Shoulder Of Mutton Inn — Restaurant in Calderdale

Been her a few times, but starting to think it’s going downhill. Went for a Sunday lunch and booked in. On arrival, we were “pointed” to our table, so we sat down. After 5 minutes of trying to look needy, looking for a menu or a drink of something, another diner asked the waitress to give us a menu as were in the corner and despite several waitresses in the place wandering through, no one seemed to want to help. Not even the one polishing the forks. So, someone brought them over and wandered off. After a few thirsty minutes, the same diner said we were waiting for drinks, to which the waitress came over and told us to go to the bar, so we did. Then we went to the bar to order food because we were told, see easy when you know. 45 minutes in and the starters arrived….then the cutlery a short time later. The mains order was wrong…so we ate separately, no apology when the corrected one arrived. Then, waiting to pay the full bill at the bar was at the tail end of 8 lads all buying 1 drink and a snack each, separately. Oh, and 8 degrees outside and no one thought to put a bit of heating on. So, I would suggest a name change to the “cold shoulder of mutton”, both in terms of service, and the temperature. Food was nice though, when it came, and was corrected. The chilli beef was lovely! Shame we were not sat at the table where the staff knew the guests, they got great service. That just added to the icy atmosphere. Maybe we will just wander...

After a splendid little wander around Hebden Bridge, which proudly markets itself as “The Swiss Alps… but with more sheep and fewer fondue sets,” we discovered a trail full of personality. There were hills so steep they made our calves file formal complaints, mysterious woodlands perfect for pretending you’re in a slow-motion BBC detective montage, and cinematic views that practically insisted you narrate like David Attenborough: “Observe the exhausted hiker in its natural habitat…”

But the true summit of this expedition? Reaching the Shoulder of Mutton, the pub equivalent of finding buried treasure but with more carbs and less risk of pirate curses.

Inside, it was packed tighter than a suitcase before a Ryanair flight, yet the staff treated us like royalty who’d clearly made excellent life choices. The brilliant bar team conjured space out of thin air so we could cradle pints of Guinness colder than a penguin’s Netflix queue while they hunted down a table.

Then came the Steak n Ale pie. A majestic creation. Honestly, someone should build it a tiny velvet throne. The service? Sublime. The food? Sublime. The wonderful humans looking after us deserve medals, or at least endless snacks on their breaks.

Should all weekends be like this? Yes. Absolutely yes. In fact, petition to...

We visited here on Saturday. We struggled to find a dog friendly pub on a busy saturday afternoon which actually had availability so my partner Hayley decided to ring them on the off chance and ask if they had any tables available. The woman who answered the phone was friendly and helpful and reserved us a table straight away!

We was warmly welcomed by her at the door when she must of noticed the 2 of us and our dog Bailey! She showed us to our table and was served with drinks straight away by a really nice waiter who was going out of his way to make sure we were looked after.

The food. Absolutely delicious!! I had the steak and ale pie and hands down it was on the best pies i have had for a long time! The food was fresh and as i said, delicious!

The staff. From coming into the pub to leaving the pub they were superb! They looked after us and also our dog, coming with a water bowl and feeding him treats. Every member of staff was welcoming and polite and you couldnt ask for more.

For me, its the little things that make somewhere enjoyable to have a drink and some food and it ticked all the boxes and we certainly will be booking here again!

I dont usually write reviews but this deserved one. Thanks again!

Lee,...