The Volunteer, Theale - pub details
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Address: Church Street, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5BX [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 3951) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Theale (0.4 miles), Tilehurst (3.5 miles), Pangbourne (3.7 miles)
Brewery: Fullers
Pub facilities/features:
- Sky TV, Big screen
- Food served, Real ale
- Outside seating, Children allowed
Pub suggested by Vindaloo on 17 Aug 2003
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> Current user rating: 6.1/10 (rated by 15 users)
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other pubs nearby:
Red Lion, Theale (0.1 miles), Lamb, Theale (0.1 miles), Crown Inn, Theale (0.1 miles), Bull, Theale (0.3 miles), Falcon, Theale (0.3 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Volunteer, Theale
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 17 shown - see all reviews
| After a pleasant visit in March, I returned with a family group in April and was disappointed at the lack of choice in the menu although it appears to change fortnightly. Waited to order while lone server dallied with laptop users then told no fish, although we were told the chef might cook it to order. He wouldn't. Chose duck and took seats outside. After a while girl from bar came out and said the duck would be rare. Said we would prefer it properly cooked but she came back to say we would have to wait 40 minutes for it to be cooked through. Changed to paella which was reasonable. If I had been paying instead of being treated, I would have walked out. Only the beer being Fullers was a positive, but I had practically drunk mine before any food arrived. No sign of a landlord. denisart - 23 Apr 2011 21:59 |
| I have a bit of a soft spot for this pub, its nothing fancy but the atmosphere is always lovely, cosy in the winter and inviting in the summer! Food and drink are both quite pricey but there is a great choice of both and ive never had any complaints. They have a small specials board which normally just have a curry or 2 on it but the main menu is more than enough to tempt you! The piri piri chicken is lovely and you get a huge portion! Staff are so friendly and always make you feel welcome. I reccommened this pub to everyone! jrubens1967 - 12 Apr 2011 11:07 |
| Tend to start up at the "far end" of the village, if we're doing a mini crawl and I'm never disappointed by the well kept Fullers trio on the hand pumps. The food seems to have crept up in price however, and we're just starting to hear comments about how it's not as good as it once was. This was once consistently the best place for a meal in Theale, but I'm afraid they're slipping out of the Champions League places on recent perfomances ! Still got the most character of all the locals, especially on a cold winters night with the fire roaring ! watsonworld - 31 May 2010 10:01 |
| We visited The Volunteer on Sunday 16th May 2010 for Sunday lunch. Never again! The board described how a sirloin of beef and lamb shank were on offer, and yet when we ordered - sorry, slices of lamb only. This was at 12.30.....lunch had only been going 30 mins! Not to worry, my wife opted for the beef and I went with the cod instead. Unfortunately, when it arrived I could have opened the batting for England with it, black, dried out and rock hard batter, hiding away the soggy mess inside. The chips were also undercooked - hard and cold inside. In fact, the only thing edible on the plate was the lemon wedge! Sadly, the beef was also a let down - straight from the meat counter at the supermarket, soggy potatoes and nuked veg.....microwave food at its worst! When asked at the end if the meal was okay, I questioned whether the food was from the mircowave and the waitress laughed. Kind of summed things up at The Volunteer. If you have to visit this place, and there are no kebab vans nearby that would quite clearly offer a more fulfilling meal, stick with a bag of crisps and a pint. Terrible stuff. Pub_Pilgrim - 18 May 2010 09:05 |
| The new tenants have got the beer quality up a notch compared to previous, otherwise there hasn't been too much in the way of change. Worth a stroll over if in Theale for a pint. Quinno - 13 Jul 2009 21:44 |
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