Ye Olde Elk Inn in Castlereagh

I called in for some help, I was out with my 90 year old mother and had become stranded and my phone drained of battery. Thought that I would get help in The Elk,, oh how wrong I was....I entered the downstairs bar and was immediately struck with how dingy, dark and noisy it was. I went to the bar to ask for help. At the bar the barman (small stocky, grey haired, gruff elderly man) first of all barracked me for being at the bar. I tried to explain that I needed help and that of course I would buy a drink,,, he brushed me off and ignored me whilst I stood there,,,,he went to the till for a number of minutes while I stood, then took a plate of chips out,, meanwhile I started to explain to a young girl waitress my plight - I was looking for an iphone charger (how many of those are there in the world!!!??) She was starting to take on board what I was saying when the short gruff barman came back and barked that they don't charge phones. I understand that normally this would be a pain but I had tried to explain the plight that I was in,,,,,but he was just rude, gruff and bad tempered. I've been in the Elk in the past but doubt if I will ever darken its door again, the atmosphere was dark and uninviting. Unfortunately I will of course be spreading the word. Courtesy costs nothing.

Fui aquí 2 celebrar maridos 60 cumpleaños. El personal fue más que acogedor. Nada molesta 2 de ellos. Habíamos pedido nuestra comida ya que había 32 personas en la comida. La comida era gorg. Cada uno disfrutó su comida. El personal decoró las mesas para nosotros y hizo un gran trabajo. Wud definitivamente lo recomendaría y definitivamente volveremos pronto. MUCHAS GRACIAS.

Popped in for lunch great food and service, reasonably priced and I will definitely be back sometime soon

Went here boxing day with family food very nice didn't have to wait to long.staff very nice would certainly go back again.reasonably priced.call in if passing by.nice& clean . customer service very good.

Stopped on the way from Belfast to Donegal and found this gem! Great menu, friendly staff and nice atmosphere. The elk burgers were delicious, really good.

Esta fue nuestra última parada en el camino hacia el aeropuerto para volar a casa y qué lugar tan encantador. Dentro está muy bien decorado y todas las mesas tienen habitación alrededor de ellos.El servicio era maravilloso. Las bebidas llegaron aEl menú está muy bien ubicado y teníamos el menú del almuerzo. Había mucha variedad.Toda la comida se convirtió en buen tiempo y era muy agradable. También teníamos una taza de té, que fue rellenado sin coste extra.Como el costo de comer teníamos 4 comidas grandes que vinieron a £43.Altamente recomendado

We came here for dinner on 23 December. Upon entering the building we were greeted with an overflowing ashtray at the front (should have left at this point) when we got into the restaurant there wasn't even a Christmas tree lit up or any decorations for that matter! There were 4 other diners in the restaurant when we arrived so not busy at all. The waitress kindly seated us in a little booth and was very pleasant. The booth we were seated at was grubby and the windows could have done with a good scrub! Also not very practical for breastfeeding a young baby as very little room to move. The waitress brought us the menus promptly and took our drinks order. I explained that I had dairy and soya allergies and could she explain to the chef so they could either provide me with an allergen menu or cater for my diet. She came back with the drinks a short time later and explained that the chef had stated that I wouldn't be able to have anything that was fried from the menu. Difficult considering everything is fried or served in a cream sauce!! Having explained this she headed back again to the chef, again she came back asking what I would normally order from a menu. Another 5 mins passed and she came back again explaining that the chef could only provide me with a Thai curry. No offer of anything else, I declined and we ordered food for my young son as it was late. He ate and we left shortly after 7pm heading to a local takeaway for our dinner! Following this experience I sent them 2 messages explaining my disappointment, still awaiting a response!!!! Complete lack of customer service and I will not be returning or recommending to others for that matter.

Lunch booked for work party. Food adequate and service reasonable. Room cold however and few in. Feel staff trying hard but place not being run or supervised adequately at food end. Bar service fine. Could be a lot better atmosphere.

Cinco de nuestra familia llegamos para el almuerzo día de Boxeo en Ruby's Dundonald, que había reservado previamente y también semanas habían pedido a pedidos de nuestras comidas. Nos recibieron con la vista de una camarera haphazzardly en en la entrada porque el limpiador hubiera aumentado. El lugar no estaba limpia y era todo muy desorganizado y muy poco personal. Un camarero o barman con una camiseta sucia y tomamos nuestro vino nombre, procedieron a llevarnos a la zona de asientos en cabinas que tenía muy mal desgarrado asientos! ! ! Protesté diciéndole que parecía una vista! Nos trasladamos a la taquilla de al lado. El lugar estaba tan helada, comimos nuestro almuerzo con nuestros abrigos! La comida estaba bien, aparte de mi madre, carne asada y unedible correosos. Cuando nos íbamos, mi madre que se había roto el tobillo 2 semanas antes, entramos en el ascensor con mi mi sobrina que tiene epilepsia y también está embarazada. El ascensor llega al final, pero la puerta no se abre, así que tuvimos que soportar durante años mientras el personal a tratar de solucionar, con hablar de quizás necesiten los bomberos! Así que, en general, decepcionante.

This is now called Ruby's and we called in last Saturday for a meal with our granddaughter. We ordered a child's meal of cheese and ham pizza, a drink and ice cream to the value of £4.95. when the meal arrived the pizza was in fact ciabatta which appeared to be toasted, our granddaughter couldn't eat it. We had to ask for the drink and also the ice cream. Our meals were not good either, my meal had been microwaved. Very disappointing meal.

Vine aquí para el almuerzo después de menú pensando sonaba bastante bien. Sólo había un miembro del personal de recepción, que para una tarde de sábado no es suficiente. Pedí un plato de nachos para compartir. Espere 20 minutos y salir, no llegaron nuestros platos principales nachos. La principal pedí pollo chili fue salados (entrante, plato principal) como una porción. Con romero y patatas fritas rocas de sal. No hay absolutamente sin sal o chili en la goujons, sólo un minúsculo de salsa dulce llovizna chili. Tan soso. Si anuncian un plato como chili picante que esperas salado salados pollo. Luego tenemos la factura, nachos eran, y tuvimos que preguntar para conseguir que quitaron. También me cobraron £3. 95 para mi fichas en la parte superior de las 10 libras. 95 principales. Las demás comidas de pollo con papas fritas incluidas goujons así que no creo que era justo cobrar un extra. No inspiró a volver por ahora.

We stopped for lunch en route from Aldergrove airport to Donegal. The lunch was delightful and the service was very good. Everyone enjoyed their choice of food. Would go back.

4 almuerzo de domingo llamado tbh y debería haber girado en la puerta, (imagen) de principio a fin, fue horrible! Rubys no duró mucho en este precio! Nos encontramos en la puerta del cenicero! ! ! Fuimos en 2 y no 1 el restaurante llegó cerca de nosotros, nos sentamos en una mesa y barman ridícula sobre "u" deseando comida trajo menús y aunque mesa estaba sucia, él simplemente les tiraron arriba de la mesa, no venga bk con un paño. Cuando la chica se estaba poniendo abajo cubiertos no importa para limpiar mesa, así que le pedí 2 hacerlo, ella luego fuimos a barman & sniggered. El lugar estaba muerto y que una mesa de unos 20 acabamos de izquierda, no era limpiada desde que llegamos hasta que nos fuimos, el personal simplemente andaban alrededor de bar en sus teléfonos! Me preguntaron qué era la sopa de zanahoria y y me dijeron que era picante de cilantro, tomate. Mi marido nos paté que había sido cubierta? ? ? Turquía y jamón era como algo de Islandia y la carne asada era patética. No me sentía del todo cómodo y me acabo tbh debes pensarlo salimos! Lugar es sucio, la zona del bar, los vasos y platos bajo el! En ningún momento nos preguntamos si era todo bien aunque fuimos los platos con mucho bk en ellos! No hay 1 positivo me temo!

Pasé un par de noches en un hotel local, así que caminamos hasta el Olde Elke Inn, ahora Rubys.

Mi pareja y yo hemos visitado el Elk (ahora bajo nueva dirección y rebautizado como "ruby", forma parte de una cadena. ) en varias ocasiones en el pasado, y han sido lo suficientemente contento con el servicio y la comida, hasta hace aproximadamente un mes cuando fuimos un domingo por la noche.

La comida regular marrón (pub grub) Solo he ido durante las reuniones grandes, no por elección personal su comestible sólo. Yo soy de Nueva York y estoy acostumbrado a mucho mejor dicho. Mejor para bebidas y no tanto por la comida.

de la route franchement on pourrait ne pas le savoir ouvert, mais si, en fait le restaurant est plutôt chaleureux, tout en bois, le personnel serviable avec un fort, très fort accent, on s'accroche mais pour 10£ on a un très bon fish and chips, ou encore le pulled pork délicieux, bref une halte avant l arrivée à l'aéroport, en venant du nord, assez pratique et pour un rapport qualité prix très honorable. On s 'est régalé même si la carte et le lieu restent classiques. Une halte bien venue

Was welcomed warmly by waitress who took our drinks order then our food menu. However we sat for over 20 minutes after our starter. I had to take the empty plates to the bar and we have now left as tables all around us are eating but still no sign of our meal. Disgraceful and the manager has the cheek to say food takes time for different people! We are chefs we know how it works. When we went to pay for our starters and soft drinks we were charged for a bacardi also!PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME GOING HERE. The managers mates were well looked after as they were sitting behind me! Can't believe we still paid for what we got when we complained! There were only 4 other tables eating so it's not as if it was busy! Not impressed at all.

My daughter treated me to dinner on Mother's Day. The food was absolutely yummy, everything was well presented and delicious. The chocolate brownie which we had for dessert was scrumptious! We shall most definitely return.

I heard good things about the Elk and because it's so local thought I'd give it a go. Table spacious and private which was good for a catch up but we went early so atmosphere was lacking. The batter on the chicken was very nice, but unsure about quality of chicken. My friend had another type of chicken and felt not great. I have heard the lasagne is good. Staff were friendly. It was a decent meal, but I won't be rushing back.

Lovely meal. Friendly staff. Would recommend the Elk Burger. Very reasonable priced.Will eat there again.

Was here on boxing day with my mother. Was the first I had been here for food in a long time. I had the chicken and beacon cesar salad and mother had beef burger. We were both very impressed. The salad was a big portion and very filling was very tasty too. My mother was impressed with hers as well. Would definitely be back.

Stopped off for Lunch, on way back from Junction 1.The Bistro was very nice, plenty of spacious tables. It was very quiet when we arrived.Just ordered a main, I had Lasagne. It was very nice and tasty. Not a huge portion, and one of those small bucket of chips.The food was very nice and flavoursome, and the staff were attentive.Just the job for a quick bite.

Good food,nice atmosphere good portion sizes very friendly staff some things a bit over priced I would say to be fair but the place is very clean and welcoming it also has a lift for disabled or elderly.

Having not been in the Elk Inn in Dundonald for many years, I was glad I chose it for a meal on a Saturday evening.The premises were clean, warm, comfortable and well furnished, and with booking not required, we were shown to a booth which afforded privacy.The menu was well priced and covered everything you would expect, from chicken to steak, and from pasta to fish. Haddock with chunky chips and mushy peas, was ordered by us both, it was well-cooked, piping hot and fresh, and was delivered to the table in quick fashion.The haddock unfortunately contained a few bones, no reason why they couldn't have been removed, but the batter was light, and the main generally good.The dessert menu too was good value, with banoffee and pavlova being ordered. Unfortunately the banoffee looked "tired", possibly having been in the refrigerator too long, or was maybe the last slice.I think a new serving from a fresh batch should have been offered.Lager beer and soft drinks washed the meal down well.All this for £35, is decent value. The servers were all friendly, welcoming, and in smart, hygienic uniforms.Having rediscovered the Elk, I hope to be back more regularly.I've already decided that the steak and chicken strips in pepper sauce will be my next order. GM

Called in on a Sunday afternoon for dinner.... Was pleasantly surprised by the menu.... Lots to choose from.... Fairly cheap..... Staff were friendly ......

After waking up with a hangover last weekend I knew the rest of the day would follow one of two paths:A) Pain and misery as I curl up into a ball and slowly perish under my bedsheets until 6pm that night or B) A sudden desire to have a fully trimmed Sunday carvers to satisfy my need for a monstrous feed.Luckily it was option B, so we decided to find a suitable car very around Belfast to take the kids to. We decided to invite the outlaws so we fixed our search around Dundonald, this led us to the Elk and its 3 Cse Sunday lunch. Whilst not a carvery we felt it was adequately enough priced to give it a go.The Elk is good hearty food, well priced and well portioned. I opted for the tomato soup which was flavoursome, the turkey and veg which as plentiful and the pavlova which was a hefty plate of meringue goodness.It's also well priced, £16.95 for three good courses is excellent. It probably isn't as good overall as the stormount hotel round the corner but it's nearly half the price of it.If you're in the early and looking a decent feed then it's a solid shout that generally doesn't disappoint.It does a curry night also for £6 and a two courses mid week for £11.

We came here for dinner and found the food excellent. Thursday night is curry night with main courses for 6 pounds. The device was attentive and prompt.

Called for food yesterday. 2 adults 3 kids. Menu catered for us all.Had an offer on for 2 courses and bottle of wine for £25. We had salted chilli chicken for starter. It came with an Asin slaw. Really tasty.For main we both went for the Elk burger. It was massive and full of flavour.Sides included .Kids had lasagne, chicken strips and chips and free ice cream for £5 each.Kids got to enter a colouring inn comp for the disney store. Fingers crossed

The Elk used to be one of my favorite spots for food & drinks when long ago I lived in Ballyhackamore, just down the road. Before this visit, my last meal there was in 1999, when it had gone all upmarket with modern cuisine & new decor. Fast-forward to the present & the upstairs restaurant is now my kind of style - traditional-looking, with dark wood panels - rich, warm & inviting (unlike the current trend for blandness elsewhere). I liked the four-seater booths by the large windows as well. And the staff were pleasant & efficient. As for the food, my guess is that the current management have decided not to try competing with the Ballyhackamore restaurants, some of which are top-class these days. Instead, they have opted for a pub-grub style menu.This is fine, but the dishes seem to be overloaded with vegetables and/or salad, which makes them unnecessarily large and rather tasteless. It was nostalgic to go back here after all this time, but unfortunately I have to give my old favorite an average score on this occasion.

Went with my partner for our anniversary, having never been for food before. The menu was quite limited, however all the dishes sounded tasty and I decided on a garlic bread starter to share, a burger for my main while my other half got the chicken goujons.Food was tasty and presented well, the garlic bread was to die for, would definitely recommend!! I found the burger very very meaty tasting and thick (some people may like that) but tasted almost like a pepperami to me, but was sill nice none the less. My partner really enjoyed her meal and the chunky chips were really lovely. The desserts all looked absolutely amazing but we were so stuffed so decided on a coffee to finish instead which was mediocre, but it's not a coffee shop so can't complain too much. The place did seem a bit dead for a Saturday night, although we were didn't quite late (8-9pm)Good service however the waiters could be a little more polite and welcoming!!

Went here for an early Saturday lunch with family & the place was empty which meant the waitor was very attentive. The menu isn't extensive but what we got was cooked well & tasty, though my burger was a little dry, but only because they had used a very good quality of mince- burgers really need some fatty meat in them to be juicy. Other customers started to come as we were leaving. We will definitely return to try the Sunday lunch.

Called for lunch, good menu and lunch time specials available for £5.95 which we had, they were both large enough for lunch and served quickly.

Loved it. Nice and peacefull staff and food amazing . The surroundings were beautifully done. A all rounder great place to go

The title says it all really. Went here with the other half and we got two starters, two mains at £10.95 each. As soon as we walked through the door we were welcomed by the staff and given the choice of either a booth or a seat in the restaurant, we chose a booth. We were given menus and our server (seemed to be a manager) told us of the daily soup and roast and the specials then offered us a drink. I went for the trio of brie to start and she had the salted chilli chicken. The brie was delicious and great portion size. Partner told me the chicken was amazing too. not too spicy but a nice kick. For main course I went for The Elk Burger, a homemade patty topped with cheese, tobacco onions and bacon. It was Massive! You could tell the patty was home made, the spices and blend in it were amazing. The bang bang chicken also got a full thumbs up! After our mains we were stuffed but our waiter invited us to sit on and enjoy our drinks. After about 10 minutes he came back and offered desserts. We were both impressed with the amount of homemade desserts there were. I remember there being, pavlova, banoffee and cheesecake to name a few. We opted to split a cheesecake which flavour of the day was creme egg. The slice came out like a door wedge. and was topped off with fresh cream. The only thing I would say is that the portion sizes are very big. They are good value for money but you do need to sit 10 minutes before you make your dessert decision as they are extremely good but you may be put off if you're full. Service was impeccable. We will be back!!

Went here as a group 4 adults and 4 children it was my daughters 12th birthday and they made us all very welcome and looked after us. The food was amazing, the 2 courses for 2 people with a bottle of wine is a fantastic offer!! Really good value for tasty food and a great bottle of wine. The kids meals were excellent value too and they all enjoyed it. Would recommend The Elk to anyone

We were in need of food at around 2pm before we had to make our way to the airport to catch our flight home, and we decided to stop at Ye Olde Elk Inn. What a great decision that was! Firstly, I really like that the main bar area is separated from the eating area upstairs, it makes it a whole lot more enjoyable when you're not surrounded by rowdy drunks. Our meals were lovely and they were doing a deal where you could have a starter and a main meal for £10.95 which was a great deal! Overall it was a fantastic meal and if I go to Belfast again I would certainly go again!

Had a nice reunion and a few drinks before the meal which was delicious and very reasonably priced and the service was second to none .

Had some time to waste so decided to nil in for snack and glass of wine. It was very quiet- I was unsure whether it was open! But I was warmly greeted, had my choice of seats and enjoyed passing an hour reading my paper with a lovely glass of wine and reasonably priced snack.

Went here for our work Christmas dinner, to be honest, I usually find these disappointing so wasn't expecting much but honestly, was the nicest one I have had out in years. Stayed on for the quiz and the only negative thing I can say is that I would prefer it started a bit earlier. Have been in again for lunch since, had one of their lunch bowls but was given a normal sized portion by mistake but they charged only for what I ordered. Staff seem very friendly

Called in on Saturday afternoon, restaurant was quiet but the service and food were great, good menus for kids and adults, food was nice and service was good, would definitely go again

After my first visit I was not expecting much but I got a nice shock as usual the service was brilliant apart from the lady telling me about by own review awkward. But anyhow I ordered Nachos starter and asked could I get an extra burger which they did and it looked amazing and tasted even better It was the best burger i have had since coming back from Vegas and thats over a year ago In summing up a really good visit and glad I gave the placce a second chance I will look forward to my next visit thanks guys .

Visited around 6ish on a Monday eve. We were the only ones in the restaurant, cold interior, staff friendly, the food was fine, nothing too special, it was a long time since I had dined in there and unfortunately it will a long time since I will again.

We called in today for a quick lunch. Food was great, highly recommended! Although there only seemed to be one waitress serving. She was running around trying to keep everyone happy as most had arrived for lunch at the same time. Definitely need more staff on at lunchtime. Just not the same service when the waitress hasn't time to think.

Called in for meal tonight, really nice great evening meal deal, 2 courses and bottle of wine, £25. Very friendly staff and nice atmosphere, can't do enough for you. Food real delicious very wholesome.

Service left a lot to be desired. The crockery and cutlery was filthy. The food was very poor indeed. The table had been wiped over with a cleaning fluid and it absolutely stunk it put us right off. The food and service at McDonalds is much superior. Please avoid.

Visited here a week ago for lunch with my Fiancée. The pub is set on the main road leading into Dundonald. We were greeted by a really nice member of staff to showed us to our table. We both ordered salt and chilli chicken which came out was just standard chicken goujions with a sweet chilli sauce. So for main I ordered bang bang chicken and was shocked to see the same chicken goujions we had for the starter with a different sauce. It was comical. Seems to me that they bought a job lot of chicken goujions. The dessert appeared to be from iceland and was awful. Their only saving grace was their staff who were brilliant. Slightly disappointed in this place as I had been wanting to visit for a while. I am afraid this will be my one and only visit. At nearly £40 for what can only be described as food from a supermarket not really good value either.

It's nice in the Elk. The atmosphere is relaxed, the food is good and the staff helpful and friendly. We were a party of 10, adults and children, and we were catered for very well. It's very reasonably priced and really there is little to find fault with.

My daughter and I had dinner here last night and both very much enjoyed it.There is a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. The staff are attentive without being intrusive, friendly and polite.The food was great, well presented and tasty and also competitively priced. It was good to relax over dinner and not to feel rushed. Thanks everyone.

Partner had steak I had burger food was lovely service was excellent could not find a fault with anything everything we asked for was no problem staff are extremely friendly have eaten twice here now and both times have been very good I would recommend

Avoid at all cost useless you want v&d afterwards and to be out of pocket for a below average meal and experience. Desert couldn't be worse if they tried no effort goes into you would be anything better staying home with a can of soup you will enjoy it more!!!!!

I came here for a family dinner well it was my birthday, I have to say the decor is nice the staff was friendly, and helpful. The order for our drinks was taken and we decided what we wanted to eat. We really enjoyed what we had and would definitely be back :)

Me and my girlfriend went here for food last night and it was by pure chance that we need. We had decided on another restaurant but then spotted this place and decided to go in. On arrival the place was empty and where unsure as to stay or not. We were seated by a nice waitress who was very helpful and friendly so we decided to stay. We go 2 courses each and a bottle of wine for just £25 which I thought was very well priced and the portions were very fair. Would definitely go here again.

Whilst passing by one weekday lunchtime decided to try this out. Its big and clean to a sweep of the eye but has an empty, 90s feel to it. Absolutely no problem with food, got what we expected. Home cooked fish n chips. The excellent batter was a bonus. Surprisingly good coffee. The staff were pleasant and attentive to all 7 customers present.This is a locals bar and restaurant. It is what it is! It works .At least the chips served are real not bulk buy frozen.

Been here a few times and have had a different meal each time ,their champ and chicken is amazing as is their beef and chicken sizzler , staff polite and attentive . I've eaten in quite a few places and the Elk is somewhere il def return to again x

We happened upon the Olde Elke because we missed our Stormont Castle stop on a cold and blustery June day and so glad we had the opportunity to eat here. The food was fresh, well cooked & nicely presented. The staff were very friendly and we spent a very comfortable & enjoyable hour there before heading back to the city centre - Stormont Castle is for a warmer day !.

We eat here quite regularly. The food is always great and the staff are very welcoming and friendly. Definitely getting busier since the long awaited £5.95 lunch menu. Highly recommended!

Called over weekend, partner and I had mains and dessert and bottle of wine for £25 which was excellent value. Was busy but didn't take long for the food to arrive and it was hot not just warm. Considering its a meal deal you have 5/6 main and desserts to choose from. Wine was good quality (barefoot brand), had rose which is delicious. I had goujons and the best apple and blackberry crumble with custard ever, both generous portions. Although busy staff were attentive and efficient. Excellent value, will be back.

I find it funny that all the local bar files (and also bar management putting them up to defending their bar, i know how this works with bars/resturaunts) are giving off about my opinion. And there are also several other people on here leaving bad reviews about the service they have recieved in this bar so mine is certinaly not an isolated incident. Yes this bar is by no means a wine bar or lounge as i have read in a previous comment, but it is also not a welcoming enviorment for new customers. This is trip advisor for a reason - to post about the service you recieved at places, and on my visit to the elk i recieved very bad service so i am just within my right to let other people know so they dont make the same mistakes myself and all the others who have posted about their bad service.

Myself and three friends arrived for dinner on 26th March 2015. They had already told me about the poor service they had received by one member of staff on a number of occasions but because the food is so good we decided to give it another try. Once again the male member of staff was less the friendly, no please, thank-yous or even a smile was offered. It was as if he really could not be bothered with us or his job at all. We only ordered main courses and after 50 minutes they had still not arrived. I asked the member of staff how long they would be and he went to the kitchen to check and came back with our meals. No apology or explanation, just set our meals down without a word. I must give them praise that the food is excellent but the service is poor. I would however say that we are 99% sure that the chips that night were in fact McDonalds chips (possibly hence the long wait), if they were not they are identical and yummy anyway.

I am new to trip advisor and have started reviewing the places i have been to, and after reading some of the comments about the elk i had to post 1 to. Im sorry PhilN but i have to agree with the comment previous to yours, obviously you are a regular and want to defend where you drink. My partner and i used to frequent the elk for food or a wee drink in the evening a few times a week, We have started going elsewhere because of the poor service we had mainly in the public bar aswell. i know in a bar like that the language is colourful to say the least, but that is no excuse for the staff to talk like that aswell. There was one bar man in particular (grey hair about 5 and a half foot) who was so rude to my partner that was the reason we stopped going there. The time you have to wait to get a drink is horrendus, the service is awful even the lounge bars standard have dropped and its just not a friendly welcoming place. We started going to the lonely poet instead and i really cant fault the place.

Customer service is awful. Was in the public bar before the crashed ice event in stormont. The bar man was a total disgrace. He ignored us and only served the locals. He didn't stop swearing the whole time I was waiting to be served. After shouting my order and being ignored 3 times because he was tellin a story to a local which involved a lot of f words, I pulled him for ignoring me which was met my a load of abuse from him. If this is the staff they want to employ then i won't spend anothe penny in there. Awful bar with awful staff and awful customer service. It should be shut down save your money people and avould this place like it has the plague!

Place has really nice food only thing is not much entertiment so would be a nice place for if u we're just going for a bite to eat and couple of drinks xx

We booked a meal for 8 girls/ladies for last night on the foolish assumption that our meal would be followed by a 70's 80's disco as advertised on the internet and also out on the roadside. While the food was good value if you go for the deal it was quite basic. After our meal we settled in for our retro disco but were extremely disappointed. There may have been a 'couple' of 70s 80's tunes very late on, but the majority was bad 90s music and present day tunes. The disco was also full of 18 yr olds obviously coming for the present day music. It's obvious that the disco caters for this age group and they should stop advertising the disco as something it's not. Will not be back.

Came here for lunch at christmas as a wee ' do' for our office, it was a last minute arrangement and we were really pleased to get a table especially as the website had lots of drinks promotions.More than slightly disappointed when we got there only to be told the drinks promotions weren't valid as it was christmas. The food we ordered came really quickly and in fairness there was lots of it. The food wasn't anything fancy but uy was tasty and well priced.The worst part of the day was the terrible Christmas music and the lack of atmosphere, we sat upstairs and there was only one other table. The music was so depressing we had to ask twice for them to change it which they did.All in all it was a good meal but perhaps more for a sedate lunch as opposed to an afternoon out but certainly worth a try if your out and need a nice warm feed for a good price

Service good. Burger a little over cooked but quantity good. Price fair. Good average pub grub for lunchtime.

Called for dinner today and had what I can only describe as a 5 star meal and service.Friendly staff,food plentiful and delicious and we where looked after by Darren and Linsey.Thank you very much and we look forward to our next visit.Many thanks Paul

We attended the Elk upstairs on Saturday 6th December. We were greeted warmly and shown to our table. We had already pre ordered our meals.I was really looking forward to my Turkey dinner however the dinner i received reminded of my Christmas dinner i had when i was in hospital last year. Very poor presentation and the vegetables that accompanied it were over cooked. The bar supervisor or manager in charge an older gentlelman seemed to be very stressed which made our table feel uncomfortable.The dj later in the night played a good range of songs so the night was not wasted.As our group was mixed ages the music ticked all our boxes.would return again with friend for drinks but definitely not a meal again.

Four of us had dinner here recently. We were made to feel very welcome and all the staff were efficient and friendly. The food was very tasty, portions good and reasonably priced.We shall definitely return. Thanks a lot.

This restaurant was not on my list to try and now I don't know why from the minute we arrived we were made welcome the staff were pleasant and attentive .the food was excellent and I would recommend for a quiet night out

Had an early evening meal here tonight. Pretty much what you'd expect from a reasonably priced pub/restaurant. Formally pleasant waiter although he did jog to us when I waved for another drink - fair play to him. Parking might be a bit difficult on a busy night.

We were looking for a nice dinner in a quiet pub and the Elk provided it. Walked into the bistro area and were warmly greeted by the bar/wait staff. She took us to a table of our choice. Since it was a quiet night, the place was nearly ours. Our waitress spent some time chatting with us re our impressions of Belfast and our own home country. My wife had the soup & a vegetable plate sidedish. I had the chicken curry - both were wonderful! Never having seen "tobacco onions" before I asked the waitress about them & received a complementary plate to try. Great service, good food, good atmosphere - we will be returning.

Was in for drinks with a few friends last night. We were upstairs and at 9pm we were asked, rather forcefully, to 'drink up'. We did so and moved downstairs. At 10.20pm we were then again asked by the same member of staff to 'drink up'. I couldn't wait to leave, apparently the staff felt this way too. Disappointing.

Most meals are of the highest quality and the service was pleasant if not a little slow. The drinks are pricy but I guess you would expect that in a good restaurant. The decor is a little dated for my taste though.

Just had my Dad's 80th Birthday Party at the Elk Inn. The staff were great, so attentive to our needs, there were eighteen having dinner. The food was good and plentful and the service was excellent. No complaints what so ever.Thank you to the management and staff at the Elk Inn for giving us a great night out to remember.

The best roast beef I have had in any restaurant. So good I asked the chef, David, where he had got the beef from. The wine, a Californian Merlot, was also well up there for taste and it really complimented the beef. On another note, the toilets were spotlessly clean and fresh. We will definitely return in the near future.

My husband took me here for Sunday carvery yesterday.i was so looking forward to it but was very disappointed by the whole experience.chef couldn't be bothered for a start.the presentation of prawn cocktail was like something my young child had thrown together.the turkey and ham was bland.the potatoes where stuck to the serving pot and tasted like water.the roasties where dried up and hard and cold....looked like they had been there for a week.my husband requested fresh ones.....chef wasn't amused.his where served up like bricks.desert was nice though......but couldn't justify €40 for a slice of cheesecake and a ban offer.......big disappointment!!!!!!

Was here once with a couple of mates, good meal - burger & chips. But was jealous of my mates vegetarian meal, which looked far more tastier.

I was at the Elk with my father & brother for a meal. Myself & my father ordered a burger, my brother ordered fish. After taking few bites of my burger to my disgust, I discovered it was pink & raw, my fathers was exactly the same. We called the manager over & advised him of this, he did not offer an apology, but more or less said that's they were cooked. He took the meals away and then came back and said that they had probed the burgers and that they were fine! Now anyone knows that you do not serve mince pink! I said to the manger that they were frozen & pink. The manager still did not offer an apology, but just asked did we want anything else to eat. We said no and asked for the bill. The service and attitude of the manager leave a lot too be desired. Needless to say I will not be back.

We have just returned from the Olde Elk Inn restaurant. The carvery was nothing short of superb. The dessert was magnificent. The wine was delightful. The value for money was excellent. And if you are asking will we return - the answer is YES YES YES

I have been twice now and both the food and the staff have been impeccable. Absolute joy to go there and can't wait for my next visit. The value for money is brilliant as well.

My family had an excellent meal here on Saturday. It was a very cold day and the eating area was cosy and warm. The waitress was very attentive and we did not have to wait long for the food. My husband and I both had the roast carvery which was gammon. It was all very tasty - from the meat to the vegetables to the gravy. Our son had the fish from the children's menu and it didn't take him long to devour it and we helped him with the chips that were yum - tasted home made. We had the meal deal that got us a taster desert and a hot drink which rounded it all off well for us. The coffee came with shortbread which was a nice touch. We would certainly come back and would make a point of it (rather than just happening to be in the area).

My wife and I went for a meal on Friday night at 1800 hrs.The place was empty. My wife ordered the salmon and when the meal came it looked like a vegetable stew with the salmon in the middle.The vegetables were in large chunks and the whole meal looked anemic. This cost £12.95 and she was most disappointed. I had a beef and chicken sizzler with chips and the meat dish was ruined with too much peppercorn sauce. NOT A GOOD DINING EXPERIENCE.

On our visit I ordered the pensioners carvery which was gammon which was tasty enough with veg and potatoes, my partner wanted stew as he wasnt too hungry. When our meal arrived after 15 mins his stew was made up with veg,mashed potato,roast potato from the carvery. I have never seen such a mish mash for stew in all my life,but then the chef was Chinese so maybe he knew no difference. Service was also slow taking imto into account there was only two other couples in the place.It's not a place we would be rushing back to.

went in for lunch and a part from a few pensioners availing of the special lunch offer the place was empty . although the waitress was quick to take our order the food was very slow in arriving the two other tables who came in after us were served before us so obviously the special takes preference,, so ordering of the actual menu takes a lot longer. the steak sandwich was a bit pricey the cod and chips nothing to write home about so all in all not to impressed .don't think we will be having a return visit.

Went to the Elk to try somewhere new. We live in the local area and were suprized we havn't been before as the food was really tastey and good value for money main course and glass of wine for £9.95. The staff are really friendly and good with our children interacting with them rather than ignoring them like most other restaurants.

Went to the Elk for a meal back in Jan/Feb as I'd heard the new chef was working wonders and he certainly was, the meal was exceptional. Today, my birthday I had the rare chance to get the family all together and go out for a meal. We chose the Elk as we were so pleased with the last time. While there I received a text from my cousin advising me not to go as they'd been the week before and said it was horrible. We had already ordered our starters so hoped for the best. The soup was luke warm and not very tasty. The mains were tough meat, cold dishes, burnt bread, and all of it tasteless. I was so disappointed and my family ate what they could cos it was my birthday but we couldn't wait to leave. When offered dessert we took the opportunity to tell the waitress how disappointed we were. My youngest had hardly touched her meal it was so horrible so they took the price of that off. We never stayed for dessert and the final bill was £71 which wasn't worth a penny of what we had to pay. cheap ingredients and cheap cuts of meat. I told the waitress why we'd chosen the Elk and asked had the chef left, was not shocked to hear it was a complete new team in the kitchen. Don't waste your money you will be disappointed. We should have known better when we arrived as it was 5.30, bank holiday and we were the only ones in the restaurant.

The Elk has really gone down hill! It used to have fantastic food but now the food is absolutely horrible. My husband and I went in for a mid week pub dinner and the food was disgusting. How they managed to completely mess up a basic chicken sandwich is beyond me, but it was obvious the chicken was fried from frozen (it was very rubbery). My husband ordered a steak to be cooked medium rare and it came to the table horribly over done. The appetizers we ordered were basic deep fried pub fare you could find in any pub anywhere. It's a shame they have such awful food because it's the only pub in Dundonald. They also charge more than average for their drinks.Save yourself time and money and don't visit.

Arrived for a sunday carvery expecting the usual hussle and bussle that surrounds. We were greeted with a smile and order was taken for starter which is brought to you at your table, we then went up to pick our own main and there was lots of variety. Chef couldnt have been more accommodating and the food was second to none and very reasonably priced. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere felt like home. Will certainly be back and would highly recommend.

Called into the lounge bar after work these last couple of weeks, great atmosphere, friendly locals and a cracking pint of Guinness. Nice to see a lovely bar picking up business.

My hubby and I were here an hour ago I thought in would give it a go as people on my face book had been saying how nice it was and they were rite food was beautiful well worth the money wee both had the 3 course meal for 14.95 and it was money well spent I will def be going back again

Just had Sunday lunch for seven of us. Three courses and drinks came to £130. Proper filling food. No frills. Staff were friendly and tolerant of 2 toddlers. Can't ask for much more

2 weeks ago my husband and I called in for our tea, this is our local, but after a previous bad experience we hadn't been in nearly a year. The crowd was like an overspill from the bar downstairs a bit off putting for families or couples. We weren't told of the drink offer 2 brandies and a mixer for £5, this is my tipple, but my husband bought 2 drinks at the full price before we found out this offer was wrong. The starters we picked weren't available so we only ordered main courses. I had a steak, no steak knife was given, and the steak was dry, and like leather. With the Moat closed this pub should be buzzing, it is the only one now in Dundonald, but it seriously needs to up it's game. I was seriously disappointed yet again by this pub.

I'm regularly in the Elk for their quiz, but after their refurb and a bad lunch experience, which I reviewed on this site, I have avoided eating there, except on 2 occasions when I needed to find something at short notice. Both of those experiences were better than the previous one but not significantly so. Today went back for a lunch on the back of a 50% off voucher, and we had a much better experience. Simple food, well cooked, with friendly efficient staff (actually that has never been a problem). Not sure it would have been worth twice what we ended up paying, but would probably go back again, though not for any sort of a special occasion, if only for the fact that they still have the worst range of beers in Belfast.

Steaks were horrendous! Left more than I could eat! For being the only bar in dundonald we were very disappointed!

My wife and I stopped by after the afternoon out with the kids as neither of us could face cooking. Upon arrival we were greeted and seated. The waitress brought over our drinks and we had our order taken. I opted for the bacon cheese burger with an extra pate with chips. My wife had the bookmakers sandwich also wIth chips and a big bowl of salad between us. The kids had lasagna and chips. My meal was lovely, huge portions and my wife's bookmakers was again massive and the meat melted in your mouth. Kids nearly ate every bit of their dinner which is unlike them. The waitress who served us was very friendly and brilliant with the kids. We'll definitely be back in the near future

Recently had lunch in Ye Olde Elk Inn. It was lunchtime and not very many customers about but service was very slow. It took more than 1 hour for 4 of us to be served soup and a dessert "taster". Waitress spilt some of the soup and made a feeble attempt to clean table with a napkin. Wouldn't recommend it if in a rush to get back to work.

Went here for a Saturday night drink with friends and the place had about 15 customers and as soon as the two guys started singing I realised why. The price of drinks here was enough to put me off. I hadn't been here for years. It could be many more until I return. Same old boring Elk.

Had a wonderful lunch here. The meal was served quickly, was hot and delicious.

My Husband and I were visiting a sick relative in the Ulster Hospital and decided to drop into the Elk for a quick bite to eat between visiting hours.The place had totally changed (for the better). We went for the £9.95 option which allowed me to have a meal and a glass of wine, my husband got a free soft drink as he was driving.The Curry/ Steak sandwich were great tasting and superb value, The staff were friendly and attentive.We would have had a dessert if time had allowed but we had to get back accross to the hospital.Can't wait to get back up again although we're not from that neck of the woods,I don't normally write reviews but in this case I thought i would make an exception,Thanks