Category Archives: Walsall

Pubs in Walsall

Brownhills, Revisits, Walsall, Walsall Wood

Revisit: The Shire Oak

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My last post about The Shire Oak was almost a decade ago, just after the refurb, and I visited maybe once or twice after that, but it’s been some time since I visited.

We drove up, as it’s too far for us to walk these days. We’d no plans for tea and with one thing and another, hadn’t been out in the evening for some time, and we’d not eaten here this millennium (!)

Now the refurb is 10 years old, it’s looking a bit dated: very red, and reminiscent of a slightly tired Highlands pub with the tartan-ish carpet.

However, things were actually pretty good. Alcohol-free lager on draught, pleasant young chap serving, and decent, reasonably-priced food. Would have preferred the 90s dance music to be quieter or absent, but it wasn’t too bad.

Streetly, Walsall

Farmer John’s

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Streetly, Walsall:

I’ve probably already upset the Streetly lot, who will be insistent they’re in Sutton Coldfield.

Tough.

I still think of Farmer John’s as a new pub, despite it being there since at least the early 90s, maybe the late 80s. It was one of those modern Banks’s pubs of the time, but unlike others, this seems to thrive.

Standard feedbag stuff, but the food was well cooked, the staff were pleasant, parking was easy, and it wasn’t full of kids, so it was quite pleasant.

Pelsall, Revisits, Walsall

Revisit: The Railway

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Another revisit to The Railway. I’m a regular, but infrequent visitor: it’s not far away but a bit of a pain by bus, and I’m not up to the walk any more.

The Railway had the same landlord, Tom, for *years*. Since I started drinking, pretty much, I think.

It really suffered when he retired, and had a couple of poor temporary custodians, got a terrible reputation, and then closed again. Dark words were uttered about how much money would be needed to make it viable.

Which turned out to be bollocks. It has a new landlady, and while you could argue some spending would tidy it up a bit, it’s clean, the beer is good, the welcome is friendly, and it’s back to being a great, traditional pub looking over Pelsall’s common, and the ill-thought-out Spongebob Squarepants kids events are gone.

Timothy Taylor Landlord in good nick, decent crusty cobs. Outside space. A seperate bar and lounge. A landlady that listens to customers. There’s a lot to like.

Aldridge, Revisits, Walsall

Revisit: The Dilke

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Aldridge:

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Our luck wasn’t good this day, after the abortive visit to The White House, we went to The Dilke. This seemed better: warm, and we got a seat in the sun. More drinks were ordered, we chose from the menu.

Oh, we don’t have hot food, there’s been a gas leak

For the record, they didn’t have any cold food, either.

Fuck me, it might have been nice to mention that, or to take the menus in and take the cutlery off the tables, wouldn’t it?

FFS.

Aldridge, Walsall

The White House

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Aldridge:

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When I were but a lad, this was the place to go for underage drinking, and it had a video jukebox, the essential think back in the mid-late 80s. Nowadays, it’s a pretty standard Sizzling Pub feedbag, which is why we dropped in, looking for lunch. I was driving 🙁

We ordered drinks and sat down, before it dawned upon us just how cold it was. The heating was shafted, so we drank up and left. Shame really, it looked OK, if unexceptional, the staff were pleasant.

Aldridge, Walsall

Revisit: The Lazy Hill Tavern [Ale Pub and Kitchen]

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Aldridge:

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It’s been a while since we went here, and it’s changed a fair bit, it’s become a Desi Pub, and a quick poke around the web suggests a connection with both The Fourways and The Island Inn.

Inside, the pub itself isn’t so different; the layout is the same, but it’s been panelled, re-ulpholstered, and generally tidied. There’s still some ale, and a choice of decent lager too.

What is different is the original function room at the back is now a sizeable restaurant, and has been extended out as well, making a huge space.

We didn’t take to it. To be clear, it’s smart looking, the food was fabulous- really good..

However, it felt a little like a canteen- partly because it was very busy, I think. You have to order at the bar, understandable given the size and throughput. The place was noisy– hard surfaces, lots of people, too-loud music (even in the toilets!), and TVs made for a bit of an assault on the senses. It was Friday night though.

Walsall, Willenhall

The Robin Hood

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Willenhall:

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Another Black Country Taverns pub, and quite reminiscent of The Swan. This is most definitely not a bad thing.

As such, it’s the standard BCA arrangment: choice of real ale, with a TV screen displaying the choice. Traditional decor in the BCA house style but completely fitting a Victorian pub. Decent food (cobs, pork pie, sausage rolls, and snacks like crisps), inoffensive music that you can talk over.

It’s a short way out of town, like The Swan, but very walkable from the 529, and it’s a fantastic pub.

Aldridge, Walsall

The Plough and Harrow

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Aldridge:

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Evidently once a coaching inn and on the A452 Chester Road, I’ve been in this pub many, many times, but evidently not since 2009 when PubBlog started. It was one of the pubs that my parents went to for a meal in the 80s/90s.

Anyway, we decided to go and give it a try for that; it had passed through an unfortunate stage as an Italian-esque restaurant, and now it’s a gastropub, and as such feels a bit too much like a restaurant, but it is still just a pub, but it seems to have ideas above that.

The beer is pricey, the food isn’t cheap. The food is pretty good, but for the price we paid, it was only OK. By no means awful ,but it suffers from the Sutton Coldfield effect.

Walsall

The Met

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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.

Revisits, Walsall, Walsall Wood

Revisit: The Brickmakers Arms

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Walsall Wood.

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Like I commented last time, this is a fairly large, open-plan local pub with a conservatory and beer garden out the back. No real ale, but I was drinking bottles anyway :-/ .

This is getting a revisit entry on elapsed time alone: it’s not changed greatly.

Cobs on the bar, decent staff. Music a bit over-loud for early evening, and shocking sound quality from freeview TV.

It’s not a pub we visit that often, but as previously commented, it’s not a bad place at all and certainly fits my needs better than some.