please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Moon On The Square was our second stop in Basildon yesterday, following the Basildon Sports & Social Club on the northern outskirts. This is of course a Wetherspoon's pub on the edge of the Eastgate Shopping Centre and near to both the railway and bus stations. The area feels a little dilapidated. But the Moon On The Square is a typical old 'spoon's with an open-plan interior. Greene King Abbot & Ruddles Best are the regular beers. Guests are Sharp's Doom Bar, Ringwood Forty Nine, Sambrook's Junction & Prescott Grand Prix. Ciders were Black Dragon & Old Rosie. There were the usual mix of daytime Wetherspoon's miscreants. But this was one of only 2 places where I found real cider in this part of Essex. So it does deserve some credit.
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It has been almost seven years since I last reviewed this pub and I can honestly say that little has changed in that time. The smell of stale beer and toilet duck continues to permeate the air and I am still waiting for that half of shandy.
On a slightly more positive note, the hammer shaft which I had left on display in trap one during my last visit is no longer there. Either it has decomposed , been stolen or someone has had the audacity to flush it away. Fred, the elderly gent who used to sit at the first table on the left as you enter from The Towngate, was no longer there either and may well have suffered a similar fate.
The usual market traders were conspicuous by their absence on this occasion and had been replaced by representatives of the travelling community who appeared to be letting off steam after a hard day's work. I finally left at half past ten as I wanted to get back home to Billericay by lunchtime to check that noone had stolen the lead from the roof during my short absence.
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If you are a real ale drinker in a slightly down at heel modern British town you have to venture into the Spoon's. Chances are you will get a decent real ale, however this can be at the price of seeing the worse of society. You read an article in your Sunday paper about Chavs or about excessive drinking and you thought it was all hype, but then you wander into a Spoon. This one was pretty friendly in many ways and we had a good time but one could sense trouble was only a Vodka and J2O away. The beer was nice, we bought the stressed bar man a drink and thereafter we had a friend for the evening. The sad thing is, for the real ale drinker, this is the best place in town.
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It's been nearly a year since my last visit and not a lot has changed. Gold Label barley wine was on offer at what I considered a very fair price but, then again, one has to offset the saving against the cost of the stab resistant kevlar attire that I would recommend wearing if visiting.
The bar staff deserve a medal for friendliness in the face of the enemy.
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It's not the staff here who are the problem (yes, they can appear slow and lacking in motivation) but the real problem is with the clientele. I've always taken the view that a pub is what people make it. On this basis the customers here are guilty of pubicide. How many miserable, self pitying mugwumps can one stand in one sitting? There are the odd market traders popping in for a top-up. They seem an ok bunch, if a bit over loud on occasions. Then there are the, apparently resident, benefit dependent all day drinkers discussing the day's best investments at Coral's. Perhaps there is a case for reducing the price of booze to take home from the supermarket or old fashioned off- licence.
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During the day and early evening the service is atrocious, you can easily wait 10 minutes or more to be served by the only bartender.
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Its your usual wetherspoons. Cheap drink, decent food, and good service. Bar staff friendier than other wetherspoons though, which is a plus now i live in basildon.
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Decent pint of Hook Norton ale was had,pretty slow service when visited mind due, still worthy of a 7/10 in my books
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The staff are the friendliest i have ever come across. which is weird considering that Its BASILDON, home of dole scum work dodgers and poundland theives.
Usually pop in on my lunch break with my boss for a pint and meal before going back to work.
Foods good and so is the beers. can get a bit crowded though.
why is it though that no matter what time i go in there and no matter the day the same people are sitting in exactly the same places shouting their next drink order to the bar staff.
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Come on be fair, there is nothing more entertaining than watching the giro grabbers spend every penny of they're benefit on the first day of issue! kids at home, arr what the hell, mines a large one.
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VISIT: 8th December 2006 - 01:13 PM to (about) 3:30 PM
Thoroughly disgusting pub full of the art ectypal "Essex" types we were always told about into in Guildford. Market Traders were filthy in both their attire and mouths. An absolute place you should never, ever go to. My girlfriend got a mouthful of abuse when she visited the ladies.
FILTH & SCUM of the earth are the only non entities that frequent this DISGUSTING Inn.
Not ever going to visit my Gran again!
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Actually Hickey, although it seems like it, the alcoholics aren't nailed there, they spend the entire day staggering/shuffling between The Moon, The Towngate and Cahoots. A truly uplifting sight ;O)
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at least you get a good selection of beers in this pub albeit you may have to wait to get served, the staff do their best and are always friendly and helpful. great that it is now a non-smoking pub roll on next year when all pubs will be the same ,we will see then if those people hell bent on contaminating the world with their filthy habit ,will still use the Towngate
anonymous - 10 Aug 2006 16:23 |
A large, but bland pub. Now non smoking, but have installed TV's which is the worst thing to have happened to pubs ever. It takes a long time to get a drink. Here this is a law. Populated by mostly low lifes and alcoholics during the day most of whom are nailed to their seats. After 8pm the younger set come out, mostly wood-be-hoods and their molls. The meals are decent at a resonable price. Good situation for people watching.
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Refreshing that the managment should become non-smoking ahead of schedule, kudos to them for that. Can be difficult to get served, but staff do their best especially considering the chav-tastic regulars who populate it, some of whom appear to live there.
Note that all the chain-smoking chavs have migrated to the adjacent Towngate pub.
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a typical weatherspoon's but at least it is a non-smoking pub with quite a few of real ales on the go most times
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Good pub,good crowd.Shame there was no Pimms.
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a typical crap wetherspoons pub with no atmophere and you cant even smoke in there any more! possibly the worst pub in basildon - worse than the joker
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This pub has now re opened as a completely no smoking pub. The first no smoking pub in Basildon apparently.
There are ashtrays provided around the exterior of the pub for smokers, however drinks are not permitted outside. So its one or the other
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Good Lord ! It rather looks as though I have upset the landlord ! Please accept my unreserved apologies for the comments I made last month. Obviously I was confusing the excellent and world renowned Moony On The Square with the rather obscure London Hilton.
Yours with cheek in tongue,
Muffin.
P.S. A half a shandy when you've got a minute please.
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Re. the surely scandalous comments of 'Muffindamule' -
Well la - di - da and 'ark at her
Muffin - you muggy snob and downright poltroon, apart from that you liked it then?
Next time you pop by for a Pimms, be sure and let the chaps know you are in town, one of the oiks will see if he can't arrange a nice 'Criminal Injury' for you to take home as a souvenir of your stay on what we like to think is the Jewel of the 'Essex Riviera'.
Oh and please bring any spare shekels and alms for the poor with you mister, for we be do as you likey good for nothing types without two ha'pennies to rub between our dirty 'ands nor the sense with what to spend 'em with down here.
Ta very much cocker.
A market Trader, Basildon, Essex Riviera
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Full of market traders and dodgy characters. Dirty tables, dirty toilets and surly service. Well worth a visit if you're looking to claim on the Criminal Injuries Act or are desperate for a little something for the weekend. Just about sums up the whole of Basildon actually.
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