please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Had 30 minutes in between trains at Wigan on Saturday evening. So I managed to fit in halves at the Boulevard and the Anvil. The Boulevard was much busier than on previous visits and the music was loud. Whilst it may be to some people's liking, it was a bit too loud for me. Nevertheless they did have 4 ales and 2 ciders on - Mordue Radgie Gadgie, Bath Gem, Phoenix Navvy & Moorhouses Rock Rabbit (brewed for the pub). The Gwynt y Ddraig ciders were Farmhouse Scrumpy & Haymaker. I still like the Boulevard. But I found the Anvil far more civil on this occasion.
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Was my last port of call on yesterdays outing. Sadly it only had about 6 or maybe 7 people max. Then again it was a wet and windy Wednesday evening. Sampled half of a Moorhouses' 'Boulevard' which was in very fine form.
Very handy for catching train from Wigan Wallgate station.
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We nearly walked in the wrong bar when initially arriving here. There is a ground level bar to the left as you approach. After dragging some of our party out, we descended the stairs of the Boulevard to find a large bar with a good selection of ales and also a real cider - Moorhouses Piemaker, Liverpool Organic IPA & Liverpool Craft Viking Bitter plus Gwynt y Ddraig Haymaker. The number of pumpclips behind the bar signifies their dedication to real ale and cider. There are few tables, with upright drinking seemingly the order of the day. The jukebox was playing rock music for a fairly young (probably students) crowd. Didn't try the toilets. One we will return to.
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Located on Wallgate, just 100 mtrs from Wigan Wallgate Station this single door basement bar is easily missed.
It consists of one long room and despite it's lack of natural light is actually quite bright. The seating is fairly sparse and is mainly around the central columns and side walls. I would imagine at peak times it is not the most comfortable bar, although there is one leather 3 piece suite which is good if you're lucky enough to grab it. The d�cor is very night club style (dark) so I suspect comfort was never a design feature.
There are a variety of gaming machines & pool table at the far end of the bar, there is also a jukebox. The client�le seems to be of the younger end but there were a couple of older real ale drinkers too (inc' me).
On the beer front, I have no complaints. They usually have at least one Allgates on tap (brewery just across the road) and often a Prospect too (also from Wigan) yesterday was no exception, with others from George Wright, Bank Top & Lytham. The Allgates was in beautiful condition.
The staff (young girls) were friendly enough and never having to ask for a top up always get's my vote.
OK, now to the bars Achilles heel, the toilets. They appeared to be clean, but they are definitely not an agenda item when it comes to scheduled maintenance. It's fairly obvious to me that the owners never use them.
In summary, short on comforts, character & decent toilets , but good on beer.
LW - Pub/Beer critic
BeerNorthWestUK - Twitter
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I was expecting a grungy and dark bar but was pleasantly surprised at how bright and friendly the place was, with a good mix of drinkers in (it was Wigan beer festival weekend). I visited mid afternoon and imagine it gets much busier and noisier later on.
Good selection of real ales and real cider. Will go again.
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Great cellar bar. Always end up in here before catching my train from wigan wallgate ststion. Jukebox is good.
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Was refused being served last saturday night without being given a reason.Not drunk,respectably dressed and minding my own business i stood there embarrassed and made to feel like a criminal!!
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A pub where the management don't understand the sex discrimination act. AND the toilets are a complete disgrace.
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Four real ales on though the majority of punters were drinking the Tetleys. The two guest ales that I tried were in fine condition. Old Rosie cider was available as well. The menu stretches to jacket potatoes with an accompaniment.
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Town centre cellar bar that went through various mediocre guises before arriving at one that should please most beer fans, with 8 hand pumps including a real cider it now boasts one of the widest ranges in Wigan. They're usually from Lancashire microbreweries such as Allgates and Bank Top but a few big names are in there as well. There's a pool table and live music is often played in a back room that is shut at other times. It has a very late licence at the weekend so is a good place to head for real beer after hours. Only problem for me is that its a little soulless as cellar bars often are, despite the exposed brickwork. Beer is usually, but not always, spot on. Definitely worth a visit if in Wigan.
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I really like this pub with its wierd and wonderful clientele, live music and groovy beer. One of the best watering holes in town for real ale. My wife tells me that the toilets pong a bit, though.
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