Review: The Ridge Bar & Grill at Shaw Ridge Leisure Park

The  Ridge Bar & Grill at Shaw Ridge Leisure Park, opened for business early in 2017.

I had heard good things about the restaurant and was keen to pay a visit, with my colleagues, for a working ‘power lunch’.

We were shown to our seats by polite and attentive staff who offered drinks and got the ball rolling on the menu front.

Running my finger down the low key typewritten menu I worked my way through the variations on the theme of burger. The Ridge boasts that all of the steak burgers are locally sourced (without specifying) and weigh in at 6oz. Also on offer are hot dogs, chicken burgers, ribs and various versions of fries - from sweet potato to cheesy.

I was briefly tempted by The Dirty Dog’ (blue cheese, bacon, spring onions) but the pulled pork bun won out in the end, with its promise of slow and low cooked pork, pickles, slaw and fries - because I was literally (not literally) starving.

My companions opted for The Breakfast Burger - which was: “It was a heart attack on a plate, in a good way! It was a different meal in every bite, egg, sausages, beans, bacon. Just what the doctor ordered.”

And The Chilli Beef: “A hotdog with chilli on top which soaked into the bread. Delicious. There was a nice spice to it. It didn’t taste cheap which you can get with hotdogs sometimes - I was pleasantly surprised.”

As for my pulled pork, I have to say that it was a tender and flavoursome thing of beauty. And the fries were pulling their weight also.

If you care deeply about decor, you might find the interior a little underwhelming and noticeably cheap. Even though the Ridge is a relative newcomer to Shaw Ridge, it was already beginning to feel a little tired - which is a shame because the other building blocks of this great restaurant are all in place - food, service, drinks and location. Perhaps the owners should look at a makeover to inject a little more atmosphere into the place - because if they get this right, The Ridge has bags of potential to build on its growing reputation.

Give it a try - it’s a great restaurant that deserves to do well.

For more information log on to: www.theridgeswindon.com or call 01793 251002