The VillaTalk Good Pub Guide

[bickster]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

Because that awkward part of town will have more available trade then? I know of lots of offices who aren't really starting back properly till mid September. 

New people took on The Tap and Spile.  The pub has a good name and was popular before, why wouldn't someone have a go? 

I know lots of office workers who aren't going back at all

I wasn't commenting on the pub itself just that the perception that trade would increase after September. I don't think that will be the case, any uptick of office working will be minimal

[mottaloo]

13 minutes ago, bickster said:

I know lots of office workers who aren't going back at all

This. At our place, the one upside to covid is that home working has proved to be effective. I work four on four off and if my company decided to re open the offices, I would only be expected to go in for one of those four (if at all) and any weekend or night shifts would be from home. In addition, I wont have to make the dangerous drive in the snow when the time comes and I am so pleased for that. A 40 min drive to my place took up to 3 hours during the snow & is not what you need after a 12 hour night shift.

[Mark Albrighton]

On 23/08/2021 at 22:25, Xela said:

The Jekyll and Hyde in Brum has permanently closed. Shame. It never re-opened after the second lockdown 

It was a quirky place, but the location wasn't ideal. Was just a little bit out of the way for most 'crawls' 

One of those places that you visit it one day and it was a really good, enjoyable venue. Friendly staff and a great crowd.

But you could visit it the next day and inexplicably it would be awful. Aggressive people behind the bar, miserable punters. 

Strange.
 

[Xela]

3 hours ago, Mark Albrighton said:

One of those places that you visit it one day and it was a really good, enjoyable venue. Friendly staff and a great crowd.

But you could visit it the next day and inexplicably it would be awful. Aggressive people behind the bar, miserable punters. 

Strange.
 

Took me a while  

[Xela]

Lovely place. Good ale, great location and to top it all off, it was sunny when I went. A traditional village pub

The Old Bull, Inkbewrrow. 

[sidcow]

34 minutes ago, Xela said:

Lovely place. Good ale, great location and to top it all off, it was sunny when I went. A traditional village pub

The Old Bull, Inkbewrrow. 

I feel like I know Inkberrow but I've no idea why.  My brother in law used to live out that way, maybe I've been there with him. 

Does look a cracking pub. 

Edited September 25, 2021 by sidcow

[Phil Silvers]

Best Indian pub mids/Brum, mixed grill/ruby type place?

[tomav84]

7 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

Best Indian pub mids/Brum, mixed grill/ruby type place?

not been there but the calthorpe arms where the punjabi lions drink pre game is quite famous for its mixed grill

[sidcow]

29 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

Best Indian pub mids/Brum, mixed grill/ruby type place?

Keg and Grill behind the Mailbox

[mottaloo]

3 hours ago, sidcow said:

Keg and Grill behind the Mailbox

A bit expensive for what you get, especially if you're used to a desi grill from west brom, Handsworth or that sort of area.

Grove in Handsworth, red lion west brom are my two favourites. I'm sure @Xelahas an opinion 

[Xela]

Depends what area you want @Phil Silvers. 

West Brom /Smethwick is ground zero but more popping up all over the place. I've lost track now! 

Some have already been mentioned but the following are recommended by me or my mates over the last few years. 

Grove (Handworth), New Soho Tavern (Hockley), Special Spices (Great Barr), New Talbot (West Brom), Hen and Chickens (JQ), Keg and Grill (Central Brum), Red Lion (West Brom), Red Cow (Smethwick), Sportsman (West Brom), Shireland ((Smethwick), Cottage Inn (Oldbury), British Queen (Oldbury), Merry Maid (Highgate), The Vine (West Brom) and Covered Wagon (Moseley)

There used to be a website that rated them but it seems to have been taken down

Last few I have had were at the Keg and Grill. Like @mottaloo says, its a bit more pricey but you are paying for Central Brum location. Food very good. I think the owners of that have opened one up over this way in Stonnall  - Old Swan Inn from memory. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Xela

[Xela]

@Phil Silvers - appreciate its 12m old so may have changed

 

[Phil Silvers]

21 minutes ago, Xela said:

Depends what area you want @Phil Silvers. 

West Brom /Smethwick is ground zero but more popping up all over the place. I've lost track now! 

Some have already been mentioned but the following are recommended by me or my mates over the last few years. 

Grove (Handworth), New Soho Tavern (Hockley), Special Spices (Great Barr), New Talbot (West Brom), Hen and Chickens (JQ), Keg and Grill (Central Brum), Red Lion (West Brom), Red Cow (Smethwick), Sportsman (West Brom), British Queen (Oldbury), Merry Maid (Highgate), The Vine (West Brom) and Covered Wagon (Moseley)

There used to be a website that rated them but it seems to have been taken down

Last few I have had were at the Keg and Grill. Like @mottaloo says, its a bit more pricey but you are paying for Central Brum location. Food very good. I think the owners of that have opened one up over this way in Stonnall  - Old Swan Inn from memory. 

Tried some of them, 2 of us do a mixed grill place once a month, been all round West Brom, trying to go somewhere different every time, will go through that list, don't mind traveling.

[mikeyp102]

5 hours ago, Phil Silvers said:

Best Indian pub mids/Brum, mixed grill/ruby type place?

Hen and Chicken

[mikeyp102]

So any pubs Shirley way that show the Villa? 

[sidcow]

OK, had a night out in Kings Heath with my brothers last night. 

They started before me due to the match but didn't proceed with the plan to start in the Spoons at the top of the highstreet.  They merely looked through the doors of Spoons and The Pub and walked on so I met them further down the High Street. 

So the big suprise was a place called Fletchers over the road from The Hare and Hounds. Had my favourite beer Wainwright's from the cask.  Only place I've seen that before is that famous real ale pub in Wigan.  Was a really nice place and would recommend. They do have bands on and have a function room at the back which has bands on as well. 

The really bizarre thing is that my old History Teacher was in there and bought me a pint.  I didn't realise that it was his first job so he was only 24 when he taught me and he's only just retired.  Spent most of his career at St Thomas Aquinas, seem to recall someone on here went there? Maybe @Xela? 

Next was The Hare and Hounds. Putting aside it's fame as a music venue, the actual pub is a decent honest city boozer and I thought it was great.  Friendly staff, some cask ales and an eclectic clientele. 

The less said about The Old Court Inn (previously The Goose) the better.  One pint and out. 

And yes The Station is also a pretty good boozer. 

All in all a nice change from Moseley but really only 3 places to recommend. 

Ended up with 2 absolutely mullered brothers, was like herding sheep at the end. They were absolutely battered, my elder brother can drink like no one I've ever met but I've never seen him so wobbly, fell over and cut up his knee. 

Edited October 17, 2021 by sidcow

[Xela]

15 minutes ago, sidcow said:

The really bizarre thing is that my old History Teacher was in there and bought me a pint.  I didn't realise that it was his first job so we was only 24 when he taught me and he's only just retired.  Spent most of his career at St Thomas Aquinas, seem to recall someone on here went there? Maybe @Xela? 

Not me chief. Always been north of the city. Maybe @AVFC_Hitz?

[AVFC_Hitz]

6 minutes ago, Xela said:

Not me chief. Always been north of the city. Maybe @AVFC_Hitz?

@sidcow Could have been Mr Gaunt.

Big Villa fan. Taught me history and sociology. A big reason I went on to study History at Aberystwyth.

Edited October 17, 2021 by AVFC_Hitz

[sidcow]

3 minutes ago, AVFC_Hitz said:

@sidcow Could have been Mr Gaunt.

Big Villa fan. Taught me history and sociology. A big reason I went on to study History at Aberystwyth.

The very man. 

I reminded him of an incident where he asked if anyone knew the flagship of The Royal Navy in The Falklands War and I put my hand up. He asked me and I said "HMS Herpes sir" 

I realised what I'd said immediately, he just said I was right and moved on. Afterwards I asked all my mates afterwards and no one realised what I'd said.

He said he remembered running a class about The Falklands around then so it was definitely him, he found that quite funny. 

Was a really nice guy and seemed genuinely made up to see me and my elder brother who he also taught at Selly Oak had turned out semi normal. Middle brother was a brain box and got into Camp Hill. 

[AVFC_Hitz]

5 minutes ago, sidcow said:

The very man. 

I reminded him of an incident where he asked if anyone knew the flagship of The Royal Navy in The Falklands War and I put my hand up. He asked me and I said "HMS Herpes sir" 

I realised what I'd said immediately, he just said I was right and moved on. Afterwards I asked all my mates afterwards and no one realised what I'd said.

He said he remembered running a class about The Falklands around then so it was definitely him, he found that quite funny. 

Was a really nice guy and seemed genuinely made up to see me and my elder brother who he also taught at Selly Oak had turned out semi normal. Middle brother was a brain box and got into Camp Hill. 

Yeah, he was a great teacher IMO. In his sociology class there was only 5 of us so he set it up almost like a seminar. We'd always start the class talking about Villa before the lesson got fully going. He used to keep his entire filing system in the boot of his car as well, he'd always pop out half way through class to get something but we'd see him in the smoking shelter having a crafty fag.