please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Huge and busy Wetherspoon. Service was efficient and ale in good condition. Okay but nothing special. 6/10.
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Been there before, meals weren't very good, seem to be a few druggies, had a brief encounter with one late one night, won't go again
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Standard Wetherspoons joint in Corporation Street - always busy, often uncomfortably full, food quality is poor, service is slow. There are never enough bar staff and a wait at the bar is a regular experience. Pavement outside full of smokers, there were a few people smoking 'more than tobacco' when we were there but door staff & the Manager turn a blind eye. Beer quality was ok, but this place could be so much better if they turfed out the druggies and alcoholics and improved the place. But I guess as long as the £££'s keep rolling in the powers that be aren't bothered. So much like every other Wetherspoons then...?!
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Typical city Spoons and simply not worth it. Large number of pumps but several duplicates and at least 5 beers shown but not on. Can't recall what I tried, but it was not good, stale, cloudy and staff were not interested. With several pubs FAR better in the city, leave this one well alone.
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Went in late on a Friday and it wasn't that busy really - served straight away and the ale I selected Daleside Sea Fever was good.
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Not the sort of place you want to go to impress on a first date...wait at least until the third or when you've had your wicked way...
This place can be completely heaving at 8 AM with hardcore drinkers and lots of slightly dodgy types. That said, i have never seen any trouble there.
Biggest challenge here is actually getting a drink within 10 minutes of approaching the bar. Forget about fist come, first served - it's a complete free for all.
Without doubt the worst Wetherspoons I have been too and definitely the worst bar staff anywhere on this planet.
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Came here Saturday lunchtime - totally bonkers. Completely packed, staff yes but the bar was so long that there was a long line of punters waiting to be served. Took me about 10 minutes - better time to visit that pub. Dispite the bar length not a large selection of beers - couple of GK and maybe 4 guests - The Nelson's 8 Pieces was cloudy but the Milk Street Zig Zag was perfect. One of the staff people tried to help us find a table - his attempts were applauded but we only got one a few minutes later. This was a food stop but it wasn't worth the 30 minute + wait.
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The only one small issue I have with this pub is no matter what time of day it is, or whereabouts I position myself at the bar, there's always some attitude-ridden, impatient patron next to me, with the usual shouts of "yo yo!" at the barstaff, and tuts every few seconds that go by without being served.. That might sound petty, but seriously, the next time you're in have a quick scan. There's usually one or two about.
Other than that it's what one would expect from a city centre JDW. Nothing special, nothing to really grumble about either..
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This is one Wetherspoons I hadn't visited until yesterday. It's possibly the biggest one I have seen and was suitably packed with standing room only. The ale range looked particularly huge. But try asking for one on offer and you'll probably find it unavailable. Those on offer were Brewing Crew Ballast Point, Liberation EPA, Thwaites Half Nelson, Okells Jiarg, Tring Waimea, JW Lees Cora, Harpoon IPA, Everards Pumpkin Ake, Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best, Jennings The World's Biggest Liar & Purity Mad Goose. Two Westons ciders were on - one was Marcle Hill and I believe the other was Old Rosie. A bit too busy for my liking.
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Not one of the better Wetherspoons. Always a good range of beer but despite it's size it's always very busy - not one for a quiet drink! I generally like wetherspoons but this is one I tend to avoid.
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Not a particularly good Spoons which on a Sautrday linchtime is heavily populated with shoppers, football fans and local low life (of all ages, shapes and sizes). My part of Jennings Crag Rat was cloudier than the Birmingham sky (actually it was sunny outside) and whilst it tasted OK ish I decided to move on elsewhere.
Birmingham has plenty of good pubs nearby so give this a miss unless Spoons is your chain of choice
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Food was ok even for a large table of us including visitors from North America and Canada who didn't complain. However there were hardly any bar staff on (on a Sunday lunchtime) and as a result it took a very long time to get served. There was also the curious incident of the strong smell of weed coming from outside - was someone smoking by the wall?
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just paid another visit ales in top condition,they has a selection on from a new brewery in coventry all at �1.99 a pint
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have been in here many times over the years but lately service seems to be a lot better seems to be more staff , and the quality of the real ales have been very good indeed a new manger maybe?,one night we came back in after we had been to a show to have some more of a great dark ale we had earlier but it had all gone ,on chatting to the duty manger he said he was about to put 2new ales on and wood see if he could find a dark one to put on for us now thats what i call first class service.
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Oh you`ve met Son of Odin then?
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Recently had the pleasure of experiencing the 'Monday Club' whilst chancing upon The Square Peg. Evidently the membership requirements of this 'club' are stone-washed denim jeans and/or jackets, tattooed knuckles and the possession of an urge to spend 8 hours throwing down �1.99 pints whilst glaring at anyone within a 10 yard radius. Not good, even by the modest pub standards of Birmingham city centre.
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I was between buses, with half an hour to wait last Monday, and so I went to get last orders at the Square Peg. It's a very large premises with several entrances, and at ten to eleven, the near Bull Street door was locked. I walked to the next door and that was open. Inside, staff were busy clearing away behind the bar. I waited sometime before a barmaid stopped cleaning to give me some service. "Sorry! these tills aren't on, you will have to go to the other end". It's a very long bar but I did as she asked.
I have encountered this problem before at Wetherspoons and it is really bad service. A bar is designed so that the bar staff can move to meet the customer and not the other way round, It is the bar staff that have to do the walking. It's not a supermarket, I don't have to make my way to the open till with the light on. At the very least the bar maid should have asked me if I minded moving. She was polite in her tone but the service was wrong.
Arriving at the other end of the bar she didn't come to meet me. Instead I had to wait and be ignored by the other bar staff busy cleaning. I waited for a good few minutes and then we encounter the next reoccurring problem I find with Wetherspoons. Finally getting some service I point to the beer that I want. "Sorry that one isn't on". receiving no advice about which beers are on, I remember that Wetherspoons don't turn their pump-clips round when a beer isn't on but instead put silly little "not available" signs on the clip. At a glance these signs are indistinguishable from any other point of sale advertising, and, whilst moving to order another beer I notice a sign on that. I look at my watch, decide that we have waisted enough time already, politely decline the service and leave.
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Too many pump clips on where the beer has run out, Old rascal has been gone for weeks and they`ve still got the clips on. Big head the ball being sat on was just being friendly, Police gave him a guided tour of the local nick to show how much they liked him.
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Real ale quid a pint (while stocks last). Probably explains why bouncers had to rugby tackle some big inebriated geezer and sit on him until the police turned up.
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My final stop before boarding the bus back to Manchester. It is Wetherspoons, therefore the clientele being a mixture of the depressed, pissed and incompetent, the usual suspects one encounters in such an establishment.
Sampled two pints of beer from Northumberland, tasty and well kept. An hour in this pub is just about right!
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Further to Odins comments, The pegs a multi-cultural boozer so any dimwit trying to peddle extreme political views would probably be asked to leave...through the nearest window!
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Big busy pub, even by Wetherspoons standards, located bang in the central shopping area. Used to be Lewis's department store many years ago. Usual range of beers you would expect at affordable prices. Standard JDW menu (which I've sampled a couple of times, no complaints), clean toilets, efficient staff. Use this place 2 or 3 times a month.
Big screens with no sound, that usually have Sky Sports News on (did show champions league final this year) , but this will probably change now that SSN hasleft Freeview.
A good place to start out on an evening in Brum, as within 5 minutes walk of the 3 main railway stations, and most of the main bus routes come past here. Also, has a lot of solitary drinkers, so if you are meeting people here, you won't stand out like a billy-no-mates, if you turn up first.
One does have to watch out for the occasional undesirable bothering you, such as the beggars wanting 20p to help buy a pint and grubby types wanting to shake your hand. Or if you are one of those gents who shaves his head every day, to disguise an ever increasing horseshoe, you may get a member of an extreme right wing political group trying to get pally with you.
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I suppose because of it`s location and it`s size....and it`s a Wetherspoons, there`s always going to be some people who dislike this pub. In my humble opinion though it does what it says on the tin, decent food, large cheap selection of beers, usually a couple of quality real ales on, clean toilets and staff who are up to the job. just seemed bizarre that the last time I was there it seemed to be full of middle aged men who dressed like they`d just come off a Kenyan safari!
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Popped in for a breakfast (which, at �2.79, is miles cheaper than my supposedly budget hotel would have charged for much the same thing) to find quite a few people in shortly after 9 am. However, this long, thin bar has plenty of seating so it was easily enough to find a quiet corner next to one of the many windows to sit and watch the world go by. A very large number of handpumps were available, not all immediately obvious given the length of the bar, and I opted for a sneaky pint of Nethergate Mary's Ruby Mild which went down very well with the fry-up.
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I don't call in here very often due to the lack of guest ales despite there being so many pumps for them. Got a shock to find 2 guests on, all others coming soon. Oh dear, one had run out, so we were left with only 1 available guest. It was OK, but this pub could be so much better.
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this is a modern city centre bar, occupying a long, ground level section of office block.
it has an extremely long bar, looking all the more impressive as the room is also long & narrow. They have a jaw-dropping 20 cask pumps!!
dining-only area at one end. better for families, etc.
some reviewers noted a lot of pumps were often 'coming soon'. however I think most were on at our visit. that could be down to the recently ended beer festival.
I would imagine most pubs would find it extremely difficult to shift 20 cask ales on a constant basis, so I would expect some to be off unless theres a festival on.
***
verdict:
we were quite pleased with the choice & service of both meals & drinks.
however cheap-beer-day monday did seem to attract a few questionable characters. there wasnt any trouble though.
based on our two visits, happy to give an 8.
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I paid another visit to The Square Peg recently; it�s been about 6 months since my last visit. This time round I noticed some things had improved and other things hadn�t. Firstly the good points, we all ordered food on this visit and weren�t disappointed as it arrived quickly and tasted great. This encouraged us to order deserts with an equally good outcome. We sat in quiet part of the pub toward the back out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the bar, this is a welcome relief allowing you to converse in peace and watch the world outside go by. I didn�t order any ales (I�ll explain why) but instead ordered a Guinness, John Smiths and a bottle of Weston�s Organic Cider. The two pints were nicely chilled and tasted great which did surprise me as they have a lot of T-bars that lead me to think the beer would sit in the lines for a long time. The bottle was also chilled and the glass was clean and cool, again no complaints. Now the bad points starting of course with the ale. As mentioned so many times on here there were no guests available, all the badges were there but all had �Available Soon� attached to them. They only had the usual Wetherspoon house ales which I�m not a fan of. What really annoys me is that this could be a CAMRA award winning pub if the right manager took over, there are 20 pumps spread down the bar giving so much to work with. Frustrating. The pub is looking a bit old and tired and could do with a spring clean and a lick of paint. The staff were pretty efficient when I visited but they weren�t the happiest bunch, not really a complaint though just an observation. So it wasn�t a bad visit by any means we all enjoyed ourselves, but there�s still run for improvement. I�ll be visiting again (hopefully they might have some nice guests on next time, fingers crossed).
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I paid another visit to The Square Peg recently; it�s been about 6 months since my last visit. This time round I noticed some things had improved and other things hadn�t. Firstly the good points, we all ordered food on this visit and weren�t disappointed as it arrived quickly and tasted great. This encouraged us to order deserts with an equally good outcome. We sat in quiet part of the pub toward the back out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the bar, this is a welcome relief allowing you to converse in peace and watch the world outside go by. I didn�t order any ales (I�ll explain why) but instead ordered a Guinness, John Smiths and a bottle of Weston�s Organic Cider. The two pints were nicely chilled and tasted great which did surprise me as they have a lot of T-bars that lead me to think the beer would sit in the lines for a long time. The bottle was also chilled and the glass was clean and cool, again no complaints. Now the bad points starting of course with the ale. As mentioned so many times on here there were no guests available, all the badges were there but all had �Available Soon� attached to them. They only had the usual Wetherspoon house ales which I�m not a fan of. What really annoys me is that this could be a CAMRA award winning pub if the right manager took over, there are 20 pumps spread down the bar giving so much to work with. Frustrating. The pub is looking a bit old and tired and could do with a spring clean and a lick of paint. The staff were pretty efficient when I visited but they weren�t the happiest bunch, not really a complaint though just an observation. So it wasn�t a bad visit by any means we all enjoyed ourselves, but there�s still run for improvement. I�ll be visiting again (hopefully they might have some nice guests on next time, fingers crossed).
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I paid another visit to The Square Peg recently; it�s been about 6 months since my last visit. This time round I noticed some things had improved and other things hadn�t. Firstly the good points, we all ordered food on this visit and weren�t disappointed as it arrived quickly and tasted great. This encouraged us to order deserts with an equally good outcome. We sat in quiet part of the pub toward the back out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the bar, this is a welcome relief allowing you to converse in peace and watch the world outside go by. I didn�t order any ales (I�ll explain why) but instead ordered a Guinness, John Smiths and a bottle of Weston�s Organic Cider. The two pints were nicely chilled and tasted great which did surprise me as they have a lot of T-bars that lead me to think the beer would sit in the lines for a long time. The bottle was also chilled and the glass was clean and cool, again no complaints. Now the bad points starting of course with the ale. As mentioned so many times on here there were no guests available, all the badges were there but all had �Available Soon� attached to them. They only had the usual Wetherspoon house ales which I�m not a fan of. What really annoys me is that this could be a CAMRA award winning pub if the right manager took over, there are 20 pumps spread down the bar giving so much to work with. Frustrating. The pub is looking a bit old and tired and could do with a spring clean and a lick of paint. The staff were pretty efficient when I visited but they weren�t the happiest bunch, not really a complaint though just an observation. So it wasn�t a bad visit by any means we all enjoyed ourselves, but there�s still run for improvement. I�ll be visiting again (hopefully they might have some nice guests on next time, fingers crossed).
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I paid another visit to The Square Peg recently; it�s been about 6 months since my last visit. This time round I noticed some things had improved and other things hadn�t. Firstly the good points, we all ordered food on this visit and weren�t disappointed as it arrived quickly and tasted great. This encouraged us to order deserts with an equally good outcome. We sat in quiet part of the pub toward the back out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the bar, this is a welcome relief allowing you to converse in peace and watch the world outside go by. I didn�t order any ales (I�ll explain why) but instead ordered a Guinness, John Smiths and a bottle of Weston�s Organic Cider. The two pints were nicely chilled and tasted great which did surprise me as they have a lot of T-bars that lead me to think the beer would sit in the lines for a long time. The bottle was also chilled and the glass was clean and cool, again no complaints. Now the bad points starting of course with the ale. As mentioned so many times on here there were no guests available, all the badges were there but all had �Available Soon� attached to them. They only had the usual Wetherspoon house ales which I�m not a fan of. What really annoys me is that this could be a CAMRA award winning pub if the right manager took over, there are 20 pumps spread down the bar giving so much to work with. Frustrating. The pub is looking a bit old and tired and could do with a spring clean and a lick of paint. The staff were pretty efficient when I visited but they weren�t the happiest bunch, not really a complaint though just an observation. So it wasn�t a bad visit by any means we all enjoyed ourselves, but there�s still run for improvement. I�ll be visiting again (hopefully they might have some nice guests on next time, fingers crossed).
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Long thin JDW with a much greater lowlife level than most. I had no problem getting served at the bar, but the problem was that they didn't have any beer to sell. All the handpumps said "Coming soon" or "Not currently available" except the Ruddles and Abbott. Two JDWs in Birmingham in two days and neither had any beer. Pathetic.
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Called in while looking for beers from the festival list, and managed to find a couple. Condition of the ale not as bad as Pear Tree, but not sparkling. Not my favourite spoons, and must admit I only call in when a festival is on.
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Hurtled downhill recently this place. If the amazingly unpleasant staff on door and bar don't put you off, the clearly reheated food and inability to pour a decent pint surely will. Bottled Okocim alone can't save this..
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Very large pub in City Centre. Was the longest bar in Europe, but as someone else reports that is no longer the case. Typical 'Spoons pub, but with even more of the human flotsem and jetsam that frequents these places.
Takes ages to get served on account of insufficient staffing levels for a pub of this size. But that's corporate pub running for you. Had food once, it was the usual fayre.
I have been in here around 15 times since it has opened and at least half ogf the opccasions has seen a fight.something kick off in here. Albion and Villa fans/hoolies had an 'off' in here once or twice, Blues fans use it before home games, so AVOID on a Saturday - well just AVOID fullstop really.
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Possibly the worst pub I have ever been in! Full of scum. Saw a bloke washing his hair in the toilets sink and got approached by a 60 year old prostitute! Makes you never want to go to a pub again.
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This pub used to be the nearest one to work so it was a regular haunt. It's very hit and miss. Some days you can have a great time, other times you can't get out fast enough. I've not experienced the same vagrant/shagging in the loos problems as other reviwers but I would definitely agree that it's often hard to get served, especially at around 5pm when it's chocka with the escaped from work crowd.
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Used to have the longest bar in Europe, I believe thats changed hands now. This place gets alot of bad press but I find it quite a good place. I think the basic problem is (as with most spoons) the shortage of staff.
It used to be very busy and because the bars so long and there are so few staff customers do get annouyed from waiting. Its a typical wetherspoons problem of not enough staff period. The Briar Rose near by has the same problem and it comes from area managers trying to meet targets.
Its a large place, at one end is the smoking area which is quite small, the rest of it is dedicated to non-smokers. Even though the bar is huge I find it easy to get served, just stand in front of a till is my tip, plus its alot quieter now (i don't know why).
I would say a place to have a drink with mates either during the day or before hitting the clubs, I personally would take my family there just doesn't seem like a family place to me. But thats just me.
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The worst wetherspoon in brum. Vagrants kept coming in walking around asking for change. Had to take real ale back several time as it was undrinkable.
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Full of passing bag heads and tramps, staff rude, and diabolical waiting time for a pint, unless you are a friend of the bar staff,also 2 blokes shagging in gents told doormen and they did nothing!! give this pub a wide berth
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Dodgy. Had an attempted bag snatch on my mate here and witnessed several daytime tramp fights spilling out. Staff are mixed, some are very helpfull although had a few rude treatments here. Convenient for lunch but thats about it.
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gives wetherspoons a bad name. awful food, rude staff, dirty place.
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Nice friendly staff and usual large selection of cheap beer.
Huge impressive long bar that nearly stretches the length of this large JDW offering.
Very Nice 4 a pre club drink, 9/10.
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Very convenient for a bite to eat and a drink, while having a break from shopping. The cliental was abit rough. Bar staff were averagely polite but what surprised me were the door staff. They make you feel so welcome! Really charming gentlemen who opened the door for us and greeted us with a big smile. I couldnt believe they worked for wetherspoon. these guys were very professional!
anonymous - 29 May 2006 09:24 |
The worst spoons pub in brum. Ambivalent staff and lots of sorry not available, if you find one thats got a clip it is usually off anyway. Save time and anger, go to the Square Peg or the Briar Rose and see what can be done by 'spoons staff that give a stuff about people.
As CAMRA once said in an early GBG avoid like the plague.
anonymous - 14 Mar 2006 20:39 |
Very large pub, with a very rough clientelle even by
'spoons (and Brum) standards. Packed on shopping days.
The saving grace is the array of handpumps which can
be put to good use during beer festivals.
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i agree this could be a lovely pub, but alas! Wetherspoons have got their grubby hands on it.
When I last visited (shortly before Christmas) I was so disappointed with it i wrote and complained to Wetherspoons (what did I get back? A �5 voucher. Great, I'll have to go in another Wetherspoons....)
Rubbish service, average food, dirty pub, impolite bar staff......I could go on....
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This could be a really great pub with some care to the finer details. Its spacious and in a great location but like any wetherspoons it seems grubby. Hard to find a table where the previous visitors meals have been cleared away. Recently the meals seem to be taking longer to arrive and the portions seem to be getting smaller
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Well it's a Wetherspoons so everyone knows what to expect ie: poorly kept beer, indifferent bar staff, grubby interior etc. Not really my cup of tea, especially when there are far far better watering holes round the corner.
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full of old drunks and chavs
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Cheap beer not always the reason for nipping in anywhere,this is
one of wetherspoons poorer efforts which is a waste of a suberb location a spacious through lounge,except for the very tasteful decor,excellent old pics of Brum & its more famous sons & daughters,food ok,but if you're 40+ leave it until the daylight hours
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A great place to start off on a night out up Brum before heading off to Broad Street. Cheap beer, despite the very long bar, if its rammed, can take an age to get served. If you like pub grub, then the 'Peg is definately a good option. Then again, so is the Figure of Eight.
anonymous - 19 Jan 2005 13:42 |
Another cheap Wetherspoons pub. Sticky tables etc. Not a great place, but cheap!
anonymous - 2 Jan 2005 19:53 |
Another cheap and cheerful Wetherspoons venture in the city centre. Used to be a department store, and as such the bar is long and narrow. Service is ok, but they do tend to all congregate around one part of the servery. Another pub let down by a ridiculously long bar. Good mix of people in here, typical Wetherspoons clientelle. Expect heavy security after 3pm on a Friday and a Saturday, as it has been known to kick off in there. Second best Wetherspoons in Brum.
Stuart - 24 Jun 2004 14:23 |
