please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I am sorry to report that visitors to 'the Duck' are still experiencing poor service at the bar by the female staff who look weary most of the time.
Priority is given to food orders and those paying their bills.
There should be 3 cask ales on offer but mostly only 2 these days.
This gem of a pub in the Lancashire countryside deserves better and the problems are not unsurmountable.
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I can only say that following my earlier entry and several further vists, the standard of food is excellent, it is not cheap but you pay for quality. Tend to visit afternoon or early evening mid-week, not experiened any sort of poor service.
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Having only been here once before it re-opened I cant really comment on the food service at present. However when I did go I found it quite charming and had a nice relaxed afternoon with friends and relatives. My only gripe being that the pub only served beer from the Cains (Liverpool) Brewery.
I must try it again seeing as it has re-opened. What real ale is available since the re-opening?
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"There was . . . . . " ?
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Visited Sunday 6 February 2011 lunchtime. The food was about at an expected level for a pub but the service was poor. The 5 members of our group ordered together. One member of our group was served quickly with Fish and Chips but there was a 15 minute wait before anyone else was served and a further 5 minute wait before everybody was served. When I complained I was met with the comment "that's what happens when you pay separately" from a middle aged lady referring to the fact that the two couples and the one single person in our group paid for the food separately when we ordered. There was no apology from her or acknowledgment that they got it wrong. The yound girls are inattentive, chatting behind the bar whilst I was waiting for drinks, and my wife found a hair in her meal - probably from one of the young girls who serve customers with their long hair down, rather than tied back. I am still seething at the reaction to my complaint, 2 days later. They need to try harder to get their service right if they want me to return.
There was
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After three more visits...I refer to my previous review from Nov 2010, whilst the food is lovely (I rate it at the best pub food in this area) and the real ale is excellent too, I'm afraid the service still continues to let the pub down. On two of the occasions when the pub was relatively quiet the food took an excessive amount of time to arrive (Note: I'm quite prepared to wait for freshly cooked food) and specific requests were not followed.
There seems to be a lack of communication between the young serving staff and the kitchen. I'm sure if the management read this they can review and sort it out, as it's a shame when the food quality is excellent.
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It is great to see this renowed pub back in business , it has been closed and through a disappointing period, but is one of the most famous pubs in the region, it has its own railway station for good measure, there does not appear to be anybody else living round there!
Visited early Jan 2011 and was not disappointed, first visit for about 2 years when it was in decline. Had Black Sheep and the menu was extensive - you are not going to get the vast range larger pubs can offer, but its certainly quality over quantity. Advise any old regulars to pay a vsit, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
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Called in 3 Times Now food excellent service good
Maybe they have different staff on a Sunday ...
Had a Christmas day meal there & Plenty of Rocking Rudolph
no problems with food beer or service
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Visited the pub early this evening for a quick midweek tea with the Missus and toddler.
Beer and food excellent.
Service poor, not willfully bad just disinterested and ill trained, poor.
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Called over the weekend, very nicely altered and improved, pleasant staff and good beer (Timothy Taylor's Landlord). Didn't try the food but after checking the menu, expect to pay over �11 for pie and chips. I suppose someone has to pay for the improvements!!
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Brilliant to visit the recently-reopened Duck again. It was surprisingly busy to say it's only been open for about a week!
Well worth a visit. Four cask ales, I tried the Cumberland and Black Sheep and both were well kept. We didn't eat this time, but looked at the menu and it seemed very good too.
Well done to the new landlord, please keep it up! Highly recommended again now - they should easily dispel the poor reputation from the previous management. For those who haven't visited before, it's opposite Entwistle Station (a request stop on the Bolton to Blackburn line)
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alexw - 30 Jul 2010 00:05 |
What a great pub. With helpful and friendly staff. The new and refurbished premises are fantastic. The food is first class. With a selection of classy real beers. Busy already and only been open buy friday the 23 of July.
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I've Not Been There for Several Yeas How long was it a P^HCains Pub (Bland beer & Food to Match)
Cheers to all that remember Roger Duxbury & The M6 Breakdown Band
Alban - 18 Jul 2010 12:51 |
Good news....wondered what had happened and look forward to it, especialy as dogs are allowed!!!
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Hi - its reopening on the 19th July 2010 - works were delayed but well underway now - hope to see you there!
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Not reopened yet
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Has the pub reopened yet?
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Hi all users!
Just wanted to say that The Strawbury Duck has been purchased by us and will be reopening hopefully the first week of June.
We are reopening it as a great pub with great food and will be serving a selection of cask ales local and regional.
Walkers, dogs, bikers, mountain bikers and children will all be welcome.
Come and try us for a pint and some good food this summer!
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Shame that such a nice pub has closed down, we went on Sunday 26th April, only to find it locked up but no signs anywhere to say what had happened, it used to be a good venue for decent ales, guest bitters were great, SAD !
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Went there yesterday (Saturday) evening just after 7.30pm, only to find the pub closed with no notices or any other apology at either entrance (even though there were lights on upstairs and in the kitchen etc). This was my first visit for well over a year due to previous disappointments at what was once a great pub.
At this rate I'm sure it will join the growing list of pubs permanently closing... why would anyone go all that way on a wild goose chase again?
alexw - 22 Mar 2009 10:01 |
Only went for the real ale and it was on top form. The scenery is first class going up on the train but the train is every hour. The food looked good but did'nt have any. NIce little venue. By the way is it the place where Max and Paddy did a sketch from?
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What a shame. This used to be a lovely destination pub. We visited in December 2008 and were throroughly disappointed. I ordered a red wine to be told 'we don't have any'. My companion was told there was no beer only guinness. Food was not being served despite a sign advertising it outside. The pub was very quiet yet most of the tables and seats were dirty. Overheard the manageress arguing with another disgruntled customer over the telephone. The ladies lavatory had no paper - only serviettes! We tried to make the best of it by playing a couple of games on the quiz machine. Won �3 but the machine had insufficient funds to pay out which kind of summed the whole thing up! I don't think we'll visit again.....
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How the mighty fall. Really feel i have to make people aware so they dont have to go through what we did. Visited on Sunday 2 november with wife and child. Made a return visit after a few years to the strawberry duck based on the food last time and its good reputation. ended up getting refund and leaving after starter. Been to hundreds of pubs in my time but this was by far my worst experience. List of problems below: Radio playing from the kitchens. Did not have my first choice, also had to compromise on the kids meal, then after waiting 20 mins got told they did not have the kids choice so had to change. Another 10 mins then starter came and asked for napkins and got given that blue (toilet roll) type stuff, yes seriously, then noticed that the prawn cocktail was in a wine glass with prawns and giant slices of red pepper and that was it, this made us giggle, including six year old. Then the kids pizza was cold in the middle, at this point i realised what we where dealing with and decided to halt the whole charade and ask for our money back, which we got no problem. Then the manageress, obviously embarrassed raced into the kitchen and give one of the kitchen staff a mighty rolicking which all 10 people in the pub could hear. The pub was almost empty and i am not suprised. I think this must be the lowest point that the pub can go to and hope it can in the future re-discover its past reputation, but i will certainly be waiting for more positive feedback before i reluctantly visit again.
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The bit that goes through to the kitchen door used to be my grandad's house when he was a child, he used to bring us here at Easter for a trip down memory lane. Wasn't attached to the pub then but the pub was there 100 years ago and had the same great name. It was quite surreal to have a drink with my mum in what would have been his tiny front room with all the original stone walls and the fireplace where he used to black lead the grate :)
Didn't eat but food looked nice and the beers were tasty, also in rather a nice part of the countryside. I love coming here for the memories it evokes so the service is neither here nor there for me, sorry if this is unhelpful :)
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I have only been in the area for a few months, but the decline in this once great pub is very evident. I visited on Easter Monday holiday, and although not busy, the service was awful. We arrived just after 2pm and were told food was no longer being served. Fair enough. However, we witnessed food being served at 3pm. I asked a passing waitress who informed me again that food was not being served. I asked when food was back on, I was told "I don't know" and she walked on by. When we were eventually served food (after once again asking at the bar) the food was incredibly bland. Then, the plates were not removed from our table until half an hour after finishing, despite ordering desserts. I could go on... the barman served me a half pint instead of a pint, when I pointed it out, his attitude was terrible. I will never vist this pub again, the whole experience was terrible.....
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I posted an update to my comment of December '06 which seems to have been removed.
I stated something along the lines of the pub still had a lovely, comfortable feel, the staff were still friendly and the outside views outstanding. However, it's now a Cains tied house and the imaginative range of guests (often from the excellent Phoenix) is no more; the locals I talked to were deeply unhappy with the change and I can't blame them.
It's still a wonderful pub (can't comment on the food, sorry) but not a patch on what it was.
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A once great pub. Recently going downhill, food obviously kept warm for too long and the bitter range varies in quality and quantity. I really want this pub to be good, but I keep going and saying "never again", only to visit again after a couple weeks to improve. The recent poor quality is now just once too often.
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This pub is actually about 200 yards away from Entwistle station, not 2.6 miles.
anonymous - 11 Aug 2007 22:28 |
A double birthday celebration was rendered disappointing when the two requested 16oz steaks were not cooked as requested. When the waiter asked how the meals were we said that the two steaks were supposed to be medium rare and they had been over- cooked, and he could mention it to the chef. It was'nt a complaint just a constructive comment. The chef made no positive feedback in fact the attitude was that it was tough. As the menu goes to great length to state the steak cooking guide, and the price of the meals ,it would have been nice to have the steaks cooked as requested.Our main complaint was the attitude of the chef as it seems any good comments are OK but any negative ones he cant seem to accept. The service was good but it is unfortunate that this first review could not have been a more satisfying one.
slade - 30 Jul 2007 22:29 |
Sadly seems to have gone downhill recently. Hopefully this will have been a one-off.
The beer selection was various Cains ales plus Pendle Witches. However the only available were a poor Cains IPA plus Pendle Witches. The food was not cheap but very disappointing, the chips in particular were the worst pub chips I can remember for a long time and tasted as though they had been on a hot tray for far too long.
Due to the pub's remote location, sadly experiences such as this will only put people off going there in the first place.
alexw - 27 Jul 2007 19:42 |
Great pub for a summer evening. high quality food, local ales and good service. The only pub I know with it's own train station. just flag down the train 20 mins after last orders, it just doesn't get any better
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Visited today, first time in few years. Still a great place to base a walk around (Wayoh and Entwistle reservoirs). A selection of Cains now diminates. Had a pint of the famous old Pendle Witch (Moorhouses), but at �2.55 this is a luxury in price and at 5.1%. The small pool room at the back has had the table removed since the last time I was in, but it still has the small serving hatch.
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Serves good value food and beer all lunchtimes in a lovely setting on a chain of reservoirs. Makes this a great aiming point for long and short rambles, starting for example from Jumbles or Darwen. Enjoyed a great lunch there just last week. Hot baguettes tasty and great value. Interesting beer from local Bolton Brewery.
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I appreciate that not everyone has the same tastes but if you have a problem with this place then you're an imbecile. Excellent beer, excellent (albeit pricey) food, splendidly laid out interior, beautiful surroundings, friendly staff and you can flag down a train to get you back to Manchester. How can you resist?
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Good country ale house which features very nice food and a good selection of real ales - one of which comes from the splendid local Bank Top Brewery.
Worth a trip - especially if out walking around Entwistle.
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This pub is just fantastic. The food on offer is fabulous, with beer to match, and excellent service. Went here Boxing Day eve 2005 when the place was virtually empty. Staff were all ready to close up but were happy to serve until we'd had our fill. Can't rate this pub highly enough.
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Picturesque country pub next to Entwistle halt on the Bolton-Blackburn railway. A good selection of real ales, always in tip-top condition, and very good food. Located in Bolton's "Lake District", very popular with walkers, especially at meal times.
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