The Spotted Ox in Harrogate

Dreadful. I'm reading some of these reviews and noticing many have only ever wrote 1 review and that's for the OX. Could easily be fraudulent. I'll let you decide. However, what I can do is give you my one and only near death experience from eating there. I ordered the mixed grill. The presentation alone should have sent alarm bells ringing. But I let it slide and proceeded to cut some meat. Even from using a knife and fork I could smell the meat was rancid. I politely asked the young barman to bring it back in the kitchen and show the cook. He returned a minute later and said the cook did indeed agree with me that the meat had gone off! HERE IS WHERE MY PROBLEMS LAY. Surely when he opened it he must have smelt it? Failing that when he is stood over it to cook it Surely then he would have smelt it was off. If he can't smell rancid meat he shouldn't be in a professional kitchen. Maybe ge did smell it and thought he'd chance it anyway? Then he shouldn't be in a professional kitchen! Either way they are headed for serious trouble having someone without basic training but incompetence in abundance behind the stove. I would bet he's not done one day in any culinary school. Certainly not a chef thats for sure. Absolutely shocking. The barman was very apologetic and almost seemed embarrassed on the cooks behalf. He offered me an alternative meal, which is an achievement in itself to make a lasagna inedible, and once again acted very professionally. In a nutshell JUST DONT!

We had the pleasure of enjoying a roast dinner at The Spotted Ox in Tockwith, and it was absolutely fantastic. We opted for the roast beef, which was cooked to perfection it was tender and full of flavour, paired with crispy roast potatoes and a giant Yorkshire pudding. The gravy was rich and delicious, and the seasonal vegetables were perfectly prepared, it even came with lovely cauliflower cheese. The welcoming atmosphere made the whole experience even better, and the staff were attentive without being overbearing. It was one of the best Sunday lunches we've had in a long time, and will definitely be back!

We went for lunch today, to be told they weren’t serving food until a certain time, because of a group of 11 were going in! If You can’t cater for more than 11 people eating at once.. you’re in the wrong game! You should update your opening or close the pub if you are hosting private events like this, to avoid disappointing locals! The girls behind the bar also looked very scruffy, not really dressed appropriately for working in hospitality!

Brilliant so good will be back again soon The food was excellent and the staff prompt and courteous Will be taking family there

We have just been for Sunday lunch as a family of ten. The food was beautifully home made and great portion sizes. The giant Yorkshire puddings went down especially well! We would really recommend a visit if you want a dog friendly pub with lovely staff and good food.

not a good experience couldn’t recommend, half the menu was not available chips were disgusting over fried greasy beer very watery strange taste even the wine had peculiar flavour will never return 🤬🫤

Very expensive for a less than average country pub. If the service was great, ok but it was not. Girl behind bar was a bit nervous and no supervisor around

We had a weekend away at Tockwith and tried the local pub for our Sunday evening roast this was a great experience for us as the spotted ox atmosphere was brilliant with great friendly staff. We had the vegetation roast this was absolutely delicious it came out with a veggie loaf with roast parsnips, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding , followed by a massive side dish of vegetables then another dish with cauliflower cheese. Great evening we definitely be going back for another roast

We have just returned from a Sunday lunch with our friends and our toddlers. We all had the Sunday lunch. The food was absolutely spot on; ‘all the trimmings’ means ALL THE TRIMMINGS! We ate less at Christmas as home! The service was great and the landlord friendly and accommodating. I’m a coeliac and their knowledge of gluten free and cross contamination was superb. 100% we will be returning. I don’t think I’ll ever cook a Sunday lunch again with The Spotted Ox as our local. I couldn’t recommend more highly.

Service was fast, staff were friendly, good food, plenty of veggie choices. Four very happy diners.

Three cheers for The Spotted Ox. My wife and I were cycling from Harrogate to York and stopped off here for a coffee break. It turned out we were a bit early as the opening time on their web site was out of date. As an apology a member of staff made us coffees anyway but there was no charge. The next time we pass through Tockwith we’ll drop in again at a normal time.

A lot of hard work is being put into this pub by the new owners and it’s paying off. Six of us went for dinner. There was a really good atmosphere inside, and the live music that started later in the evening was well supported. The food overall was a good standard and fair value. The only disappointing bit was dessert. I tried that crumble which turned out to be an upside down crumble, which obviously doesn’t work - it’s a soggy not a crumble. I think that it was meant to be apple crumble, but the sugar content was off the scale (almost inedibly so) and so all flavour was lost. We will return, but skip the dessert next time.

We moved to the village 2 days ago and wanted to support the Spotted Ox and we were not disappointed ! We booked Sunday lunch with our friends who were over from Spain. The roast beef and the pork were both great ,tender and tasty meals. The portions were a good size and the vegetables were cabbage ,parsnip mash and carrots.We ordered extra sides of cauliflower cheese and extra Yorkshire puddings. The couple that run the pub were good hosts. There was a large baby shower group in and their afternoon tea looked fabulous. We will be back .Thank you😀

Went last night for meal and all I can say is wow the food is top quality and lovely staff very helpful.

Fantastic steak and ale pie, bangers and mash and fish and chips. New owners, Michelle and Rob have revitalised the place. A well awaited welcome from both locals and visitors wanting a good drink and food hub! Excellent food, friendly staff and atmosphere - absolutely buzzing with a wide range of ales, lagers gins and spirits. Vibrant pub with duke box and darts. Can't wait for the warmer evenings to experience the large beer garden. Parking is easy either behind the pub or on the road by the front door. Will definitely be making regular trips to the Spotted Ox.

Pub is under new management and is back to being the venue the village needs. Great pub food at reasonable prices. Friendly service and good atmosphere. Looking forward to the 09.00 opening for breakfast.

New management have reinvented this local pub. Food is good, service is good. I recommend the Garlic Mushrooms and the Lasagne. Looking forward to the summer with their new ideas.

Had some lovely meals here hence why I suggested we go today with family to celebrate my husbands birthday. We ordered the roast dinners and one burger, the pork was that fatty no meat to be seen , was told the beef was medium rare , unfortunately the beef was tough as an old boot , good job I only received one small slice , the potatoes were undercooked , the burger was that greasy so that couldn’t be eaten , when asked how the meal was we honestly responded , with constructive criticism. When taking the dog out for a walk around the back there were empty boxes which clearly stated booker essentials. When asked for the bill one roast dinner had been deducted, the manageress and the female bar attendant were very rude stating we had been vile and rude since we entered the pub. I am in my 60ish and never experienced being spoken to in a demeaning manner, I was advised if I put a negative review on they would remove it . Sorry to say we will not be returning again even though I am a great believer of supporting local pubs and restaurants.

Had aast minute family meal. Unfortunately the steak pie arrived and was alot smaller portion than normal. The portion of pie had been burnt around all sides, the top was so over cooked that I couldn't even cut through it. The homemade chips were nice. The fish and chips were nice, the portions could do with being bigger.

Had dinner, but my farther ordered the Fish Curry and it was nothing like I've ever smelt befor in my life, I'm not sure what it was but it sure didn't smell of Fish hence we had to order something else, the smell was so bad that after 10 minutes of the plate leaving the table other customers who passed our table said and I quote " whats thats smell", so if you fancy something a bit risky to eat that really dose hit all the senses, try the Fish Curry.

Came in as we were passing. The place was busy with locals, but they found us a table and we ordered the specials. Belly of pork with a decent sized portion and nice crispy crackling and they did not skimp on the size of the portion with the plum crumble I had for dessert either. The beer I had was a local brew which was good and I would have had another if I was not driving. Recommended!

Hi lovely Sunday lunch with friends all very nice lovely palace a staff pudding sticky toffee pudding lovely staff very helpful

Fantastic !pub totally transformed with new landlord and landlady Brenda ,such a warm friendly ,people’s person who went above and beyond to create the fabulous atmosphere for the Euro Football, served us all fresh cut sandwiches and pork pies at half time,on the house,The pub is open and very welcoming the food is very reasonably priced and of a good standard.Young chatty bar staff “Thanks “0liver for taking my banter lol 😂 The pub is a different place now and the locals ,as well as others coming in ,as my family did from Harrogate last night are really enjoying this hidden gem.What a difference this lovely family have made.Thank you for bringing some cheer.

Went to our local pub for dinner with the thoughts of making it s regular occurrence as newly moved to village. Nice pub, staff friendly, Covid safe with one way system, however clearly some regulars felt this didn't apply to them by ignoring this. Informed there was a 30 minute wait for food which wasn't a problem. Nice cask beers on offer and wine options. When food arrived we asked for vinegar to go with our chips. The reply we got was, oh we've ran out. The food was nothing more than mediocre, I would say typical pub grub, well nearly When asking for the bill we witnessed another member of staff waltzing across the restaurant with , yes you guessed it, a bottle of vinegar. When I raised my disappointment with our original response of , we've ran out, the bar tender stated, oh, that's not good form We paid , we left and most likely won't be back.

We had a really lovely lunchtime meal in the beer garden today. We ordered the Roast Salmon which was sublime, the steak pie which was had excellent buttery shortcrust pastry and delicious filling, and finally the scampi and chips - handcut which was very good....

Had a lovely meal at the Spotted Ox. The food was wonderful and good value. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and to top off there’s a great beer garden out the back. The new owners went out of their way to ensure we had...

Me and my partner stayed just up the road from The Spotted Ox. We were only staying a couple of nights and decide to give this place a shot as it was sooo close by! We booked beforehand as we knew everywhere would probably be...

The onion rings were swimming in grease and the burger had a strange 'dense' texture but was bearable. It could have done with some relish or similar but it was just a burger in a dry bun sadly. Had to moisten my mouth with a...

Very out of date when coming to a dog friendly attitude. Even the very up market Tickled Trout down the road allowed our four legged friend in.

Just a quick line or two to say a big thankyou to all the team at the Spotted Ox. Ian’s welcome has kept us going through a testing house move and his lovely wife’s smashing home cooked meals have kept us well nourished and extremely...

Rude landlord, poor service by him , food was edible. Would not recommend as landlord was obviously dose not have the fairest idea

Popped in on a Saturday night. Good menu and nice specials menu. We both chose the venison which was cooked rare as requested. Lovely mixed mushroom sauce with new potatoes and fine green beans. Tasty and excellent price. Good ale and cider. We shall certainly...

I have stopped off here a number of times when in the area and never been disappointed. Nice location and easy to find. Good wholesome food and never had an complaints at all. Recommended.

Really nice vibe, perfect pint of Theakston, great service, excellent meals all round. Scampi, steak pie and venison burger. Highly recommended.

This was a highly enjoyable late Saturday lunch for 7. The service was good, and the food and beer excellent. The atmosphere was cosy and unhurried. Highlights were my fish and chips with mushy peas and the steak pie. Tockwith is an interesting village, close...

7 of us, including 3 young children, had Sunday lunch here. The food was outstanding and the service was friendly and efficient. The Spotted Ox is an outstanding example of Yorkshire hospitality at its best.

Had my first steak pie here, and thought it was delicious. My husband really loved the beer he got. Service was solid, prices were good, and staff made sure we were satisfied with our meals. Wish we could have fit in some dessert! If we...

Whilst in North Yorkshire recently I visited Tockwith and stumbled across this pub at lunch time. So pleased I did.....good find. Lovely cask ales, enjoyable pub grub, clean tidy and staff were welcoming. I much appreciate how the landlord took time to chat with me...

We visited as part of the ale trail and had a spot of lunch whilst we were there. Fish and chips went down very well and the salad an ample portion. The sausage and mash was nice ( portion of mash on the small side...

Quick bite to eat after our evening ride out, all food was tasty and well priced fishcakes, chilli and mushroom with halloumi were our dishes of choice there was a good selection on offer. A great little spot and will visit again.

Spot of lunch with a girlfriend - lovely goats cheese apple and walnut salad. Amazing halloumi and spinach stuffed mushroom. My friends fish goujon sandwich looked really good. Really reasonable bill for the quality of the food - will be back!!

Out driving with friends and looking for a pub lunch .

We & my elderly parents ate here on a Monday evening - pizza night - they looked vg, although we had other things off the menu.

Staying nearby, my wife and I ate there 3 times in a week, each time having something different from the specials menu, which changes on a weekly basis. The food was very good, reasonably priced and cooked from fresh.

We we taken by some friends who live near Wetherby to this pub as they had seen it advertised in the Yorkshire Post, they had called in the previous week to try it and had a nice lunch. The pub has limited parking of road but plenty of space on the roadside, the pub is a great village pub with lots of locals enjoying the beers which was nice to see, the drinkers outnumbered the diners but it was not a problem.

The Spotted Ox is a warm welcoming village pub that serves delicious food with lots of vegetarian and vegan options... 2018 we have arrived : )

Just eaten tonight at the Ox which is our village pub and was delighted with the food and friendly service . We all chose different things from the menu and each dish was delicious!!

Made a last minute decision to go for dinner last night and it was a great choice. The soufflé was a great starter. We both had specials for mains, sea bass and venison ravioli which both were done perfectly. The house wine was very nice and the staff very friendly, thanks for a great night!

along with my wife , daughter and granddaughter we went for the the sunday lunch , the staff were friendly enough but the food was disappointing, they only do beef which to be honest you got plenty of but it was tasteless. you got 3 very small roast potatoes with nothing in the middle, very little greens, no mash, and the 1 very little yorkshire pudding was burnt hard and crispy they probably cooked it on saturday and warmed it up.

Estado aquí varias veces como visitante de Australia. Yo estaba un poco preocupado cuando hice un pedido de comida - preocupado de que la casera podría considerar a mí también exigente, pero todas mis peticiones. La comida era deliciosa y servida con rapidez y a un precio razonable. El pub está situado en la parte central del pueblo; es limpio, cómodo y agradable. Volveremos allí.

Ya que mover a Tockwith, hemos visitado el buey muchas veces vimos con nuestra familia o simplemente como una pareja con amigos o mi marido" una visita rápida a la oficina de correos". Ian y Shelia que dirige el pub son preciosas y la bienvenida a nuestros hijas. Hay un bonito jardín pub donde los niños pueden jugar, llevar nuestro perro y a menudo se ven personas que conocemos. No podría pedir un mejor local a poca distancia!

Good local pub nice and clean and the food does not disappoint plenty to choose from and sensibly priced.

Popped in for a pint whilst house hunting, sadly didn't findour ideal home in Tockwith because this would have quickly become a favourite watering hole. Friendly, well staffed, good range of well kept beers, and clearly the hub of the village. Well worth drapping into

No es muy estimulante, pero muy buena ale local encargado, elegimos desde un menú de bar y quedamos contentos con las ofertas. No teníamos mucho tiempo y la comida llegó muy rápido y me sorprendió que se sirve.

Visitamos hace varios meses en una noche de la semana. Un ambiente frío del encargado, menú pobre y la comida.

Had the good value deal with either a starter or sweet with your Sunday lunch for £11. Lunch was great except no choice of meat - beef only or otherwise eat off the normal menu. Having said that the beef was plentiful, big slices and tender and the rest was piping hot.

Hemos estado aquí un par de veces este verano.

Genial para un cumpleaños en el granero convertido en la parte trasera.

We have just had Sunday Lunch at this village pub we both had starters followed by the roast beef dinner the food was very good with large portions of tasty tender beef the service was good and staff friendly we will go again !!!

8 of us had lunch here a couple of weeks ago home cooked ham with 2 eggs chips & peas, home made steak pie chips & peas, cheese burgers and chips. The chips where the best we've ever tasted. Local pub clean and friendly, yes we had to wait for the food, but obviously cooked to order and well worth the wait, with drinks the bill was just over £90. very good value. Will go again if ever in the area.

This is a typically friendly traditional English village pub .It has good food but you may have to wait a while for your food to be cooked which we experienced out on both our visits .it is worth the wait though.

While we found the food good and there was plenty of it the service was appalling which lets the place down as it was busy and there seemed to be some kind of lunch club in when we visited so they got all the attention which was a shame as visitors like us probably would have returned again if it wasn't for the poor service

Had a lovely meal, slightly pricely but worth it. really friendly service. slightly slow but we weren't in a rush. really cosy pub.

Went for lunch on New Years Day. Our first visit and wasnt disappointed. Great choice of menu and reasonnable price too. The hosts were friendly and service excellent will certainly go again. Cosy warm welcoming atmosphere.

From visiting the pub on a few occasions in the past they do have a reasonable range of beers however the landlord is extremely rude and almost makes it out like he's doing you a favour to serve you. Much better pubs with a 5 mile radius.

Visited here for lunch with my Dad Chose the homemade vegetable and mint soup, amazing. Good hand pulled ales for Dad and reasonable prices for the bill payer ,me !

Like many village pubs you have to take "The Ox" as you find it. It has gone through a number of owners of varying quality of the many years that I lived in the village but now as a consistency under Ian and Sheila's tenancy. Ian keeps the beer to a very good standard and has a range of guest ales that change from time to time. The food again is consistent and the specials always offer good value for money and variety. Depending on how busy it is does affect the service, as with any establishment, so you do need to take it for what it is, a village pub, not a gastro pub or restaurant! It is also refreshing to find a landlord that doesn't need to be the centre of attention but is quietly funny and interesting when customers make the effort!

I can't fault the food or the atmosphere if I'm honest as everything our party had was excellent and cooked to perfection its or overpriced in fact I would say it's bang on the money I would have given this place 5 stars but the service and sullen staff let it down it's slow and a smile wouldn't go a miss rather than here's you food even if it took nearly 30 mins to arrive.

I've never eaten at the Spotted, but hear that if you are planning to do so you should only eat from the specials menu. It has a nice country village pub vibe, and is the chosen destination for catch ups between me and my friends, but also would benefit from some TLC on the decor (some of the seats lack their original springs). Very much the local's pub of choice, but the craft ales make it worth your while.

A recent trip to the spotted ox left me a little disappointed. The food is a little high in price for the quality but what was disappointing was the 1 and a half hour wait and not to get an apology or even place matts being brought to us till after the food was served. The service is a little frosty. But it's still a nice cosy pub

If you want to know everything you want to know about Europe, you should come to the Spotted Ox. They have a very cool breakfast, like a cigarette and a bar of chocolate. Dinner was very cool and healthy and I recommend the 4 or 5 sausages. In the evening I really enjoyed inviting my cigarette outside to take in the street life and have an espresso.

What can I say about The Spotted Ox that hasn't already been said? Right off the bat, the atmosphere and ambiance gave off an aura of somesing cool. It was like the coolest place in England kind of like how Jesus is the coolest person in America. I ordered about 4/5 bottles of red wine and the service was exemplary. I have to say the saosawages were covered in delicious heavy cream and were somesing light. After the meal, I went onto the patio to enjoy a cigawette and take in the night life. And, so much I did not get fat from the meal because of olive oil. So that's what I say.

I visited here after recommendations from villagers.....It was OK but that's about it...My hubby stated the beer was not the best he had tasted and I must admit the welcome was not that warm either. We are not local and there was none of the famous Yorkshire hospitality we have become used too.The food was OK, home cooked, nice and hot and a reasonable price.If your desperate for food and in the area try it, it could just have been an off day but reading some other reviews maybe not!

We've eaten and drunk here loads of times over the summer, mainly visiting on our bikes and taking advantage of the charming beer garden facilities, today we decided to book for Sunday lunch and turn up, sensibly dressed, in the car as not to frighten anyone with our Lycra !There is a extensive menu of freshly prepared dishes on offer guest beers and specials on a board.The Sunday lunch looked lovely that another couple were having but I decided on the homemade steak pie whilst my wife enjoyed the scampi followed by the treacle pud which she really enjoyed but said don't order if you're in a hurry as it was the temperature of a blast furnace but that's treacle for you ! The pub and loos are absolutely spotless, beer well kept, locals friendly and the man I assume is the Landlord was charming. Don't know why the last reviewer said he was a misery, perhaps he was looking in a mirror !We'll be back be it on bike or in the car .

Absolute disgrace of a pub. Landlord should go for traffic warden instead. My advise drive for another 5 mins.

Called into the Spotted Ox as we were passing on a Monday Lunchtime.There was a great choice of food at reasonable prices and when it arrived it was delicious.It looks and feels like a country pub should, not one of your 'plastic' chain pubs.It was warm, clean and friendly and if in the area I would certainly go again

Called tonight on a sunday. landlord and bar staff were fantastic as always. Food was absolutely spot on. I had Sams homemade pork pies and my husband had a rare rump steak which was gorgeous. We even bought some Pork Pies to bring home. Atmosphere and service were brilliant. Would not hesitate to recommend.

Boyfriend and I came for Sunday lunch, been a few times why?! The landlord is rude doesn't speak the barman us ok but no friendly welcome at all. What pub only serves food for 2 hours on a Sunday?! Most village pubs I have visited and worked in at least serve until 4/5!! Most definitely won't be going back, not even for a drink. We don't want chit chat all the time but a hello and a smile costs nothing!

Visited on a Monday lunch. As a retired publican and restaurant owner I am usually critical and look for faults. At the Spotted Ox from the initial welcome, to the service, the quality and presentation of the food, everything was excellent. The pub was spotless, the toilets immaculate.If we lived in the area we would certainly visit regularly.

Traditional pub food served in a friendly atmosphere. Good quality food at a very reasonable price. Staff were friendly and efficient.

Food is always fantastic, especially the specials which are varied and tasty. Friendly staff + great beers + great food = winner!

Visited the Spotted Ox with a group of friends and is situated a few miles from York. There is a small car park to the rear if the premises. The Ox serves cask ale but on my visit the quality just fell short of CAMRA GBG qualities. Our meal came quickly and was of reasonable quality. I had steak and kidney pudding, a previous reviewer complained about the quality but on my visit, it was ok. A lot of the regulars that we spoke to wee all pretty friendly, with one of the staff making us feel particularly welcome

Been tonight with our 8 year old who had been studying the menu since wednesday ... She decided on prawn cocktail which thankfully was served as a half portion... then she had the adult large yorkshire pudding with cumberland sausages ... Cannot be faulted. I had a beefburger with stilton and mu husband had a steak ... cooked to perfection .... friendly staff... very busy tonight but service was as always very good .

Been here numerous times since moving to a nearby village (that doesnt have a pub). The food is always fautless and the service from Ian and the gang is wonderful. The bar staff are always chatty and the hand pulled Timothy Taylor Landlord bitter is always on form (my husband is an ex landlord). There are a lot of so called food pubs that could really learn a lot from this place. Will definately be returning.

We were a bit late for lunch having been helping a friend move into this village but none the less the food was super-fresh vegetables, really hot plates and a friendly welcome-bodes well for the new comer!

We spent a few evenings in the bar, everyone was friendly and helpful. After trying unsuccessfully to organise a taxi home for us the owner arranged for Will the barman to take us home. You can't get better service than that. We arranged to meet friends for lunch one Saturday and despite us being very late to order (last orders for lunch are 1.45) nothing was too much trouble. The menu was varied, we had several different dishes including homemade meat pie, salmon and cod, all of which were outstanding! We were made to feel very welcome, even though we were quite loud.Overall a great day, great service and good value, we will definitely be back!

At first we was welcomed we ordered our food but when it came we was very dissapointed. Most of it looked like it had come out of a packet and warmed up especially the yorkshire pudding that went with the gravy that wasn't much thicker than water. When my son had got to about a third of his way into his gammon it was raw so we politley complained. The owner came over and said that it wasnt raw which it clearly was and offered to cook it more not replace the whole meal. When it came back it looked like it had been shoved in a microwave and completley destroyed and since that moment we felt very uncomfortable by the staff apart from 1 polite waitress. Dont go save your money.

Fantastic food, excellent value for money with generous portions. Lovely village public house with a great ambience. Well worth a visit.