The Turks Head in County Durham

Visited first time after lock down (I believe it’s opened under new management) on a Saturday afternoon. Booked a table for food and glad we did as it was very busy. The service was slow but this was mentioned on our arrival as they were under staffed and didn’t predict how busy it would be. However, the atmosphere was fab (lively, sport on the TV and a range of music was been played) and at the time we hardly noticed the wait between drinks and food! We ordered three different meals (Yorkshire Pudding, Cheeseburger and chicken and cheese baguette) portions were huge (for £6.95 each) and delicious. Lager and cider were reasonably prices too. Hopefully the place gets a well needed refurb under new management as it is the only negative - but I appreciate the pub has just recently reopened and Rome wasn’t built in a day! We’ll definitely be back.

We have been working on a property in Barney and have been popping in for drinks, we missed the dinner menu one night and lee kindly went and cooked us food even though the kitchen was closed! try getting that service any where else! always friendly always chatty and just in general a great bunch of people! also the homemade food is mega! YOU MUST VISIT!

Popped in on a rainy Saturday dinnertime , two foul mouthed yobs spewed expletives out every minute or so, so don’t take kids! Food cheap and ok but not fab. Basic, in more ways than one, but challenging local idiots (by management) from a bygone age might have made place more pleasant. Not a place for ladies!

We popped in for drinks and were amazed how cheap the drinks were and so well kept. The pub is very old and the service friendly.

Sadly a coat of paint on the outside can do little to enhance this pub. Walked in to an empty bar, no staff to be seen. Waited around 3/4 minutes before one of the locals went to hunt out someone to serve us. The beer we chose was off, sour and well past its sell by date! It was changed for a ever so slightly better pint, but even that wasn't as fresh as it should have been. So never again, if you do visit be sure to wipe your feet on the way out!

We've been going here for months so this is a somewhat belated review. The Turks Head is excellent value, both for beer and the range of sandwiches they offer. We haven't tried Sunday lunch but plenty do. Friendly bar staff and the place has a local feel to it despite being on the High St. The nicest pub in BC in our view.

My wife and I called in last Friday after walking in nearby Baldersdale. We ordered two drinks and two "hoagy" sandwiches. Mine was cheese and pickle and it arrived pretty promptly with chips and a fresh side salad. My wife had cheese and tomato. We both enjoyed our visit to "The Turk's Head". It is a traditional, independent English pub right next to the marketplace. But the best thing of all was the bill! Two drinks and two lunches for less than £10. Incredible value.

Been coming here for years, but since the new Managers took over it's gone downhill whereas the prices have gone up! The poor staff are sometimes run ragged because the Managers can't get a hold on required staffing levels. On a plus point, the food is still great value and the staff are lovely. The Managers, however, are disinterested!

We dropped into this pub in the hope of finding a snack for lunch on our way to the Bowes Museum. We both had a panini - ham and cheese. The food was really tasty and very inexpensive. The sandwiches came with side salad and chips all of which were freshly cooked. They also serve a good pint of real ale!

Good olde world pub...Staff friendly good seating areas, outside smoking area. Food served fast and was tasty can recommend

I’ll start out with a positive, young lad Sam was lovely and great to chat to as always, have come here for years now and was always a positive of the pub, however after the new manager has taken over the service has gone down, bar the young mans. The new manager seemed extremely dismissive of me and took a while to serve me even though there was no one else to be served. Little customer service skills. Price has also risen from £2.20 to £3.50 for a pint of dark fruits in the space of a year and a half, used to be the cheapest in town and now one the most expensive.

As a somewhat regular to this pub for a number of years, i feel the recent change in managemant and staffing has somewhat taken the soul that i remember from this pub. The recent price rises are pricing out any of the old clientell, however i was excited to see whether this significant price hike would result in an improvement in the quality or number of bubbles in my pint,i was unfortunately dissapointed. This pub was known to be cheap and cheerful, for old and young, however it is no longer cheap and i no longer feel at home like i used to. Rude managers and ever changing staff lead me to seek other pub in town to frequent.

Called for drinks only and was made welcome. A bit short of character for such an old place and some refurbishment is needed..

This is an ok pub. It appears to be more of a locals drinking place rather than for visitors, the regulars clustered around the bar discussing who was barred and how it had kicked off the previous night which the casual customer may find off putting. The food is cheap, you can't complain about a corned beef pie, chips and veg with a pot of tea for under £7. The pie was fine , the portion size good although the carrots were definitely tinned, fine dining it isn't but if you're after a quick, inexpensive pub meal this is a decent option. The service was ok , the food same quickly although I was slightly irked being the only diner to then have to go and fetch my cutlery and things from the bar which the waitress had come past with the plate, a minor point maybe but all feeds into my impression that this establishment is best described as a boozer than a place to go for a meal. I certainly wouldn't go with children. The pub is clean and tidy. Overall an average experience, nothing wrong per se equally nothing that would lead me to return.

No food served after 3pm so walked straight out. Went across the road instead Seemed ok other than that

After visiting the castle with my parents we needed somewhere to eat. Walking along the high street the first place we came across was closed so we decided to go to the second (which was The Turks Head across the road) and very glad we did.

Since moving to the area myself and my family are becoming quite the little regulars!

Having been a frequent visitor to Barnard Castle for the last 15 years for some reason we had never visited the Turks Head. We always had the impression of a dark unwelcoming pub. However some friends arranged to meet us there and to our suprise we found it the exact opposite.

My partner and I had visited Bowes museum and had nipped into Barnard Castle for a walk round and ended up in the Turks head for lunch .

Called in to get out of the snow on a bitter day in Barnard Castle. Warm welcome - staff were great. My wife had a lovely time reminiscing about the town with the locals. Bombardier beer good - we could have stayed all day!

I really like the traditional look of this pub, with its superb tile, brass and wood bar and dark wood furnishings. The layout is also perfectly old fashioned with open bar area augmented by some cubicle seating and cosy, snug areas.

Visited about 10:30pm. Good atmosphere, friendly locals. Prices reasonable. Good mix of music and age groups. Very spacious. Plenty of seating areas and room to dance! Not as busy as it used to be years ago when it was the ‘place to be!’

build your own burger and A Huntsman chicken baguette, all at very reasonable prices with a good range of ales, in nice surroundings, very pleasant staff, would recommend

We stopped here a few weeks ago for a quick beer after walking. The first pint was sent back as it was cloudy and foul (hobgoblin) Eventually got a replacement equally bad and was then offered a pint of speckled hen which was not up to scratch. Poorly kept real ale. Struck me as a bar that caters mainly for the mass produced lager and beer fraternity in an atmosphere less environment.

No esperaba mucho por £6 extraño, pero pescado congelado, probablemente reformado Coley, que había estado en el congelador demasiado tiempo y cocinadas de congelados, así que hecho incomible una pérdida de £6 raro!

Brill . Full of character and more . Clean good pub food . A very good selection of Real Ales and other draught . All very reasonable priced . New is the selection of Gins with mixers. The staff and management extremely freindly and pleasant.

Tuvimos el almuerzo de domingo para cuatro de nosotros este fin de semana. La comida era muy buena y de precio super. Bill para todos nosotros estaba bajo 30 libras! ! Mención especial a la fe en la cocina. . Bien hecho

Buceo, submarinismo, buceo. No estoy s comandante submarino, pero este lugar es un antro. Alfombras nuevas y pintura fresca fuera tentado está de vuelta. Persona en el bar que no saben nada de cerveza, perezosos y un grupo de borrachos en el bar. No sabía...

Un gran pub. Tienen una cerveza en el jardín y se puede disfrutar de comida que se sirve. Las bebidas son muy razonables menú grub tradicional pub. Gran servicio y ambiente

Llamamos aquí a romper nuestro viaje mientras que hacia el norte y estábamos tan contentos que hicimos, un hallazgo. Ambos decidimos por el pollo y tocino pan y patatas fritas que se presentaba muy bien y sabía deliciosa. La comida era estupenda relación calidad-precio junto con las bebidas, podría ser una buena botella de vino tenía por menos de 10 libras o para aquellos con un gusto para cócteles estos estaban a sólo 2 libras. 50, aunque no sucumba tentadora, ya que era la hora del almuerzo, pero era difícil de resistir. Creo que tendrá que volver para una noche la próxima vez.

Called into the Turks Head for lunch while in Barnard Castle for the weekend.Not disappointed. Excellent value for money.We had the Gammon and lasagne both meals lovely. Very big portions.Will certainly go back.

Rare to find a proper drinkers pub these days, that hasn't had the "plastic" brewery chain makeover. The Turks Head has just undergone a major refit but thank goodness it has retained it's unique identity. With very well kept ales, good value food, friendly staff and good banter from the locals you'll struggle to find a better traditional pub than this one!

Passing though Barnard Castle and popped in for a drink on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Just wish we had needed to eat because the food looked so good. The beer was very well kept and a reasonable price and the welcome was warm

Well what can I say the Turks is looking the bees knees new decor the place looks fantastic. As always the staff r friendly and helpful always make u feel welcome . Food spot on well worth it . Looking forward to visiting again .

We were passing through Barnard Castle and popped in for a drink, once inside we didn't want to leave, it was so peaceful and relaxing, if we didn't have the car we would've stayed there all night, it was that good we popped back in the following day for lunch before heading on with our travels, the food is outstanding and such value and quality for your money, we have said we are going to come back to Barnard Castle for the weekend just to come to this pub it's that good!

Have been going into this pub for absolutely years. Popped into the Turks Head with my 21 year old son (remember this) for a post comedy show drink, as my son asked for a pint of larger and 2 cokes the manager who was barman literally snarled at my son "ID", my son who also goes into this pub regularly says I'm driving the lagers for my dad, barman states I'm not serving you until you produce ID!! At this I say I'll get them, barman says I'm serving you either!! I'm absolutely appalled, very upset and angry! My husband went back into the pub to show my sons ID and the barman was exceptionally rude to him as well. place was nearly empty on a sat night at 10:30, it needs a complete overhaul and a new manager with less attitude! I won't ever go back into this place and if I could have given it a minus rating I would. As you can all see I post good honest reviews, and the fact I am even writing this shows how angry I am with this establishment.

The food is lovely, the lasagne is just the best, gammon, scampi, baguettes, sunday roasts etc all really tasty and priced at £5.50 The decor is in process of being updated but its a gem of a pub for food.

Been visiting the Turks for some years now the food is plenty full and cheap good atmosphere cheerful helpful staff . The deco is being updated more cosy looking fits in well with the building will be back .

My wife and I decided to have Yorkshire roast dinners I had the beef the wife had the lamb with all the trimmings, I have to say we were not disappointed. The portions were huge and were very tasty. Great value for £10.40 including a drink... best in town by a country mile.

Lots of pubs and cafes to choose from in Barnard Castle, the choice was difficult. Glad we decided on The Turks Head which satisfied our late lunch appetite. Decent food, decent prices and decent wine.

A bit of a rough diamond that needs updating but the staff are friendly, the food is excellent, and the cost is great value for money. Is very much a "local" and a well kept secret. £5,20 for fish and chips and a pint, you can't go wrong. If decor doesn't impress you but good food and service does then this is the place for you. All in all Excellent.

Took the family here for Sunday Lunch, it's one of the only places where I can get a decent lamb Sunday roast. Absolutely beautiful the meat just fell apart and was so flavoursome. The portion sizes were decent not to big but definitely not small! The only criticism I would have and its down to personal choice more than anything was that some of the veg was a little hard but as I say that's more down to personal choice of how I like my veg cooked. The bar staff were friendly and polite will definitely be eating here again!

This pub on first appearance is fairly run down, don't let this put you off, it's cosy and staff are friendly. I ordered the lasagne and this was by far the best lasagne i'd ever had, including italian restaurants, worth the visit for this alone, def recommend it

Food was faultless although the plates were a little grubby. Very reasonable. The only thing that let it down was the state of the place, dirty tables, place is well used and dirty. Good value for money if you are on a budget as some other places are rather expensive around Barny.

We ate here a few years ago on a previous visit and enjoyed the food and as it was the first eating place we came across we decided to try it again. it is an old pub but the décor really needs modernising. The carpets are threadbare and the upholstery badly worn and shiny..That said the service was extremely friendly and helpful. I had the Friday special of fish and chips and a pint of real ale for £5.20 yes £5.20!!!!!!!. The beer was well kept and the fish and chips was fine for a lunchtime meal. Not large but well cooked served with lovely chips, peas and a salad. My wife had the ploughman's which she couldn't finish as it was so large. A welcome meal. I t was a pity about the décor and the cold draughts from the open doors which the staff seemed used to having open but not good for customers.

Me and 2 friends had just visited the YSL exhibit at Bowes Museum and were craving a pub lunch. This place was the first pub we saw when coming out of the little alley to main street and we are so lucky that we decided to go in! The staff were so friendly and the food was amazing! Portion sizes were huge but that didn't affect the quality of the meals! Not to mention at an affordable price!!Would definitely recommend popping in for a meal! Will be going in for another meal next time I'm in the area!

Had lunch here (six adults) and it was a bit of a shambles! One of us waited 25 mins for a coffee, one jacket potato out of 3 ordered came with the wrong filling and took 20 mins to resolve, oh and the venue is dirty, the poor place has damp ingress or an old leak in the ceiling which has been 'repaired) , the cloth covered seating is shiny and a little sticky and the stools wobbly, it really is sad. The staff were pleasant but there seemed to be only 2 of them working front of house, the soup was hot and apparently the liver and mash was lovely but it really does need a little love spent on it, not a total makeover to change it's character though.

Called for Sunday lunch with the family! Fantastic value for money on all aspects. Sunday dinner full of meat and veg, with the added bonus of kids free meal with adult meal purchased. Enjoyed so much we managed to squeeze a pudding in. Will definitely be returning

Lovely cornrd beef pie washed down with Guiness at £2.20 a pint. Incredible. Real ales ciders I was told are also all only £2.20 per pint !Place is centuries old and the adorning bric a brac, old wirelesses etc adds to the market town ambience IMO

Where to start with this shambles of a place? Should have realised when the place was half empty to avoid at all costs. Three of us for lunch - ordered drinks, 2 from the bar and a tea. One drink sent back as lipstick all over glass, which, to be fair, the barman was very apologetic about. Waited almost an hour for 3 meals - should have left when we had the chance - a couple opposite had to take their meal back to be 'warmed' as it was cold. One of us went to enquire where the meals were - again barman very apologetic and offered free drinks or pudding. Just as he said they would be a few minutes the 'cook' (I use this term very loosely) popped out and returned from the shops a few minutes later with what I presume was ingredients for our order. I ordered the ploughmans - couldn't believe what arrived - a few slices of ham, 3 bits of cucumber, 3 bits of cheese, half a jar of pickled onions and some limp lettuce that was well past its best. I also ordered a side of wedges - I've never seen a side which was bigger than the main, but this was - a full packet of wedges almost (frozen ones). The other two meals were inedible and were left. Didn't even want to wait for a refund just wanted to get out as fast as we could. Straight next door for 'real' food! Another note - should have realised what the place was like when two women changed a toddlers nappy in front of us - not what you expect where food is served! Never again - stay well clear!

Visited 01 August, fantastic staff and clientele. Lovely food at really reasonable prices - including free children's meal. Best of all, I managed to leave my iPad behind, I rang four hours later when I realised and the young barman reassured me that it was safely behind the bar. We'll definitely be back - highly recommended.

meal was ok and good value for money but decor and toilets could be improved a good clean would help

We have not been to the Turks Head for a while although regular visitors to Barnard Castle and had heard that its standards had gone down. Couldn't be further from the truth! We had an inexpensive extremely enjoyable lunch. Staff were friendly and helpful, it was a busy Saturday with the farmers market on but we found a table without any problems and the service was prompt and happy! Menu's were fresh and new with more options than we had experienced previously. I had the "special" which was a corned beef pie with lots of extra's. Childrens menu was quite suitable for my youngest and the other choices were great.Would heartedly recommend a visit. Really great for just dropping in with the family.

I got the impression this was a locals pub, not a tourist pub. Came in here for a quick sandwich over lunch. However this took a long time to cook and when it came out yes it was filling but not the best quality of food. Then again it wasn't an expensive meal.Bar staff were friendly so no problem there.I liked the character of the pub with little item spread over, interesting to look at. The pub could do with a bit of a face lift but I understand that can be difficult in a place that doesn't get a steady flow of trade throughout the year.

Myself and the Mrs decided to try here on a day out in Barnard castle. I had eaten here a few years ago with family and told my other half how great the food was. So, we went in with high expectations that unfortunately were not met. We were greeted by a friendly barman, who was the highlight of our lunch. I ordered the home made lasagna and the wife ordered sausage peas and mash. We were served by a young lady who was pleasant enough, although when our cutlery was brought one knife still had dried on food attached to it. The meals arrived shortly afterwards, although the wife`s peas did not. I pointed this out to our waitress who apologised and returned with the aforementioned peas in a broken ramakin (!) These were clearly tinned and quickly reheated, given away by their yellowing colour. The lasagne was OK, although nothing special, and the salad consisted of half a tomato, 1 ring of onion, 2 cucumber slices and a small amount of iceberg. All in all I would recommend eating elsewhere for anything other than a quick lunch.

Deciding on spending a day In Barnard Castle I thought I would try The Turks Head and have a hearty all day breakfast (this was after walking out of another establishment nearby that was so slow taking orders) I had travelled some way and was keen not to waste time. The young lady behind the bar was delightful, welcoming and quick to serve. The breakfast arrived quickly but was rather disappointing. The two eggs and hash browns were totally over cooked or re-heated. The bacon was black. The three!! Sausages and baked beans were Good. I discreetly mentioned this to the manager/ owner who was most apologetic and said he would speak to the chef, he offered me another drink which I declined. I will go back and try the lunches that have good reviews and all in all my comments were dealt with well.

We randomly selected this venue for lunch whilst visiting Barnard Castle. The interior is old world pub style, warm and friendly, open fire with a variety of seating areas - cosy to open plan. We ordered giant Yorkshire pudding filled with roast beef and gravy, roast potatoes and other vegetables were provided on the side. The meal was excellent - served hot to our table. One of the best Yorkshire puddings I have had the pleasure to eat.

We have eaten here at lunchtime on many occasions and have never been disappointed. The staff are courteous and the food faultless. Will definitely return!