town.They provide EXTREMELY tasty 'Home Cooked' meals and a very, very competitive price and really excellent coffee...I mean REALLY EXCELLENT. I suppose some people are more used to 'Nescafe' instant coffer in their travels rather than imported specialist roasts......but there you go...some people just don't have a clue.The Cafe has a 5 star rating for Hygiene and I know from the staff the owners are passionate about quality and freshness in everything they provide.I have NEVER been disappointed by ANYTHING I've eaten or drank there and as for the Musical instruments........They provide a venue for Musical nights on MANY occasions through the year which are REALLY AMAZING!!Do not miss this little gem if you are passing through Portglenone....it's a real one off!!

We dropped in for breakfast on our way from Belfast to Carrick a Rede, and literally fell on our feet. My Irish Fry was tasty, generous and not at all greasy and my husband's pancakes were delicious .... OK so I sampled them!! We had a bottomless teapot and good quality milk to wash it all down with. The prices were incredibly reasonable and the toilets clean. But the other highlight of our visit was the warmness and genuine friendliness of the staff. We felt part of a family and when we asked them to make us a sandwich for a picnic later that day, we were offered a feast fit for a king ... which we devoured later on the island off Carrick a Rede with great pleasure and happy memories.We'd love to come here again - great food, honest prices and the loveliest people I've met in a long time. THANKS.

Perhaps I've travelled too much but I can't agree with those who gave this cafe a high rating. That said, there's not a lot to choose from in Portglenone.The staff are friendly and my scone was good - but that's where the positives end for me.The layout and decor look like a poor DIY job - as do the partitions which make up the cubicles. The ambience is non-existent, despite the tacky chain of fairy lights above the kitchen area.Each table has a bold A4 notice asking customers not to take a bigger table than necessary.The acoustics are noisy in the extreme.If you can tolerate the awful coffee, you can have a pint of it for an extra pound. Or you can have a bubble gum milk shake.Another little quirk is the instruments hanging on the wall for customer use. I fear they might simply add to the din.I would need to be desperate to re-visit.

Great service in this family run establishment, low key and wholesome with traditional food which is really reasonable priced

Come here most weekends for a fry and it never disappoints... really lovely staff, always friendly which is good! Really tasty food with a good cup of tea :-) Will call again soon!

What a lovely place! Staff were very friendly & helpful. Good menu with lots of options, kids menu had lots of choice with a thumbs up from my son who is a fussy eater. Food was beautiful & portions were huge. Will def be visiting when up this way again

A regular Sunday finish to a long ride out for the Cycling Club never fails to hit the spot. An all day fry or breakfast made to order is fresh and filling. Homemade desserts are made fresh, try the mint choc cheesecake! Very popular with the locals too so you might have to wait to be seated at peak times but a tea or coffee in the cafe area will help pass the time. The staff are friendly and seem happy at their work. The premises are clean and bright.

Called by on a cycling holiday. We needed somewhere where we could park the bikes plus luggage and keep an eye on them from inside. A convenient lamppost did the trick! Service was brisk and friendly, and the food was filling and plentiful. Recommended to anyone travelling the national cycle network in the area.

Decent coffee and sandwich. Won't break the bank either. Staff were very helpful. Toilets very clean.Would definitely eat here again if passing through.

Sunday morning and its great to be able to pop into a cafe for breakfast in Portglenone.The canopy over the entrance to Roses cafe is inviting. We were greeted by a warm welcome: 'hello ladies, take a seat'. Whilst we waited for our individually tailored (breakfast to arrive I was able to access the free wifi. Portglenone main street seems to have no reception even for 3G so the wifi was an added bonus.The dessert counter provided a highly appealing view and it took a lot of resolve to leave without tasting its delicacies! Frequented by lots of local people it was great to 'people watch' and experience the Northern Irish banter.A home from home experience that could only have been added to by having the cafe decoration themed.

Great food. Great coffee. Lovely service! Fantastic little place! Highly recommend. If you need a bite to eat this cafe will definitely have what your hungry for. 9/10

Very small portions, tasteless, Ordered turkey + ham, microwaved beyond repair, hard veg, staff civil enough, nice enough atmosphere.

Ordered a kids meal to share between my two1yr old boys. The waitress brought us two drinks which I thought was a nice touch. However the kids burger and bap was rock hard and when I complained the waitress apologised and said she wouldn't charge me for the second drink which I thought was free and was definitely not ordered. Nice touch not charging me for something I didn't want. Won't set foot in this cafe again. we had been regulars but we will be tellin everybody we know about this

The Rose Cafe makes one feel right at home. My wife and I are from The United States and were staying in the area when we visited the cafe for dinner. The food was good, the prices reasonable, and the management and staff extremely friendly. We returned because of the good experience. This is the type of establishment`that will encourage tourism to the area.

This is a cafe on the main street in Portglenone, its not very big or very enthusiastic on their food. Not much can be said sadly.

Gluten free menu was excellent and it is very hard to get a whole meal that you like which is gluten free. Staff were so helpful.

Excellent food, excellent menu, excellent service and 1st class prices!! Also has a fantastic take away menu, and if there is something you would like to amend or something that isnt on the menu they will help accommodate you!