please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Was in here yesterday for about 4 hours or so. As I hadn't been in for over 2 years very little in the pub has changed other than most of the staff behind the bar.
4 guest ales on but nothing to write home about including Hogsback TEA which I do not like. Considering the CAMRA interest I would have thought the selection could have been better. The beer was £2.10 a pint which is the most I have paid outside of the central London JDW's. The food service, surprisingly, was fairly efficient.
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It may look like a standard Wetherspoons but in my view it's one of the best. It's had the same manager for 12 years now (something of a rarity in any pub let alone a chain) and I believe it shows.
The pub caters for all age groups and evryone seems to get along together OK.
The beer choice is better than many 'Spoons and I don't remember ever having had a duff pint here. The food is tasty and well presented.
Woking Wetherspoons has just become the local CAMRA group's 2008 'Pub of the Year'.
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Standard Wetherspoons that you would find anywhere else in the country. Hogs Back Spring Ale, Burton Bridge Sovereign Gold, Elgoods Old Wagg, Wickwar Severn Bore with Directors and GK IPA and Abbot. The Elgoods was nice and my BLT was fine too.
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I stopped going here in 2006 pending the end of smoking, and JDW had been a bit misleading about it - so I didn't try again until Summer 2007, and now come in monthly (approx).
Breakfast seems to be consistently well prepared and still quite good value. Rarely eat here later in the day. Good ale range, as one would expect, and at usual good JDW prices.
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The H-File search has taken me to Woking and I was here briefly last Thursday night after 9ish (31 Jan) with a H-File victim. The décor here is not that much different from any other Spoons boozer in En ger land, while the atmosphere seemed convivial given the lack of background music. It was fairly busy and we struggled to find seating. If my memory serves me correctly, a Magners and a diet coke came to £4.60, so make what you want from that if anything about the prices of drinks. Although I was focused on the nubile woman in my company, there did appear to be some female talent around amongst the mixture of younger lads on a night out and old men.
I imagine this is reasonable starting point on a Thursday night for what seems like a lively night out in Woking along the Chertsey Road. I would probably come here again with a few mates or for a “quiet drink” with a female friend when in the vicinity. Regarding the H-File search, it was refreshing that there were less female students around compared to going out in Guildford on a Thursday night for example, as many – without trying to make sweeping generalisations – tend to be on the prudish side.
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I spent too many of my formative years here and have given this particular establishment too much of my money! It made me chuckle to see another reviewer say it had gone downhill in the last two years, ten years ago it was pretty dire! But then again we kept going back and had a lot of fun.
To be fair I cant comment on Wetherspoons lately, I havent been in there for about a year. Staff are usually decent enough and you are always guarenteed to bump into someone if you are a local (this is not necessarily a good thing).
Not the best wetherspoons but consistent and food usually ok (though all they generally have to do is heat it up so it should be I suppose)
anonymous - 31 Oct 2007 16:43 |
A typical "Spoons", good range of competitively priced beers, but as ever a bit subdued, even down at heel inside. Not been in of an evening only lunch so maybe lively later? The immediate local area however has many establishments that cater for the younger circuit drinker.
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Seems a lot cleaner since the smoking ban. Atmosphere is a bit absent, but the beers are consistently good.
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typical spooons.cheap and good choice of real ales.
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it's still a pub that lacks atmosphere. the bar is decent in length but all this seems to offer is more queueing space. the staff are, and i can't prove this, the slowest bar staff in woking. i've never seen a guiness take 5 minutes before and still come back to me half guiness half head.
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Tom Woods and Wolves Ale are two on at the moment, both taste similiar though Tom Woods is less strong
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Usually has 3 or 4 guest real ales available at £1.79/pint, which is very good value for the area. Quality is good, but the ale is generally served too cold. If you are after decent real ale in Woking, then Sovereigns and Wetherspoons are the places to visit, but be aware 'Spoons can get very busy on Friday and Saturday night.
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It's cheap! Not overly welcoming so again a place you meet up at before going somewhere more fun.
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Actually i should be more fair. Think the door people are only doing their job and sticking to their door times. The empire strikes back beer seems popular here at the moment
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The drinks range makes this place a worthwhile visit. But the people in charge need to get a grip as by not letting people in until 1am (Which is the time they close on a saturday) is ridiculous
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Has a good range of ales, but the floor was like treacle, the toilets were minging and the tables were dirty - terrible for a Sunday afternoon, hasn't the duty manager got the gumption to do some basic cleaning before they open up?!?
Another case of Wetherspoons slowly losing the plot. I'd rather pay a 40p premium to have a similar selection of ale in the Sovereigns which is clean and comfertable.
At least it has the comedy backwards clock on the ceiling, go to the far pillar to press the switch - if you can get out of the quicksand at the bar.
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I visit this pub fairly regularly. It's gone down hill a little over the past 2 years but they still serve a reasonable number of real ales. I have found the clientele to be a good cross section of the people in Woking so I don't know what some of you are complaining about. (I would like to know what sort of people i.e your standard stereotypes, should frequent pubs).
anonymous - 20 Sep 2006 20:14 |
The only good thing about this place is the cheap beer.
Whatever time/day you go in there, you can never find seat.
The clientele are a strange bunch, but thats because of the cheap beer!
The atmosphere is very strange also, its like being in a very large waiting room!
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Poor air quality - needs better a/c, though it is only weeks before all JDW go non-smoking anyway.
Disabled access poor to family area. Often crowded but still quiet enough to chat.
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Spoons don't tend to play music in any of their pubs-makes a nice place for conversation, but can lack a certain something at night
anonymous - 3 Mar 2005 12:59 |
It does feel like this is a rather dated place. Most of the pub is decorated in old fashioned brown colours. Its a decent enough place for a cheap drink, they dont play any music at all it seems. That helps when you want to have a chat, though doesnt really create much atmosphere
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Single floor with a limited terrace (plastic glasses and a view of Chertsey road. Nice). Very large and airy inside and supposedly themed around H.G. Wells who lived in Woking and wrote War of the Worlds there, something the town is particularly proud of.
Good selection of drinks and the standard extensive and cheap Wetherspoons menu, consequently great for food and drink, as is every Wetherspoons. However, bs3jdb is right, as night falls get on a train to Guildford. Spend the evening in a much more friendly atmosphere among nubile young students with an intellect greater than all those in Sheerwater combined.
Don't get me wrong, I love Woking, I've lived here all my life, but the pikey percentage is rising exponentially now and any night out is always spoiled by some oik with too much attitude and a penchant for Lynx Java.
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pretty good food, cheap drinks, but avoid it on friday and saturday-it fills out with pikeys like you wouldn't believe. Actually, you could say that about woking in general
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big inside but often packed out near the bar and can take ages to get served.
captain wetherspoon - 6 Oct 2004 15:23 |
Pretty good place for starting off the night with some cheap drinks before going to Chameleon and has nice food for lunch during the day
Bill - 5 Sep 2004 20:03 |
Ahh, the Pensioners Arms... A great landlord and well chosen staff make this an ideal place to spend those long lunchtime sessions. Clean, with well kept value beer. The local Wethertramps can't get enough of it - if they can get past the Telewest employees that is.
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Good solid food and decent beer (depending of course on taste). I frequently have lunch there. Lager louts probably won't like it, and I would personally prefer that they avoided it.
Gareth - 20 Mar 2004 15:29 |
Very average
monty - 28 Nov 2003 16:35 |
No draught lager on tap? Try Carling, Stella, Grolsch, er Kronie I think..
As for it being a gay bar I can't think of anything more ridiculous...no wait I can...Stevenage Football Club
Fletch - 6 Jun 2003 19:34 |
apparently the new "gay bar" of woking! no draught lager on tap, just bottles. need i say any more!!!!!
anonymous - 6 Jun 2003 08:52 |
One of the better Wetherspoon's. Often crowded but usually possible to find seat if you want one. Large non-smoking area. Beers kept well.
Graham - 27 May 2003 13:08 |
it's alright! but it's never going to be more than alright! exactly as dave puts it.., plus prob only place in Woking that doesn't stay open til a descent hour. no entertainment.., and loadza old farts!!
anonymous - 25 May 2003 03:34 |
standard reliable wetherspoons formula (good cheap beer, acceptable food at day, no muzak, lots of local info on the walls)
dave - 22 Jan 2003 13:01 |
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