please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
In theory, all Weatherspoon pubs should be the same, but they are not of course. It is all dependant on how motivated and efficient the staff are. The staff here are efficient, which makes the Blue Boar one of the better JDW pubs. I went there years ago and since then it has been refurbished. The ubiquitous carpeting has been replaced in the family area with functional slate tiles and the furnishings have a modern, continental feel. We went there with my elderly in laws and baby granddaughter and had pleasant, good value meals, served promptly. I had the steak and kidney pudding - a favourite of mine - which came with lovely plump, hot chips.
Okay, I know that this is a beer drinkers site, so:
They had a good selection of ales, including a lethal 7.3% beer called Dragon and Butcombe American Pale Ale as well as the ever present Ruddles. I had the Mauldon Silver Adder, which was very pleasant and good value at £2.15.
As others have said, the Blue Boar is one of the better Weatherspoon pubs.
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OK, the upgraded rating has been earnt. This has to be one of JDW's best. The staff are now as efficient and friendly as one could reasonably expect of a concern this big. My only gripe (and it is apparently a common one amongst JDW customers countrywide) is that too much time is taken in the making and serving of coffee at the expense of the beer drinkers. A dedicated coffee station might be the answer with the staff member assigned to routine tidying or something when there is no call for the caffeine.
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Above average JDW pub with Guest Ales going for �2.39 a pint.
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nice boozer
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This place continues to improve. From an admittedly low base it has ascended to something resembling a friendly, well run establishment. Whilst catering for a largely young clientele on Friday and Saturday evenings the older punter is certainly not discouraged from enjoying a decent beer at reasonable prices.
On my most recent visit there was a rather strange quite elderly looking man at the bar ordering a non=alcoholic ginger beer for himself and a coffee and brandy for his male companion. I thought this a little odd at 9.10am but I guess they found it odd that I was drinking my first pint of beer so early. Anyway, the staff of the Blue Boar are obviously a broad minded bunch as I noticed the ginger beer drinker slip over to the condiment area and fill his pockets with an assortment of sauces and seasonings- I'm sure the bar tender was aware but was able to turn a blind eye. Perhaps he felt sorry for the old boy who rather resembled a near destitute European farmer. The improvement in service is nearly enough to warrant a rating upgrade but I shall visit again in the new year before deciding on such a move.
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I have to agree with anon10. This is probably the best Wetherspoons we've visited both in surroundings and food. There's a lovely patio area right at the back with lots of trees in the distance and the atmosphere last sunday was releaxed and friendly. The food was hot and stayed hot throughout the meal - unlike others we've visited.
The staff - in particular the duty manager - were very friendly and happy to talk through the choice of beers which, by the way, were excellent.
We were here for sunday lunch at 4pm and we'll make this one of our regular haunts.
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Photo a bit out of date it looks much more sleek these days.
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It's nice to see that the staff actually do ID people here no matter what time of day, unlike some places I care to mention. I am often visit here now as I find the atmosphere very pleasant, you never see any trouble here and as a parent of 2 it's nice to know that there is a well managed establishment for the youngsters to go to. However, saying that it has all ages in there so very comfortable for anyone. I've noticed that the quality of food has got so much better and the staff are always so polite and courteous. It was a nice to have somewhere to sit outside and not feel crammed in.
I recently attended the pamper/coffee morning they held and wondered just how it could work in a place like that but it was surprisingly very good and obviously well thought out. Hats off to them a great all round place to visit.
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An average JDW in both appearance and atmosphere, but as always, a Wetherspoon rarely has the ignominy of being the worst pub in a town. I',m confident there must be pubs with worse service, poorer beer selection and quality, and over-priced grub in Billericay as there usually is everywhere. At least one knows firmly where one stands at a JDW: at best, excellent ale range and quality, good service and comfortable, if slightly anodine, accommodation. At worst, poor service, limited beer range and a hollowed-out husk of a pub. Happily this offering fell in between by my estimation. It was predictably busy, and the ale that flowed was in good nick. We didn't eat but one expects less with Wetherspoon food so I can't think we missed much.
Overall, acceptable, although not a place one would trouble oneself with if it's out of one's way.
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My son is almost 19 and has been to the pub in the evening and served with alcohol but this morning he couldnt get served with a cup of coffee while his friend had breakfast because he had no ID on him! His friend had ID to say he was over 18!
Since when did everyone have to be over 18 to buy breakfast. I thought this was a family pub/resturant during the daytime!
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So much improved since my past visits! Friendly, efficient and enthusiastic young staff- a transformation in this area and a clear management success. The impression may have been enhanced by the surprisingly good 'Real Ale festival' which is supplying an impressive choice of well kept ales at BBP 1.89 per pint- excellent value.
A house that the Wetherspoon chain should be proud of. I would not have said that (and didn't) a couple of years back.
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Good, varied beer at a good proce. Food okay and very reasonably priced. But .... STILL slow service *sigh*
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Run-of-the-mill 'spoons, and one with the staff seemingly more interested in doing this and that behind the bar than actually serving customers. However, my pint of Lumberjack from the local Brentwood Brewing Company (at 5.2%, designed "for the man who can handle his chopper!", apparently, according to the pump clip) was fine.
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Has greatly improved over the past year or so. Staff are quicker off the mark and a deal more friendly than they used to be. Food is reasonable. Some amazingly good offers on some good beers. The free wifi is an excellent service and one which it would be nice to see being offered by a few more establishments in the area. This pub is certainly now back on track. Well done !
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why are you all slagging off the staff!?!? if the customers werent so rude to start with then the staff are more than happy to do their job. theres such a bad attitude towards people in this town! how dare you say the staff would be more at home flipping burgers! they are working a job for money...at least they arent using mummy and daddy's credit cards like the majority of jobless wasters in this town! its a joke!
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i think that the staff in this pub are not only polite and friendly but up for a laugh! especially laura its a shame she left. i think that this pub has one of the best atmospheres in the highstreet considering there isnt any music and it takes time to be served because its so busy! if so many people complain about it why are they going back?? bar staff are only human and its plain to see they are trying there best to serve everyone in record time but its not always possible, i think the people of billericay expect too much for what they are paying sometimes!!
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It is a nightmare to get served in this pub as other people have said. In my experience this is typical of a Wetherspoon pub and something they dont seem to care about at all. Each member of staff seem to have their own section of bar to serve and will not serve another section even if theirs is quiet. Also they have no idea of who should be served next. It is cheap so I normally have one or two here before it gets busy and then head elsewhere.
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The Blue Boar is known locally as the "Blue Bore".
The service is extremely slow on weekends and it can take 20 minutes or more of fighting and pushing to get a drink, by which time you are just about ready to give up and get the hell out of there. The pub is also the most likely place on the High St to find younger drinkers.
One good thing I will say about it is that it has a pretty decent Sunday breakfast, but that is about the only reason to go there unless you are 18 and cannot get in anywhere else.
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Went on a Saturday Night, busy to say the least. Took ages to get served, but this has got to have the best priced drink in the area, decent brands of wine at rock bottom prices. I wont go agin on a Friday or Saturday, but with supermarket prices for a decent bottle of wine I think the other days are abetter option.
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There seems to have been some improvement since my last visit. Certainly value for money and a good selection of beers. The young staff are friendly and appear eager to please. There does seem to be a problem with management though, those staff that are on duty seem to be wandering around whilst the queue at the bar lengthens. I imagine they are busy doing something but it's not apparent what exactly. Especially good for a 0900 slurp!
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Why does everyone complain about this pub ? It is cheap...so you get what you pay for !!! I would rather pay more money and now Im gonna have a good night and get served ! Back to The White Hart for me !
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To me the problem with this pub is quite obvious. The staff seem to be inadequately trained. I am a frequent visitor to this pub (because it is cheap) and the service has slowly deteriorated. For example when i asked for a pint of bitter (a cask ale) i cringed as i saw the bar man/boy pulling at the hand pump like he was milking a cow! Another instance is when i asked for a pint of Guinness (Extra Cold). The pint was poured all in one go (when G EC is supposed to be poured in 2 stages). This meant that there was a bubbly head to the beer which ruined the texture/flavour. Yes, service time is slow (again due to inadaquate training) and if you stand at the bar (particularly on a fri/sat night you can always hear people complaining about it. However, on the plus side it is cheap (although prices are slowly creeping up). The food is good for the price but i would not recommend the breakfast because once i had it and it was cold. Overall i would say that this pub is ideal for people who wan't to have a few drinks without paying a fortune but don't expect to be impressed if you are a beer connoisseur!
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I think it is unfair to say they havent got a clue, yes AT TIMES you have to wait to be served but i also see that they work fast especially when they are busy, i used to work in this industry and you cannot serve everyone at the same time and you can only go so fast before hitting the superhuman faze which alot of the public expect. My personnal experience is that i always get a hello and have noticed they know many of there customers by name although not mine yet. It is always a lovely atmosphere in there, the staff all seem to be very friendly and it is good value for money which is what alot of us are looking for. I recently went in on one of there club nights and couldnt believe the amount of food and drink i got in a set price of around 5 or 6 quid, although extremely busy in there that night it just showed how popular it has got. and where else in the high street can you get a decent cup of coffee for well under a pound. May be stropmag and NSJW that commented caught them on a off day. (regular visitor of the Blue Boar)
anonymous - 21 Feb 2007 20:12 |
NSJW makes some good points. Service is unpredictable to say the least. To be fair, they just haven't got a clue. Value for money is what you must aim for here and you must expect to wait even when it's a quiet 1000 Wed Morning. The staff are half asleep!
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Where do I begin! I suppose by saying don't waste your time or money in here! Service is very very slow, staff havent a clue who to serve! Expect to wait 20 minutes to be served by an unhappy face. Quality of food varies. Bouncers try and chuck you out twenty before closing which is a major f'ing irritation.
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*cough cough* may I say for starters thatBillericay has about 20 pubs along the high street so you do have a vast choice, if you are *alternative* and dont like chavs go to checkers! im alternative! i got bright red hair and a lip piercing! i work behind tha bar and never have trouble there are loads of *alternative* people that go there and work there as for *chavs* what does it matter? i wouldnt say *hmm i dont like that pub cause black people drink there* so what does it matter who drinks there? there is no music in the pub as if there was it would isolate people! if they played *trendy* music alternative people wouldnt go and if they played *metal* music the old guys and trendies wouldnt come so they decided not to have music to keep everyone happy. they are currently getting a re-furbishment so that the place will look even better :) and added afew new cocktails this week, granted it can be cold in there sometimes (i have to were a cotton top cause i work there i cant wear a jacket!) but the pink toothbrush is cold in certain places :) anywho ive had my rant say hi to me if ya in I'm sarah the bright red haired bar maid :)
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This must be a very popular pub as always very busy, and an extremely varied age group. Its true what you say 'you get what you pay for' and in this case the food is great value for the amount you pay. Dont expect the 'Ritz' but it is still good food. For the size of this establishment there is very little trouble and if there has been it has been nipped in the bud so has not escalated out of control, well done to the staff and management for a trouble free zone, makes us feel secure on our night out. i think it has the largest outdoor space for the summer in the billericay pubs and now the new decor this week makes it feel very warm and inviting. staff sre always busy and despite this friendly with it too. good choice of venue day or night.
anonymous - 22 Feb 2006 13:31 |
Don't drink there often myself but it is the meeting place for the young people of Billericay, including my daughter, as the drink is cheap and there is plenty of space to meet and no loud music, so they can chat. A lot of people use it as a place to meet and have a few drinks before they go clubbing. The food is reasonable and very cheap.
anonymous - 8 Feb 2006 15:27 |
Now gone downhill like so many other pubs in Billericay. The loutish behaviour in and around the place of a weekend simply beggars belief. The 'bouncers' employed here should take a few driving lessons too before they start playing Starsky and Hutch along the High Street. Their place is at the door of 'The Boar' and NOWHERE ELSE !
It would be nice to think that the management of this establishment may read and take note of these comments. Any action taken on their part can only serve to improve things as they simply can't get worse ! Not a pub I'd recommend to anyone.
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During the day this is quite a nice pub - even if it does have the look of a warehouse about it - where you can get a comfy seat and cheap food/drinks. Weekends after 6pm are a whole different story though as the place becomes rammed and just getting to the bar can take up a fair amount of your night. Fair point about the staff though - they do work hard in the face of some real idiots at the bar.
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How can anyone say anything about this ex CO-OP apart from it is crap, it allways stinks of stale food and if you want cheap beer that badly, brew your own.
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Good for a few cheap beers at the start of the evening and if the weather is nice then the terrace out the back is good to spend a few hours in.
Other than that it's a Weatherspoons so expect the usual... cheap ok food, cheap and drinkable real ale and a "good" cross section of society
P.S I usually drink in what used to be the freezer section?...
bondr - 16 Apr 2005 23:12 |
By far the cheapest place to drink in Bill. Food very good value. Good choice of beer and the daily newspaper hung out for customers to read (a nice touch that). Bit of a magnet for trouble seekers of a weekend unfortunately. At times I think the staff would be more at home flipping burgers at Burger King but if Weatherspoons are not offering enough incentive then they are unlikely to be rewarded with much better. All in all well worth a visit.
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Staff try there best to be polite in the face of some extremely rude londonites! A nice attitude from you will bring out a great service from the staff! The new menu rocks with great new meals and better quality food. Extremely cheap drinks which is key! a pub well worth a visit for a cheap night or a stop off in on your way to a big night. Great pub!
anonymous - 3 Nov 2004 11:42 |
great pub great atmosphere and great food. new menu is great, staff are freindly and its good for a non smokey, freindly atmosphere. it can be used as a quiet drinking spot or even a big get together! easily the best and cheapest pub billericay has to offer!
anonymous - 3 Nov 2004 11:34 |
Take a coat.....the air con will freeze your nuts off.Foods ok and its the cheapest pub in the area.
Lawrie - 11 Sep 2004 11:13 |
Pub is huge, not one of these small dank old pubs full of smoke and chewing gum on the seats. Everything is well spaced out and there's loads of seating. All very clean, toilets very clean, no music which is FANTASTIC as you can actually speak to your mates instead of having to shout because the landlord has placed a speaker behind your seat. Drinks are far cheaper than all other pubs round there, and every time I've eaten there the food has been great.
AS - 26 Apr 2004 13:39 |
This place is Chave. Dress code includes Burberry caps, Nicholson No: 1. Reebok classics & jogger bottoms.Another example of cheap and nasty Wetherspoon at it`s best. As for the piss poor food -don`t get me started ...
johnson - 30 Mar 2004 11:38 |
Cor, you certainly get some whinging fools on here. Good pub. You know what you get and and can t truly get stuck in when it arrives. Hmmm...? Anyway, I was lucky enough to work there for a while, and find utterly deplorable the attitudes of some folk who cannot comprehend diversity in High street pubs. Yeah, some are busy, sweaty meat markets, some are old boys hideouts. We all need a place to reside. Hell, if you're brave enough why not try a selection. The Boar has provided many people with a great deal of fun, at very reasonable prices, so let's just chill out, and enjoy! It's gotta be better than a run down old co-op?
Anonymous - 16 Mar 2004 20:25 |
i think that this pub is total and utter brilliant and i go in there every week with my mates and they also give it a very good rating too.
sam chapman - 15 Feb 2004 14:12 |
The toilets are excellent and are clean.
The pub is MASSIVE and I've been to libraries with more atmosphere.
JC - 14 Feb 2004 22:20 |
Those dinners were over cooked and the dinner was micro waved too much but on the positive side the beer was at a good price and given that me and me wife are OAPs it makes our money go a long way
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At last - decent service at the Blue Boar. The barmaid was not only knowledgeable but polite too.
Best thing about it though remains the beer and the ever-changing selection.
Darren in the City - 6 Jan 2004 17:14 |
i visted this pub once NEVER AGAIN
ASKED 4 NO PORK NOT ONLY DID I GET PORK ON MY PLATE THE BARMAN TOOK IT OF MY PLATE WITH HIS HAND
whats that all about? then asked me if everythings ok?? stick your cheap meals & drink it only works out dear in the long run!!
chelsea pat.. billericayt - 5 Jan 2004 18:03 |
The drinks are a proper price as the rest of the high street try to get near London prices. Toilets are the cleanest and best. The Food isn't that bad(not everyone eats curry) and yes the no smoking section allows you to breathe a little bit better and the ceilings are high also (unlike Red Lion). There's no music and if you get too rowdy you'll be asked to leave, if you can hold a good conversation with your friends/family, you don't need 10 massive speakers booming in the background. Your complaints are taken note of (be courageous and complain if something isn't right!). And most of all - some superb specimens which are older than the street girls who want to start fights over them (and remember it's a starting pub for most on a big night out, so they'll remember you later from when they started the night sober!).
Jerry - 31 Dec 2003 15:39 |
Let's be positive...it's got great toilets. I love 'em. But sadly, very few of us actually spend the entire evening in the lavs so let me fill you in on the actual pub. I'll be honest, it ain't great! Impersonal, little atmosphere, too big. In fact, it's kinda like a big canteen, filled with tables in a bid to get as many people sat down and ordering bad curry as possible.
Give it a swerve!
Alex - 11 Dec 2003 17:52 |
Ok, the Blue Boar is crap cos the food is absolutely discusting, ie the curry smeels like someone has bad b.o! There is no music, so any good atmosphere that there is, gets drowned out by the likes of some fat bird that is in there every night! The bar staff could not lack more personality if they tried, and the beer tastes like it has been watered down before it even leaves the barrel! But...there are some nice people in there (but not many) personally, i prefer the Red Lion and the Quilters cos, well...the Blue Boar sucks!
Johana Eiverssen - 3 Aug 2003 18:28 |
Maybe full of younger generations...not teenagers tho as they can't get in. Some people should realise that younger people have a right to be there too and have a good time. Perhaps if you don't want to mix with louder, fashionable young adults you should consider a more tradidional country pub.
anonymous - 31 Jul 2003 22:03 |
Agree about the staff - though that person must have been clued cos most of the staff appear to be teenagers who haven't got a clue what it is they're serving and how to even smile. They also get the right hump if you dare to ask where they've hidden the cutlery this week.
Cheap beer attracts all the kids who all want to outdo each other in the loudness stakes (the boys) and who can wear the least amount of clothing (the girls). But they stear clear of the food area at the front as it's non-smoking so always sit there whether you're eating or not.
Only saving grace is the good beer (and the non-smoking area).
Not as good as the Red Lion down the road.
Darren in the City - 17 Jul 2003 08:56 |
Pub in Billericay weather spoons spacious good food only problem think it needs music at the weekends and needs to sort one member of staff out that it rude.
anonymous - 4 Jun 2003 12:50 |
