please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Wobblybob thanks for the mention. I didn't realise anybody actually read these! I admit I was a little over the top in my criticism. It is my local pub and at times the service is not at it's best. That one night the service was crap and I was a bit annoyed. I will remove my comment, if I can.
|
Met-up with friends here last night. Very enjoyable evening - great beer and friendly service in a very charactreful pub. It gets very busy - because so many people love the place. Perhaps BUFFETBORE would be happier spending a few hours looking round the displays in IKEA or Habitat and then thumbing through a Michelin to find somewhere to eat and drink.
|
A Station pub on platform 1.
It is always wellntalked about and people from miles away catch the train to get here for some good ale.
Good slection of good beer ! Food too.
|
Well I for one certainly can't complain about the service. I was served immediately and also paid £3 for sausage and mash (bargain). When I realised that I couldn't wait any longer for it as I would miss my train I told the barmaid to give it to somebody else, but I was immediately refunded, which I wouldn't have expected. Pub was rammed as ever but I had no problem getting served, and beer was on top form. Maybe some other visitors just had the misfortune to visit on an 'off day', but this is as brilliant as ever in my book.
|
The Acme Tours Local and HQ.
It serves a wide selection of changing Ales from various breweries, usually around 6 to choose from. Great easy access from the rail platform, visitors don't even need to leave the station. If arriving from Manchester journey from train to bar is around 10 seconds, however be prepared for delays at the bar.
The bar is full of character with lots of old railway memorabilia, but is unfortunately let down occationally by the belief that dust also counts as memorabilia.
|
Visited Saturday 3rd May and the place was a disgrace. Uneaten plates of food and dirty glasses left on tables. These were missed/ignored on at least two attempts by the bar staff to tidy up. Got that old invisible feeling at the feeling at the bar. Stood there for a good 10 minutes trying to get served. This was early evening, so it was not even busy. The bar staff not making eye contact no matter how hard you try, while talking endlessly to regulars. This should, and with a little effort could, be the best pub for miles. To top it all when the man next to me finally got served his 8/10th of pint of Landlord he asked for it to be topped up and they did so, with Millstone Pig & Whistle. He won't have the cheek to ask again!
Bone idle bar staff with a bad attitude who spend more time in the car park smoking than behind the bar. You can see exactly where they smoke, it is littered with fag ends.
|
Only ever managed to get here in the daytime, so can't substantiate the concerns about how dirty things get in the evenings. A fine old pub, with lots of character and regulars drawn from all walks of life. This gives the place an air of accepting all-comers, which is rare in such places. The beer is undeniably excellent, with lots of brews from smaller local breweries which makes every visit something of an education. The food is also good and very keenly priced, and the staff are always ready with a smile and a joke - even at their busiest, and this place can get very busy indeed when customers arrive by the trainload!
|
while since bean here. But sadly still the same: Fab ale, but very dirty pub, no reason for it because there's enough staff to clean the dripping beer from the tops,(no ash trays to empty.....well they never did empty them here anyway!)
They are doing some re-works around the station area at present making access less easy but not really a problem, I think they are going to re-name it 'The Stalybridge Station Scruffy Bar'... so I've heard, officially this time but we'll have to see.
|
First ever visit from yours truly last Monday ( 31 March )
This is a well known licensed buffet bar, serving a range of half a dozen or so real ales in a nostalgic Victorian atmosphere on Platform 1 at Stalybridge B R station. Sitting there supping your pint, you half expect to experience the sights / sounds and smells of steam engines passing through.
The pub consists of several interconnecting rooms and a conservatory. Note in particular the old fireplace in the main bar, the extensive railway memorabilia and the framed newspaper articles detailing how customer petitions thwarted British Rail's attempts to close it many years ago.
I enjoyed several good pints of Hanby Mild, but for some unaccountable reason, I omitted to try the famous black peas and pie.
Stalybridge station can be easily reached from Manchesteer Victoria B R and, at only £ 2.40p for an off peak return, I considered it as money well spent.
I think this is probably the first time ever that I've bought a return rail ticket without ever leaving the station at the other end !
Apparently, its now the only fully licensed public house to be found on a railway platform ( as opposed to a station concourse ) in the UK.
If you're staying in Manchester and have done the better known pubs there, I'd recommend you consider making the short trip out to Stalybridge.
|
First ever visit from yours truly last Monday ( 31 March )
This is a well known licensed buffet bar, serving a range of half a dozen or so real ales in a nostalgic Victorian atmosphere on Platform 1 at Stalybridge B R station. Sitting there supping your pint, you half expect to experience the sights / sounds and smells of steam engines passing through.
The pub consists of several interconnecting rooms and a conservatory. Note in particular the old fireplace in the main bar, the extensive railway memorabilia and the framed newspaper articles detailing how customer petitions thwarted British Rail's attempts to close it many years ago.
I enjoyed several good pints of Hanby Mild, but for some unaccountable reason, I omitted to try the famous black peas and pie.
Stalybridge station can be easily reached from Manchesteer Victoria B R and, at only £ 2.40p for an off peak return, I considered it as money well spent.
I think this is probably the first time ever that I've bought a return rail ticket without ever leaving the station at the other end !
Apparently, its now the only fully licensed public house to be found on a railway platform ( as opposed to a station concourse ) in the UK.
If you're staying in Manchester and have done the better known pubs there, I'd recommend you consider making the short trip out to Stalybridge.
|
First ever visit from yours truly last Monday ( 31 March )
This is a well known licensed buffet bar, serving a range of half a dozen or so real ales in a nostalgic Victorian atmosphere on Platform 1 at Stalybridge B R station. Sitting there supping your pint, you half expect to experience the sights / sounds and smells of steam engines passing through.
The pub consists of several interconnecting rooms and a conservatory. Note in particular the old fireplace in the main bar, the extensive railway memorabilia and the framed newspaper articles detailing how customer petitions thwarted British Rail's attempts to close it many years ago.
I enjoyed several good pints of Hanby Mild, but for some unaccountable reason, I omitted to try the famous black peas and pie.
Stalybridge station can be easily reached from Manchesteer Victoria B R and, at only £ 2.40p for an off peak return, I considered it as money well spent.
I think this is probably the first time ever that I've bought a return rail ticket without ever leaving the station at the other end !
Apparently, its now the only fully licensed public house to be found on a railway platform ( as opposed to a station concourse ) in the UK.
If you're staying in Manchester and have done the better known pubs there, I'd recommend you consider making the short trip out to Stalybridge.
|
We often walk there Tuesday lunch times; and always enjoy wide selection of real ales, and traditional pub food. Where else can you get every sort of pie with every sort of peas and beans, including black peas. Great value and handy for a walk allong the canal to Greenfield, return by rail.
|
We had another go at Rail Ale Trail on Saturday. Sadly Stalybridge Buffet wasn't up to much. Good choice of beers but 3 were cloudy to middling, 1 of which I took back only to be refused an exchange. The tables were littered with empty glasses and food plates. Don't the staff know how to wash up? And you can't even enjoy a pint and a smoke when doing a bit of train spotting anymore. Network Rail insist you retire to the car park in order to indulge in such pleasures. What is the world coming to?
|
Regarding FoggyD's post.
Were any of your group smoking? Since 1 July railway byelaws have forbidden smoking anywhere (including open platforms) on any railway station. I'm not surprised Northern Rail declined to comment: Stalybridge is not one of its stations! It's managed by First TransPennine Express.
|
well kept ales but I agree I wouldn't take anybody here as sadly the place is grubby.
|
We also did the Trans-Pennine Rail Ale Trail as recommended by Northern Trains. Stalybridge Buffet has some lovely tables along the platform where you can sit out in the sun and enjoy a pint but when we attempted to do so the railway staff ordered us to leave the platform and return inside the bar. What is all that about for goodness sake? It goes without saying that Northern Trains declined to comment. Still at least the beer was on form.
|
I've called here a few times as part of a trip on the 'Rail Ale Trail'. It certainly is a strange place, worthy of 9/10 if only for the fantastic range of real ales and incredibly cheap food. Railway enthusiasts will also love the decor.
But avoid busy times and definitely don't go near the place on Friday nights as it takes an eternity to get served. The tables are never cleared, they frequently run out of glasses because the staff can't be bothered collecting & washing them and, to really add insult to injury, they won't even bother changing the barrel when a beer runs out.
My advice is get there before 7.30pm if you want the full range of beers.
Great little traditional station buffet, let down by staff with a chip on their shoulder. Or should that be a sack of spuds?
|
Situated on railway station platform. Called in on a pub crawl around Stalybridge and never left for another pub. Good selection of handpulls, Timothy Taylor, Flowers IPA, Boddingtons!?! and some more unusuals like Allgates all well kept. Simple food fayre, couldnt resist the pie and peas, yummee, and atmosphere with railway and beer memorabilia all very interesting. Will be visiting again soon and promise to try more Stalybridge pubs!
|
When this place is busy and sometimes when not the beer drips off the counter, there's food on the floor and tables and glasses uncollected from tables. The glasses are in a very poor state, old and scratched, there's a bad smell in the air and a few of the regulars are possibly tramps. The bar takes a fortune often, it's unbelievable what standards people will put up with for a decent pint.
Awful, shame on the owners it's a disgrace and it's an embarrasssment to take anyone here.
Anonymous post, obviously to avoid catching owt!
anonymous - 2 Oct 2007 21:49 |
By far the best pub in Stalybridge. Constantly changing selection of ales, both local and more widespread. Intersting selection of bottled beers, including Belgian style beers.
Decent food and snacks, always a busy pub and it's easy to see why.
|
First class pub. Regular haunt on outings (pub crawls)from the rugby club as it is very convenient for the train home!
Beer first class. Black peas and black pudding are a delight
|
I agree - if it wasn't for those knobheads around the bar who are there every bloody day spending their hard earned cash, the place would have closed years ago thus giving the high-and-mighty "once a year" visitors nowhere to go and nothing to moan about !
anonymous - 12 May 2007 11:49 |
Made my 1st visit on Monday evening after promising myself to go for the last 20 odd years. Worth the wait? Yes! Good atmosphere and choice of beers. Perhaps a lick of paint once the smoking ban comes into force may not go amiss, but at the moment many establishments fall into this catergory. Snack range was also 1st class. It won't 20 years before visit number 2!
Must say most of the regulars looked as if they were on their way to a Fidel Castro lookalike competition!!
|
Agree with alanjherron about the knobheads who hog the bar where the guest handpumps are.The beer is very good once you can see what they are selling
|
Superb, old, station bar with good, changing range of real ales - including a mild/porter/stout. The train can be late anytime, when I'm here!
|
World class time-warp bar. The beer is never less than excellent and holds adventurous beer festivals of its own. No idea what planet the guy who suggested it's grubby lives on.
Beware of drunken ASFC computer bods.
|
This place has been my little piece of heaven for years.Many times,on my way to Darlington,I have broken the outward journey from Manchester( contrary to the terms of carriage)and enjoyed the ale and atmosphere-especially in the winter when the fire is lit.The only downside to this wonderful watering hole are the 'sales prevention officers'that always sit directly in front of the guest ales,and short sighted gits like me can't read the pump clips.Try the 'parch peas.'
|
Ratings out of 10
Beer: v. good 8
Atmosphere/decor: boring 2
Cleanliness: grubby 2
Staff: ok 5
Clientele: Railwaymen/old hippies 1
Food: ?
Sum up: good pint in dull surroundings
|
Recently made the pilgrimage on the advice of a friend whilst staying in Manchester. The sort of place where you know your train is due, but think "what the hell, I'll get the next one".
|
Superb pub with an ever changing array of quality real ales, traditional and atmospheric, a must.
|
A hidden gem..... Well worth finding for the atmosphere as well as the ale.
|
An absolute gem. If you have any interest in real ales, railways or old-fashioned idiosyncratic English pubs you'll love it. Rather tucked out of the way unless you're actually catching a train from Stalybridge station, but well worth a diversion or a break in your train journey.
|
Visited for the first time yesterday, certainly won't be the last. A mixture of types drinking here, all seemed very matey, staff very friendly. Real ales up to scratch. The railway memorabilia, reminiscent of the Head of Steam [Doric Arch] at London Euston, is far more attractive than the unrelated junk some other pubs scatter round the place. Well worth leaving your train for, there's normally another an hour or so later. Excellent!
|
Can I make a couple of comments here. Visited last night and I disagree with MrBean that this place is boring...far from it. A fight almost broke out before the quiz between a regular and an irratating whimp who was too coward to go outside. I was told he was an out of work ex-radio presenter with a big gob, some people never learn, idiot! Anyway agree that the beer is great. People didn't seem too scruffy, it looked like maybe one or two made the effort (two I think) and the staff were very friendly and smart.
Definately great place worth a visit.
|
This is just heaven!
|
There's only one good reason to go here, brilliant ale. No other reason, but thats good enough. It's boring, un-original train related trash, scruffy drinkers who don't wash their hair, no seriously some smelly people go in here, cheapskates everywhere, then even worse James 'the coward' Stannage does a quiz here and that MP James Hypocrit Purnell can be found, well he can go to hell. Arty farty boring lefty wierdy beards you would never trust meet up here, trouble causers. The only females are the pleasant staff, god knows how they put up with such freaks. Folk music!! please no!
Otherwise a very nice place.
|
Unless you commute from Stalybridge or have a copy of the Good Pub Guide, you would never know this place exists which would be a crying shame. Situated in a Victorian Buffet bar on the platform of Stalybridge Station, this place acts as a pub, cafe, museum and waiting room. Old railway memorobelia adorns the walls but this is not for the weatherbeaten train spotter - it is a real ale buffs paradise. The number of guest beers that pass through their hands is staggering and the food is excellent and cheap. This really is a place for a good session and not just for waiting for a train! I don't give 10 marks easily for pubs but this really is something unique and is hard to fault.
|
Last time I was here I let my Train go so I could have a couple more pints in this gem of a place,
Fantastic ale selection
|
The buffet bar is located on the platform of Stalybridge Railway Station. Continually rotating ale choices along with excellent lagers, topped off by wonderfully ecletic decor in an eccentric location - this pub really is hard to beat. Plus the staff and mix of locals/regulars make everyone feel welcome. So much so, that it is quite likely you'll miss your train home. Highly recommended.
|
Unique pub and victorian buffet bar with a great range of real ales. Fantastic staff and very friendly pub in an unusual setting these days.
|
Well boys and girls...no excuse for drink driving with this little gem! Actually on the platform of Stalybridge station, has occasional folk nights and a great selection of guest beers, my favourite being Crippled Dick.
This place is unique and to think they nearly shut it down. Madness.
Garon - 13 May 2004 18:31 |
like stepping back in time superb cask ales and continental lagers in bottles. great tucker as well try the pie and peas excellent
fat dog - 12 Apr 2004 18:32 |
really nice pub to visit.. especially for some proper nice grub at rock bottom prices... top!
kelly - 28 Mar 2004 14:36 |
Ever changing beers from all over the Country. Popular with CAMRA members and beer tickers.Try the black peas!
|
Real ale bar on platform of Stalybridge train station. Most ales cheap and nice atmosphere
James McClean - 21 Aug 2003 21:54 |
