Kids Eat Free at Porky's - A Review

Prices & menu correct as of February 2020. This review is based on Porkys Bebside.

Porkys is a smokehouse and pizzeria in North East England. They have two locations - Bebside and Low Fell and are a fab place to visit when you are looking for a cheap and cheerful family meal. 

The kids menu is a bargain anyway at £5 for a main and side but they often run kids eat free deals Monday-Friday during the school holidays. Keep an eye on their Facebook pages for announcements and t&cs. 

Porky's Bebside is not far from where we live in Cramlington and we have visited a handful of times over the past few years. There is free parking and although it's not perfect, for the price, it is fantastic.

At Porky's Bebside there is a cute little play area to the front of the restaurant.

We usually dine during the midweek pig out offer which is a bargain at £9 for a main, side and drink. This menu is currently available Monday - Thursday all day and until 5pm on a Friday. They do not offer regular soft drinks (at least they haven't on our visits) and only diet / zero soft drinks are included with this deal.

There are a fair few temptations to upgrade but if you would like to keep costs down, upgrades really aren't necessary.  Usually when we visit, myself, Steve and Harry (13) will dine from this menu. The lager is Budweiser.

In my 13 years of being a parent and visiting 100s of restaurants, I have never, ever been asked about the kids' ages. The exception to this rule is Porky's and it is not unusual for the staff to interrogate the kids and check they are under 10 and therefore eligible to dine from the children's menu. Just something to keep in mind!

If your kids are aged 10+, they will be asked to dine from the main menu (at least that is our experience). Not the most flexible of arrangements and I know this won't suit everyone, it may also only depend on which staff are serving you. Personally, I don't mind this as I understand small restaurants have very tight profit margins and my boys have big appetites anyway.

I really like the interior of Porky's - it does kind of feel like you are sitting in an American Smokehouse.

Sometimes service can be on the slow side which is something to be aware of. It is more to do with the amount of serving staff they have on rather than the kitchen as once you have ordered, there isn't usually too much of a wait. We waited 30 minutes before our drinks arrived during a recent lunchtime visit and on a previous visit when we were part of a large booking, there have been long delays. This doesn't put me off going but I would not recommend a trip if you are in a rush.

The food at Porky's has really improved over time I think. I especially love their pizzas which are stonebaked and cooked exactly how I like them.

Margherita Pizza from the Midweek deal 

Steve is a fan of their burgers too and there are a fair few varieties to choose from.

Big Blue Burger from Midweek Menu

The kids meals are ok, maybe not as healthy as other places though as you do not get a side of veg as standard - I would normally expect chicken nuggets and chips to come with beans / peas. I know there is the option of fries but the percentage of kids who would pick salad over fries when dining out is pretty small I bet. The children's portions are good though and fill Jack and Heidi.

I am not too keen on the fries either - pretty generic but again, for the cost, I am more than happy as for us this is a bargain tea / lunch out so we are not expecting triple cooked chips or anything fancy like that.

Classic Pizza from Midweek Menu

Kids pizza 

Now for the best bit. The price! If you dine during a kids eat free offer, one child under 10 dines free with every adult dining. The adult can dine from the main menu or the midweek pigout menu if the timing is right.

So myself, Steve and Harry usually dine from the Midweek pigout menu (main, side and drink for £9) and Heidi and Jack dine from the Kids Menu for free (soft drinks are extra). All in, our meal usually works out at £31. Considering this is for a substantial meal for the 5 of us and includes a beer for Steve and I, I think this is brilliant value. Even if we paid for Heidi and Jack it would still only work out at £41 which is a great price.

Remember, Kids Eat Free is not available all of the time. It is usually available during school holidays Monday-Friday during specific times but always double-check before booking/visiting. They usually post the deal on their Facebook page a day or so before the kids break up.

For us, Porky's is a fantastic go-to restaurant when we want a cheap but tasty family meal out.

• Porky's Bebside. Front Street. Blyth. NE24 4HW. Phone 01670 820599. Visit their Facebook page here. 

• Porky's Low Fell. 168 Kells Lane. Gateshead. NE9 5HW. Phone 0191 491 4343. Visit their Facebook page here.  

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