Vapin' Joe
Formerly known as Smokin Joe
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Ta very much, good to be back.
Wetherspoons Pubs
- Thread starter Greedo
- Start date
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Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
They're alright if you're in a strange town without a Good Beer Guide. I used to use the one in Stevenage quite a bit when I was living in a truck during the week - there's a good lorry park in the middle of Stevenage - and that was a good bet for reasonably priced (if uninspiring) food and a couple of pints of excellent beer for under a quid a pint. And the one in Monmouth was actually the only place in the town you could get a decent pint. But the one I ventured into in Basildon was horrible in every way. Like other pubs, some are OK and some awful, but on balance I'd rather visit a genuine local boozer than a chain.
marooncat
New Member
- Location
- West Lothian
They are ok when you can not go to a "proper" pub - cheap and edible food (ok nothing fancy but it does what it says on the tin) and some form of "real ale" on tap at a decent price.
Been in two over the past few months in "strange" towns (as in we do not know my way around the towns not they are strange....) one in Barrow was fine, welcoming and decent people in there and serving, we only left as they did not have Sky Sports and we wanted to watch football, the other was in Wrexham last weekend and we lasted 1 pint, it was full of 30plus year old lassies dressed like they were 18 and the less said about the male of the species the better!! Left there and came across a nice wee proper pub for the rest of the night.
Been in two over the past few months in "strange" towns (as in we do not know my way around the towns not they are strange....) one in Barrow was fine, welcoming and decent people in there and serving, we only left as they did not have Sky Sports and we wanted to watch football, the other was in Wrexham last weekend and we lasted 1 pint, it was full of 30plus year old lassies dressed like they were 18 and the less said about the male of the species the better!! Left there and came across a nice wee proper pub for the rest of the night.
The food is all cooking by numbers. The ovens are preset with programmes which control time temperature combinations depending on what food is to be done and the 'chefs' have photographs of how each dish is supposed to look when the serve it. All very controlled. No opportunity for individual flair or fresh or local ingredients, but you probably guessed that anyway.
Keith Oates
Janner
- Location
- Penarth, Wales
I've only ever been in one when I was in Wales, I won't be in a hurry to go into another as there was no atmosphere at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mcshroom
Bionic Subsonic
- Location
- Egremont, Cumbria
Depends on the pub and the time. The Whitehaven & Workington ones are ok, but I'd probably avoid the one in Whitehaven on a Friday
bauldbairn
New Member
- Location
- Falkirk
Agree 100% - the one in my town's a soul-less warehouse, only worth going into if there's a large work-crowd in toe!
handsome joe
New Member
You mean the Mr angry, minicab driving, divorcee living in a bedsit trying to entice his teenagers out for a burger meal at Mceedies on a Saturday afternoon?
That's me!
That's me!
Bay Runner
Guru
It’s true, it depends where you go.
There is one here in Swansea; you see the punters in there at nine in the morning.
I have nice memories of one in Plymouth, Union Rooms I think its called. Set up in an old car sales room on two floors. Bright and open with a glass front from top to bottom. Off to Plymouth next week, may pay it a visit
There is one here in Swansea; you see the punters in there at nine in the morning.
I have nice memories of one in Plymouth, Union Rooms I think its called. Set up in an old car sales room on two floors. Bright and open with a glass front from top to bottom. Off to Plymouth next week, may pay it a visit
Wocce Racer
Active Member
- Location
- In a house
They started out as adult pubs: no television or music. Now of course they have postitioned themselves to attract the lowest common denominator. The menu has nosedived and most of the outlets are gloomy to say the least. Not the place that it was.
Has it just got too big? A mate of mine calls them the Tesco of the pub world.
Has it just got too big? A mate of mine calls them the Tesco of the pub world.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
Wocce Racer said:
That's probably pretty accurate, although I prefer "the MacDonald's of the pub world". I can remember when they first started opening, and you're right: a lot of the branches appeared in the Good Beer Guide and the one in Wolverhampton (which was the first one I went in) was a reasonably classy place. Now, as you say, it's all big screen tellies and advertising placards on the tables.
A lot of them used to have books on display - the Carlisle one springs to mind - which was handy if you were on your own and needed something to read. I "liberated" quite a few books from Wetherspoons pubs over the years.
XmisterIS
Purveyor of fine nonsense
There's one called the Lord Arthur Lee in the middle of Fareham, which is an endless source of trouble.
See: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-6499780-man-drove-car-inside-pub-that-barred-him.do
See: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-6499780-man-drove-car-inside-pub-that-barred-him.do
bobg
Über Member
- Location
- Crosby Merseyside
I always thought they were fine till you lot said they weren't 
.... dons black leather jacket and cut off Wranglers. Certainly drunk in a lot worse.
.... dons black leather jacket and cut off Wranglers. Certainly drunk in a lot worse.
swee'pea99
Squire
They reflect their location. There's one in Highgate that's really quite nice - not great, but perfectly ok, and the beer's cheap...especially for Highgate.
This thread reminds me of the worst pub I ever went into - in New Zealand. Taken there by a friend for a quick drink, we were the only 'pakehas' in there - the rest of the clientelle all Maori or Polynesian Islanders, male, getting steadily, sullenly drunk. What really shocked me was that there was no seating of any description, or indeed any pretence at all that this was anything other than a place to get drunk. Elbow-height formica tables, strip lighting above, beer at the bar - that was it. A more soulless place on this earth I've yet to see...
This thread reminds me of the worst pub I ever went into - in New Zealand. Taken there by a friend for a quick drink, we were the only 'pakehas' in there - the rest of the clientelle all Maori or Polynesian Islanders, male, getting steadily, sullenly drunk. What really shocked me was that there was no seating of any description, or indeed any pretence at all that this was anything other than a place to get drunk. Elbow-height formica tables, strip lighting above, beer at the bar - that was it. A more soulless place on this earth I've yet to see...
