The Shepherd and Dog in Basildon

Average food for above average price.

Wow what a fantastic place! The food was superb and the staff were so professional, attentive and friendly. We live in Kent and were visiting for a family birthday meal. Our only regret is that we live too far away to eat here every day. Me and my husband were also celebrating our 3rd anniversary and we enjoyed this better than our actual wedding meal! Overall we couldn't recommend The Shepherd and Dog enough. Thank you all so much for an excellent evening.

Outstanding service! Polite friendly efficient welcoming. We stopped here for breakfast and it was well cooked, we'll presented and delicious. Restaurant recently decorated for Xmas and it looked superb. See my photos, highly recommended! Geoff

Lunch again, this time with elderly relative. Faultless and delicious as before, but today had apple crumble with bottomless custard serving, and the white chocolate cheese cake with a scrumtious fruit sauce, prettily presented with a choc sail and curl. Yummy! Thanks again to our servers, Emily and Ruby, who were very busy but calm, professional and smiling!

One of the best Sunday roast dinners we have had out... we had 2 platters for 8 of us With All the different meats... we thought she was joking when she said "most people don't finish it"... she was bang on [ Right] I can't wait to get back there. Thank you for the very best meal out in a place like this I've had..

First time here today. The staff were lovely, very helpful and so polite. We went with someone with walking challenges and Amy was especially understanding and helpful. Food was superb - good home cooked from scratch. We had a very enjoyable lunch and have booked to go back

The best food, service and atmosphere! Our breakfast is always spot on, dinner here is a must and lovely Martin makes the best mojito! Dani’s customer service is second to none, as is Martin’s… to be honest, the same can be said for all the staff here. Every time we’ve been here, the service, food and atmosphere has made us not want to leave. Martin is a pleasure to chat with. Great open fire for the winter… The Shepard and Dog is a charming and cosy country pub.

Lovely atmosphere, pleasant staff and delicious food. We had the 3 course set menu which was reasonably priced.

Had Sunday dinner here today absolutely fantastic Delicious food marvellous portions and wonderful service Will 100% be back and if you’re reading this give it a go you won’t be disappointed

Lovely pub, great service and food. Highly recommend.

Such a cute little pub! Danni was lovely and the landlady was really friendly and came over. We had the roast and it was unreal

What a great place for a roast dinner Been here so many times and we haven’t had a bad meal and don’t think we will Staff couldn’t be nicer food on time very very nice place

My wife and I took my sister for her birthday joined by our son, daughter-in-law and grandson all had various starters mains and desserts service was very good food excellent couldn't fault it. Prices were also very fair will go back again

Fantastic food and great service. The staff were friendly and attentive. Would not hesitate to go back

Fabulous food. Friendly staff. Music was really good.

I do not recommend this pub. The food had a strange taste, it didn’t seem fresh. Since I had a dog, we stayed in the bar area, and none of the waiters paid any attention to us, to give us menus or take our order. We had to go up to them twice to ask them to come and take the order. I didn’t like it at all, and I won’t be coming back.

Excellent breakfast and service.

We have been meaning to try this pub for a while, and a birthday dinner was a great excuse. From the get go, the staff were very welcoming and friendly. Service was quick and the food was well worth the cost- clearly fresh and tasty ingredients and a good quantity. The staff went above and beyond for my partners dessert, bringing out his with a candle and singing happy birthday. It wasn't expected and was a lovely touch we all appreciated (thank you again!) We will deffo be back, we can't wait to try the Sunday roast!

We walk through the door and becky was very friendly as we did not relasie we had to book a table but she manage to find us a table .I had stew and dumplings with mash and veg gravy my partner had steak and kidney pudding mash vegetables gravy everybody was very polite and curtesy it's was very welcoming all the staff work hard to give you a nice evening thank you for a nice evening jeremy and trudy

Very nice food an enjoyable meal for 4

This is a lovely pub run by very friendly people. The food is excellent can be a bit noisy especially on a Sunday but not enough to spoil it.

Had burger and fries with onion rings on the side. Burger had an odd taste to it and I left half of it. Could eat the fries as they were solid, overcooked and just inedible. Onion rings also overcooked cooked. No one checked if we were okay and didn't seem bothered that I'd hardly eaten my main course. Should have read the warning sign at my starter, bit of pate with burnt toast! Dessert was okay but probably out of a packet and I was starving! Couldn't seem to handle a group of 11 and added on a tip to the bill already so I guess they didn't bother working for it! So be warned! Maybe I was unlucky. Being with a group of friends I didn't want to make a fuss but I should have sent the food back and they should have noticed I didn't eat much. Oh well. Really didn't get value for money.

We visited this pub on the morning of our return to the U.S. for a breakfast. The owners and waitress were so welcoming and the pub is so beautiful, everything was stunning. I'm a Brit but had returned for a wedding with my American daughter and stopped at the Shepard and Dog with my British daughter, we had a full English with tea. I honestly can't recommend this pub enough I was just disappointed that we hadn't stopped there sooner! Food was great and the garden looks like a lot of fun for the kids. My American daughter said it was the awesome! And loved the teapot on the cups 😁 we will definitely be coming back on our next visit home.

Great service and food would definitely recommend 👌

A cracking little pub in the heart of Essex. Friendly, polite staff. Great food and atmosphere.

The Shepherd & Dog are indeed Golden!! We celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary in the marquee at The Shepherd & Dog and what a magnificent evening we had. An eye for detail is what they had for looking after our event. The layout, balloons, décor and cakes were stunning. We felt so at home, nothing was too much trouble, and as for the food, absolutely delicious. The bar staff were very attentive, the serving staff polite and professional, and overseen by managers whose hospitality skills are extraordinary. A great many of our party did not realise that this fabulous place to host a “bit of a do” existed. The Shepherd & Dog is indeed a little treasure for our local community.

We attended a 50th wedding anniversary celebration in the marquee. We had a fantastic time. It didn't feel like a marquee. I thought it would be cold as it was an evening event but it wasn't. The tables were beautifully decorated. The meal was delicious and the staff were fantastic. In fact, the staff went above and beyond (quite rare these days). One lady in particular made the evening. She was on the go all night and even encouraged us to get up and dance. There was plenty of parking too. The only disappointment was the toilets.

Just had a meal tonight excellent food and service the staff were superb and the food for a pub was exceptional

Not the best of food for the price

Lovely meal out with my family. About the forth time coming to this restaurant. Intend to keep coming back too. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Still inkeeping with the English pub feel. A few drinks in the garden and then into the restaurant for our food. I had Pie of the day, Mashed potatoes and sauted vegetables and it was gorgeous. My partner had the fish and chips, and our adult children had a Burger and the Lasagne. All really enjoyed them. The staff were really attentive without being too much and we will definatley be coming again.

Popped in for Saturday lunch. Brilliant food, great service.

First time I have been there. Very nicely done out and clean looking. We sat inside today had a lovely roast beef dinner. The food was excellent and nice portion. Staff were very polite and helpful. Thoroughly recommend and will go back again but also to try other menus.

Great staff, fantastic food, lovely setting, beautiful garden and very, very clean. I'd be back more if it was my local!

We had Sunday lunch here and thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They made a huge fuss of our daughter. Our booked table came ready with highchair and floormat to catch some of the debris, which is a great idea! The food was fantastic, and the children's menu includes a 'baby roast', which was great for our small person! We will definitely be back!

Last minute evening meal. This pub was great. Food was lovely, pleasant staff. Reasonable prices.

I was recommended this pub by a local friend. Booked a table for my guests arriving from abroad, but we were 2 hours late and missed the food-serving time by 10 minutes. They were very kind to still offer us a table and serve us food very quickly. The food was very tasty. I especially want to thank Louise who welcomed us with her big smile and brilliant hospitality. I will be back, thank you for having us!

Amazing food and service, with a friendly feel

Lovely pub, had a 40th Birthday party here, fab night.

Thank you to everyone at the Shepherd and Dog for a wonderful afternoon. A surprise retirement party for a dear colleague and even dearer friend. Nothing was too much trouble for our large party. Rebecca answered all our questions, promptly via email, regarding the details of the booking and the dietary requirements of several guests. Amy gave us true service with a smile, refilling plates and making us all feel comfortable and at ease. Many friends who hadn't been before spoke about returning again and those of us who had been before will definitely come again. Thank you so much!

I visited The Shepherd and Dog for afternoon tea today. It was for a friend who is retiring. It was quite a big party and all staff very welcoming and organised especially our waitress,Amy. Food was fantastic with a lovely variety. Dietary requirements were taken into account and choice was also very good. Extras were given if wanted. It was the first time eating here and I will definitely be returning. Well done to all the staff.

Menu and website purports to do an all day breakfast on Saturdays which we found out they do not after making the journey. We ended up having to pay for coffees we no longer wanted or had time to drink with no take away cups available. Complete lack of customer service.

My baby shower was held at the pub and the day went beautifully. I was well looked after by the manager/lead and the bar team on the day were very helpful in making sure that everything ran smoothly. The marquee at the pub was the perfect choice as it could accommodate a large group of friends, family and children.

My friend and I came to the Shepherd and Dog on a weekday morning for breakfast and it was such a lovely place we stayed for the whole day. We were greeted by Amy on arrival who treated us like queens. Honestly, she was amazing, such a credit to the pub and she looked after us all day long. I had a baby in a pram and she made sure I didn't have to carry anything from the bar all day We sat outside on the lovely patio and it was so nice out there. Everything in this place is pristine and/or looks brand new. As for the food... you don't often find a pub that serves good cooked fresh - this one provides that and uses the freshest produce and it really shows! Food delicious. All in all I can't wait to go back and bring more friends and family - especially as I hear the roasts are amazing. Felt so welcomed - definitely recommend and we will so be back, thank you!

The food was really good and great service !! Well worth a visit !! :)

Very nice food but for the price ,a bit more would not go amiss staff was absolutely fantastic,

Lovely quaint pub with incredible food and wine. Definitely worth a visit.

First time visiting - why have we not been before ! Lovely dog friendly garden. Great play area for the children. Service and food were super good. Will be visiting again to try more of the menu

My Daughter is Celiac and we struggle at times to find somewhere to eat with a varied menu. We chose the Shepherd on a recommendation from a family friend and were not disappointed. After arriving early and without a booking, the staff accommodated us, even though they were fully booked and clearly had a busy day ahead. The food was excellent, the staff were amazing and we will definitely be returning.

Great afternoon tea everything was lovely will definitely recommend 👌

Great service and atmosphere, good pub food at reasonable prices.

Excellent food and service at lunchtime.

Staff and pub very nice ....however food was very disappointing we did raise this with the staff and they were sympathetic but that's as far as it goes . But I was surprised of no concession offered.....I can say I always tip a good meal well....and if a discount was offered I would genuinely return and try again ...but this was bad....that weekend was a dining out twice time as on the Sunday I returned to "the old dog" in herongate .....and the food was 1st class as ever and the bill more reasonable. Seems like the old dog has a few tricks still..but sadly the shepherd's has slipped he's lead and gone awol along with flavour.

We are visiting the area and The Shepherd and Dog was recommended as a place to eat. We were not disappointed. We both had the steak, ale and horseradish sauce pie with seasonal vegetables and chips, which was excellent. Our waitress, Amy, was first rate and had a great blend of professionalism and humour which we both greatly enjoyed. For pudding, which is my favourite we had the mini desert with a hot drink. I had sticky toffee pudding and hot chocolate and my husband had chocolate brownie with cream and to drink a hot chocolate. The deserts were as tasty as the mains if not tastier. I would highly recommend this pub to eat if you are in this area. The decor also added to the overall atmosphere and experience.

First time we have been back in 8 years. Wow! What a change! Staff are amazing the food was amazing and the garden was amazing. This pub is managed so well. Definitely going back. Oh and we was a table if 10... Not one complaint. Thank you xxx

I'm a picky eater so 3* for food is a good average.

Visited today after a long while ( poor meal last time ) we were warmly greeted and directed to a please bright table. The waitress took our drink orders aand was quickly back for our food order’s. I. Chose liver a bacon and after a short while our meals arrived. I had two good sized pieces of liver that was covered in tasty crispy bacon accompanied by four delicious onion rings and a tasty portion of creamy mashed potato. The meal was superb and enough to satisfy me after not eating breakfast anticipating a fulfilling dinner. Ice cream to follow. Highly recommended. £120.00 for four people including two courses and one round of drinks. We will go back.

First time for our visit. Such a lovely pub/restaurant. Fantastic food , brilliant service, wonderful atmosphere. Very polite young lady served us, knew her wines, helped me to choose a wonderful shiraz. Would highly recommend. Will definitely being going back.

Went on saturday for mums birthday,group of 8,we all couldnt fault it,had a lovely time with great food and service.

There were six of us on a Sunday. Very busy but the food was very good and the staff were working hard to cover all the tables

Food, service and location is fantastic. Clean and friendly, definitely worth a few visits.

What an amazing find, I was passing and stop for a bite to eat. Food was fabulous, services was attentive. I’ll definitely be back.

Amazing change, if you have not visited it in years. Go back, you will be pleasantly surprised 😮

Went today for lunch with 3 friends and was so disappointed with my meal, the other 3 ladies had the fish pie which looked nice. I had haddock and chips, the haddock had no smell of fish and no taste of fish and was so dry inside, I didn't want to make a fuss so picked at it. I have been home 3 hours and have been sick twice, as I hadn't eaten since last night it could only be this meal. We went there to look at it as a venue for my eighties birthday, and was so disappointed although my friends said their fish pie was nice. I just wished I had sent it back.

The waitress was lovely and gave us her full attention. The food was good but definitely not spectacular.

All really nice. Waitress lovely.

Lovely pub and excellent service, the food is amazing!

Went in there on a whim and the food was outstanding!

Everything cooked to order with fresh ingredients. Very friendly servers and the new owner, Rebecca, is delightful and running a very good restaurant. She has 4 chefs, one of which is from Thailand, so some great dishes from there.

The service here is fab. I've been a few times and it's always been good. The food is of excellent quality and is cooked to a high standard, good choice on the menu too. Brought my daughter with me today (she's 3). She was made a fuss of by the waitresses and had a lovely kids meal!

Came up to Essex from Maidstone, called through first as we wanted to eat but had a dog, very welcoming on phone saying not in restaurant but ok in bar to sit, eat etc with dog. Arrived and was greeted by AMY who showed us where to go, came over, chatted -took orders for the full English breakfasts with extra (BEST food - Tasty, could not fault anything) - the whole dining experience was first class from customer service / food - even the lovely interior of the pub. But it all comes down to first impressions and that Amy needs a payrise for that commitment shown to please the customer - big smiles !!! Recommend this place a million per cent.

We visited here yesterday as a family for Mothers Day, there were 7 of us. Atmosphere inside was lovely and upon sitting down the mums were offered a free glass of prosecco! The waitress came over to take our drinks order and advised us that they needed our table back by 5.15pm for another booking. Absolutely fine with this because we understand Mothers Day is busy (we were a tad worried 2 hours for 7 people wouldn't be enough time but brushed it off). We ordered starters first and the food was lovely, however the time it took between the starters being cleared and our mains to come out was around 40 minutes - we wouldn't normally mind as having a drink and a chat in between is perfect. but we had in the back of our mind that they needed the table back sooner rather than later.. the food came out to us around 4.45pm which left us half an hour to eat so we did feel a tad rushed.. Once our dinner was finished and the plates had been cleared we were waiting for them to ask us if we wanted to see the dessert menu but nobody came. My husband had to flag the waitress down to ask if we could order dessert to which she replied we could but to remember they needed the table back for another booking. Now we understand that they were busy with bookings but to tell us on more than one occasion that they required the table back for another booking made us feel as though we were being rushed out. All in all the food was very nice and the atmosphere was lovely however should we return it won't be on a special date (ie. Mothers Day)

We ate here from Mother’s Day, amazing food and service. One of the best Sunday dinners in the area and the staff are always so lovely highly recommend!

Excellent..very nice place very good food very good atmosphere

What an amazing place never been to a place that made you feel so welcome our waitress Anna was so friendly and attentive and a true asset to them as were all the staff who ensured everything was perfect The food was delicious and no long waits for it to be served Will definitely recommend and will come back for another visit

14 of us celebrating 3 family birthdays. Service and food fantastic. Molly & staff could not have done more!!

Best place for atmosphere service and most Importantly,always the food. Sunday roasts my personal fav!!.👌❤️

Lovely staff, warm welcome 🙏 and great ambience and interior. Outside areas looked lovely too, and the pub had an interesting heritage, with black and white photos on the wall depicting their history. We had a Sunday roast, and the food was fairly good. The parsnips and potatoes were undercooked however; the stuffing was hard, and practically raw. The turkey was dry (overcooked) and the meat cut into thick strips which was perhaps something they can review. That aside - the cabbage and condiments were good. The flavour of the meat and Yorkshire pudding was excellent and you could tell the meat was well sourced. The staff were 👏 amazing and front of house excellent. So we'll go back again and hope the elements on the roast are tweaked to get a top class review.

Starters was good, mains average, service and the wait to be served the food wasn't the best, had asked the waitress for sauces, waitresses basically said she was busy but she would get them over to us, but never came. Did also ask whilst ordering the main if sauces were available, didn't feel like asking for the third time. Once we had our main our family had asked for the dessert menu to then be told we had nearly taken up the 2 hrs slot and that if we did want dessert, we could have it but would have to sit elsewhere...this was never advised to us on arrival, or whilst sitting down (we had booked a table).

Got to say this place is amazing. We was trying to get a table for a few weeks in a row just doing walk-ins and it was always fully booked. We finally booked a table 2 weeks in advance and was saying "this place has got a lot to live up to" and it did just that... food was delicious (salmon + salted caramel cheesecake), staff where lovely and chatty. Only downside is it's a little expensive but it is worth it and makes it more of a treat rather than an every weekend kind of thing. Would definitely recommend.

Nice food and good customer service at a reasonable price. Nice atmosphere. Will go here again.

Went here for a Sunday roast and honestly it was one of the best we have tried around the Basildon area, food hot and fresh tasting. Myself being vegetarian they couldn’t have been more helpful, some how we managed to have a pudding and again that didn’t disappoint!! We highly recommend and can’t wait to return! Thank you to all the staff, everyone was so friendly and helpful!!

Update - family birthday lunch yesterday. Totally brilliant experience, lovely staff, great meals. This is what I wrote earlier in the year: dropped by for a light lunch on a mid week day in August. It was busy, and not surprising - it merits a visit. It's a really good find. The staff are lovely (thank you Amy and Lou) ... and we had open-faced sandwiches that were delicious and well-judged. The rest of the menu looked fabulous too. We will try to go back.

What a wonderful meal, hot , fresh, and very tasty. Presentation and quality was of a high standard. We had the lamb and Belly of pork. A young lady called Tyler serviced us , she was very polite , well mannered and very informative about the menu . The atmosphere in the restaurant was very relaxing and clean . We can’t wait to return , and try other foods they have in Their menu .we all agreed the meal and service is one of the best we have had in a long time . Thank you Dee, Les , Jo , Mick from Billericay 🌹

Really lovely venue. Excellent service from staff. Delicious meal and good value for money.

Our new favourite place. Staff are so nice and welcoming. Food tastes lovely

I’ve had lots of food out of here never disappoints every time I’ve been it’s delicious, highly recommend for the people of essex also would like to say the atmosphere is lovely and the staff are always polite and kind no bad words about this place ❤️

By far the best place for food round this area. Staff was amazing, the chefs food was exceptional and my belly is full for once and not making noises, due the lovely tasty food. Thank you for such a lovely evening and see you all soon.

Have heard rumours about Shepherd and Dog …. it’s all true !! food amazing service first class if you want a great night look no further

Just had a lovely meal in the shepherd and dog. The food was spot on, and the service was excellent 👌

Really nice breakfast, excellent size and value

We had lovely sunday roast, plenty of meat and vegetables. Lovely staff and good service.

Christmas day dinner at the pub excellent Christmas starter Dinner Dessert staff welcoming would book again

Had the best Christmas breakfast with grandson (and mummy/daddy). Magical experience and hope it’s on again next year. The staff were amazing and the food was lovely. Reindeer, snow, Santa & Mrs Clause, festive bouncy castle to name but a few of the experiences. Well done x

went for xmas lunch with work , food amazing as always, service, very friendly and efficient, our colleagues will def be coming back, shout out to Amy and Tyler , who served us, great friendly girls x

As a group of 9 we had Sunday lunch in the marquee absolutely fantastic, amy was brilliant, can't thank her enough for making our lunch wonderful she was backed up superbly with the rest of the team. A good job well done, thankyou

Visited here this week for a Christmas Lunch as a party of 3. It was close to 15 mins before our server came and asked for us drinks or if we were ready to order which I was slightly embarrassed by as we were sitting there like spare parts. We opted for the £35 set Christmas Lunch which comprised of Starter, Main & Dessert with a complimentary glass of bucks fizz. The prawn cocktail starter was served in a tumbler like glass which I personally found a tad awkward in digging the food out of. The Turkey main dinner was lukewarm, roast potatoes not the best & gravy like watered down dishwater. The Apple & Mincemeat spring roll with custard desert was probably the best dish, however the serving of custard was put into a miniature sauce dish, therefore making it virtually non existent! The staff themselves were always very friendly and professional, but in my opinion the £35 price paid for this meal sadly did not match the quality it should have been. Had it not been for the fact that I had a lovely Roast Dinner at this Pub in the summer and this had been my First visit to this Pub I would given this Review “2” Stars instead of “3”. This is my very honest opinion as a person whom visits many Pub Restaurants all over Essex. It was a real shame that the food or service did not match the same level as my first visit here in the Summer.

My wonderful friends and I had a lovely Christmas lunch today cooked to perfection! 👌. We had a pram with us the staff made sure we had a table with lots of room around us! The staff can't do enough for you!! Highly recommend 👌🎄🎅

Went for a Christmas party in the tent behind the pub. Food and service were pretty damn good and not what i was expecting. Disco was marvellous and the singer we had was also fantastic.

Been a few times since the refurbishment and I'd say this is now our go-to pub for meals out. Been twice recently with work friends and have thoroughly enjoyed both meals.

Recommended but disappointing Sunday lunch. Charged for salmon but they only had cod. Charged for bottled water instead of tap water that we actually wanted. The mini desert didn’t arrive until after we had drunk the coffee. However, on a positive note, Tyler our waitress was very friendly helpful and efficient and very sensibly put a plastic sheet under the high chair.