Dawsons Restaurant - Castledawson
Quick info
About Dawsons Restaurant - Castledawson
Dawsons Restaurant is a casual Irish restaurant at 43 Main St in Castledawson, Magherafelt. Its Steak Friday menu gives two diners two courses and a bottle of wine to share. The concise menu focuses on local, seasonal cooking and opens with a goat's cheese starter and a salt and chilli chicken starter. Mains include braised beef served with gravy and mash, along with steaks such as a 10oz sirloin and fillet cuts. Orzo appears as both a starter and a main, so it works for a lighter first course or a full plate.
Good to know
“Relaxed Casual Restaurant Serving Local Seasonal Food in the Heart of Mid Ulster”
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom, seating
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention salt and chilli chicken, goat's cheese starter, braised beef and steak.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention salt and chilli chicken, goat's cheese starter, braised beef and steak.
Customer Review Summary
Steak comes up most, described as cooked perfectly or exactly how the diner liked it, from a 10oz sirloin on the steak Friday menu to fillet steaks at a table of six. Close behind are the goat's cheese starter, named by several reviewers, and the salt and chilli chicken, which one group called the best some of them had ever had. The braised beef with gravy and mash is called so tender, and others mention venison, lemon sole, orzo and cod. For dessert, reviewers single out the BBQ pineapple, the dark chocolate fondant with raspberry sorbet, and the crème brulé. Staff are repeatedly called friendly and attentive, engaging without it feeling forced. One reviewer notes the concise menu means the meal will be fresh. The one complaint comes from a diner who found it a bit harsh that choosing a different dessert on the steak menu meant an additional charge, so they stayed with the Eton mess. One waiter was praised for remembering drinks and checking in without hovering.
Customer Review Summary
Steak comes up most, described as cooked perfectly or exactly how the diner liked it, from a 10oz sirloin on the steak Friday menu to fillet steaks at a table of six. Close behind are the goat's cheese starter, named by several reviewers, and the salt and chilli chicken, which one group called the best some of them had ever had. The braised beef with gravy and mash is called so tender, and others mention venison, lemon sole, orzo and cod. For dessert, reviewers single out the BBQ pineapple, the dark chocolate fondant with raspberry sorbet, and the crème brulé. Staff are repeatedly called friendly and attentive, engaging without it feeling forced. One reviewer notes the concise menu means the meal will be fresh. The one complaint comes from a diner who found it a bit harsh that choosing a different dessert on the steak menu meant an additional charge, so they stayed with the Eton mess. One waiter was praised for remembering drinks and checking in without hovering.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Wonderful meal with a friend last night at this gorgeous local restaurant in Castledawson. The staff are so friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. A lovely experience can’t wait to go back soon. Thanks”
- Google user
“First time here and will surely be back. Really lovely staff, great service and exceptional food. Thoroughly enjoyed.”
- Google user
“I had a really enjoyable evening at Dawsons recently. The atmosphere is relaxed but still feels a special – perfect for a nice dinner with friends! The food was excellent across the board. I had the Steak, which was cooked perfectly and it came with was full of flavour. Others at the table tried the venison and the chicken, both of which were also very well done. Portions are generous without being over the top, and everything was very well presented! What really stood out, though, was the service – especially from Ciaran, our waiter. He was friendly, professional, and had that natural way of making you feel looked after without hovering. He had good menu suggestions, checked in at the right times, and just generally helped everything run smoothly. Little things like remembering drinks and having a bit of conversation without it feeling forced really made a difference. Overall, Dawsons is a solid choice for a good meal and relaxed night out. Great food, comfortable setting, and if you’re lucky enough to get Ciaran looking after your table, even better.”
- Google user
“We are just home from our 1st time in Dawsons. Cant believe we have never before experienced this gem of a place. Absolutely beautiful. One of the nicest meals we have ever had. Cannot wait to go back.”
- Google user
“Up there with one of the best restaurants I’ve visited in Ireland, and my top 3 in the whole of Ulster. The staff were great craic with our group of 6, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was busy in a nice setting. For starters we tried the duck egg, salted Chili chicken (best a few of us had ever had!) and goat’s cheese. Mains I had the braised beef - so tender, with gravy and mash. My partner had the lemon sole, others had the orzo, fillet steaks and supreme of chicken. We had some wine and orange gin also, everything was top quality, even the garnish served with the starters was extremely fresh and really made a difference, the fine details. Desserts were the BBQ pineapple and dark chocolate fondant, unbelievable ! Raspberry sorbet with the fondant was particularly good. 10/10 for all of us, we will definitely back, it’s our new special occasion dining choice now for sure. It worked out roughly £50pp between 6, but we had 3 courses and some drinks, I thought this very reasonable compared with Belfast / Dublin restaurants.”
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near Dawsons Restaurant - Castledawson
- 2.6 miGood for kids
fish suppers, chips, milkshakes tasting spoiled
- The Golden Chip4.52787.5 mi away
chips, festive fries, fish supper
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawsons Restaurant - CastledawsonWheelchair accessible | 4.9200 | — | salt and chilli chicken, goat's cheese starter, braised beef |
| Mrs Browns fish and chipsGood for kids | 4.1236 | 2.6 mi | fish suppers, chips, milkshakes tasting spoiled |
| The Golden Chip | 4.5278 | 7.5 mi away | chips, festive fries, fish supper |
The 2 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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