please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A busy spoon's pub with a lot of regulars in for the discounted booze. A lot of history in the area if one can be bothered to find out and do a bit of surfing while drinking the large selection of alcoholic beverages on offer. With a food hygiene rating of 3 I give trying the food a miss as minimum is a 4 and even then I have to be famished. Good large pub and gets full quickly. Staff are not always on the ball as there is a lot of chatting and not knowing who to serve as they fail to notice who comes to the bar, first rule of bar tending, read the bar. However when served staff were polite and pleasant which cannot be said for all pubs.
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Wednesday night and on my way to football at West Ham so the Golden Grove seemed the most logical pub to meet in.
I've not been here for around 18 months but its always been a 'spoons that I like and this visit was no different.
A decent selection of ales on the pumps with my choices being Sambrooks Junction and Hackney Brewery Golden Ale, both very good with the Hackney offering being slightly better.
I've never seen this place empty with always a decent crowd of locals and drop by’s, quick bar staff meant the wait was very short.
All in all a decent older style 'spoons.
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I like this 'spoons. I have used this place for years on and off when passing through the Stratford area.
A cracking mix of locals and never a dull moment.
Bar staff attentive and polite. Always well kept and a good selection of ales.
Older style 'spoons but worth the walk away from Westfield for a real pub with real people
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Had quite a pleasant night in here with chums - until I ventured to the lav. I usually brace myself for the 12-inch thick waft of stale Monday club wee, but what I encountered was far worse. A gent from overseas origin was hogging the sinks with his array of �pour homme� fragrances. I thought this poor homo (me) has to now avoid washing his postpiss hands or be subjected to a base exchange about targeting the wetness between women�s thighs with a new found �get jiggy with it� whiskey courage. My whole night was ruined, knowing that the khazi was now out of bounds thanks to the shudder inducing presence of a lecherous bog troll. Hang your heads in shame Wetherspoons, take this middle-leg cut-eyeing upstart off the payroll and let punters arc their Fosters in peace.
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The service is very poor, slow and reluctant although some staff are better than others. The attitude of some of the staff is really appalling and as someone who used to run pubs and bars, based upon my experience here I would never employ anyone who'd worked at Wetherspoons - it would be quicker to train someone from scratch than change so many bad habits. By early evening the toilets are stinking, often blocked or just not working at all. The little garden at the back is a lovely mature garden and gets plenty of sun. I considered it a haven (being a smoker) until, the other day, when over a period of a few hours I saw a huge rat making several journeys along the wall towards the kitchen. The garden doesn't seem so heavenly now and I won't be eating there again, not that I'm a fan of their food anyway. This Wetherspoons has the usual advantage of cheap beer but all the disadvantages of the chain (impersonal, sloppy service, poor quality food etc.) seem to be magnified in this particular bar.
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certainly serves a purporse, but always feels a bit grubby (bit like most of the clientele)
not one of the best wetherspoons, breakfast has been below standards of others
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Another visit yesterday and had a pint of Brentwood Gold 4.3 % and another pint of Charlie Pecks at 5.2% which makes 3 ales brewed by the Brentwood Brewing co.
Last year I remember they had Clockwork Orange by BBC at 8 % but have not sen it since.
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Beers on Sunday today included Winter warmer by Brentwood Brewing co
an another dedicated to a local guy at 5.2% it is nice to see local beers on sale.
Service is quick and a pint is full so no complaints.
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One of the bad Wetherspoons - scruffy, tattered and dingy. Bar staff would fit in well as extras in The Hills Have Eyes. Beer was bad and little choice.
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Enjoyed 3 pints of Old Thumper by the New Forest brewer Ringwoods yesterday and at 169p a pint excellent value and the staff ar very quick serving customers and this during a lunch time.
No faults with the condition of the beer and the despite the run down aspect of the area everyone I spoke to was friendly.
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You know it�s a wetherspoons when....
Every condiment is in a packet
The spoons bend when you look at them
The knife is as sharp on both sides as the bent spoon
2 full meals for 3.99??? ummmmm no
Even so...quick pint not too bad and plus they have everything a good pub should have. Including the oaps and the youths trying to get served for a wkd.
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Enjoyed a pint of Gold yesterday for 189p its really cheap and service was quick.
Excellent choice of beers and the beer festival is due soon.
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drab uninispired wetherspoons - narrow, cramped and full of OAPS and losers. If you're really desperate for a cheap pint in Stratford, this is marginally better than Yates and The Goose, but I'd advise giving all 3 places a wide berth.
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This pubs alright, at the end of the day it's a standard wetherspoons, it is situated in Stratford the biggest shit hole in London, but somehow it overcomes this...the bar staff are very slow though and like all wetherspoons they will serve all the regulars (pensioners) before they serve you.
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Not exactly great, but pretty good for Stratford with a reasonable selection of ales and friendly barstaff.
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Above average Wetherspoons pub with a good choice of real ales kept in good condition could be a tourist attraction when the builders leave.
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Bog standard, OK, Wetherspoons pub. Saving grace is the good beer with well kept pints of Hobgoblin and one other ale, whose name escapes me.
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Shakespeare never drank here. He preferred not to drink at chains.
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couldnt get served - before noon to, on a sunday, sums this place up really - go to King Edward down the road for a more rewarding experience.
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Not a bad Wetherspoons, full of a typically-odd bunch of down-and-outers which are nonetheless reasonably unoffensive. Probably the second best choice for a pint in Stratford, all in all.
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Visited about 2 weeks ago. Very slow service with a number of small children being allowed to run riot in the bar. Always a good selection of real ale but it's a drag waiting to be served especially if it is your first pint|
anonymous - 20 Sep 2006 14:15 |
For a Wetherspoons this is not a bad pub.Four real ales on with Deuchars IPA in top form.The usual wetherspoons decor and food and also,unfortunately the usual Wetherspoon service.Twenty people at the bar with only one staff serving with the other one waiting on tables.This is not the fault of the staff.It is down to bad management.
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Great pub for a quiet drink on a friday nite. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. It does get quite packed in there but its definitely an alright pub if your just going out for a few drinks.
anonymous - 11 Aug 2006 12:44 |
Continues to provide good service, even if a bit slow. Clientele and staff are friendly and the gaeden's a great spot in the summer. Like many JDWs a fine collection of historic,local photographs. I've had pints there that weren't to my taste - cask covers such a wide range of flavours - but never a badly kept beer.
Mike
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Good value for money, friendly hard working staff but like so many JDW pubs something slows down the service, maybe because they take time with each customer, not sure about that one ???
Nice layout with some booths inside & a great garden with secluded tables.
Oh, AND the beer's well kept...
anonymous - 10 Oct 2005 20:33 |
pleasant place, not my first choice for a drink in stratford. i like beer garden in summer that one day should overlook Eurostar.
anonymous - 12 Jun 2005 21:27 |
Not bad for a JDW outlet=but cliquey atmosphere,usual problem with staff ''have a nice day'' type of service.
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Great beers and friendly staff.
I like the pictures on the walls and there is even a history of stratford.
A good place to go when it's not busy.
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Been going here now ever since it was converted by Wetherspoons from a shirt shop ('Dickie Dirts'). Although it's seen better days, still upholds the Wetherspoon traditions of no music, no pool, no Sky and loads of cask beer :)
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friendly, cheap and a handy local
anonymous - 9 Sep 2004 12:20 |
Compared to other JDWs the food is good and the garden is ok, the pub is usually heaving inside (hard to find a table if you wish to order food) and it is a little smoky, but generally pleasant enough if you like JDW type pubs.
Flash Wilson - www.gorge.org - 17 Jul 2003 18:52 |
Large but reasonable Wetherspoon outlet in an area not respected for real-ale, especially now the new refurbished and enlarged Theatre Royal bar has gone to "Fizz". Ales at the Grove generally in good condition
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