The Chequers, Burcot - pub details

Chequers
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Address: Abingdon Rd, Burcot, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DP [map] [gmap]

Tel: 01865 407771

Nearest train stations Culham (2.4 miles), Appleford (3 miles), Radley (3.2 miles)

Pub facilities/features:

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> Current user rating: 7.5/10 (rated by 8 users)
> Local guide: Oxfordshire pub guide
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other pubs nearby:

Village Inn, Berinsfield (0.4 miles), Plough Inn, Dorchester on Thames (1.0 miles), Barley Mow, Clifton Hampden (1.1 miles), Plough, Clifton Hampden (1.1 miles), Fleur De Lys, Dorchester on Thames (1.4 miles) - see more nearby pubs

 

user reviews of the Chequers, Burcot

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Visited recently for Sunday lunch and have to say was very impressed with what I found. Was one of best Sunday lunches i've had for quite some time.

I must have visited the Chequers at least once every 18 months for the past 5 years, and every time it is under different management. Sometimes the food is excellent, other times it's indifferent, but i'm pleased to say the current owners are doing a sterling job.

Me and my party of 3 others started with a round of drinks whilst sitting in front of the enormous open fire place. This is the best feature of the pub interior, especially combined with the 3 leather sofas that surround it. I had a gin and tonic made with Hendricks gin (a rare sight in a country pub) and noticed that the bar girl garnished it with a couple of slithers of cucumber rather than lemon or lime which was a nice touch and made a change from the standard Gordons, Schweppes and lemon slice combo you get in most places. My friends had Stowford Press cider and J20's (but beware as the G&T with the cider was £8.50 alone!).
I accompanied my drink with some truly excellent pork scratchings which a waitress informed me were made by the restaurant's butcher. You could really taste the difference as they were distinctly less salty than the mass-produced stuff in most pubs and had had a slightly chewy quality in keeping with real crackling.

The menu itself was fairly short and presented neatly on A4 paper and was based around 3 courses (£14 for 2 courses and £17.50 for 3). This format I thought works well for Sunday lunch but may have put anyone not looking for a roast at a disadvantage as the only other mains were a vegetarian lasagne and fish and chips. I don't know what format they operate the rest of the week but I wasn't complaining at these very reasonable prices.
I started with a warm duck salad which if anything was the low-point of the meal. Whilst the duck was good and the mixture of leaves varied, the sauce that accompanied it was rather dull and lacked depth or punch. I was hoping for a variation on hoi-sin but it tasted more tomato-y which was disappointing. One of my friends had the chicken pate which was very smooth and rather run of the mill. Not unlike a supermarket offering.
Then came the main courses and most definitely the stars of the show. I went for the Pork roast and was glad I did! The plate came with 4 generous cuts of pork already covered in gravy (perhaps not to everyone's preference) and several excellent roast potatoes. There was an accompanying dish of carrots, brocolli, mashed swede,etc and a small bowl of thick, chunky apple sauce. It was truly excellent and generously served. I was a bit miffed with my slightly stingy portion of crackling but soon forgot about that as my mind and taste buds were quickly drawn to the superb roasties which had clearly been cooked in animal fat as they had that unmistakable meaty, savoury taste and were crispy and golden with a slightly chewy base. Fantastic. The pork was of seemingly good quality as well and the gravy thick enough to cling to the food around it.
My friends had pork again and beef which also looked very good.
For pudd (what a glutton I am!) I went for a toffee pudding with ice-cream and a hot toffee sauce. It was pretty good without being remarkable. Often in this type of dish the sponge gets very dry and is a let-down but this was quite moist and the sauce provided a powerful sugary kick.
We didn't have any wine so I can't pass comment here.

Overall, I think long may the current land-lords/owners stay as they are clearly on the right track as the dining room was packed. The service was chirpy and friendly (the pub is nearly entirely staffed by 20-something's in black uniforms) and the prices very competitve. If I was looking to find fault (and I don't like to), i'd say the choice of furnishings left a little to be desired with very modern looking chairs and tables in the dining areas where perhaps a more traditional look would have been better suited and some cheap-looking high tables with uncomfortable backed bar stools (IKEA?) in the small bar area. But I can't really knock it, not after the great meal we had.
willyfog - 31 Mar 2008 18:39
Dear sir or madam,

My wife and I regularly dine out and we have a number of restaurants we consider as our favourites within a radius of Abingdon. On Saturday 27th Oct we dinned for the first time at your restaurant which had been recommended by a colleague of my wife, both of whom are chef trainers at Oxford Brooks University and as such, have high standard expectations.

Both my wife and I were very impressed with not only the relaxed and friendly helpful and attentive bar and waiting staff, the lovely atmosphere [helped by that lovely open fire], but also the superb uncomplicated concise menu and the excellent wine, priced very reasonably.

In fact so impressed that we decided to change or plans for Christmas day and have booked with you. We will certainly put your restaurant high on our favourites list and we will be back soon.

Thank you to all your staff for a memorable dining experience. See you again soon.

Best Regards,

David Leak

anonymous - 2 Nov 2007 16:37
Good food and suitable place to take Granny and the kids. The downsides are there really isn't much of a bar area - this is really a restaurant, and you may feel uncomfortable if you are under 60 years old.
alphabravo - 7 Jun 2007 09:00
Hi this is my local & has quite a 'chequered' past. Recently taken over by Steve & Laura this pub is definitely on the 'up'. Very well-kept real ales, (Hooky, Adnams, Ridgeway etc. a constantly changing selection,) are reinforced by high class lagers: Bitburger & Budvar. Steve in the kitchen, is a excellent chef & has taken great care over the menu, using locally sourced ingredients, producing real pub-cooked food. Laura runs the front-of-house with a smile & tolerates the foibles of the 'regulars'. What more can I say? Just a little while ago we were scared the pub would close, no chance now. ps They are not paying me to submit this, but then again................
peterread - 25 Mar 2007 23:47
visited this pub for the the fourth time yesterday(13/5/06)to find that it had apparently changed hands,gone were the unique ales,replaced with (very palatable) Hook Norton Hooky ,Old Hooky ,and 303,menu had also changed and it was staffed by a very friendly group of young ladies.
motorcyclemichael - 14 May 2006 09:07

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