BITE user comments - ladyday
Comments by ladyday
I popped in for a few drinks recently. The previous owner had left.
The beer was nowhere near as good and there was a loud and awful karoke. Shame really but I heard the previous manager was losing money so don't blame him for going. Sadly from my point of view I have lost one of my fave pubs in the area. Maybe I was unlukcy but the general conscensu of all who drank there was that the beer was poorly kept.
1 Mar 2009 19:54
I see lots of reviews have been removed. Probably for the best
Oh well I hope the pub has improved, it does sound like it is on the up which is good to hear, given that it is a nice traditional and very different pub to your averge chains that we are stuck with these days.
1 Mar 2009 19:48
Used to like this place and go there regularly between 1996-2001. The bar was a bit rougher than soem places but Ok I found, TV and pool etc. Lounge was lovely - very old fashioned and respectable and landlord woudl have no trouble. Great beer and a good rare pint of mild. Then it closed I understand, shame. Now it has reopened and is closed again?
9 Sep 2008 21:37
The Ugly Duckling (Harvester), Tatling End
Sadly a plastic chain pub. I am nto against Toby Cerveries as I have used them before and they were OK (do vary though)for a dinner but not as a pub or drinking environment. But this one was not very good. We arrived for the early dinner special and were ontime but by the time we got seated etc we were told we were too late! Their fault not ours, for being lazy as the place was dead!
Food was very average and quite a measly meat portion for the money and veg not very good considering it was early. Beer was poor and there were hardly any bar seats to sit and enjoy your drink after the meal. Forget the garden for a ciggie, it's on a busy main road and it is basically a case fo sitting in the car park! Not impressed and no desire to return there for food or drinks.
9 Sep 2008 21:34
Typical plastic chain pub. Annoyingly great location taken over by yet another charcterless pub chain. Awful menu, poor beer, no atmosphere but dies well without bothering to try hard simply because of the location. Best thing abotu this place is the ducks outside especialyl the fat white one who is quite the character and I go to feed him and avoid th epub now!
9 Sep 2008 21:29
OMG the sandwich story puts me off eating there now. I am not anti this place, have drunk there a few times and what i had was fine. But i do find it odd that it is so small and yet has this fancy menu at restaurant prices yet it is hardly a restaurant. Also given the size of th eplace they cannot possibly turn over enough food to ensure frsshness of such an ambitious menu methinks. Sounds like I was right given the bread was off! And at 4.50 per simple sarnie I'd expect a big fresh homebaked slice and fantastic fresh fillings and garnish too.
9 Sep 2008 21:25
Please listen cos I think this is a fab pub and a great location but things need to change. Love the location, relaxing atmosphere and lack of assholes in this place. I go often for a couple of beers to unwind as it is peaceful and pleasant . Sad thing is that the food has turned crap, there have been problems on most recent visits inc. overcooked (and I mean burnt!) steaks and other foods, dishes not being as described on menu, very long waits for food even when quiet, and just crap dishes! They need a new chef and menu as it is too fake gastro pub and chips. Also they need some decent ales from what my ale drinking friends say.
There are some great staff but also some lousy ones who take ages to serve people and create queues from nothing! And it is clear they are focusing on the weddings, parties etc. side rather than the pub. Can see why for profit but still, regulars notice and feel neglected.
Outside has the most amazing shelter for the smokers though, and I doubt any smoker would find a better place to sit and have their tobacco and a pint than this one in the Uxbridge area.
Drivers beware - they have a huge car park but if you do the sensible thing and leave your car overnight after a few jars, you'll find it locked in the morning and you won't be able to get to work! This needs addressing as it was most annoying and inconvenient and it will deter folks staying on and havign a few more drinks, not to mention make some risk drink driving.
Wouldn't bother goin on a really hot day as th eplace is chaos and you'll never get fed and they run out of beer!
Love the place but feel so much better could be done and a more professional and up market image could be presented in the restaurant especially and more folks attracted to the pub side of things as it is a bit quiet. Please do try guys you have a great asset here.
9 Sep 2008 21:18
Awful pub, awful beer, awful landlord, awful bunch of scum youths as customers. Full of druggies, have seen illegal bets taken by the landlord over the bar. He himself is usually high as a kite or drunk on cider, surprised he can stand up half the time! Surprised the pub is still in business to be honest, but I doubt it will be much longer thank god as I hear old Jack is in a bit of financial trouble. Not surprised really as he probably drinks and gambles the profits away.
Shame really, the pub has potential to be a nice little local but I think it's chances of ever redeeming itself are now doomed and it has as much chance of becoming a pleasant drinking hole and a business success as the landlord has in giving up cider. I'd say odds off 1m to 1 and I wager that the landlord would take my money for a bet on that too, gambling licence aside LOL!
9 Sep 2008 20:50
I hate chain pubs but oddly my visit to this one was excellent. Helpful staff, food served quick and good for what it was (basic burger and chilli, much better than my local Weatherspoons), barman was better than waiters in some restaurants. Beer was good. Cheap. But in Margate there is not much competition it has to be said.
19 Jul 2008 17:16
Lol at the comments so far!
I have to agree. Thing is Margate pubs are mainly shit and full of chavs with dodgy beer sadly. This was convenient so we popped in a few times. Wasn't intimidating just mad, I got drunk - it was the only way to cope.
Still the worst pub there is Bar and Grill 37, which had the most horrendous and foul mannered and mouthed bar staff I have ever come accross. Shame I cant; review it here .....
19 Jul 2008 17:13
The Inn on the Quay, Goodrington Sands
Typical atmosphereless "family fun for no one" chain pub that is more about bland family food than beer or a pub scene. Shame that such a great spot was taken up by one of these things. It will make money though becuase there are no other pubs around there and it take families. When we went though ti was dead, we ordered a snack to tide us over, depite it being quiet we waited ages. And the food that arrived was dry, burnt and rubbish.
19 Jul 2008 17:08
Amazing bulding, very gothic. Just felt a tad uncomfortable as it was very quiet despite the time of night and we were going to eat, but the staff didn't seem to want to offer a bar menu but push us into the restaurant. Given it wasn't cheap and had no customers we decided against. Nice ale and garden though. Shame it is so far tou of the way as if you want a drink then taxis are hiddeously expensive.
19 Jul 2008 17:02
Good beer, character but very hot and stuffy. Sadly also felt like you were being viewed with suspicion and listened to a lot if you were not local. Persisted with going in as it was on the way home to where I was living at the time. Steep climb to it though and no outisde space.
19 Jul 2008 16:59
What a waste! It looks very quiant on th eoutside and has an upstairs bar too. However when we went in that was closed, and there was a downstairs pokey area. We enjoyed it, very cosy for us to chat etc. and the landlord was nice, came over and chatted, and even let us have a shell ashtray to take home.
However, our vist was ruined by locals who hung at the bar and just kept staring at us and making comments. I was afraid to go past them for the loo, they said something then to me which I ignored and they moved away. It persited though and we'd just had enough and had to leave. it was obvious to the landlord what they were doing btu he did nto tell them off. Their loss as we never went back in again. Was shut last time I looked, not surprised really as lack of effort and horrid locals.
19 Jul 2008 16:56
This pub was very friendly to outsiders unlike a lot of the local pubs here, thanks to the staff and lovely landlady. The beer was good and reasonably priced. It was nice that they put bowls of water out front for dogs. Loads of character.
Drawbacks: lack of outside space, as very hot inside and really needed some form of aircon as it wasn't even that hot outside. Some nights was full and it is small and we had to go elsehwere as no seats. Loo was pokey and awkward to access.
19 Jul 2008 16:51
This has become the pub that is loud, full of drunken (or possibly drugged looking at them) young kids and had spilt beer everywhere. Shame as it has lots of space unlike most Brixham pubs and has a good location. The staff were also a bit young and careless and we'd often wait ages for a drink. In the day ti is full of families eatign awful loookign fried meals, but I feel sorry for them as nto many pubs will take them. Mehtinks it is just sitting back and capitalising on it's harbourside position.
There was also an incident a couple of years nack where a very drunken womans started demandign more drinks after 11 pm and calling the landlord a c*nt.She became aggressive adn wasn't dealt with.
19 Jul 2008 16:45
Only been in a couple of times, in the day, but seemed nice. Good beer, clean and had loads of character.
19 Jul 2008 16:40
The Famous Hop'N'Grapes, Torquay
Yep, I was told it was called the 'Hope and Grope" too. When I went in I could see why. Far too packed with kids, unable to move, people barging me about etc. Never again.
19 Jul 2008 16:38
Liked it to start with. Then got rough. Full of yobbos, toilets disgusting ann stank, foul language and some drunk making a right mess in the disabled loo and breaking the lock and then could be seen urinating with the door open. Never went back after that.
19 Jul 2008 16:36
The Royal Carvery and Hotel, Babbacombe
Remember this place when it was an old Victorian hotel about 7 years back. I prefered the old layout as they seemed to do a slight 80s bodge 20 years too late. Still they made it busier. Have friends there who say the carvery is very good but never tried it, smelt lovely though. Service was OK and bar staff were quite chatty and fun too. However, have heard there are fights in there quite a bit which would worry me on say Saturday nights. It's nice to sit ouside though with the view and all beign very good.
19 Jul 2008 16:34
Was closed up last year. Not sure what is happening there.
Anyway discovered this place years back, loved it as the location is superb, but like so many other pubs down here with such enviable assets such as seaside views and charm, it seemed to make no real effort and just sat back complacently thinking that tourists will pop in.
The staff were not very friendly despite our efforts to try and chat and praise their pub and location. Also parking is a nightmare - there is hardly any and the nearby beach car park where you have to pay is generally full up in Summer. No way can most folks walk up and down that hill! In fact driving up and down it while other folks try to is a nightmar ein itself, and having some idiot make you reverse on that gradient in the car we ha dwas almost worthy of inciting an accident! Didn't eat there as food looked average and people seemed to be waiting a very logn time for waht was bog standar pre pared microwaved fare.
19 Jul 2008 16:29
Have visited several times when down in the area over last 10 yrs. All the pubs in this area have prime seafront views so don't really have to try that hard, as most of them don't sadly. This one however is the best there, a proper pub, clean, decent beer, not sure who runs it now but a couple of years back there was a very nice friendly new boss who I think was South African.
Only crticisms: sometimes bar service very slow, depending on who is at the bar. Some customers who have come in have been a bit mouthy and intimidating to folks like us who they didn't recognise, especially in the pool area. Sorry, just our experience on a few occassions.
19 Jul 2008 16:18
Not been for a while, but liked the fact there was a beer garden, two bars, pub games etc. Beer was average. Had character of old proper pub. But there was a feeling of being wathced by the locals that made us uneasy as we dont; live there.
19 Jul 2008 16:02
The Inn on the Beach, Hayling Island
Just don;t get this place. Great loaction adn view, so should be packed full of day trippers by day but is not. Massive venue so should be busy as Hayling pubs are not very good, but it isn't. Wenever I've been in here it seesm liek they don't want customers or to spedn money on th eplace. It is a bit rusty around the seams, such as the upstaris bar which si usually all that is open. Fien but there are a LOT fo stairs and that excludes folks who cant; amange them, and they were ropey. Went once and were told we had to pay 5 pounds to get in as there was a rave/dance night, so came away.
Wish they'd do more with this place.
19 Jul 2008 16:00
Went here years back. It was a bit tacky but a pub is needed over that end of the island. The toilets were awful. Last time I was down there it was shut though. Anyone know wht is happening? Thanks.
19 Jul 2008 15:54
I like this place, nice little retreat. It's had a few owners coem and go but the Chinese resturant attachment is a great idea. Not gourmet Chinese (you need a proper resturant for that) but good food with no frills at very good prices. Have taken loads of folks there and they've all said it was great for what it is, a real gem to be able to eat Chinese in your local. The beauty is the fast service and you generally can go on the spur f the moment and fidn a table. Forget other pubs for food in the area where you wait half and hour, if you eat here you can be fed in under 10 mins generally, and that is no lie. Landlady and landlord and all stuff are very nice and welcoming. And no trouble - I once saw a drunk get aggressive, and he was dealt with and ejected very quickly.
Downsides are beer prices, and not much of a range of beers and much more could be done to the outside space than is being done at present for outisde diners/drinkers and smokers. It's a big space, use it and capitalise.
18 Jul 2008 16:06
It was shite in the past, full of chavs and yobs as you all say. Crap beer, overpriced, too noisy with chavvy kid's dance music. So I went back in recently to see if it had changed. Not really.
Still waited ages to be served dodgy beer that was overpriced, still had to fight through tight spaces packed with kiddies to get to loos or the bar. Still had to endure rubbish music. Such a shame but I guess every age group of whatever needs it's place, but the people in here were not all young at all. Got th eimpression they were tno realyl caterign for their cleintelle and lots of folks came and went after just one drink, whilst looking like they were not enjoying themselves. Still, it has a garden and for this reason it will still be busy esp with the smoking ban, even if it makes no effort at all. Sad.
18 Jul 2008 15:57
Not a bad place, not bad beer, but with the smoking ban in effect there is nowhere at all to smoke outside and if I am out with friends who smoke then we'd avaoid this a standing on the street with a ciggie on a busy road is no fun. Feel sorry for the pub cos they probably haven't got any outside space and will lose otu to pubs who have like the tuns and the Fig Tree.
18 Jul 2008 15:51
I like this pub, it is not a great pub, as it's a typical suburb townie kinda place and you don't always get a local feel. it is often packed with too many office workers getting silly. But it's consistent and reliable with decent beer and clientelle, and clean. They've made a lot of effort with the smoking area out back too which seems to have a little party all of it's own going on. If I had to pick my fave pub in Uxbridge centre it is this one by miles.
18 Jul 2008 15:47
I don't like it. The beer is rubbish and the prices are hiddeous. It's a pain to get around the place, steps and things everywhere, not easy for disabled folks I imagine, and it tries to be overly pretnetious and fancy when it really really is no sophisticated London wine bar. There is a nasty smell of rotten cabbage .... or maybe it is lettuce LOL! We didnt; eat becuase we saw some less than appetising food come out and the prices were ridiculous.
18 Jul 2008 15:38
I like this pub. It is clean and good attention to detail, the beers are all ecellently kept and the landlord is very friendly, nice and welcoming. The ladies loos is just fantastic, so clean and spacious. There is a very nice beer garden too by the canal, and space out the front. It's a nice little retreat in the backwaters of Uxbridge. I haven't seen any trouble in there or been subjected to any hassle from less desirable types, and it seems pretty fine to take your kids as I really don't hear much foul language or shouting.
My only criticism is that it is often very quiet in there and I really don't know why becuase it is much nicer pub with much better beer than many of it's competitiors. I think a little entertainment would help, but not too much, but the odd live act would brign folks in and add atmosphere.
18 Jul 2008 15:26
The Cowley Brick, Uxbridge
ixion, by walking on by in the future you will be doing the right thing. A person who lived near the pub was made ill by this. Landlord threatened them alledgedly when asking him to control the clientelle/noise. Is much happier since moving out, despite losing money on house sale due to pub's bad reputation.
It's hard to shift reputations, even for decent pub owners, but place still has same rubbish clientelle the previous owners attracted, violent drug taking youths, so it won't change. Visits from drug dealers on a Fri by all accounts, and landlady dealt herself I hear. History of guns, guy shot at a few years back in toilet. A guy got racist abuse once, fled as abuser had a gun. Lots of people getting beaten up in there, an older couple who were not trouble got hospitalised, landlord did nothing to stop it according to a witness, stood and watched the woman get hit by a youth on his own premises. Such a shame it has these kind of customers as it has potential to be a decent community local and being near to the University, it could attract better customers than it does.
Would be wonderful for the local people if someone would turn the place around but I can't see it happening.
1 Mar 2009 20:22