West Bromwich:
Previously a Goose pub, and it shows- it’s a bit ‘spoons-a-like, but with a better atmosphere. Part of the Stonegate chain.
It’s a big Victorian pile, right next to the bus station. Inside, it’s opened out.
Friendly barmaid, and the first cask ale of the day- Trooper. Not a bad pub, and handy for the bus.
West Bromwich:
Another Desi pub. Modern building, right on a busy junction of major roads in West Brom. No cask ale, but decent lager. Friendly staff. Impressive-looking menu (but a bit pricier than others). There’s 2 rooms; a big, open bar with multiple TVs showing sport (but the volume was down when we visited), and a separate restaurant room. Again, a laid back, early-doors atmosphere, with people dropping on after work.
Smethwick:
Corner pub that extends along Malin St some way; it’s a long, thin building. Nice, old fashioned-layout- bar at the front, multiple lounges stretching back, and toilets that were obviously once outside, but now roofed over.
Another visit on our Desi pub tour, but no food evident when we visited (about 4pm), but very much the proper pub atmosphere- tradesmen dropping in for a pint after work. Friendly landlord. No cask ale, but handpumps on the bar, and at least decent lager.
Smethwick:
Continuing our Desi pub tour, this was one of the more outlying ones, so a day off seemed like a good way to tackle it.
Outside, like some of the other Desi pubs, it’s a huge, inter-war pub, and it’s right on Smethwick High St, with bus stops nearby. Easily spotted by the huge Red Cow statue outside!
Inside is similarly large, and multi roomed- it’s opened out a little, but not completely. Decor is quite basic, but clean. There’s a couple of pool tables, and plenty of seating. Generally, it’s the standard recipe of TVs for sport, really good Indian food (bargain priced), and keg beer (including Cobra, but it was out, so I got Stella). Pleasant staff and customers.
West Bromwich:
A short way out of town, but the right way out of town, on our bus route.
A big, red-brick, inter-war, “improved” or road-house type pub that’s been modernised inside, and given the desi treatment. Bar at the front, big, slightly canteen-like room at the back. Friendly staff, good beer choice (decent lager and cask ale), and a really impressive food menu (we were still full from The Sportsman).
Very busy- a popular pub, and despite feeling a bit canteen like, not unpleasant, until the volume on the TVs got cranked up loud.
Wednesbury:
Close to all the delights of the border between Walsall and Wednesbury: M6 Junction 9, Ikea, a surplus of nice old houses that have become care homes.
That’s sounding quite negative. In actual fact, where the pub is situated is a surprisingly quiet resdential street that wraps around Brunswick Park, with a mix of old and new housing. We sat outside, next to the street, in the sun, and it was nice. I’d not been here before, and my better half hadn’t been here since college days over 20 years ago, when Sandwell College was just the other side of the A461. The pub itself is a traditional one, almost certainly Victorian given the name and the history of the park. It’s had a fairly typical makeover, but it hasn’t removed the character (and it looks fresh and tidy), and while food is a big part of the business, that hasn’t destroyed that this is a pub.
Very friendly staff, decent beer, good food.