BITE user comments - peteward
Comments by peteward
The Beehive, Welwyn Garden City
This has been my local for more years than I care to remember. It's such a shame that its gone so far downhill. Every six months or so I give it another go in the hope of improvement but sadly still no luck. Staff disinterested, beer very poor, surroundings shabby (I remember each refit in the last 25 years and never has it needed one more desperately).
21 Nov 2010 16:24
Went there last night for my birthday on the strength of the last two reviews.
Beer - Doombar and London Pride both okay nothing more.
Food - service was good, especially since they were pretty busy. My steak (T-bone) was cooked well but was not the tastiest I've had. Why I received my lettuce in a bowl 15 minutes before hand is anyones guess... Wife had ribs and reported them to be good. Daughter had a children bbq chicken which was too much for her (guess who finished it!). All in all not bad, but not somewhere I am desperate to return too.
21 Nov 2010 16:18
Seems to be trying to be some kind of american diner type place proudly advertising their 'fat joe' (or something like that) burgers etc. Do yourself a favour and go to the Kings Head instead...
31 Oct 2010 15:46
This is my favourite pub on the island. Beer is perfectly kept and served with a choice of 3/4 locals. Food is seriously excellent (but you need to ask for the children's menu). Loved the addition of stuffed toy fabric chickens as table numbers this year!
Often the bar nearest the main door is closed during the day which CAN make it feel a little odd when you first walk in, but other than that, great beer, great food and service and top of my island pub list for the 3rd year running!
31 Oct 2010 15:36
Apparently open on the 24th October 2010 according to the sign. However apart from one open window to the side there were no signs of life I'm afraid....
31 Oct 2010 15:30
Only seen this place open once in the 7 years I've been visiting the island. Closed again this year (October).
31 Oct 2010 15:28
It smells! Seriously, that was my first and overiding impression on walking into this place. It was also empty and the piped music did nothing to create an atmosphere. I looked at my wife, she looked at our daughter, we all screwed our noses up and walked back out again!
Sandown is the one place on the island we have yet to find a pub worth going in for a drink or food. Unfotunately the The Ocean Deck did nothing to change that view...
31 Oct 2010 15:25
Excellent carvery-best on the island. Beer is also good. HOWEVER it is an absolute nightmare to get parked at any reasonable eating time!! Seems like you need to be there by 12.00 or between 4.00 and 6.00pm to stand any chance. If it's a cheap, good quality carvery meal washed down with good well kept ale you're after then do give The Sloop a try.
31 Oct 2010 15:14
Difficult one this. Last year we came and enjoyed it. Good beer and the food off the menu was generous and tasty for the price. This year we tried the carvery. Oh dear. 'Carvery' is a misnomer. Choice was pre-sliced beef in gravy (yes a bit like frozen stuff..), a chicken PORTION (I kid you not!) or gammon which the guy WAS carving. This was also the first time I have ever noticed the server deliberately COUNTING the slices! (For your information you get 4, or 2 beef and 2 gammon!) And the slices are not big either. Veg was okay but the roast potatoes were also counted out for you by the server.
Quite possibly the worst carvery I have had.
It's a real shame. I accept that they are clearly aiming for the 'family' market, but the disparity between what we had before and this year means The Griffin is off my list from now on....
31 Oct 2010 15:07
Lovely pub, BUT if you're eating be aware that when they advertise carvery they actually mean carvery ONLY. Wasn't a problem for us, but several potential customers walked out during our visit because of this. Beer was typical Green King (actually the Fuggle was pretty good that day), but I have to say that if a cheap carvery meal is what you are after then the The Sloop Inn wins hands down (if you can get parked there!). Not bad, but I'm not really desperate to try again when the normal menu is on.....
31 Oct 2010 14:58
First time to this pub after 7 years of island visits - not sure how we've not partaken of its delights before! Very friendly landlord, good beer and excellent food. Will be adding this to my 'must visit' list from now on.
31 Oct 2010 14:52
Another vote for Holy Joe! And the food is simply superb. Always well presented and a good choice of different specials, this is one pub on the island I always insist on visiting at least once during our holidays.
31 Oct 2010 14:48
Came here around 2005 and for whatever reason never managed to get back on the various holidays to the island since. This year we made a concerted effort to visit! And very glad we did to. Excellent beer and excellent food.
31 Oct 2010 14:43
Looks like this place has changed hands again. When we visited last year (October 2009) it was being run by a family whose dedication to improving the place was clear. Great beer and they also incidentally did THE best stilton ploughmans my wife had ever had!
Went back last week and whilst some further decorating had been done, the beer was now adequate and the menu had the wiff of a 'chain'. No stilton ploughmans (or any other kind). What we had was okay, but it has gone from a 'must come back here next year, pub to a 'there's plenty better on the island' one. Shame.
31 Oct 2010 14:39
The Beehive, Welwyn Garden City
Further to my previous post, since the beehive has finally been revamped I have visited 3 times. First 2 times were good - beer well kept and food was good. last night went there for my birthday and whilst the beer was ok, the night could have been ruined by the food service - drinks order forgotten (I think the girl who took it finished her shift and left it), long wait to be asked for food order (and there were only 2 other groups in the restaurant). Staff seem more concerned about chatting to each other and I really do not want to know about their private lives, especially with my 10 year old daughter with me. The food was ok (they forgot my vegetables but they eventually arrived), but once again the signs are already there that the place is not going to be run correctly and allowed to drift down back into the mire it has been in for years. I will give it one more try again (perhaps its only when manager Gary is not about that the system falls down..?), but its such a shame that a potentially great place seems unable to be run right....
19 Nov 2011 08:28