The Ash Inn — Restaurant in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Very good service and food, which arrived quickly, although it was not busy while we were there. Their big menu has something for everyone. It a has traditional look inside with a contemporary colour scheme outside and decking area to use a big panoramic view over the countryside. We were both very happy with our food, of which there was plenty for a big appetite. My companion enjoyed the cajun chicken. I tasted a little of that cajun sauce, it was excellent, rich creamy and with the right amount of fire. My surf and turf sirloin steak, which I asked for rare, could have have been a little more rare for me, but that is matter of personal taste that the chef cannot second guess. It could also have been given a minute in a very hot pan to get some extra flavour by browning it a little on the outside, but it was excellent anyway. The prawn topper was also excellent, not overcooked and dry as is so common. The mushrooms were well cooked and full of flavour rather than being undercooked insipid and wet which is also common, so they added to the dish rather than just taking up space. Onion rings were light, not oily, again something to enjoy rather than just add calories. The Stilton sauce was rich and very tasty, helping everything on the plate. It is easy to get Stilton sauce wrong, with too much or too little Stilton, or too runny or thick. This meal near perfect example of a something I have had so many...

I had fish and chips here from the £6.95 menu on a weekday afternoon. The food was good quality, very nicely cooked and excellent value. The chips are particularly good, but the fish batter and fish itself were equally good and the batter was nice and crispy. No soggy fish batter. I have full confidence that the kitchen staff are accomplished cooks. However, the car journey to get here when within a mile or two of the pub is tortuous and tricky - for example a stretch of the Hollow is a busy narrow lane with few passing places which more often than not requires reversing to let oncoming cars through, which is a nightmare! Then on the final approach to the pub the lane is narrow with parked cars and you have to navigate oncoming traffic. There is also a tendency for cars to speed in the area of Mow Cop which is scary if you are a...

We stopped by on our small hike from the canal (narrowboat holidays) to Mow Cop Castle. This pub has separate seatings for serviced and self service areas. When we stated that most of our party is vegan the service presented us an extra menu with numerous vegan options. We had the jacket potatoe with beans and vegan cheese, chips and garlic bread with and without vegan cheese. All was very fine including the service. One of our kids (the single meat eater of the party) said: "At first I wasn't sure that this hike was really worth the hassle. But the visit to this pub made it absolutely worth it." Note: There's a small, rather direct footpath to the pub when you descend from Mow Cop Castle. The path is not on google maps but openstreemap or another good map...