Tag Archives: Walsall

The Met

Walsall:

Previously The Wharf and Bar 10.

Mikee Evans has been here following the refurb, re-naming, and re-opening. We were behind the curve, but a visit to the nearby cinema presented the opportunity. As you can see, we’re following him around the re-openings.

I was a little surprised that its latest incarnation- a sports bar with a bit of an American diner theme going on- was a Davenports house- it doesn’t appear on their website- but the branding and their beers are there. There’s aspects of decor that echo The Queens Head, as well.

It’s not bad. It’s been tidied up- notably the toilets- but given their state when is was Bar 10, it’s a good thing- I’m not fussy, but pissing into the canal basin would have been a better idea then. Now, they’re clean and tidy.

There’s some cask, and a big choice of other stuff. There’s a diner-like menu- which while my burger suffered from tall burger syndrome, and there was enough salt on the fries to grit the roads with, but overall, it wasn’t bad at all. I’m not sure if I’d like it as much in the evening, though.

Closed: The Butts Tavern

Walsall:

Whatpub Link
Website

We used to call in here regularly, if we were walking home from the town centre, but it has to be 20 years since we were last in. We used The Fountain, which was unexpectedly lovely (being free from arseholes and keeping its usual high standards for beer) as a rest stop this time, and walked up the back streets.

It’s still a big, multi-room community pub, but these days it has a good (and justified) reputation for ale. Friendly customers, nice landlord, a quiet corner for us to sit in, we need to make this a more frequent call: even if the walk is too much it’s near a bus stop if you cut through a couple of public rights-of-way.

Revisit: The Boatman’s Rest

A revisit of a revisit.

Previous post here
Whatpub Entry

The Boatman’s Rest has changed hands again, and the latest incarnation is pretty much a Desi pub: the lounge is basically an Indian restaurant.

Pretty good too. rumour has is that it is owned by the people that run The Red Lion, and the menu looks similar. Odd bit of synchronicity there; the first time I visited this pub (in the 70s) it was The Red Lion. Great food, friendly staff, no cask but decent lager.

Revisit: The Wheatsheaf

Original Post Here

Over 10 years on, it’s time for a repost.

I observed then that it had had a variable past; once part of the Firkin chain, and a succession of landlords, and then short periods of closure. It’s now open, lightly refurbed, and great. It’s still got character, the landlord is friendly (giving us paper towels after we got caught ina rainstorm on the walk up), and the beer is sublime, both in condition and choice. There’s a variety of ages, or at least there was when we visited late afternoon/early evening- I suspect the customer profile would get younger later.

Revisit 2: The Fountain

Previous post here.

Look, I’m probably going to upset people, including myself, here.

I don’t like The Fountain. Often don’t like The Fountain.

There’s so much to love. It’s traditional, it’s Victorian, and it’s a free house now, even if the excellent beers from my favourite brewery still form the base of the range. The beer is excellent, and there’s cobs. The music is OK and usually at a sane volume. The staff are all lovely, and there’s sometimes a pubcat.

So what’s wrong?

The customers.

Every time I visit, unless it’s a very quiet time, there’s one or more group of obnoxious customers. The middle-class closet rascist bar-blocking group, standing in the way all the time. The hipster types talking bollocks about the Spanish revolution, the hipster parents turning the place into a creche-cum-playground.

It ruins it. I think maybe there’s a bit of “victim of it’s own success” here.

The Jigger’s Whistle

Brownhills:

Just within sight of Morris Miner and named after his official name, this is a new micropub (it opened a week ago) in a old photography shop on Brownhills High St.

Brownhills does have good pubs, but the only ones right near the centre are the Shoulder of Mutton or Smithy’s Forge. I quite like the Shoulder, but there’s no ale there, and the nearby Smithy’s Forge is a fairly dreadful family feedbag, so the best chance of a decent pint of ale has either been Backyard’s taproom or The Swan. The taproom has limited hours, and the Swan, while excellent, is a walk out of town, so a the new micro is very welcome, being very close to the bus.

Inside, it’s typical micropub, but a bit larger than some. Unsurprisingly there’s Backyard beer on, and I think I overheard the landlord say he’s intending to keep one on permanently. That and the HPA were in excellent condition. There’s music, but it’s bearable and not loud, rather like The Turtle’s Head. No food beyond snacks and cobs.

All in all, very pleasant. I’d held off visiting last week as I thought it might be rammed, and it was just pleasantly busy (but filling up) as I left.

Revisit: (Final Visit?) The Imperial

Original post here

A sad visit on our way back home; The Imperial closed later this evening, with J D Wetherspoon citing it as a commercial decision.

The Imperial has been there since 1997 or so, and I remember a bet with my other half that it would be there more than x years, (where x was either five or 10, we cannot recall). It lasted nearly 20 in the end, and despite it being just a ‘spoons, I will be sorry to see it go. handy for the bus station (especially as the toilets there are closed at night 🙂 ), and a little quieter than the nearby St Matthew’s Hall, it always seemed to be doing an OK trade to me. I just hope some new use can be found for the building.

Revisits: The Watering Trough

A revisit of a revisit: Last post here, original here.

This gets another repost because it’s been refurbed. This did set off alarm bells- I was fearing a pubco makeover and associated loss of character,but my fears were unfounded. There’s been a bit of re-ulpholstery, some new chairs, and repainting and revarnishing, but the pub retains it’s character and soul- it’ still the same Trough, just smartened up a bit. There’s still ale and rock music, too.

Revisit: The Four Crosses

Original post here.

Rumours of its demise seemed to have been exaggerated.

The Four Crosses is back open. There’s a lick of paint, but otherwise it is as if it never closed; same landlord, but a new owner of the building. The rumour is that the care home will still be built, which if it went for anything like the asking price, wouldn’t be a surprise.

Whatever, I’m happy to enjoy it. Nice atmosphere, great beer, and good prices too. The Indian food disappeared some time ago, but otherwise all the same. Long may it continue.