Drawbridge, Shirleyback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Popped in for a cheeky one...it`s an ok sort of pub, not unattractive, unassumingly welcoming. Yes few footie types, cheesy tunes, blokes who won`t move away from the real ale pump clips. ales was ok if unspectacular...I think you get my drift. It`s ok if you live across the road.
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From any initial premise, this establishment may command a certain degree of respect. After all, it is situated in the leafy suburbs next to a quaint canal and it has in recent years been decorated up. In my sober mind's eye, I envisaged a nice steady beer or two, losing an hour watching the barges go by. Unfortunately, when the reality of place manifested itself before my very eyes, it all became too clear.
Upon pulling into the car park, I nearly ran over a small child whose parents were busy pouring the remnants of a cider and black down their throats. Waynetta, drawing heavily on a cigarette did not appear in the least bit concerned my Pirelli had narrowly missed her daughter's head.
I managed to find a space next to the 'scrap metal' vans which seem to be a permanent feature in the vicinity. I made a mental note to keep an extra vigilant eye on my wallet.
Inside, it was mildly busy, having been in several times over the years. I was served very quickly by a pimple faced youth whose flexibility in pouring four pints from different pumps simultaneously was rather impressive.
Unfortunately, as I settled into a corner to consume the beverage, which was reasonable, a drunken yob from the local football league decided to talk to me. My attempts at a diplomatic approach to getting the yob away failed. For a full twenty minutes I had endure a nonsensical and utterly absurd story that he had played for Manchester United and had been earning £200,000 per annum.
Alas, when I suggested he purchase me a double rum on the rocks, he quickly declined and moved on.
A lot of children running about. In one way the smoking ban was a real shame because now you can't smoke the darlings out.
My old nan always said you can tell a pub by its toilets. The toilets were reasonable, they were clean and had soap. There was the customary drunkard leaning up the urinal whistling Billy Ocean but on the whole reasonable.
And that in the final analysis, what this pub is. It is reasonably priced, the quality is reasonable and the atmosphere is generally reasonable.
Worthwhile going if you are on a budget and have kids... just make sure they stay clear of encroaching cars and drunkard Sunday leaguers.
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This pub has dramatically changed since the old managers have gone. The food has improved and always recieved a great steak, started doing vegatables now which is always good!
The sitting is gorgeous with the lovely canal barges going by. Great selection of drinks. very imrpessed, cant wait for my christmas meal there this year!!
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Used to be a great pub in the good old days before it was rebuilt. The landlord used to put roast potatoes on the bar on Sunday dinner-time and he or his wife were always available to pull your pint. The last time I went in, it was a bugger to find a member of staff vaguely interested in serving me and the restaurant only had scalding hot micro-wave meals on offer. Great views of the narrowboats passing the window though . . . . . . . . . ..
Needs anoth revamp.
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visited today, had food, quite basic but very good value for money. had 4 real ales on ioncluding 2 guests. Have been in the summer, love sitting outside watching the boats on the canal
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Not a bad place, quite roomy, prices very competitive. But children running around early evening.
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It's recently had a lick of paint and they do great meat pie. And you can watch people on barges arse about raising the draw bridge as they chug past on the canal. Depends when you go as to the retard quotient.
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This looked a nice clean pub, but could do with some interesting guest real ales on.
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Great pub, not too busy but good atmosphere.
Staff friendly. Ridiculous entertainment on Saturday nights but well worth a laugh!
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Disagree with the previous comment. (Mate we dont wanna no what you got up to thank you), I really like this place have beeen goin there with family since a kid. Great Place really nice staff and wide selection of drinks.
anonymous - 4 Jul 2006 23:44 |
Food typical of mass-produced pub chain style, uninspiring but edible. Staff are very friendly though
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the "drawback"
this pub is in a nice location, just outside of the bland, suburban, UPVCd windowed sprawl of shirley. So it could qualify itself as a counrty pub. As a former resident of said suburban settlrment i used to frequent this pub on occasion as the location did have a certain counrty feel to it.
Walking from shirley staion,the road curves round as you approach the drawbridge. the actual canal drawbridge looms into view and then you catch sight of the pub.
CRAP! that would be your inital thought when looking at the pub from the outside. the building looks like an 80's health clinic or something, you know, one of those buildings that looks like it was designed to fit in with the car park. Anyway, Only bearded tubby guys with embroiderd waistcoats, their own tankanrd and a love of morris dancing go to the pub because of how it looks on the outside. so lets get to the pub itself.
I see from a prevoius review that this pub now has an anti chav rule. GOOD! when i used to go this pub was infested with chavs of all shape and size, not to mention their awfull modified cars. Nearly every drinking experience in this pub was ruined for me by baseball capped idiots finding strenth in numbers.
However, and it's a big however! I did have one of the best daytime drinking experience of my life in this chav's nest of a pub when i was about 18.
I was in the beer garden with a friend one fine hot summers day and a couple of girls from our college turned up and sat with us. well to cut a long story short we all got drunk and i walked one of the girls home whilst it was still very hot and sunny. She turned out to be dirtier then a pub carpet and we had a good old romp in a field, in the sun, near witlocks end station (when it was all fields) aaaahhhh those were the days.
Well to summerise.
ok,this pub is quite dull but has potential if its not full of chavs.
good in the summer, especially if you get lucky!
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super pub, as chavs are not welcome. Would recommend the food and the quiz night is a blast
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Pretty uninspiring place. Food is okay but thats about it.
Arnie - 22 Feb 2005 16:44 |
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