please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A legendary pre-match watering hole and there is certainly bags of character. The shtick is Indian food of high quality (the Chicken Tikka kebabs are divine) and while the ale selection is very limited, the Batham's Gold was in great condition and went down well. The one snag is how ludicrously busy the place is while veggie options, usually available, were absent on this visit. Service can also be brusque but there is an irony in seeing punters some of whom will have voted Leave in their droves tucking into the fruits of multicultural Britain with gusto. Lord knows how many people come here away from match day.
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Back ticking off the CAMRA Good Beer Guide Pubs... Opens at 5pm weekdays. Curry as good as ever. Bath Ales Prophecy in fine condition.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2G12qsM
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We were back here on Boxing Day. I'd tried a number of other pubs in West Bromwich. But most I tried were closed. The Vine was as busy as usual on a matchday. The solitary real ale (Holden's Golden Glow) ran out just as I got there, which left a poor selection. It's just about the best pub nearest the Hawthorns. But I'm downgrading the score to a 4/10.
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Great vibe, good beer and curries. Mind you don't get lost in it.
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It's been a few years since I was last in here. But we paid a return visit on Monday evening. It seems even bigger than I remember it. There are a couple of small rooms at the front where the main bar is. These give way to a larger conservatory and then an even larger room where a barbecue takes place on matchdays. I can recommend the chicken tikka kebabs. Curries also looked tasty. Crowds spill out onto an outdoor patio beyond that, which also stretches down the side of the pub. The pub caters for the masses on a matchday (West Bromwich Albion). But I would like to return one day on a non-matchday to see how it fairs. 2 real ales were on - Holdens Golden Glow & Ludlow Gold. Serves a purpose well.
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Superb experience. Looks like a small backstreet pub from the outside and it certainly is with a couple of parlour type rooms.
It then opens out into a maze of covered court yards and a huge function type room at the back.
Popular on match days for obvious reason, but also for the food. We went in at 12pm on a Sunday (outside the football season) and the place was filling up with punters. They don't start food until 1pm.
And what food - one of the best curries I have ever had!
Two unusual real ales on draft (I forget the names) but they also do bottled Bathams - which it had to be.
Will definitely be back.
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Visited before WBA -Man City so BBQ was a bit limited but still excellent, and Bathams in plastic glass was understandable but still disappointing; the atmosphere was absolutely cracking though.
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First time I have had a chance to visit since the BBQ room was completely redesigned/refurbished. It is altogether much more comfortable, but still with the same great open bbq, effiecient service and great food. The Abbeydale Deception was in very good condition and ably washed down the methi tikka and coriander naan. 10/10 as usual.
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Have been there a couple of time this year, primarily for the imdoor BBQ, but also for the fantastic pub atmosphere you get at any visit. The one beer was pretty good rather than spectacular, as on previous visits, which probably accounts for omission from Beer Guide in recent years, but this is still the Midlands pub I take friends to.
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A real oasis.
Fascinating warren of extensions in which to take real ale, curries, kebabs etc. behind the traditional facade.
Really lively, friendly, relaxed atmosphere served by convivial staff.
By far the best place for miles.
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Should have added to my comments, that there are now two real ales on tap.
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An amazing place - Tardis-like! You walk into a cosy backstreet boozer, go past the bar to a conservatory-type eating area and then beyond to the indoor Indian barbecue. Fantastic! The food is superb and great value for money - the size of the naans has to be seen to be believed. As for the ale: I enjoyed Cwrw Glaswyn in tip-top condition. This really is a 'must visit' - and easy to get to by Metro tram to Kenrick Park stop. What more could you ask? 10/10.
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a labyrtinth of a pub with rooms of varying sizes and smells. Only has one ale which is constantly changing (and i can't remember what was on when i was there but it was tasty enough and well kept) but it seems the main thing everyone comes for here is the indoor indian bbq, what a splendid idea! It seems like a cray notion but they manage to pull it off. Wasn't that busy but all of the locals that were in were friendly as wa the barman.
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Fantastic.looks like a ordinary victorian local in an industrial area of west brom.but, step inside and you are into new boundarys. multi racial, happy, comfortable,value for money surroundings. always a guest beer available and the chicken tikka kebabs cooked on an open fire are a revelation! Ring to find out which nights are best for barbeque you wont be sorry.
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The Guest beer was excellent (Sharps Doom Bar), and the Indian barbecue was just perfect. I tried the normal chicken tikka and the methi tikka (Yes, I am greedy!), both were outstanding. Traditional pub, great beer, top rate Indian food - Life does not get better than that!
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A decent pub. Friendly welcome and a nice curry.
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Returned after an absence of nearly 2 years to find NO CHANGE! thank god. Same great staff, Lesley, Pat, Mary, and others too numerous to name. Same good beers ( with the exception of Kingfisher .... why? )and the same superb food. Authentic Indian stuff with a dedicated and very popular barbecue. Unless you like crowds avoid like a plague when Albion is playing home. This place is HIGHLY recommended.
Suki, the proprietor, has opened a restaurant in Darlaston, I'm going to try it, I'll let you know.
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Blokey is spot on, though several years of word of mouth have made the Vine into a very-well visited secret ! London Pride was very good (prefer the Bathams though); and still hard to beat the kebabs. Real shame about the lack of a play area, but I guess they don't need that to get the custom. NB their restaurant in Darlaston was really good, though we were the only one there on Sunday lunch - no real ale tho'
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Two of my favorite things are, good beer and good curry, combine the two and I give you the Vine. This is definately a word of mouth pub, if you dont know where it is or have never heard of it you wont find it. From the outside it looks quite unpresuposing, yet cosy in a manor typical of the Black Country. Its main claim to fame is of course the food, especially the purpose built bbq at the rear of the building serving freshly grilled chicken tikka, shish kebabs, tandoori chicken and naans, there is also a full curry menu. Could do with maybe one more guest ale but the selection of Archers Ales are well kept and always very good. I cant praise this pub high enough, it is "bostin" as the locals would say........
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A decent but over-hyped pub. Food is usually good although after a few beers is tastes even better.One or two nasty little tricks such as short beer measures and putting tape over the tops of the fruit machine reels makes you wonder about their real attitude towards clients especially baggies fans.Its probably due to poor competition that makes the pub so popular.
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What a gem! From the outside it looks like a typical old Black Country boozer, but........
The food is second to none in the area -great curries, good food selections and the barbeque out the back is the icing on the cake. Get yourselves over there people!And they serve a decent pint as well. Excellent bitters on tap.
In the week there is a good mix of people - from all backgrounds and ages so there is no attitude at all. On match day the best sorts of people are here =- Baggies fans!
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Excellent food. Good beer. Nice little pub.
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From the outside, you might decide to give this unprepossessing street-corner boozer a miss. Don't. The first couple of snug little rooms lead into a spacious glass-roofed room of tables & chairs, on the wall of which you'll find a huge menu of home-cooked Indian dishes. Pass through this room into the Barbecue Room, and you're faced with even more sub-continental specialities, cooked on a huge griddle. The chicken tikka kebab I had was exceptionally good, and great value at �2.75. There's usually a guest beer (two well-kept Archers brews on the two nights I visited) and the (numerous) staff were uniformly welcoming. The general atmosphere is friendly, family-oriented and unpretentious, and if you ever find yourself passing through West Brom, grab the chance to visit The Vine.
(PS - A greater choice of ales would have added another rating point.)
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Brilliant pub, well worth seeking out for food 'til late in evening, mainly curries. The guest beer also well served, can't fault, apart from only one available.
And a comfortable mix with friendly alcohol drinking and meat eating Asian Indian folk, young and elderly, white locals, families, workers, business people, No attitude or weird looks.
Recomended!
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How come people have so little to say about this pub - it's one of the best in the world. Nowhere else will you get a combination of multi-racial cusomers, multi-roomed interior, great beer (espec. Bathams when on), and wonderful Indian barbecue. Particularly good before/after Baggies matches. I hope the play area gets fixed soon as my children love this place as well.
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Superb range of Indian cuisine at reasonable prices. Excellent place to drink prior/after matches at The Hawthorns. Beer generally of good quality with at least 1 'guest' ale on tap.
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Close to Kenrick Park Midland Metro station. Excellent curries.
Platypuss - 20 Nov 2003 13:49 |
