Cock O' The North, Bel Barback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Since my last visit this has gone downhill bigtime. The manageress is a grumpy lady who looks like Sharon from EastEnders. There isn't much of a choice for drinks - real ales, or lager.
The pub is primarily about food - and here it is now appalling. Sunday Roast is either 'boil-in-the bag' type or hard to cut stringy meat. Other meals aren't much better. I see they've cut down on portion sizes too.
If you don't go Sunday lunchtime - this place is dead. It's sad but I have to now say AVOID THIS PUB.
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This seems to have new management. The food is much improved and portion sizes larger. I've NEVER experienced the problems of some of the reviewers here and I've been coming to this pub several times a year for a number of years.
Some of the tables can be a bit near each other. The Sunday Roasts aren't that great. Seems like Sunday Roast-Boil-in-The-Bag-Ready-Meal. Potatoes are microwaved to death. Other meals though are good especially the beef and ale pie.
It's a very nice building with good garden. It's more of an eating place rather than somewhere to go for a pint.
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This "pub" has certainly changed and not for the better. It seems to be concentrating on the food side now and unfortunately the previous standards of food and customer service seem to have dropped somewhat with the emphasis on knocking out as much food and filling as many tables as they possibly can with scant regard to their customers.
We used to bring friends and family here for that "special" night out with a nice meal but our last few visits have been disappointing. We were seated fairly quickly and although we reserved a table on each occasion, the staff seemd to look hurriedly around and just bung us on the first free table they could spot (with the remnants of the previous diners food still on the floor around it). We had to wait a while to order drinks, wait another while for those to be arrive and yet another while to place our order. From arrival to being served food was almost an hour. The portions of food are a lot smaller yet the prices have risen and it's just about warm when it reaches the table.
All in all, it feels really impersonal now in comparison to it's earlier days before the re-furb. The staff don't seem to be particularly happy any more and look rushed and stressed and want to hurry you out when you've finished your meal even though it took ages to get it on the table in the first place. What a disapointment. We won't be back.
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We were introduced to this pub by friends 3 months ago to invite us to a pub quiz, our first visit was met by a very busy pub and no table to be found, they had all been reserved by quiz goers, although we did manage to seat ourselves on the edge of another. A little bit worried by the fact that we wouldn't be able to get a table for the next week, we rang to reserve and were told that we could not reserve unless we were eating - ok, that taken on board, my husband and I now reserve a table every week to have a meal before the pub quiz starts, however we do notice that other tables reserved have people that are not eating but we overlook that because we actually really enjoy our one night out a week. After 10 weeks of reserving, eating and quizzing at the Cock O North quite happily, last night we felt humiliated at the managements actions. Whilst enjoying a conversation with friends after the pub quiz we were all of a sudden subjected to an confrontational outburst from who we can only assume to be the manageress along with what I can only describe as a possy of arms folded waitresses???? Hold on there we are enjoying a lovely night, on seeing them, my husband actually thought that we had won a prize but alas NO, who we now know to be Rose (Manageress) subjected us to a barage of accusations regarding whatever and whoever! Not someone to like confrontation, I feel totally embarrassed by what happened and feel that I really do not want to enter this establishment again, this should not have happened and certainly should not have been instigated by the manageress?? Is this a woman that is encouraging new business or is this a women that has an alterior motive? Who knows and to be honest who cares, I would just like to enjoy an evening at a pub quiz without being subjected to abuse by this person! Please sort it out McMullens
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AWFUL SERVICE FROM THE MANAGEMENT!!! I booked a room for my daughters christening for 20-40 people 3 months before the event and was confirmed it was booked and to call nearer the time to confirm food and numbers. The girl i booked it with was very certain that we could have the amount of ppl we may need in there and even checked it with her manager on duty, he also said this was fine. We went in there a couple of weeks ago and all was fine. I called 3 wks before the event to confirm the numbers (as i did not have RSVP's 3 months before hand!) and was told at 11am by the girl i originally booked it with who again said all was ok and i could confirm food with manager and that 40+ was now ok, that the manager would call back at 1pm. No reply by 2.30pm so i called. The manager answered and said she was too busy and would call later. Finally got a call at 6.30pm to be told because they have reguler custom on a Sunday and they usually use the room we had booked for sit down lunches, we now could not have the room!???! 3 weeks before the event and after having 50+ invites paid for and printed and sent they wait for my call to tell me this?! How the hell am i supposed to find somewhere else in such short notice?! She told me she checked the book weeks before and it said 20+ppl, will call to confirm and food. So she took this as i didn't want the room anymore!! Why not as a manager call me then if there was a problem? Because she was going on holiday!!! Why not call 3 months before?!
She said to me that she blames her Deputy Manager for the training and the age of the person i booked it with for the wrong info being given. She argued, shouted and was very rude. She said as a mother she thought i would have booked something sooner?!?!? How dare someone, anyone say this to me or anyone else, let alone a potential large booking?! I did book something, 3 months ago!!! I would not have sent out invites for a place i had not had confirmed. She offered as a compromise the room for 24 ppl to have a sit down meal?! What do i do with th rest of the party?! She also told me the room wouldn't hold 40 ppl (as confirmed at 11am that morning!) and she would not turn away food orders for such an event?! So she didn;t want guaranteed 40+ppl eating and drinking for the afternoon?! BAD MANAGEMENT! She was so rude and arguementative that i ended the call as i am also 5 mths pregnant and was very upset and angry. She only called back to argue more!!!!!
Awful service, awful management and awful business sense. Shame as this place had a good reputation and they have now lost over 40 of its customers. Not a happy customer and many will not be returning there all off of the back of this one experience. The Green Dragon in Barnet is the new choice and are amazingly helpful and very polite.
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We came across this pub by accident a couple of years ago before the re-furb and liked it then. The patio area is lovely in the summer and the food was really quite good (i did't see any sign of microwaving then).
We went back last weekend and wow! what a difference! The interior has been completely re-modelled. The lighting and soft furnishings really make it quite plush - loads of cushions everywhere too. The food and service was excellent. It's so nice to find somewhere that cares about it's food, customers and reputation. We were lucky to get a table as it filled up really quickly. I think it'll be somewhere where you'll have to book in advance. Definitely not a drinking pub - the accent is on the food, Well done!
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The pub has just recently re opened after a complete refurb. It is now a lovely, modern pub, centre mainly on the food. Comfortable sofa's and chairs are blended with tables the range from cosy tables of two, up to the larger group tables.
The pub has a large covered area in the garden and has plenty of room outside that will be great in the summer months.
Monday nights is quiz night and I although have never been,(we planned on going for a quiet drink and stumbled across an overflowing carpark and pub packed to the rafters) would consider taking part although I suggest early arrival just to get a table and somewhere to park.
I haven't sampled the food yet but it looks nice and reasonably priced and the staff are very pleasant and friendly.
The only downside is the price of the beer. Like every McMullen they seem to just make the prices up at random intervals and if you are looking for a cheap beer look elsewhere.
Ale comes out at a reasonable price but Guinness and especially Peroni strain the bank balance. (the latter coming in at a whopping �3.96 a pint!!!)
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I had a bite to eat with the family in here a couple of Sundays ago and although the food wasn�t that great I thought that it was reasonably priced for what it was. The staff seemed very young and it seemed to take a lot longer to get served at the bar when their manager/supervisor wasn�t about. The Country Bitter was ok and AK was also available along with Fosters, Stella, Kronenburg, Strongbow and Guinness.
The pub is very big and like most roadside pubs on main roads it is very much geared towards dry sales making it more of a family pub than an �out on the tear� pub. There is a covered and decked area out the back that leads onto a very large garden that I�m sure is very nice in the summer.
This is ok to pop into for some refreshment if passing, but I wouldn�t go out of my way.
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staff here are really unhelpful and the food is very expensive for what it is (ie McMullens' standard pub menu).
Whilst we were here a guy went to the bar and asked for a wine recommendation and was met with the comment:
"Here's the wine list" followed by "Medium white wine".
Shocking, really.
Wouldn't come here again if you paid me.
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Although it's a pleasant pub, it's nothing special. it has all the right things you could ask for, especially on the winter's day when we visited - log fire, beer, papers, confy sofas. But there's a lack of atmosphere. the stripped pine is too clean and new.
The lack of atmosphere, coupled with the duff and overpriced food was a bit of a turn off. �9.95 for a beef pie, but it came in a tiny little dish and looked as if it was freshly microwaved.
It's not a bad pub, but for an afternoon of drinking and eating it doesn't quite satisfy. The one ale didn't seem well kept either.
anonymous - 17 Jan 2006 19:06 |
More of a pub/restaurant than a pub. Food is pricey but the McMullens is well kept and served. Nice surroundings and friendly staff. Tables outside in the summer (make sure you get a table before you try to order food, though!). Gets very busy at lunchtimes, especially on Fridays. This pub is too far from anywhere to really be anyone's local, so it's a little impersonal but it's not a bad place for a lunch stop.
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excellent public house with excellent staff.
jon ware - 15 Nov 2004 11:51 |
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