please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Having just moved into the area, I test drove this pub with two friends. The "Specials" section of the menu seemed designed to mislead. After 40 minutes on a quiet midweek visit we rreceived our food. We were over charged and had a scant apology. One meal was only luke warm, another, the baguette was almost empty. Add to that, the floor of the gents was awash with you can guess. Very, very disappointin .
|
Went there on a warm Saturday evening. Pretty busy with lots of flesh, lots of tattoos and bouncers. GK IPA, Abbot and Speckled Hen were on handpump. The GK IPA was OK, or as OK as GK IPA can be. Handy for the Howard Centre, and quite close to the railway station.
|
In regards to the ale (redbullmad), its unfortunately a bit of a Greene King thing. If a pub has one pump, it has to be IPA, if they have two, then it has to be IPA or Abbot, if three then IPA, Abbot, Speckled Hen, and a couple more options, four pumps and you get a few more choices but all have to be Greene King.
As for guest ales, in the summer there's a few good options available, the winter less so, though I do remember Witchfinder being quite good.
|
I don't agree with a lot of the comments here. It's a nice place, good atmosphere, cool lady in charge and nice food. Perhaps people would care to remember what it was like before it became The DT! Enough said?
|
Just reviewed my rating. Had a meal here - the food was actually very good. Didn't appreciate being sent flying by a member of staff running out the toilet - but these things happen. A bit too cold to sit outside - ate up and moved on...
|
Very very very clicky...
|
Brilliant beer garden, great food - cleanish toilets and pinball machine :-) Worth a visit!
|
By far the nicest pub in wgc but thats easily done, i come here quite often and have to agree with others that the staff do lack a bit of banta and do congrigate by the coffee machine and made to feel you have disturbed them for a less than perfect pint. The food is good i especially like their burgers (very tasty) they need to change their ales more often instead of abbot and green king ipa, they get very boring very quickly. It has a nice patio area at the front with a seperate smoking area which is curtious to others. The management i see often walking around the pub and speaking to guests which is good, they just need to get the staff to do the same. Overall a nice pub but needs tweeking in areas to make it a good pub. I hope this reviews helps the managment to improve things.
|
I agree with a lot of Rainman's comments below. The staff do tend to hang around like flies round poo at one end of the bar, and you are sometimes made to feel like you're interrupting thier conversations if you go to the bar for a pint. I can't comment on the age, as i'm 38, but I can imagine that it's not far wrong.
However, the food is standard fare at decent prices, and the beer tends to be pretty good. Service after you've ordered at the bar is good, and someone has always asked if our foods was OK during our meal, which goes a long way nowadays.
This is never gonna be a 'local' as such, but you could do worse - Parkway, anyone?
|
'How not to run a pub - case study the Drs Tonic'.
Let's start with 4 key principles -
1) employ staff who consider themselves superior to customers;
2) employ a German bar assistant who greets anyone under the age of 25 with the words 'your papars pleaze';
3) encourage staff to congregate as a clique with the 'chosen few' at the end of the bar and watch their annoyance when disturbed;
4) ban all banter with customers - including 'how are you?', 'evening' and any other pleasantry associated with spending money at a bar;
5) ensure management are NEVER visible and bar staff call all the shots.
Having got rid of the thugs that for too long made this pub a no-go option, it it somewhat perverse that the biggest barrier to trade is now the staff themselves.
The solution? I sense the Drs Tonic is beyond redemption, but taking a more optimistic approach, here's a few suggestions -
1) try to ask for ID without making younger people feel like they have just been stopped by the secret police;
2) consider breaking out of your clique at the end of the bar and make an effort to at least say hello to punters (rather than looking inconveinced as you do now);
3) managers - face the music and come sit at the bar so you can witness why people like me have been sufficiently inspired to add to this website.
I hope this feedback spares other punters from my experience.
|
How can people say this is a chav pub?! Its full if rockers and emo types. Not really my scene, the music is all oasis and kings of leon etc. However the food is quite nice and the garden out the front has great heaters for us smokers.
|
Near me. Old age starts at 25 here and I am over twice that. Absolutely the grimmest!
|
Not as bad as some say. The best pub in WGC.
|
Refurbed but very much a corporate GK feel to this place,with Abbott and Rockin' Rudolph on handpump.Usual GK food menu,very uninspiring.
|
Greene King - 2 casks offered, though only the Christmas special - Rocking Rudolph - was on.
Clean, well kept and large Road House style pub. A comfy modern make over which is not too trendy - keeping a traditional feel. Sofas and leather armchairs make the place comfortable and inviting.
|
if you are 18 years old or more then you're too old for this pub. It's full of 15 year old tatooed single mothers & their gruesome unemployed male partners. YUKKKKK!!! Stay well clear
|
Horrible place. I went there one lunchtime with my sister & got drooled over by a bunch of unemployed, drunken chavs. The pub is filthy & smelly & one of the doors on the toilet was hanging off!
|
A chav pub, need I say more?
anonymous - 5 Nov 2007 09:32 |
Visited this place a few times now and I have to say its not half as bad as some of the previous comments make it out to be.
I agree on Saturdays the music is far too load to hear yourself speak but at least its more original than some of the crap heard in a lot of other places.
Good pool tables, dart board, old skool game station and duke box provide this pub with classic English pub entertainment.
Ok its not great to any stretch and some of the chavs dont help but you have to remember this is a town centre boozer and oh lets not forget this is more of a real pub than The Cork just down the road.
|
Recently re-firb, better than a year ago, no longer stick to the beer soked carpet.
Good but to loud rock music upsatairs. Glad to see that they sell real ale!!!!
|
All the comments below summarise this pit.
We (3 girls) got told by the doormen when we walked in "You'll definitely brighten the place up..!" It wasn't hard as this pub was depressingly crap.
We had to shout over the 1000 decibel rock to try to have a conversation, while getting distracted by the tattoo-faced biker men & the chav pint swilling girls.
Horrible.
|
jane and dave unfortuanatly left the doctors tonic and after that it was run in to the ground by another owner i can no longer stand the place to be fair and i would rather spend the evening in a nice pub like the attimore now which is a very nice pub indeed
anonymous - 14 Dec 2006 16:37 |
Town centre pub. Not my cup of tea as I�m getting old, but some good live bands upstairs in �The Green Room� from time to time. Kids in the main bar who are just there to try and look hard.
|
What happened to Jane and Dave that used to run this pub??? anyone know?
|
Went to this pub the other evening. A p!ssed up bunch of foul-mouthed locals were the only other people in. The table was sticky but the Stella was OK. Don't think I'll be going again!
|
This pub is not clean enough to serve food (although they do). The bouncers seem to be looking for a fight, and have no manners.
|
Fantastic venue, has had alot of changes over past few years, has comfortable atomosphere, good DJ's on Friday and Saturday nights, nice food at lunchtime, Great Friendly Staff and Managers are real down to earth you want a good local night out i reccomend this pub from the 3 in town.
|
The doctor's tonic is a great place daytime or evening the staff are freindly the food is great. Recently had a refurb and looking good for it.
In regard's to under age drinker's i feel the door staff and staff have done a good job. I have never seen any under age drinking going on there or any of my friends. Just a great place to have a good time and with a late license even better
lou - 5 Sep 2004 23:24 |
his pub is excellent,a great night out for anyone,except for under 18 obviously,friday nights great for youngsters of 18 2 35yr olds the rest of the time anyone of any age over 18. Lunchtimes can be busy but great service and great food at all times staff are friendly and helpful,most of the customers are a great laugh aswell,great garden to go with a nice pub in middle of town centre,the only one of its kind in this area.As a woman i feel safe to go in this pub on my own o meet up with people,the only one in the town centre i can do this without comment or looks.Well done JANE and DAVE keep up the good work.
jen - 19 Aug 2004 19:15 |
I hate that pub!..they discreminates people at the door..The people who work there dont have ANY manners and they talk to you like dirt..Its an awful pub i wouldnt recommend that pub to anyone..let it get shut down for all i care!!!
anonymous - 26 Jun 2004 22:18 |
This place use to be fantastic back in 1999. However, the last few years it has gone seriously downhill. Now full of teenagers who are barely old enough to get in. Fights often break out too.
Horn - 30 Jan 2004 20:02 |
