A Welcome Establishment (J.D. Wetherspoon in general)

Member Name: Zmugzy

Product:	J.D. Wetherspoon in general
Date:	29/10/08 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing atmosphere, good ale and plenty of character.

Disadvantages: None worth mentioning

This is just a short commentary regarding my overall experience of Wetherspoon in general and not a review of a particular establishment.

I remember when Wetherspoon first arrived on the scene and as far as I'm concerned they provided a welcome additional option for the beer swilling public. As far as I recall I have been in two Wetherspoons in recent years: I dined on fish and chips at a Wetherspoon table in the city centre of Newcastle and I've propped up the bar of an establishment in the city centre of Liverpool. Both were relatively pleasant experiences.

The ale was cheap for a city centre location. The lager wasn't watered down as had become a growing tradition in so many city centre pubs. There was a good selection of ales. The staff were friendly. There was none of that awful bang bang music rattling down your ear holes. You could actually hear the person standing next to you. There were no gormless morons standing round the bar gawping at TV screens. I found the atmosphere overall to be a relaxing and welcoming one. In fact the clientèle consisted of a good mix of young and old; from giggly girl students clasping pint glasses with both hands to smiling old men with stubbly white chins. It was nice to see a cross section of the community all so cheerful together.

Regarding the food in Newcastle; well it wasn't cordon bleu, just your average microwaved pub grub, but that's all you should expect, enough to fill the hole, good enough to be washed down with your glass of lager or pint of stout. The tables were a bit cramped but surroundings were pleasant and the service was pretty efficient, after all, microwaved food should never take too long.

Another important aspect to appreciate in these pubs is that architecturally they always retain a certain individual character, one that can be deemed traditional and minus the revolting schmaltzy glitz or hi-tech kitsch. The two pubs mentioned above were completely different in terms of interior décor and lighting. I do recall that the Newcastle Wetherspoons was a little grubby in the corners and I seem to remember some of the carpets being a little sticky but I do consider such details only add to the overall charm and lived-in authenticity of a place. All in all I can say that drinking a pint or three at Wetherspoons was a pleasurable experience and personally I can hardly say a negative word against them.

Cheers!

Summary: A welcome pub franchise