please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Stopped off at 2pm on Saturday 22nd Dec, with my wife and 2 boys, 7&10. they sat on the dining area whilst i went to the bar to order. whilst waiting i overheard two guys in their 60s talking. The rude langauge and racist topic they were using was appalling even to me! but to hear this in a family pub at lunch time was pretty bad! Now these two guys were standing at the bar having this discussion with staff walkiing past them; yet not a word was said to them by anyone! FFS!
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I haven't actually been inside yet, but I've been aware of its existance since the mid sixties. However, a change in domestic circumstances might make it a convenient Staging Post when I'm in the area. I've always thought it looked great from the outside; I hope the internal realities aren't quite as bad as some of these posts appear to suggest!
I recall that it once had doughty reputation for staying open even when cut off by floodwater - cutomers arriving by boat etc.
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Run by the same company as The Griffin in Caversham which does offer guest beers and by the sounds of other reports does better food as well.
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It's always a gamble eating here. Tried again over the weekend, where we had two very decent sunday roasts but a very long wait for them to arrive. The new upgraded furniture and decor is an improvement, though.
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Went here for the first time last week after seeing the boards advertising the Cask Ale Festival currently going on so though it must be worth a try. The so-called festival consisted of Courage Best, Directors, Bass and Spitfire - hardly anything original that could not be found elsewhere at better establishments especially given that the Loddon Brewery is only up the road which would not have taken much effort to source an interesting beer from. I sampled the Directors which was well kept. Only coming in here for a drink I could however see the poor levels of service described in other posts being made to wait on a couple of occasions whilst the server finished their chats; I don't think I'll therefore risk coming here for something to eat, for a drink perhaps, but I'll not go out of my way to do that.
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In the past we have really enjoyed our food and drink and atmosphere in this pub. The food is not cheap but generally good. Yes sometimes it gets very busy so you can understand delays but when just the two of us went there for my husbands birthday early Sunday evening it was not busy.
It started with my husbands starters of spicy chicken beeing raw and they had to be sent back, they did replace them but by then of course I had finished my mushrooms.
We then ordered the venison from the special board which we had previously enjoyed. The waitress later confirmed our order to us as venison pie which we said we didn't order. The answer was the venison is off so have the pie which I didn't want (it is also considerably cheaper) I re-ordered. The meals had not arrived after an hour despite people ordering after us being served. We asked for a refund and left.
Why can't they update the special board like other pubs when they have finished so if the food you want is not available you can go somewhere else. Needless to say we shall be doing that in the future,
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Visitied the George with family, follwed by watching a film at the neigbouring cinema.
The George is a fantastic looking pub, with a very welcoming interior (oak beams, log fire etc), but always seems to be 'under new management', and extremely short on staff.
We got our drinks and sat down at a table to decide from the menu on food.
The couple behind us were complaining about the food. Not a good start.
We went to order at the bar to be told that everything on the 'Today's Specials' board was not available, and that one of the dishes was not available'
Having arrived at 12.30, you would have thought they would have been able to order enough food to sell ?
We were then informed that the sweet potato mash was not available, but we could have chipped sweet potato (I guess this could point to everything being frozen)
We then had a member of staff come over holding our receipt and mumble our order back to us, then hand us a vinegar bottle with about a millimetre left of vinegar in it.
50 minutes passed, and they started serving everyone around us (who had arrived AFTER us !!!!) - we complained , as did another table next to us, and got our food another 10 minutes later.
The food was pretty bland and we decided not to risk dessert, the next table were being told at this point that they didn't have a lot of what was on the menu.
We went back to the till to pay on the way out, and were standing next to two people waiting to complain to the manager.
I'm actually angry I wasted my time and money AGAIN on this extremely poor establishment.
Try The Wheelwright Arms for much better pub, whodo not serve up frozen bland food.
The beer is pretty good, but you have to wait an age as they do not have enough bar staff.
I
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New menu at the George, and the most recent meal was well cooked, the staff were friendly, and it was a pleasant experience. Maybe things are improving? I hope so...
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Surprized by reviews on here. Been here 5 or 6 times over the summer for lunch. Always have a fish platter - and it is always the freshest fish and great value. True, did have to wait an hour or so once, but was told that when ordered and it was packed so only fair. Usually a good selection of ales. and usually well kept. Returned one once as near the bottom of barrell and was cheerfully replaced with another one without any excuses. Will continue to go there. There is no point complaining at the end of a meal if something is cold - complain straight away - nicely and get what you expect and pay for.
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Reported to Wokingham Environmental Health today for previously posted reason.
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My wife has just returned from lunch here. The pork chop she ordered was actually off when it was served, that is to say, inedible, and even the server mentioned that there was a noticeable odour from that particular meal. Nevertheless it was served. This is the last time we will ever frequent this establishment.
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Agree with a whole lot of the other reviewers, have been there several times over past 2 years or so.
Service always slow at bar, beer is average, food average to OK.
One time when hungry ate a stone cold steak which we should have sent back.
When server collected plates she asked was our meal OK, we responded not really the steaks were cold.
Not even a shrug of the shoulders in this case, perhaps we have "mugs" printed on our foreheads, some response would have been nice, or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick perhaps!
We won't be rushing back I can tell you.
Blue ones.
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The food is adequate but a little pricey. Avoid busy times (Friday night) as it heaves and service is very slow.....at they can't cope ...best time is summer lunchtimes , busy but not packed. The beer isquite drinkable but not excellent
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My last two visits were marred by extremely slow service, in fact on my last visit I walked out after standing at the bar for too long.
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Chef and Brewer pub, disappointing ale range (Courage B, Courage D, Pride, Bombardier) served too cold. There's clips of far more exciting beers up behind the bar giving the appearence that they have been served at some point...
Food is OK. Has a big covered outside area by the river but I wouldn't come here for a drink really, too foody.
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Had a bombardier, a bit on the cold side, wasn't too bad after it had warmed up a bit!
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attractive pub in good location with friendly atmosphere and is fine for a drink. only problem is don't be fooled by the chalkboards and fancy descriptions on the menu. the food is overpriced, poorly cooked and bland. i've eaten there over 5 years and it's average and best and awful at worst. glad to see the other comments agree.
maczi - 27 Jun 2008 19:09 |
I cannot comment about the food but always seems to be a lot of people eating there. The beer on the other hand has improved dramatically in the last 6 months, I visited in May and there were 2 Milds on both in excellent condition.
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Dont be fooled by the beautiful exterior and interior of this once fabulous establishment.... Where do I start. What you see is not what you get. Walls decorated with blackboards full of menus, but unfortunately chefs unable to cook the basics. first of all they had run out of fillet steak, so had to settle for sirloin grissle and sundried chips. I requested a side order of bubble and sqeak which turned up looking like tutty fruity icecream - i.e mash potato with smashed carrots mixed in and the odd pea.
Had to check the menu when my plate was decorated with a single mushroom. But the menu clearly stated "steak with mushroom".
When complaining to the manager who english was very limited her "shrug of the shoulders" attitude was - you must be happy with your meal as there is no vineger on the table and the best cut steak, apparently always comes with mostly grissle! Only thing is my grissle came with a bit of steak.
On hearing her excuse my partner and i burst out laughing. The meal is the worst meal and not worth the �32 we paid for it. But the laugh we have had is actually priceless!
Instead of going to jongulars comedy club try The George!
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Things are not improving for the residents of Earley and Woodley in need of a decent meal. Ate in there this week with hubby, and whilst the garlic bread with cheese was passable, the steak pies were unavailable and the chicken and bacon pies that arrived as a replacement were still frozen in the middle (yes, actual ice). They they forgot to bring us the replacements. Oh woe is me...
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What does it take to satisfy the residents of Woodley, Earley and Lower Earley? I'm with "PitytheFool". An excellent pub; lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, great food, and fine wines and ales. The only much-desired improvement will come this summer when The Great Pollutants (smokers) are banished to the car park. I can't wait!
See you at the weeked!
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Been using this pub regularly for a couple of years now, for drinking and dining, and i love it. Yeah, its not cheap but i don't think it should be. i reckon i've had about 30 meals there and enjoyed 29 of them - the one time it wasn't up to scratch i had a word with one of the guys and it was sorted in minutes with no hassle and no fuss. top marks for positive attitude. i've eaten in a few chef & brewers (the chain the george belongs to) and this is by far the best one for the 'shared' menu and their unique specials board is always varied and interesting. i think the residents of woodley and earley should be thankful for having such a gem on their doorstep. Add to all of this the great garden and APPARENTLY a big refurb on the way and i'll be continuing to use the pub for a long time.
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This pub is my local and as such it's a shame that it is not better. Generally the food is OK ish but it's chance on whether it is or not.
The attitude of the bar staff is dreadful. Most of them have attitude problems and I have often heard them being rude about customers behind their backs.
The pub promotes itself as a real ale pub and has a cask marque. However more often than not only one real ale will be available and the beer is always served too cold.
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Have eaten here on a number of occasions over the years. Sometimes you get lucky and are served by someone who cares and you get a decent meal, and sometimes you hit a bad patch where you wait an hour for food that turns up burned or uncooked. Totally raw salmon a fortnight ago, for example. Husband's beefburger was raw in the middle two weeks before that. The comments about staff forming huddles instead of serving is absolutely right, sadly. Could be done a heck of a lot better than this if they tried.
anonymous - 28 Jan 2007 16:50 |
Date: Sunday 3rd December 2007
I have been in the George a few times for drinks and always wanted to try the food.
3 families ordered the Sunday Roast. BAD CHOICE. Whilst the meat was very tasty (beef for me) you only got a very small amount.
The Yorkshire puddings are disgraceful the gravy was awful and the portion control non existing. I ate the dinned in aprox 2 minutes.
I noticed other tables most had not gone for the Sunday Roast, wise choice but then again the portion control was non existing.
It seams to be a "give them less main course so people order a desert policy" and at nearly �5 for a desert !!!!!
The staff are very friendly, I was going to say something but my wife is to polite and said not to say anything.
If you are looking for a good Sunday Roast then this is NOT the place.
Overpriced: Yes
Quality of food: Poor
Would I go back: Not for Food
Would I recommend: Definitely Not
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Best pub in Woodley. Good food, beer not bad for the south, lovely to sit outside next to the Loddon of an evening. Knocks spots off the other pubs around the area.
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Visited at around 5.30pm on Sunday last, lots of staff grouped behind bar in a gaggle trying to sort out who was clocking off early. One eventually peeled away to serve us, but her customer interaction wasn't the greatest and her heavily decorated nails weren't accurate enough to hit the correct table number on the till, so the food nearly went to another table...the beer was fine and the food was mostly OK, but the "cheesy leek pasta" turned out to be "creamy" as in no cheese, just cream. Wouldn't have ordered that if the description had been more accurate...generally, a feeling that they could do better, especially at a quiet time of the day when their job should be easier to carry out...
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I do not agree with the 'harsh' views on this website about the George. I find it appauling for customers to slate this pub when it is by far the best pub in Woodley. I mean, would you guys go anywhere else? try going for a meal in the Good Companions, the chequers or the Bull and chequers. Then try telling me about chav's. It's overpriced to keep these guys out, as best as possible. This place is seriously underrated. Try comparing it with other places in the area. not the Ritz
anonymous - 19 Jun 2006 00:48 |
Visited this pub 2 weeks ago. The food was OK but overpriced. There were 3 giggling young staff gossiping at the end of the bar, whilst another customer and myself were waiting to be served. It took a 'senior' person to tell them to get their act together and serve us. I asked for a pint and other drinks but was served a half. Couldn't be bothered to complain, as the barmaid didn't seem interested in anything except to get back to chatting. I will not visit again.
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Good food.good beer (guest ale was 'Swing Low') shame the extractor was sucking in cold air!!!
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Trapdoor, the game is up!
Every pub you go to is just not good enough for you!
Why not just open the trap and jump through in to the river below? Or give up drinking altogether and do us all a favour?
I enjoy (mostly) my Sunday lunch regularly at The George, have never encountered the "older yob mentality", and really don't know what a "chav" is. It doesn't appear in my dictionary!
You come across as an intolerant "if they don't conform to my way of life, my thinking, my beliefs, then they really aren't worth entertaining" pleb.
Get a life!
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Good food, reasonable prices, beautiful interior, by the river, next to a cinema. So far so good. Yes you've guessed it - ruined by chavs and a older yob mentaility - were even recently raided by the old bill! Woodleys best pub by far ruined by the clientale. Gotta love the town.
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Bit of a disappointment on Sunday evening.
Went, as usual, with She Who Must Be Obeyed, just before 6pm -- staff chabgeover time is 6pm!
The afternoon shift were only interested in going home and the evening shift either hadn't arrived, or, ir they had, weren't up to speed, so we waited an inordinate length of time, both to get served at the bar, and for the food.
That said, the wait, in both cases, was worthwhile; the beer was excellent and the food superb.
I someone shoved a lighted November 5th rocket up the backside of the staff, this could be an excellent pub.
PsychO
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One of the best food houses in Reading, lovely variety of food, superb covered river terrace, friendly staff and exceptional management. Directly next door to local cinema so makes it an ideal place to stop for a bite and a beer before or after going to the movies. Not to be missed!
Stuart - 12 Sep 2005 14:31 |
Went fairly early on Saturday evening with She-who-must-be-obeyed.
We had the most straightforward items on the menu, Bangers 'n' Mash and Ham, Egg 'n' Chips with a pint of excellent real ale.
All totally superb, could not be faulted, not even the young lady who brought me a second Bangers 'n' Mash.
Thoroughly recommended.
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Really nice place esp. in the summer. Like the food. Staff really friendly. Nice place with a good atmosphere. Old man pub decor..nice
amumd - 10 Feb 2005 16:31 |
quality food, tho deff a resturant more than a pub, excellent for pre film beers. garden nice in summer.
captain_cool - 3 Mar 2004 10:47 |
Use this pub now and then.
The menu is wonderful, the beers are good, the atmosphere is...... mmmmm ...... ok.
So why is it I always leave feeling just a little .............. disappointed?
Keep going back though!
PsychO - 31 Aug 2003 12:47 |
More of a restaurant than a proper pub. The food can be good but along with the beer its expensive. The lobby at the near by cinema can have more atmosphere at times. It OK but not anything special
Monty - 27 Aug 2003 13:59 |
Agree with below, sound pub.
Vindaloo - 22 Aug 2003 15:03 |
Handy for a swift half after watching a film at the nearby multiplex cinema.
anonymous - 21 Aug 2003 14:33 |
