BITE user comments - Kentbeerboys
Comments by Kentbeerboys
Went past the Railway yesterday and it is very much alive and, in traditional fashion, kicking.
25 Mar 2010 12:51
Now has a very small customer base as a result of losing Sky TV a few years ago. Used to be ok but now quite lifeless and bland. The landlady is trying to improve things by putting on live music but that is not enough to change things on nights other than a Saturday.
Beer is fairly cheap and so is food.
4 Feb 2010 13:30
The Kent Beer Boys use this pub quite often when we pass through Victoria for football games. It is a lot better than the Spoons inside the station, but then again I drank in bars in Sierra Leone that were better presented than the station Spoons! Always has a few football fans of various teams on a Saturday, but never any trouble.
There are better pubs in the area, but it is cheap and very close to the staion which gives you the 'lets have a quick one while we wait' oppertunity.
In my experience the food is hit-and-miss as are the staff who range from excellent and friendly to useless and obstructive.
4 Feb 2010 13:19
Went in here when my team, Hartlepool, were playing Col-U earlier this season. Before the game it was fairly quiet but afterwards there was a lot of people in watching the live TV match.
Lager was really cheap, as was the food. Not sure it would be a place I would want to go often as it lacked a bit of life, but did the job at the time.
Oh there was a very strange old bloke who directed us there from the station and was a home fan. This bloke then hovered around like a bad smell and we had to be very blunt to get rid of him. Wierdo seemed to be trying to pull one of the lads!
4 Feb 2010 13:10
Went in here on Saturday as an away fan when Hartlepool were playing. Got in at about 1pm and it was quite busy. Pleased to say that despite the crowds there was never a long wait for a drink and ther was space available to avoid the crush.
The Carlesberg was terrible, although I would not normally drink this stuff its just I was driving! They were using glasses as well as plastic which was surprising but appreciated.
Got to say that for a busy match-day pub there was little Police presence and no safety worries at all. Its unusual for everyone to be SO friendly! There was one strange bloke stood underneath the stairs who was rather excitedly singing on his own as his mates looked on embarrassingly. We also saw him in the ground doing the same thing. I am not sure that he gets out much.
I did enjoy being in here and it was great for meeting other away fans as a good few Pools had made a bee-line here.
4 Feb 2010 13:05
Went in here as an away fan on Saturday before Hartlepool played against the mighty budgies. Got in at about 12 and there was a decent number (about 30-40) of away fans and a few home fans. Lager was cheapish and tasted reasonable. There was food served at about �7-8 a meal and my mates said that it was ok.
Barstaff were quite efficient and pleasant.
The pub is set in a beautiful location and would be a great place to sit outside of in the summer.
We moved on at about 1pm to meet other fans that had travelled, but would definately use this place again.
4 Feb 2010 12:58
Great pub with a mix of ages and mainly locals. Food and beer are very cheap and there are often disco's (St. George's night was unreal).
The Bar Staff are friendly and work hard to make sure you are served quickly. They also don't mind you having a few drinks and a laugh, which some pubs tend to worry about!!!! A couple of the girls who work in here are very tasty, which helps to get us back in time and time again.
We were also allowed to put our huge 'Hartlepool United- Kent Beer Boys' flag outside on the wall after we beat Gillingham 1-nil. Much respect to the manager for this.
A top pub that some of the Kent Beer Boys walk from Rainham to visit on a weekly basis. Just a shame we live too far to use this place more often.
Oh and they have a well stoked dukebox wirth the Rolf Harris Classic 2 Little Boys on it.
Up the Pools, KBB and 2LB.
24 Dec 2009 13:31
Cheap pub that gets busy with locals on a weekend. Unfortunately the place is lacking in any kind of life and most punters seem to be stood having sensible conversations about how their business (or dad's business) is doing during the recession. ok if you like that kind of thing I suppose, but I would prefare somewhere that offers a bit more.
Good mix of age's and ok for watching the football, but certainly nothing to get excited about.
24 Dec 2009 13:20
The Railway Tavern, Prittlewell
Went in here as an away fan (Hartlepool) on Saturday. Decent pub and despite being a home pub, we had no problems and it was not at all threatening. They had sky TV and the beer wasn't too expensive. There was a few problems with children playing pool as the landlord wasn't happy, but it was friendly enough for children.
I would recommend this pub for away fans as the Southend fans were all friendly enough and of the shirt-wearing variety rather than displaying any sort of threatening attitude.
Oh and one of the barmaids was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous!!!! We spent more time watching her than the Stoke V Wigan game that was on the TV!
15 Dec 2009 08:05
Forget the last comment! Went in there on Saturday before my team Hartlepool played Southend. The doors may have re-opened but the pub is still derelict!
Iam not sure if they own a hoover and there were fag ends all over the place. There was only lager on tap (x2) and staff were more interested in eating chips and chatting than serving the small number of punters. There was loud dance music playing at midday when there were only 2 of us in there and although they have a big screen there is no Sky TV.
It was worth a quick look as there are not many pubs left in this state as they have all had re-furbs, been knocked down or even employed a cleaner!
15 Dec 2009 07:58
Lively pub on matchdays and has recently been tarted up. Beer is quite good at the moment, but changes whenever the lnadlord does!!! Not a great place for away fans at high-profile games, but otherwise they should be ok (definately no Darlow Fans!). Great in the summer for sitting about outside.
19 Nov 2009 08:02
This pub has now re-opened and will once again be a favourite for away fans. It isn't a great pub but there is no good ones in the area. It is near the away turnstiles and about the only one in the area to welcme away fans.
16 Nov 2009 17:54
The Southern Belle, Gillingham
Went in here before watching Hartlepool at Gillingham. Not a bad pint and average price. Plenty of locals including a Charlton Athletic fan who kept telling us that him and his mate had been drinking since 6pm the night before!!! Once a few more Pool's fans came in he quickly headed for them though.
Had great entertainment watching the many motoring incidents that occured at the traffick lights outside. Top Fun!!!!
Very much a locals pub, but more space than expected inside, and they had the cricket on Sky TV which kept us happy. I also noted a juke box in the corner. Staff were friendly and some were even quite pretty!!!! Would visit again.
2 Sep 2009 13:18
We went in here after watching our team, Hartlepool, play MK. Medium sized pub that is very much a local's palace, although we had no trouble in here. Had the tea-time kick off live on the big screen and a couple of smaller TV's dotted around the place.
Some of the lager was �1.99 a pint which pleased our crowd. There was also a seating area out the front, which got quite busy.
I would use this pub again, but was probably better for an after game stop off, as opposed to a pre-match boozer, as most away fans drink closer to the ground.
11 Aug 2009 07:27
Was in here with the rest of the lads before watching our team, Hartlepool, play against MK. Very cheap drinks and they tasted fine as well. Large pub that also sells food and has a good sized beer garden. The staff had no problems with us displaying our flag in the grounds neither.
Service was slower than we would have liked but this could be because a few of us had arrived off the same train and the 2 staff were trying to serve us all at once. The staff were pleasant though and I was talking to the landlord after the game, when he was drinking in 'The Park', he seemed a decent fella. Would reccommend this place to other fans visiting, although it is not a typical match-day pub and may be better suited to families travelling to the game.
11 Aug 2009 07:23
Was in here before watching my team Hartlepool play MK on Saturday. A starnge pub, its location is very pleasant being right next to a fantastic fishing lake. The pub itself seemed very run-down and lifeless inside. Judging by the size of the place and the area that its in I would expecgt that it is dead on a non-matchday. Still we enjoyed standing outside in the sun and there was a good mix on home and away fans.
11 Aug 2009 07:16
Great pub and not as expensive as others in the area. 6 Real ales on offer when I was in there a week ago, although I went for the Stella, which was top form and �3.05 a pint. Music was mixed and interesting, whilst not overbearing.
I also had a chat with several different people in here, without getting into a serious conversation, it was just enough to feel welcome.
Bar staff workerd hard and didn't leave people waiting for drinks and the crowd was a mixture of office workers and visitors just looking for a decent 'proper' pub.
Will visit again (SOON) and would reccommend this place to any decent people.
4 Aug 2009 07:18
Terrible place........ Full of people who are barred from all of the other pubs in Rainham.
My Brother-in-law used to work there and told me a couple of interesting things;
1) He found a crack pipe in the toilets a few times.
2) Drug use and dealing was very open.
3) When you ask for a double with a mixer and have had a few drinks, its custom for the staff to serve you a single and top up with mixer..... oh but tthey still charge for a single.
Avoid at all costs as it really is a dive, and I do normally enjoy a pub with a bit of an edge! Shame as it is perfectly placed to really draw in the crowds.
17 Jul 2009 17:19
Have since changed my view on this pub. After my 1st visit I thought it was great place and looked forward to revisiting. I WISHED I NEVER BOTHERED.
I now realise just how plastic, put-on and forced this place actually is. Here are my observations;
- Couldn't have a drink without some s.l.u.t. trying to mug you out of a mortgage paymant in exchange for a shot!
- Toilet situation a disgrace. you have 3 choices;
1. walk out of the front of the pub and right round the back, then force your way through the crowd to get in. then risk not being allowed back in the front of the pub as its too full. This happened to one bloke. This also takes an age.
2. fight your way through the crowd to the toilets. this can take even longer!
3. Use the female toilet which many men do. This is one of the worst I have ever encountered. I have been to slums in Africa that I believe to be cleaner. I am glad that my wife was not with me as I could not have allowed her to enter these.
- Many staff are dressed very much younger than their years would sugeest and think that wearing almost zero clothes will make them attractive. Would rather they employ staff who can actually serve a decent pint.
- Wanting �5 for entry to an after game party. What do you get for a fiver? A DISCO! This place is full with hundreds of fans spending a lot of money, these sort of things should be paid for out of their profits! The place was jam packed and they feel they don't make enough money to cover the cost of a disco? about �200 max. Get real!
As you can tell I will NOT be in rush to revisit and would rather visit a proper pub on the High Road i.e. The Beehive. The only good thing was when they played madness, but as they played this album on both of my visits it gives me the impression that they don't have too many ideas.
19 May 2009 13:33
Was in here with mates on Saturday night after the last home game against Man City. This was my 1st visit and I was very impressed. Full of top class Spurs fans and a real football feel about the place. Karaoke was 1st class with plenty of Spurs songs and a group of people who were all happy to get involved creating a great atmosphere and this wasn't just for Spurs songs!!! Cheers to the DJ for singing 2 Little Boys, this is my favourite song being a Hartlepool United fan.
Will definately visit again and had a much better time than before the game in the Bill Nic.
Cheers to the staff, DJ and other fans for a great night.
19 May 2009 13:17
The Beaufort Arms, Stoke Gifford
Great Pub! Was in here with a group of mates waiting for a train after a beano in Bristol. Cheap beer- Carlsberg @ �1.99 a pint, and others cheap as well.
The bar staff were top class and enjoyed a bit of banter with us punters, even telling me dozens of times to take my cap off when I entered the pub to buy drinks.
We all sat outside on the bench's enjoying the glorious sunshine in the company of some friendly locals. These people went out of their way to ensure we felt welcome whilst exchanging football stories.
Would go again when I next pass through Parkway. Thanks to you all for your hospitality.
19 May 2009 13:12
Was in here with the UGLY1- see below, and several mates. We were all passing through Paddington on the way to a Beano in Bristol. We unfortunately had 3 1/2 spare hours which were all passed in the Sussex. The place was absolutely great, we were allowed to get a bit drunk and have a laugh which, as the landlord rightly said, is what pubs are for. He repaid our custom by treating us all to Sambuka each- TOP BLOKE!
The beer in here was very cheap for the area, Carlsberg @ �2.20. Not my beer of choice, but at that price I'll drink meths!!!
Anyway good bunch of regulars drinking and great music on the duke-box- Barbie Girl and Jake the Peg!
19 May 2009 13:06
Popped in to watch the Spurs V Liverpool game on tv after watching my team, Hartlepool Unted, loose at Orient. Cracking pub with a good atmosphere. Would never have ventured here, but the Coach & Horses have had the football taken out. Was quite busy, which is becoming increasingly rare for local style pubs, even on a Saturday night.
2 Nov 2008 15:45
Always pop into here when I pick me nanna up from the coach station. Decent pub with good beer garden for people watching. Always has a decent crowd in but my visits are always on an afternoon so I don't know what its like on an evening or weekend.
Like many other pubs up in the smoke, its not cheap!
Much, much, much better than the flea-pit next to the station.
11 Jul 2008 07:41
I have heard that Kim from the Crix is now working here. If she is then you lot are very lucky! Good bar staff can make a pub, and she is one of the best and a favourite of the Kent Beer Boys. Not only is she a good laugh, hard-working and friendly but she is also rather tasty!
Like I say she is a favoutite of the boys. She is badly missed in the crix especially when Spurs are playing.
29 Jun 2008 08:07
My fears have been confirmed!
This pub does not seem to want money from those of us who enjoy a pint and some footy. They seem to be reaching out to the middle-class knobs, and the wannabe middle-class knobs with their refurb.
It is trying to compete with the manor farm for food custom, but who in the right mind would rather eat here?
The pub is not set up to watch footy, as the TV's are smaller and you have to stand watching it in front to rupert and camilla who have popped in after a hard day in the city for a succulent Lancashire Hotpot Ring! Ooh suits you sir! In the old days this pub would have had sport on in the background, but yesterday despite being called 'The Cricketers' they did not bother to put the England cricket match on. One of the few attractions of this place in the past has been the sport and without that its nothing.
Good to see that Gary and Craig are still working behind the bar as these two know how to look after customers, although the now smaller bar that they have to work behind will suit the much smaller crowds that will venture in.
Speaking of crowds I wonder what they will do in the bleak mid-winter when the toffs can't be bothered to venture out and the beer garden has no appeal. In the past this is when the only people using this place have been sports fans, mainly football. I wonder if they will be a bit more willing to cater for our needs then? Well if they are they can ask us nicely as we will be across the road in the Wonkey Donkey or down in the Slop and Swine!
29 Jun 2008 08:02
This pub has recently been taken over and the new Guv seems to be making some changes i.e. injecting a bit of life in the place!
I have never been a regular here, but I have enjoyed some good nights in the wonkey donkey, and would definately tell people to ignore its bad reputation.
It is a locals pub with a regular crowd at the bar who when I have been there have not caused any trouble (again despite its reputation) and there is also a pool table and darts board.
The new Guv has got soom good dj's playing there some of them have played Ministry of Sound. He also has some singers and comedians lined up, with most weekeneds now having entertainment lined up.
Hopefully he will be rewarded for his hard work!
25 Jun 2008 16:40
The Travellers Tavern, Victoria
I am a great lover of pubs (and beer!) but I would rather stand outside in the p@~#ing rain than waste my money on a glass of swill from this dive!
Do yourself a favour and have a wander as there are some good pubs, the belgravia being one of them.
By the way it is VERY expensive!
22 Jun 2008 19:51
Always go in here when my team Hartlepool are playing the O's. It is a decent size pub and ideal for games, i.e. not posh, serves beer and normally has a good atmosphere.
We always seem to have a decent following in here and its often vocal without anybody getting a bit worried that we'll cause a riot!
It seems to be the main away pub in the area although there is normally a good number of home fans as well. I would recommend a visit if your team are playing at Orient.
29 May 2008 20:48
Metropolitan Bar, Baker Street
Was in here last night before England V USA and it was quite busy with a good atmosphere (atmosphere is normally non-existant in a waterspoons). The Globe opposite was fairly quiet and lacking in atmosphere, which seems to be the norm recently. The Met is also a lot cheaper.
29 May 2008 10:48
This place is currently shut for a refurb' and expected to re-open by the end of June. Apparently they are having the Sky Sports taken out which will kill the place off, as that is the only reason for using this pub for me and my mates.
Rumours are that it will be a bit ponsy and have sofas all around the place. If thats he case they have had the last of my money.
We'll just have to wait and see though won't we!
24 May 2008 08:39
This pub now seems to have attracted the Golden Lion Boys which has given it a good atmosphere before Millwall games.
Decent pint, prices and a formidable landlady. Much better than the waterspoons around the corner and worth a visit although as normal with millwall pubs, be on your guard and do not drink there as an away fan.
My mate was a bit on edge in here but assures me that next time he goes he will try to be a bit braver! Bless Him!
24 May 2008 08:33
The Golden Lion, South Bermondsey
This place was an experience! Although even as a Hartlepool United fan drinking in there on one of my many trips to watch millwall, I never had any bother and always had a good chat with a few lads just having a good (very good) drink before or after the game. The decor bordered on derelict and it wasn't the cleanist of places (to put it mildly) but it had atmosphere and that is sadly lacking in many pubs now.
It's a shame that it is now shut, as visits up to the new den just don't seem the same anymore.
24 May 2008 08:27
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The Enigma Tavern, Bletchley
This pub once again welcomed our group before and after the game on Saturday. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was good, with 2 meals for �9. We had the pie and chips, which were home made and tasty.
They do not have Sky TV, but do have small TV's showing freeView Channels.
definately one of the better pubs in the area.
8 Sep 2010 07:26