please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub, with its great location by the river and a short walk from the tram stop, has great potential but sadly doesn't seem to make the most of it.
Very family orientated with a varied clientele. We didn't eat here. One average cask ale was available.
alexw - 13 Apr 2019 22:29 |
Further to my review dated 14 August 2014, I write two months off a year later to report that, unfortunately, nothing has improved and the situation has seemingly got worse with at least two members of Senior Management leaving the pub.
I telephoned Jackson's Boat at 6pm today and asked them what time they were serving food until, I was told 7pm. Sailing close to the wind, I telephoned them, around the corner from them at 6:50pm to see if I might put my order in to save time and pay when I got there - they would have been quite within their rights to have refused, I concede.
My gripe was that when I made my second telephone call, they told me that they had actually, again, stopped serving food early. By this point I had cycled 5 miles to visit. I had to turn around and come back. It wouldn't have mattered, seemingly, if I had of arrived earlier as the food service is as unpredictable as ever and they could not even maintain consistency for less than an hour. The left hand does not appear to know what the right is doing.
My second gripe is that it makes no logical sense whatsoever that Jackson's Boat should serve food during the day and not until later in the evening since the majority of people are at work during the day.
I had said that I would not re-visit the pub but I believed, once I had calmed down, that everybody deserves a second chance (in actual fact, this will be fourth instance of the same problem).
I was disappointed that, despite Jackson's Boat having the right of reply in respect of my last review, they have not bothered to exercise it. I feel that the staff are equally as disillusioned with the lack of customer care in this pub, largely it appears from the Management (if there is actually any left - please see below) and that they have all but given up on themselves.
The pub also appears to shut at a whim of an evening and as and when it suits rather than with any consistency, much in the same way as their entirely inconsistent food service.
I maintain that the pub has great potential and, by contrast the ale is excellent. It was unfortunate to note that they had ceased to offer Old Speckled Hen on tap (as of last year) although I am unsure as to whether they have reintroduced it as it was very popular - again, a sign that the Customers are not listened to (in that they stopped offering it in the first place) and the Managers do what suits themselves rather than their customers. They are not cheap either, for a pub that charges a premium on its' ales and food, one expects the customer care to go with it.
This pub comes, to and from me, as highly un-recommended.
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Not impressed - As far as I can see there is no advertisement of the pub around the local area and who the actual client base is is rather questionable. The pub has taken to closing early during quiet periods and being exceptionally unreliable in respect of buying food later in the day.
This pub was great, has great potential but has gone down hill, largely, I suspect, down to takings. If they actually advertised more then this might not be such an issue.
I don't think I will be bothering to come back as I have had enough of rocking up at a reasonable time (i.e 6:45 this evening - Thursday) to find they have already stopped doubg food.
From a common sense perspective, people get home from work, get changed and then go out - realistically they should be serving food in the evening rather than during the day if they are so short. Worse still, another day it was food until 7, another day earlier - they seem to just close up when it is quiet. No logic and hugely annoying when you pay a lot of money to travel over on public transport and go to the trouble. To top it off if you spend over £10.00 a card payment is free, as I could only buy a pint as they had stopped serving I had to pay £1.00 for the privilege of buying a pint or face a 30 minute walk to the local cashpoint.
Why oh why can the staff not serve the food themselves if it is so quiet. Being cheesed off, disappointed and upset is the understatement of the century.
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Not been in here for many years and finally ventured back yesterday, a sunny Sunday afternoon. The large beer garden was busy, but managed to find an outdoors table. There is also a grassed area for people to overspill onto, and plenty of people seemed to be making the most of that. A decent play area to entertain the kids making this popular with families, plus its location next to the river makes it ideal for passing cyclists and walkers.
On my visit there were two real ales to choose from - Timothy Tailor's Landlord and Black Sheep Ale. I had a pint of each and both were fine. I am not sure if they just weren't pulled very well, as the Landlord certainly looked a bit lively, or whether there is a deliberate ploy to serve with an overly generous head - however two different ales and two different serving staff both managed to produce this. I think my pint was £3.40 if I recall correctly.
Service was not unfriendly, especially the younger staff, though I have to say the older chap behind the bar did look as if he'd rather not have been there! At first I assumed he must be the landlord, but on reflection he surely wouldn't have looked that unhappy at seeing his pub so full, so maybe not. One customer came back to the bar with a flat glass of Coke (or Pepsi, to be precise). This was changed for him, but the replacement was the same, and so he was offered a J2O at no extra charge. However nobody appeared to look into the issue and the less than lively Pepsi continued to be served to other punters.
There was an outdoor barbeque serving burgers and chips, which smelled very tempting, but I managed to resist. The meals being brought from the kitchen looked good. Someone on a nearby table had the Sunday roast and it looked to be a generous portion. I didn't examine the menu so can't comment on what the food pricing is like.
Worth calling in for a refreshing pint if you are passing on a warm day!
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I have been to this pub a few times for drinks and a meal and its good to call in for a pint after taking my dog for a walk a long the river but I don't visit that often because of the price of the beer.
Apparently there are two prices, one for the locals �2.50 a pint and one for the none locals �3.36 a pint, surely local people who are have to pay the none local price are not going to make this pub there local because of the price of the beer.
Maybe the landlord should review his prices?
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oops - fat finger - mean to say give it a try. LOL
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I loved this pub in the summer. No football saturday and not fit to drive anywere so we walked over from Chorlton to have a look at it in winter. It made for a nice retro afternoon in warm pleasant surroundings with very good beer. Beats an afternoon in the Trafford Centre any time. Going to give it a tru for the NYE .
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A great stop on a cold winter walk. Mulled wine very welcome. Looks like one to remember for a summer evening with the Kids
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I enjoyed a nice drop of Bitter and the Dog enjoyed the Fire.
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Went to Jacksons Boat this week and had Steak & Kidney Pud with a Pint. I wasn,t expecting anything out of the ordinary given the price but it was outstanding. Will be back for more soon.
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We found this pub by accident this last week and as we were all travel weary at the time decided to go and have some lunch there.
What a find this pub is the food is good and the staff are all so friendly they made us feel at home straight away. If we are up in that area again we will certainly be calling in again
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We got a really unfriendly welcome at this pub. We'd canoed down there from Stockport and were really looking forward to a beer at the end! When all of the men had gone off to collect our cars from the start at Stockport the landlord came out and had a go at me and my 7 year old son for using the car park. He was so irate when the others got back that we ended up calling the Police and quite went off going in for a beer!
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Good real ale. Landlord and Old Speckled Hen.
Friendly staff and plenty of space to sit indoors. Very popular for walkers in the summer with dozens of tables outside. Lots of space to park your bike and for children to play.
Much quieter in the winter.
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A really nice pub, situated by the river mersey. The drinks are a little pricy, they have a huge beer garden with a kids play area, they allow dogs in the beer garden as long as they are on a lead. All in all a very nice pub if a little out the way.
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Very nice in summer. Appears to be improving with new landlords and a commitment to real ale. Had Timothy Taylors Landlord.
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Better than it was, as they have newish landlords. They do a nice pint of Landlord. Food is pretty poor though
The beer garden gets really busy in the summer
Popular with dog walkers
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Old Speckled Hen on draught!
Closed Mondays though.
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Fantastic jukebox, Not advisable when it's raining as the roof leaks! Perfect place for a quite drink at night, the beer monsters must be scared of the dark.
anonymous - 11 Nov 2004 12:29 |
brilliant punk rock jukebox.
anonymous - 8 Nov 2004 16:01 |
This is a lovely pub situated beside the river Mersey which is picturesque in the Summer. Its one for the car though as if your walking home it may be to Sale or Chorlton then the paths that take you to these places are not lit. In the Summer though it doesnt make a difference as you can amble back home in the dusk without having to worry about the dark.
Jon - 22 Sep 2004 16:57 |
Named after a guy who used to ferry people across the Mersey (sounds like an idea for a song).
Bit out in the sticks but was a decent pint last time I went in and the food seemed OK
Somewhere to take the wife and kids on a summer's day but not one for a night out with the lads or a crawl.
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By the Mersey. Popular on summer weekends.
Tim Bannister - 29 Sep 2003 16:34 |
