please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Still a busy pub, 7 ales & 2 ciders, pleasant barmaid. I indulged in Abbeydale 'Demon', a smooth creamy tasty ale.
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Still got 7 ales on, I had Marston's '61 Deep' , a decent pint.
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Cheap town centre real ale pub. Lots of TV screens and jolly pensioners inside. Worth a visit.
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The Anvil does not change much, pleasant staff, friendly locals. % ales on I opted for Exit 33 Brewing '33 Blonde'; a smooth hoppy tasty ale.
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Another visit to the Anvil, I had pints of Abbeydale Brewery 'Moonshine', a very nice refreshing beer, and Deeply Vale Brewery 'ripper', a pleasant beer. Bar staff courteous and efficient.
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Still rate this pub, on our recent visit to Wigan it had 7 ales & 2 ciders on the handpumps; I indulged in Mallinson's 'Topaz', which was zeppy, hoppy & tasty and Wild Beer Co. 'Bibble, which was very nice, smooth and tasted of oranges.
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Still an excellent pub with good quick service even when as busy as it was on Saturday lunch time: plenty of efficient friendly barmaids and a very good choice of ales, all of those we tried very well kept. The large flat screen TV on the wall of the main bar was showing the Spurs-Arsenal match resulting in something of a crush of viewers, most of whom were cheery and good-natured but a few less-well mannered were barging their way through the crowd. Inevitable on a matchday, I suppose: not the fault of the pub and I always enjoy my visits at any time of day.
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Nice enough pub, good range of ales, [£2.35p a pint], good smoking area at rear.
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Pub number 2 and I'm back in town to tick this highly regarded pub with a good reputation.
This Hydes pub has 10 hand pump's, 7 of them with ales on. My pints of Allgates Nellie Melba were both very good and obviously tasted even better at £2.50 a pint!
Busy with mainly blokes, I assume due to the reputation of the pub coupled with football on the television. The decoration is fairly stark with plenty of brewery memorabilia on the walls but not much else.
Beer garden to the rear was mainly taken by smokers.
The Anvil is a cracking pub for a few good value ales with a friendly clientele. Out of the 4 pubs I visited in the town on 1 afternoon this was the best pub with the Central running it a close 2nd.
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A busy pub opposite the bus station with large outdoor smoking and seating area at the back. Decent selection of cask ales.
alexw - 11 Oct 2015 12:38 |
Went in on Thursday evening. Cracking pub, cracking beer and at £2.40 a pint I was in serious danger of not leaving. 10 real ales to choose from and I'd not seen or tried any of them before but the ones I did were just great. Gets my vote for best Northern Pub I've ever been to. Thank you!
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Another football match and another visit to The Anvil. As usual a great selection of beers - always start with Hydes and then move onto their own beers and guests. Nice to sit outside on a warm sunny day with a cool tasty pint - however, due to some problem with the council they have stopped doing rolls which threw us as we had always banked on a few pints a nd a couple of their great value rolls (baps). So we had to divert to another pub for food but cam back after the game to finish off what we had started beer-wise.
Don't know how "beerinthe morning" missed the televisions - they are quite prominate in this sports orientated bar.
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Very nice pub with a good choice of beers, including several quality lagers if that's your thing. Service is swift and efficient while the outside drinking area is a welcome sight in a town centre. There are a lot of pubs to choose from in Wigan but this is the best.
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Very disappointed with this pub. Cheap, modern interior. Quality of ale a bit hit and miss. TVs for watching the football tucked out the way and hard to view when the pub is busy. Staff friendly and helpful.
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This has to be Wigan's best boozer (I've tried a few others but not them all!!) as it has all I could ever want - great beer including their own brews now and fantastic prices; a large supply of rolls; friendly and very efficient barstaff (mostly female) and some really nice and chatty locals. There is no hassle whatsoever and we mingled easily with local Wigan fans prior to and after the game. They have TV but the sound is very low so does not interfere with the conversation. we tried most of the beers on tap (Allgates/Hydes/Marble/Roosters and Ossett) and the Hydes was brilliant at £2.05 a pint! My Barmaid of the Year award goes to the young lady (may even have been the landlady) who bravely went into the Gents loo with a spray can after some oik had stunk out the place so badly you could smell it halfway down the road!! This is a great pub and should not be missed - even though we lost the game. A short walk from the railway stations and next to the buses.
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Without a doubt one of the best Wigan pubs, if not the best, I returned to the Anvil for the first time in a couple of years on Saturday, shortly after opening. The beer range is still very good - Hydes Original, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Allgates Deux Citra & All Black, Riverhead Buttlerley Bitter & Black Hole Cosmic. They now also have a real cider - Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon. The place is still a popular meeting place for locals, shoppers and discerning drinkers. Of course, you could qualify to be all three. Unlike the Moon Under Water where we had just come from, it is more of a traditional pub. And unlike the Tudor House where we were to move on to, it has a good lively atmosphere. Will almost certainly return here next time I'm in Wigan.
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Drank three pints of Pipe Dream which was superb. I can't remember who the brewery was. Sat outside under the roofed terrace watching the downpour, whilst chatting to the locals.
Like my earlier comments this place generally has a big emphasis on horse racing. Unfortunately, it also has a strong allegiance with local Wigan brewery Allgates, which personally I cannot stand.
Still one of the best pubs in the vicinity, for the quality and standards of the real ale scene.
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superb service no less than ten lovely ladies pulling �1.95 ale on a Saturday night,eight handumps included brews from All Gates,Hydes and Abbeydale amongst others,8/10
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Proper old fashioned pub, only drawback is the ladndords tendancy to swap his Allgates ales ( I dislike his pale ones but the Stouts & Porters are brilliant )
for other breweries offerings some of which are second rate .
Ian more variety please !
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Called in here yesterday. It turned out to be to my good fortune as they had one of my favourite stouts on pump; Chocolate and Vanilla Stout brewed by Titanic. It went down like it was milk, it was that tasty.
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Medium sized corner pub at the (buses) entrance to the bus station. A Hydes house with some guest ales on. Tried the Pheonix Arizona which was nice enough. Has had a realtively recent refurb internally but has as been mentioned previously it's a fairly unremarkable place.
anonymous - 30 Sep 2011 10:59 |
Unspectacular boozer in a town where lager and rugby league are the norm, although this pub does cater for most sports, judging by the different screens dotted around the place. I sampled two ales, one from the Liverpool Organic stable and another whose name escapes me. Both in good condition and keenly priced at the �2.30 mark.
As the previous member says, you're best off sitting towards the rear of the pub, where it is much quieter. The Anvil would be on my list for an occasional visit, i could never be a regular!
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A regular pub on my Wigan real ale trail, it's hard to better. Consists of one main room running the length of the pub, but is partitioned in to 3 separate areas. The quietest being at the farthest end (nearer the toilets) There is also a large tabled courtyard at the back which is great on sunny days, although this can get busy too as it is favoured by smokers.
This is always a very busy & noisy pub, even in the closed soccer/rugby seasons. TV's adorn the front & centre rooms where sports of the day usually feature, (horse racing @other times) The client�le is mixed, but seems to be predominately male. I've never had a problem here, but beer, sport & testosterone is never a good mix, for that reason, I always visit early and leave by late afternoon.
The beer range as always is good here, hence it's CAMRA rating, on the day of my visit on tap were; Hydes~Original Bitter, Titanic~Iceburg, Allgates~One hop Citra & All Black, Buxton~Buxton Blonde, Laurence Olivier~Dear Boy Bitter, you can also find Belgian Kriek & Wheat Beers on draught.
Despite the congestion in the bar on the day, the staff managed to keep cool & were friendly & efficient.
As is so often the case, the toilets are the Achilles heel for most pubs, sadly on this occasion the same was true here. Overall they were clean, it just so happens that some kind person had urinated all over toilet seat & floor! Just unfortunate timing on my part, but something management need to keep an eye on.
To summarise, If you're a "real ale" fan, you won't be disappointed here. OK, it gets busy & noisy at weekends (especially Saturday) but it has it's own unique character & is well worth a visit.
Les Walker
Pub/Beer critic
(BeerNorthWestUK) - Twitter
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This is usually my first port o call when visiting wigan on my occasional trips. About 5 good handpumps on offer along with belgian fruit (lambic) beers also on tap. A big emphasis on horse racing in this pub where 'At The Races' is permanently shown, Apart from that minor issue a good solid boozer. Cheers
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Simply the best real ale pub around. Great service, free insults, no jukebox and no kids. Marvellous.
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i have seen tis pub many times as it right next to the bus station,gave it a try very good cask ale and the pint i had was great. would go again
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Years ago this pub was called the All Saints.
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Possibly Wigan's best pub. It's always busy on matchdays, being near the train stations and only around 15 minutes from the stadium. The beer range is good - Darkstar Hophead & original, Hydes Original, Allgates Twitter & Bisted and Mild at Heart and Castle Rock Hemlock Bitter were all on and were turning over quite quickly. My only personal gripe is the lack of a real cider.
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You go the Anvil for one thing, the consistently superb ale which just happens to also be reasonably priced. Working away for many weeks at a time i always call in here before my front door on the way home. Staff are polite and efficient. There isn't a lot to do in the pub so go elsewhere to play pool or blare pop music aloud. That's the magic of the place, it's a proper traditional pub that isn't spoilt. If you get hungry they have a few home made sandwhiches behind the bar to nibble on. Generally an older clientele which is relaxing with no children allowed. Gets busy at weekends but you can always find a seat. Only minus point is the toilets have been constantly underwater ever since the early 1990's when it was Riley's.
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Not keen on Allgates.. always tastes like bog cleaner to me.. that said the Anvil is one of the few pubs in Wigan worth the name. No chavs and no idiots.
As one of the few female lone drinkers it's a little intimidating with all the middle aged blokes, but they are generally a friendly bunch and watch their horse racing and leave you to yourself.
Clean and tidy, but a little "bright" for a real ale pub.
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Loved the beers. Allgates Dry Bones is a classic ale. Not entirely sure about the "lovely outdoor seating area" as it overlooks the bus station. If the bus fumes don't get you then the smokers will. Its much safer to sit inside this fabulous pub.
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Wide range of beers, nice outside drinking area and very busy on my recent visit. Probably the best pub we visited all day, although the only women seemed to be behind the bar. A good thing for some maybe?
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Wigan CAMRA Pub of the Year umpteen times, and deservedly so. Top-notch beer, competitively priced. Can get very busy, but there's always somewhere to sit, and the bar staff are prompt and polite. On the rare occasions when the beer hasn't been up to snuff, it has been changed without hesitation, unlike some pubs I could mention. If you had to visit just one pub in Wigan, then this should be it.
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Sensational pub - boltonbloke's review is most embarrassing considering what is on offer in his home town. Visited this place twice over the weekend - fantastic pint of Allgates Caskablanca, and for bargain basement prices. Comfortable interior, and a lovely outdoor seating area. Best pub in Wigan by far.
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If CAMRA ran the world all pubs would be like this: lots of well-kept real ales,
prompt service, lots of middle-aged to elderly men either deep in conversation or watching the racing, no food, (almost) no women / families / people under 50. Handy for a quick pint while waiting for a bus, though, and you can do a lot worse in Wigan.
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Beer I had in here was sour, no amount of personal insults will change that.
Oh, and I think you will find its git...........
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I see that miserable get Boltonbloke has added more of his whingeing to yet another excellent venue.
Top notch range of beers in what is nominally a Hyde's pub. Friendly bar staff and a good atmosphere.
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Reply to boltonbloke. Was in here on wednesday 4th of March. Beer was excellent. Very good choice of ales. So I think you was very unlucky.
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After reading the excellent reviews on this site and seeing all the Camra awards on the walls of this place I was very disappointed to be served with a sour pint of Allgates. Maybe standards are slipping?
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A great pub with excellent choice.
Used to just sell very light real ales only, but a greater choice beginning to appear.
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Has just been done up in rather dubious lurid colours for some reason (purple walls!?) but still the business regarding beer, sport and atmosphere. A must if in Wigan.
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First time I've had a pint in Wigan centre for 20 years and what a pleasure.
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The best option I have so far found for drinking in Wigan. A spectacular array of ever changing ales is supplemented by good, no-nonsense hospitality. Convivial indeed and an atmospheric place to watch a lunchtime kick off before hot footing it to the JJB. The one snag? - no pies on sales on my visit.
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By far the best pub in Wigan centre, adjacent to bus station. Comfortable pub with range of rooms ranging from large screens for sports to quiet area.
Beer excellent, good range of real ales ranging from Hydes cask bitter through a range of unusual brews including two from the closeby Allgates microbrewery. Winner of Wigan CAMRA awards Spring 2007 and pub of the year 2006/07, no wonder!
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Best range of Ales I've found in a long time, and not impossible to drink in on a Saturday night!
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Good range of real ales and imported draught beers.
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GET FRULLI beer back on !!!
netty - 15 Jul 2007 22:41 |
Still best in Wigan TC,but little competition bar Wetherspsons. Beer garden needs attention, however.
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Fantastic atmosphere on a Friday - a real customer mix, real beer lovers pub, real ale good if not brilliant.
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Excellent town centre boozer next to the bus station. Friendly staff dispensing superbly kept ales from a big range at very reasonable prices (us Southerners are used to near-�3 a pint now instead of the either-side-of �2 up north...)
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Top class pub that has a splendid atmosphere and a superb choice of trad ales. Included is "Allgates", a beer brewed by the landlord!
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Some fantastic beer here - and its always well kept. But the real blessing of this place it that it's still a PUB and has resisted the temptation to concentrate on food at the expense of being somewhere nice for a pint or a glass of Kriek...
anonymous - 15 Sep 2005 20:49 |
Excellent Hydes tenancy with wide range of real ales in addition to Hydes beers, usually including Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted. Draught Belgian beers also stocked. Simple & inexpensive food served. Soon to have it's own brewery.
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