BITE user comments - elpescado
Comments by elpescado
This was one of the worst pubs I have ever visited - and I have visited many I can tell you. The food was uneatable, the GK IPA was off, (after an argument they changed it) and the place felt very unkempt. I had never heard of the Hungry Horse chain before, as we normally avoid food pubs, but we have now and we know to avoid them like the plague. Perhaps the place just reflects the customers, surely they can do better than this?
4 Jul 2010 18:04
If you are a real ale drinker in a slightly down at heel modern British town you have to venture into the Spoon's. Chances are you will get a decent real ale, however this can be at the price of seeing the worse of society. You read an article in your Sunday paper about Chavs or about excessive drinking and you thought it was all hype, but then you wander into a Spoon. This one was pretty friendly in many ways and we had a good time but one could sense trouble was only a Vodka and J2O away. The beer was nice, we bought the stressed bar man a drink and thereafter we had a friend for the evening. The sad thing is, for the real ale drinker, this is the best place in town.
4 Jul 2010 17:59
We were pulled in as the Crown & Thistle (almost next door) hadn't opened. We had a good condition real ale at an amazing price, �1-50! The place needs some tender loving care though, I am not sure she knows whether to be a youngsters pub, food pub or real ale destination. Given the amount of pubs in Gravesend I expect the owners need to come up with something a bit special. The bar-maid tells me that they are trying to source etched windows for the front.
4 Jul 2010 17:53
Unbelievable! My last visit to this town saw this pub in it's former incarnation as the New Falcon which was to my mind a rough old joint where only bottled beer would be a safe bet. Now it's gone all posh! Chandliers and wrought iron lamps and when we were there classical music. I felt under-dressed in my scruffy shorts and out of place as we were on a lads pub crawl, but the pub was very welcoming and the beer range was excellent. We sampled several excellent real ales and the helpful bar-maid let my lager drinking mate try a couple. Very interesting and it is great to see a pub done up in a different style, I hope it works out well for the owners.
4 Jul 2010 17:49
A pub that has been turned around as the posts testify. A warm spot in my heart for this place as this was where I supped Burton Ale as a 16-year old apprentice in the 1980's. The real ale is consistently good and the place is friendly enough, though if you are unaccustomed to the livelier sort of East London / essex pub then you might find it a bit much on a Friday or Saturday. There are a few sorts who get in there but I feel that the management will soon sort that out (I do not know them but I was watching their reactions to a few suspect customers and I felt they handled the minor situation, some spilt drinks NOT blood, really well). A cracking little pub and firmly on the Grays real ale circuit.
4 Jul 2010 17:42
This pub seems to have the charm of a Wetherspoon without the Spoon's selling point of a good real ale choice and cheap prices. I cannot believe that they bring Boring old Banks beer all the way from the Midlands. The design of the place is interesting though with the opening windows at the front. They seem to be pitching a pretty dull food range rather strongly but Upminster could well do with more drinking pubs and less cloned pub food. The food here is fairly indistinguishable from Ember pubs down the road. Why can't the owners be a bit different?
4 Jul 2010 17:36
Huntsman and Hounds, Upminster
We know this place as the "pub of death" due to the regular funeral parties during the day which must be a boon to the management as the pub is a bit out of town. The decoration is bland, but then it is also comfortable and clean. The beer (real ale) range is a bit dull and it can be a bit hit and miss. Although the quality has been OK on my last few visits. Like many Ember Inns they seem to love Greene King which is a shame as we now have local breweries in Brentwood and Ilford. As a local my nearest three pubs all seem to be Ember's! I would use the pub more, particularly if I am with wife - mother and other relatives who like comfy seats but the food and ale range needs to be more adventurous.
4 Jul 2010 17:31
It is true that this pub has a wide selection of real ales. I think the beer quality can be a bit variable but they have always changed beers for me without complaint. I suppose opinion will always be divided on Wetherspoon pubs which is why the pub scores a bit low, Spoons by their very nature attract a mixed crowd who go to pubs for different reasons. The pub is good for a lads night out but personally I would love to see the place cleaned up a bit. The tables are always sticky with the beer, there are dirty seats and I never really feel relaxed there, particularly if you pop in on your own for a quick beer.
4 Jul 2010 17:22
Agree with comments about the beer quality and range, one of the few Romford pubs for the real ale drinker. The pub could be more comfortable as it is a bit scruffy at the edges and when I was last there the toilets were in a bit of a mess (on a quiet Tuesday night). That said we enjoy our visits here and we are always made to feel welcome. I suppose it would be difficult for the management to clean the pub up as Romford can be a bit lively at weekends.
4 Jul 2010 17:13
This pub seems to attract good crowds consistently and seems to be popular with a wide ranging crowd. Real ale is offered but the range and quality are very variable. The pub is friendly, clean and comfortable and the food looks OKish. The only annoying thing is the continual piped music of the Heart variety which gets under your skins after a while. I was in there when it was empty save for a few older guys and i think the music was aimed solely at the bored bar maid.
14 May 2009 19:11
Known for being the best real ale pub in the area with normally 6 beers available. Clearly a place when the real ale crowd head to, i have noticed a lot of driving pools arrive, where 4 or 5 guys head out taking turns to drive. This may be because the pub is a bit isolated, although only a couple of miles from Brentwood there is no path and if you head out south it is very hilly with unlit country lanes which skirt the weald country park. The pub itself seems to have perpetual trade, if only a few propping up the bar during the day. At weekends the place seems to attract a younger crowd.
14 May 2009 19:07
The Thatchers Arms, Great Warley
Visited the pub hoping for interesting beers only to find a rather dull choice of Marstons & Courage. Still it is a pleasant enough place, and the area is surprisingly rural in feel although it is just outside the M25. There is a footpath all the way back to Brentwood though I could not see a thing on my way back to the station!
14 May 2009 19:01
This pub is a real intimate little place, it is like drinking in someone's living room. Fairly welcoming though I guess it is dominated by regulars. Real ale range is quiet good, though I am not entirely convinced on the quality which sometimes seems to be lacking. I noticed it is in the Good Beer Guide, but for my money they need to improve a bit. The pub is worth the 5-min walk from the high st though.
14 May 2009 18:58
This pub does have a friendly atmosphere and seems to attract a mix of ages. Football or sport dominates sometimes, but I have noticed that regulars come more for conversation, crosswords or even a quiet read of the paper. Real ale is consistent in quality and they serve 2 Sharps beers from Cornwall; shame the range never seems to vary though. For me this is the most relaxing pub in town and this is the place where i feel most welcomed.
14 May 2009 18:54
The Old Dog, Herongate
One of the first real country pubs (in that it is in the middle of nowhere) as you leave Greater London on the A127. Nice welcoming atmosphere with a long bar with low tables for drinkers and a spacious area to the left for diners. Food can be very good even exceptional, but there is also some variabilty, though when I complained they treated me very well. As a pub the atmosphere is one that makes you want to linger, there is a nice choice of real ales and pretty good value wines if that is your thing. Overall the best country pub for both food and beer drinking i have found in the Brentwood area. You can take your mother or your mates.
4 Jul 2010 18:12