BITE user comments - Woodie09
Comments by Woodie09
The Grey Horse Hotel, Wakefield
Run of the mill pub just out of the main town centre of Wakefield. Not a great selection of beers, with John Smith's Cask the only hand pump available when I was there, and that not too well kept. Cosy, if a little tired. Only really useful if you want a quick bevvie before catching a train at Kirkgate Station just round the corner. The fact that Fernande's is just across the road means it's not realy worth going to when you have such a fantastic place so close
22 Mar 2010 12:55
Lively pub with a lot of activities advertised. Friendly staff, though not great beer. Nothing on handpump so had to drink Guinness. Decorated in a modern style with the family/dining market being targeted. Is a nice contrast to the Horse and Jockey and the Bingley Arms in the same area
22 Mar 2010 12:50
The Horse and Jockey Inn, Horbury
Quaint little pub in Horbury Bridge. I was in here Friday night early on when it was quiet. The beer on offer wasn't up to much. They had John Smith's on cask which was a little murky, though didn't taste too bad. They also had a pump for Black Sheep which was off. I'm not sure if this is a regular ale or a guest that had run out. The Mrs had a vodka and Coke, the Coke being from a bottle which was suprisingly cheap considering. The decor is very traditional with beams and some very well polished copper tables, as well as brass jugs hanging from the ceiling which must be a nightmare to maintain in that state. Staff and locals were friendly. They do basket meals which are reasonably priced, though you might be disappointed if you were to expect Michelin star quality.
22 Mar 2010 12:39
A reasonable pub in Horbury Bridge. I was there on Friday night when it was relatively busy in one half, and dead in the other half where they had the karaoke, oddly enough. Beer is a handful of real ales from which I had a fair pint of Black Sheep. They do food, but I'm not sure how good that is. Good location by the river for a summer's day
22 Mar 2010 12:33
Has changed management a few times since I last reviewed it. The latest lot recently left. I've not been in since, but it is a shame as they were trying to draw in punters with live music and other events
14 Jan 2010 15:43
I had Sunday dinner there yesterday, and it was great. not too pricey, and the beers are top notch, well kept and reasonably priced. Staff are friendly and helpful. Unfortunateky I over-indulged a little last night and am feel the effects today. Defintely worth a visit
27 Jul 2009 12:15
A great place just off Westgate, out of reach of the regular Westgate runners. A nice, stylish environment with a great selection of ales. Resident beers are from Ossett Brewery with a good half dozen guest ales, all immaculately maintained. Also have a good range of draft and bottled Continental beers (especially Belgian, and I'm not talking about carbonated effluent like Stella, though they may actually have this too!) Lovely courtyard (if we ever get any decent weather), and lots of live music. On Friday (and maybe Saturday?) nights they have competent local acts acts doing covers downstairs, plus an open mic on Monday nights. They also have a larger venue upstairs for bigger acts, which I haven't had the pleasure of just yet. Also host a comedy night monthly (one of only 2 regular comedy shows I'm aware of in Wakey).
Has a fairly mixed clientelle on busy nights, though can be a bit crowded. Also a pleasant place to visit for a jar or two on Saturday afternoon after a spot of shopping. Have a good selection of piped music when there isn't a band on (not a juke box though!).
An asset to the Wakefield nightlife scene, further enhancing the great little area around there off Westgate with Harry's Bar, plus some good restaurants away from the madding (emphasis on the "mad") crowd of Westgate
22 Jul 2009 15:29
Not much of a pub really in so much as it's not really a drinking establishment as its main focus is for people eating. Saying that they do advertise the odd event like a regulr poker night so maybe I've just been at the wrong time . I couldn't see myself going and spending the entire evening there though. They do serve a decent pint of Marston's
12 Jun 2009 15:58
Not a bad pub. Good beer with a regular turnover of some great guest beers (with the local Clarke's beer as regular)
Staff can be unfriendly, as can a lot of the regulars and there can be the odd duelling banjo moment.
12 Jun 2009 15:49
Wow! An experience. I've often walked past the place thinking it looked a bit of a dive, and I ended up in here on Saturday night last because it was one of the few places showing the rugby and the football. I wanted to watch the fooball, but most places were just showing the crucial Wales v Ireland Six Nations game. I had also seen the place mentioned in a book you may be able to find called the Rough Pub Guide which is guide to pubs that are rough, rather than a guide that is rough to pubs. This hadn't enticed me to try this particular hostelry, it has to be said, though needs must when the Devil puts football on Setanta at the same time as important rugby fixtures
Rough is one description for it, though Idid find it actually quite friendly. I spoke to more strangers here than I have at probably any other pub ever. Admittedly, most of them I couldn't understand a word of (mainly due to the long and short-term effects of alcohol), but it is not short of characters (note that's plural, not singular. The pub itself is quite characterless). There were the middle-aged women in short skirts with corned beef legs, the elderly gentleman type in a porkpie hat, the sallow, wrinkled and seemingly moribund regular drinkers, there was the person who tried to get in but was barred. Not forgetting the intermittent waft of cannabis through the window. Oh, and there was the chap who said he had not been to Leeds for five years and seemed altogether too happy to be in the pub, as if he had not had the opportunity to go in a pub or indeed any public place for a stretch of a few years. We even had an impromptu sing-song of Neil Diamond and Gene Pitney songs.
The Guinness was passable, and the only thing I'd touch, not being a fan of gassy lager or smoothflow bitter. This is defintely a beer drinkers' rather than a beer lovers' pub. It's not a place I'm likely to go back to
23 Mar 2009 10:55
I discoverred this place just last weekend. What is it with these cracking little bars and pubs in Wakefield that are hidden away from the casual visitor? I've lived here pushing 2 years and I'm still uncovering real finds like this!
Great place, with a fantastic selection of good continental beers (as opposed to the usual bobbins like Stella, Kronenburg which are usually UK-brewed under licence) on deaft or bottled. I had a pint of a German heffe Weiss which was fab! Small and gets busy later on, for good reason
6 Feb 2009 10:52
Great place. It's very popular in the surrounding area as a result of it's good food. It is more of a restaurant than a pub as there isn't really any area to just nip in for a swift pint, and it does get busy, especially at weekends. I've eaten here a few times, and once the dish I had was rather salty (a Thai curry I seem to recall), but generally it's of a good standard. The menu is mainly pub-grub stalwarts like your fish and chips or pie, plus a few more interesting dishes. The medaillons of lamb are rather good. Beer is good as they usually have (I think) a couple of good real ales on, and well kept
6 Feb 2009 10:41
The Fernandes Brewery Tap and Bier Keller, Wakefield
Great pub for beer drinkers. It is difficult to locate unless you know where it is as it's hidden away, but it's worth the effort to find. I was there tonight at 5ish, and it was quite busy then and got busier. I think the main beer hall is alcking a bit in atmosphere though as it's a high, rectangular room. Beer makes up for it though. Recommended
1 Feb 2009 01:43
Traditional old pub that wouldn't be out of place in a village in middle England. Apparently the oldest in the area.
Unfortunately doesn't have as much atosphere as it should, and doesn't do any good real ale. They used to, but I think they underwent a change of management a year or so ago and no longer seem to be bothered. Can be very quiet when I've gone in to watch a football game, and I have been in a few times on Saturday nights when they have karaoke. That used to be popular but even Saturday nights are really quiet now. Does stay open late. Does food suring the day, though I haven't had any there recently. I would have done a few months back, but they had ran out of chips (yes, really!)
It's not a bad place, but it could be a true gem with a little TLC
30 Jan 2009 16:42
I haven't been in here since I moved away from Swinton in 2007, but it was one of my favourite pubs in the area, and it doesn''t sound like that will have changed. Great beer (though the Boddies was never the same since the closed Strangeways!), friendly atmosphere and hearty pub grub during the day
29 Jan 2009 10:39
No longer a Yates pub, but another chain (PJ's?). Nothing much to write home about, but it's not too expensive, and does food (Wetherspoon's standard by the looks of it). No decent beer
28 Jan 2009 15:46
My favourite pub/bar in Leeds. A stunning collection of bottled beers (though they never have my favourite of Hoegardden Forbidden Fruit :( ). you do need to be careful though as some of them are very expensive, and some of them unfeasibly strong. It's relaxed, unpretentious and it's open beyond 11 on a weekend at least. It is a joy to have a place you know is open, is free to get in and has good beer at that time
28 Jan 2009 15:34
An absolute gem of a place. I had heard of the mythical Harry's Bar on Westgate shortly after I moved to Wakefield, but hadn't seen it. Then a couple of weeks ago I wandered up a tiny alleyway opposite the road running up to Wesgate Station and there it was, about 50m down, a unicorn of a pub: difficult to find and magical. A great selection of real ales in a tiny pub, wonderful cosy atmosphere. They do music at some time during the week, though I have no idea how they can fit a whole band in, but I intend to find out soon!
28 Jan 2009 15:23
The Kings Arms, Wakefield
This pub has seen a real rejuvenation in the last year or so. It had a terrible reputation before and culminated in a mass brawl outside resulting in it being shut for a while. The owners (Marston's) installed a new tenant landlord, Glen, and he's really turned it around.
Now the place is a friendly pub serving one or two beers from Marston's portfolio (inlcudes Wychwood and Jennings), kept in good condition and very cheap. Friday and Saturday nights there's karaoke which is good (if you like that sort of thing) and a quiz on Sunday. They have a fairly pleasant garden which for those warm summer evenings. In all it's a nice part of the Horbury circuit
10 Jun 2011 17:14