please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nothing particularly memorable about the beers (Dorset Brewing Company's Tom Browns and Copper Street's 871 and Egbert's Stone) but there is a fantastic Syrian takeaway on the premises. Both pub and and the long beer garden need sprucing up.
|
Tom Browns is the brewery tap for the Dorset Brewing Company (DBC). All 6 ales were from the brewery - Jurassic, Dorset Knob, Great Expectations, Durdle Door, Tom Browns & Flashmans Clout. There was also a handpull for Lilleys Bee Sting Perry. The interior is basic and bare boarded. It's a nice enough drinking environment. But it felt like it attracts a young and fairly trendy crowd. The gents toilets were out of order. So the ladies had become unisex! CAMRA discount offered for ales, but unfortunately not the perry. Could be better with guest ales and a recognition of real cider and perry. Still a reasonable option if in Dorchester though.
|
Bit of a traditional pub offering 8 or so beers from the Dorset Brewery Company and guests. I tried the Tom Brown at £3 which wasn't great - weak and pretty tasteless - then had Dark Star Hophead at £3.30 which was great. Not very busy on an early Saturday afternoon.
Still I'd try it again.
|
Much better than the other pubs that I visited on a recent trip to Dorch. The locals seemed to be in agreement as Tom Browns was packed out for a cover band and skittles, with plenty of people necking down the excellent regional ales (I had a pint of the eponymous Tom Browns, which was liquid perfection).
|
Home of the Dorset Brewing Company so as you would expect a decent selection of their own beers on offer which were good.
Was busy on the Saturday afternoon I visited but it was not a problem to get served, a good drinking pub.
|
Scruffy around the edges but an ok place. beer decent, only pub I can remember has a school can prominant behind the bar...
|
On Monday they had three DBC beers including Durdle Door which wasn't in great condition plus two Plain beers. Some decorating was going on so sat out in the garden. Ok pub.
|
I didn't stay in here long, absolutely no atmosphere, grumpy bar staff and poor quality ale. I went straight back to the Raddle.
|
Basic, take-us-as-you find us establishment with a mixed clientelle. The beers I tried were excellent, and miraculously cheap. Makes quite a contrast with the King's Arms, and the Blue Raddle is a happy medium
|
In the middle of historic Dorchester is Tom Browns, which, as the CAMRA Good Beer Guide correctly points out, has the feel of a town centre ale house.
The main room at the front has bare boards and the usual mixture of sofas and wooden tables and chairs. It feels basically more like a room than a pub, but a piano and an old cash register, inter alia, add a bit of interest and character.
The pub is the former home of the Goldfinch Brewery and, although the name has been retained, the beer is, so I understand, now brewed by Dorset Brewing Co in Weymouth. The former pub sign denoting Goldfinch Brewery now leans rather forlornly against a wall in the main bar.
A longish corridor leads to a small basic room at the back of the building which houses a dartboard. The walls of this corridor are decorated with a number of Tom Brown's Schooldays framed caricature prints, including a rather tasteless one which depicts a large nude and bears the caption "Flashman's First XV Team Hooker". There's a large garden at the back which I didn't get to explore properly because it was persisting down.
On my recent Monday afternoon visit, the pub was virtually deserted and lacked any kind of real atmosphere at all, but I stayed longer than I otherwise would have done until the rain relented.
There were 5 beers on in total - Chesil and Jurassic from Dorset Brewing Co , Tom Brown's Goldfinch plus 2 beers from Potbelly in Kettering. The Chesil was rather uninspiring, but the Tom Brown's Goldfinch - � 2.55p - was superb. The pub is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2010.
Perhaps my judgement was clouded by the heavy rain outside and the lack of atmosphere inside, but I was rather underwhelmed by the visit as a whole.
|
Visited on Friday, and good as ever until another member of staff turned up and decided that the whole pub should listen to music aimed at 7 year old girls at 110 decibels. Promptly departed.
|
has the makings of a great pub. brews it's own beer - the bitter's pretty good - decor is fine and it's comfortable enough. live music on quiet a few nights. but...
a pub that supposedly takes its beer seriously enough to brew its own (on the premises) shouldn't be serving beer that smells of vinegar. and they certainly shouldn't be employing bar staff who take offence to be asked to replace said beer, throws the pints down and has to be asked (politely) 3 times to top pints up.
VERY disappointing.
|
very good pub, but there is a new runner on the street the borough is under new management, and he already runs 2 other very good pubs in the town. maybe tom's will have a better ale offer giving them the edge. be intresting to watch
|
I feel that this pub is still "bedding down" after its refurb. I am trying to like it but it still feels new. It is still, however, either the best, or second best, pub in Dorchester. The competition is the Blue Raddle. To my mind it will be the one which is braver in rotating guest beers that will take the first place.
|
The most improved pub in Dorchester over the last two years, nicely refurbished, DBC ales and the odd guest ale, decent wines, pianist plays occasionally. No longer the "old boys" pub it was. Competitive prices too.
|
DBC have done a pretty good job after the problems of the last year or so. Went in on Monday night when a birthday party was in full swing. The only issue was the rather large number of youngsters in there who didn't look 18 but were getting stuck into the lager.
|
please please start doing food
|
DBC have got good simple pub food going now and Mike's lunchtime light bites are excellent. There's a pub flyer for all their events and can't wait to try the Pub Bombing later in the month. This is back to being a great local pub again (with a proper beer garden if ever we get any summer to enjoy it).
|
Come on folks - give this place another chance. I love the Blue Raddle too, but at least you can find a seat here, and the ales are better too.
|
Great to see Dorset brewing company have found a great landlord in mike pollard to run the pub with his knowledge the beer will inprove and he will have great food on offer soon .Now its time to visit
|
now dorset brewing company are at helm hope to see some improvement,beer is already there,staff still leave a little to be desired
|
now dorset brewing company are at helm hope to see some improvement,beer is already there,staff still leave a little to be desired
|
now dorset brewing company are at helm hope to see some improvement,beer is already there,staff still leave a little to be desired
|
nice if some what unusual decor for what is primarily an ale pub. staff could do with brushing up on cellar skills and a little customer service training wouldnt go a miss and it might fill up a bit
with a garden that size it should be thriving in the summer
madly - 25 Apr 2008 19:36 |
Rating changed to 7
Pb has been refurbished. Now looks like upmarket hotel bar but still has own ales. Quality not what it was though and prices hiked! Greedy! Never had duff pint under old ownership but new faces need cellar skills...
anonymous - 9 Mar 2008 19:29 |
I must admit to being rather distressed when i found out this place was being refurbished but it could of been a lot worse.
Anyways, from my experience, the beer is still superb. I usually stick to the Flashman's Clout though, so can't vouch for the Tom Brown's.
All in all, I'm still really fond of this place, staff seem friendly enough to me.
|
can i just thank wykeale for their correct spelling of fraudulently and apologise for my sad atempt will keep to shorter words from now on
|
Well, that's great! the only way the pub manager can get positive feedback is by faking it! How desperate is that! ..and he has to pretend to be the previous manager - weird!
I find it hard to believe that the musicians kept anyone away. I visited the pub on 2 or 3 Tuesdays evenings - before they started playing there - and there was only a couple of people in the bar. It needed something to liven things up - like a new manager instead of the miserable character they have now.
|
I drove up here from Portland a couple of weeks ago to buy CAMRA Beerex tickets. The manager seemed to take great delight in telling me he had none, and no, he would not put any aside for me when he had more in. He gleefully informed me that the other pub in Dorchester selling them was not open that lunchtime. Naturally I went to the Blue Raddle later in the week.
Now I see that the man behaves fraudulently as well as rudely. I would not recommend this pub at the moment.
|
can i please point out the reveiw below is not mine
and actually from the manager of tom browns as i was obviously a foolish enough to leave my details on the computer when i left and b even more foolish to ring him this morning and let him know of the poor reveiws
so he could come up with a solution
unfortunately his solution was to fraudently use my account to give misleading details whilst posing as a customer am not happy.
that said wish all at tom browns the best and a happy new year hope the darts team is doing well and love to anne and eve
Dwayne
|
i dont know what you mean.the beers the best its ever been.the folk music has gone else where due to the manager getting rid of them because of loseing customers due to there playing.the place is more frienly and welcomeing i will definatley go back
|
Visited Tom Browns during the week. Pub was empty. I followed the example of the pub's manager and went to the Blue Raddle instead! Sooner the owners put in permanent management the better. I agree that it has the potential to be a great pub.
|
Potentially the best pub in Dorchester ruined by poor management. While they seem to have got the beer right now since the friendly couple left in November the new manager has managed to empty the place. Terrible piped music, no atmosphere and indifferent, sometimes downright rude service.
|
Dorset Food safety and hygiene have given the Goldfinch Brewery
Score: Poor
Premises type: Food manufacturing/Processing
Last inspected on: 22 November 2007
THAT'S ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE !
Not a sensible beer to drink - the pub used to have character but the current landlord/barman is not the best.
|
unfortunately Tom Browns is now under new management. Awful piped music and lacklustre service. Staff seem disinterested in the place. Blue Raddle is definitely the place to go but TB's could give them a run for their money under the right management.
|
what do you mean didnt taste quite right it tastes bloody awful not even sure its beer who ever decided to put guest ales on had the right idea as the home brewed stuff is pants
shame really cos it used to be the best beer in town
its a sad day when a brew pub has to rely on guest ales to please the customers
|
nice pub almost wine bar in decoration very friendly land lord and lady
seems to be a problem with the brewing though their own brew tom browns didnt taste quite right and locals avoiding it nice drop of weymouth harbour master though well worth a try
|
lovely pub not sure on decor but it grows on you
shame its not busier it deserves it
havent tried the tom browns but they had some quality weymouth beers on my last visit the steam was the nuts
anonymous - 17 Nov 2007 16:08 |
Always pop into Tom Browns when I am in Dorchester. I'm not wholly convinced as regards the refurbishment, although others in my group think it's fine. Usual Goldfinch ales plus a superb guest beer from the Sherborne Brewery.
|
LoungeBarNick you can now uncross your fingers the refurb is complete and in my eyes very successful. The range of Goldfinch beers is excellent with the recent addition of a fourth, the name of which escapes me.
Remember to marvel at the ancient jukebox which, mistakenly, is hidden away at the back.
|
Unfortunately Tom Browns is currently undergoing a refurb - I've got my fingers crossed that they don't ruin its character.
|
We called in here after the excellent Dorchester beer festival. Fortunately, the Goldfinch beer was a match for anything we had tried during the day, and really in top condition. This place, now rather unusually, feels like a proper pub - can't put my finger on why, maybe the floorboards, bar layout, punters, smokiness - a place to drink and forget the outside world. Recommended!
|
Great pub brewing its own beer. Interesting selection of fellow imbibers. Seems to have had a bit of a refurb since I was last there but this has not spoiled the place as it so often does. An essential visit if you like real ale and you are in Dorchester.
pxk99 - 30 Dec 2006 21:17 |
Still superb despite a few changes in management. Now have a guest beer on the bar - it was a micro brewery one when I visited. The best pub in the town by far!
|
What a pub! They brew their own beer out the back - it's superb and cheap too. Quality jukebox. Wooden floor, good crack with locals. What a pub should be. Don't ever change a thing - please!!!
anonymous - 22 Jun 2006 23:35 |
