why are there no J D Wetherspoon pubs in ROI?

Idbatterim

I wonder will the prices vary from location to location in Dublin based wetherspoons? Also why are there no offers in the uk like buy 3 bottles for £5 etc?

old hippy

partyguinness wrote: »

That's a fair observation. I have been living in UK for 7 years and Wetherspoons is not the type of place you settle down for the night. It's fine for 1-2 drinks after work, head home and then back in some other place.

Defo would not stay in 'Spoons especially in the cities as you know that come 7pm and the bouncers go on the doors, it will be jammed backed with kids enjoying cheap beers/cocktails etc.

God help you if there is some sporting event on the 300000 flat screen tvs on the walls or some bum lobbing his dole cheque into the slot machines.

The fantasy of shooting the breeze over some refined European ales is hilarious.

That's not a fair observation. How do you know he's claiming dole? And what's wrong with people on welfare having a night in the local?

Sulla Felix

awec wrote: »

To be fair the food is what it is. I don't think anyone is under any illusions that it's anything other than cheap and average. Good for a bite to eat if you happen to be out and about, but not somewhere you are going to take the family for pub grub.

I'm pretty sure the food arrives pre-prepared and is just heated up on the premises.

You'd be surprised how common the practise is, even in good pubs and restaurants. Even if it's not pre-cooked, you can get mealplans where everything comes in a pack, pre-prepared, seasoned, sauces made, just cook the meat to spec and plate it up.

rubadub

Sulla Felix wrote: »

You'd be surprised how common the practise is, even in good pubs and restaurants.

Yep Gordon Ramsey does/did it in his restaurants


Gordon Ramsay restaurants found to be using pre-prepared meals

RFOLEY1990

hate these places with a passion. over priced fast food and **** service to go with it

Lapin

drumswan wrote: »

It's silly reverse snobbery like this that has the Irish pub scene in the mess that it is.

This is a load of shít stirring bollix and well you know it.

Lockstep

Gotta love the snobbery in this thread. Apparently WS is populated by mouth-breathing trogs who lurch from the dole office straight to 'Spoons to get hammered.

ScumLord

Lockstep wrote: »

Gotta love the snobbery in this thread. Apparently WS is populated by mouth-breathing trogs who lurch from the dole office straight to 'Spoons to get hammered.

Any WS I went into in the UK was anything but. Many got good dinner crowds and they never get rowdy like you see in an Irish pub (which is probably why people won't like to stay in them, we're to used to the drama of the local). Even the shitier ones had people quietly drinking their pint while watching a game.

They're like any of the big UK chains, bland as dishwater but a good service for the money.

partyguinness

old hippy wrote: »

That's not a fair observation. How do you know he's claiming dole? And what's wrong with people on welfare having a night in the local?

Nothing at all wrong with it. Just painting a picture of the likely clientele.:)

partyguinness

Sulla Felix wrote: »

You'd be surprised how common the practise is, even in good pubs and restaurants. Even if it's not pre-cooked, you can get mealplans where everything comes in a pack, pre-prepared, seasoned, sauces made, just cook the meat to spec and plate it up.

Very very common in the UK In fact, it's the norm. It's called 'ding ding food'. When I moved over here first I cldnt get over how quick the food came out and missus said that it all comes in boxes and just microwaved on site.

I was in a Green King run pub last week and asked for the beef and stout pie only to be told that they were out and the next delivery for the following day. Charming.

Kermit.de.frog

I don't like the fact yet another UK chain is coming here and will probably eventually end up dominating the market however the publicans in Ireland have done this to themselves.

Had they been genuinely competitive instead of ripping off the Irish people with a cosy cartel for the last 20 years there would not be a market for WS. They have done this to themselves.

FTA69

partyguinness wrote: »

I was in a Green King run pub last week and asked for the beef and stout pie only to be told that they were out and the next delivery for the following day. Charming.

Ah here, if you're in a brewery pub and paying £8 for a pie and chips I think you're being a bit over-expectant if you believe you're getting a hand-made pie.

partyguinness

FTA69 wrote: »

Ah here, if you're in a brewery pub and paying £8 for a pie and chips I think you're being a bit over-expectant if you believe you're getting a hand-made pie.

TBH I didnt realise it was chain when I went in. It was cleverly disguised as a homely genuine restaurant. The I saw the menu and advertising all the other restaurants/guest houses with Green King emblazened everywhere.

In the UK, it's either a chain or semi-snotty restaurant that you are never going into on your own.

keith16

Got tickets for the training days and went in yesterday for an hour.

The furnishings / finish is excellent. Plenty of seating options and the place is far from being uniform and drab.

Fantastic selection of beers.

Child friendly too with plenty of space for buggies and high chairs for the toddlers.

No music - suits me fine.

Food was.....grand, nothing more or less than you would expect.

Overall, it is a great addition to Blackrock and I think it will do a good trade. I would deffo see myself going back.

suicide_circus

^^^^ yeah you can't beat having prams and buggies in the boozer

foxy06

suicide_circus wrote: »

^^^^ yeah you can't beat having prams and buggies in the boozer

People do bring kids to pubs for meals you know.

recyclops

4.95 for a Havana club and mixer is a bargain imo. Plus they have tetleys on tap which I enjoy.

Il be checking it out for sure

theteal

Will they have table service (i.e. lounge staff)? I'd assume this would be the norm for local pubs in towns like Blackrock. It's unheard of over here and something I miss from home - not that I'm a lazy baxtard, it's just a good simple service that adds a lot to the social pub experience

Herb Powell

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

H'up ya boya.

The thing about drinking in many rural pubs is that they make you lose the will to live. I'd rather pay a euro extra for a pint in Dublin than be sitting at a bar with some red-faced bog goblins talking about silage, funeral homes and the price of drink in Dublin.

Ah here, the little pub in my village of 60 people is my favourite pub in the world!! There's far more gets discussed than silage and funeral homes!

keith16

theteal wrote: »

Will they have table service (i.e. lounge staff)? I'd assume this would be the norm for local pubs in towns like Blackrock. It's unheard of over here and something I miss from home - not that I'm a lazy baxtard, it's just a good simple service that adds a lot to the social pub experience

It will be similar experience to England - i.e. order and pay with your table number at the bar.

There are lounge staff, but cleaning only. Plates taken shortly after you finish. They won't be at your table every 5 mins asking if you are ok.

Baron Kurtz

Is it definitely due to open on the 8th?

NIMAN

Having experience of these pubs both in the UK and in NI, I try to avoid them.

Cheap prices, cheap people.

I'd rather spend a little more and have a drink without the scumbags.

old hippy

NIMAN wrote: »

Having experience of these pubs both in the UK and in NI, I try to avoid them.

Cheap prices, cheap people.

I'd rather spend a little more and have a drink without the scumbags.

They're not my favourite pubs but there's no call for snobbery.

awec

theteal wrote: »

Will they have table service (i.e. lounge staff)? I'd assume this would be the norm for local pubs in towns like Blackrock. It's unheard of over here and something I miss from home - not that I'm a lazy baxtard, it's just a good simple service that adds a lot to the social pub experience

You get table service in some places over here. If it's quiet enough.

old hippy

awec wrote: »

You get table service in some places over here. If it's quiet enough.

Yeah, we get it in our local in West London. And O' Rourke's back in Blackrock

suicide_circus

Right, I was in there yesterday.

Venue: functional, bland. "Beer Garden" out the back is a joke - No seating, messy, not ffinished I presume. No music which was good.

Food: functional, very bland. Two of us ate mains with sides a soft drink each for under 20 euro. The pub across the road does a burger for €13, says it all really. My curry had 3 cubes of lamb in it.

Staff: very young, very nervous. You have to go to the bar, tell them your table number, order, pay and bring your drinks back to the table. Odd considering the amount of staff doing busy work.

Drink: good selection of beers but far less extensive than I expected. Nice to see 355ml bottles of american craft beer for 3.50. Selection if spirits pretty poor but at least they do a free dash. Wine selection better than most boozers.

Overall: the food is cheap but it should be considering what you're getting. We are so accustomed to being over charged for shiity pub grub in ireland that it's a nice change. the venue and staff are very forgettable but serve their purpose. Will need to sit down for a night of boozing to feel the place out properly. Ultimately it feels like what it is: a chain store - practically floored. 6/10.

mariaalice

I went for lunch there today with my sister and her two boys, its not bad but nothing fantastic there are some good deals on the food and the steaks look good value, I had one of the craft beer which I think are good value, it might be good with a crowd at night time. It was too bright for a pub, I like a pub to look like a pub.

roboshatner

I find it strange that they are buying or have bought decent pubs in Ireland.

When in England they pubs and the crowd they attract are not great.

Now I don't mind the crowd in them they don't bother me.

But why buy high Profile Pubs ?

discus

^^I don't think you've seen enough wetherspoons mate. I can think of 10 cities and towns in UK where wetherspoons have bought decent pubs in good locations.

I went to the Three Tun Tavern in blackrock on Thursday for lunch with work people. They've done it up well. The place looks good. Clean and bright. Curry club consisted of an Indian curry (good few to choose from) with rice, naan bread, poppadoms, and chutney, with a pint for €9.95. Not bad value at all. The curry was decent enough too.

Went in again yesterday while I was waiting for someone, the place was jammed. Nice crowd in it though. Tried the Adams Broadside which was nice and smooth, lovely malty taste.

I'll go back again I think to suss it out when it settles a bit. Not for a while though, no more drinking for me for a while!!!