The Shoal Hill Tavern — Restaurant in South Staffordshire

Having only ordered from Shoal Hill Tavern twice, I can confidently say it has set the benchmark for quality food and exceptional service. Our first experience, several months ago, was a takeaway breakfast that truly impressed us. Initially, we had a table booking but were forced to cancel due to a late start. The team was incredibly accommodating, allowing us to place a collection order instead, and even catered to a few requested swaps with ease and professionalism.

The food itself was nothing short of exceptional. I opted for the Eggs Florentine, and it was possibly the best I have ever tasted. The eggs were cooked to perfection, the hollandaise sauce was rich and velvety, and the balance of flavours was simply sublime. My partner chose the aptly named Belly Buster breakfast, which lived up to its name in both portion size and quality. It was hearty, well-prepared, and absolutely worth every penny—a meal that left us both thoroughly satisfied.

Today, we decided to try their Sunday dinner, and once again, Shoal Hill Tavern exceeded all expectations. Despite being fully booked for table reservations, they went above and beyond to accommodate us by offering a delivery option. As someone who doesn’t eat meat, I requested all the trimmings with a little extra to compensate for the lack of a meat portion. Not only did they fulfil this request, but they also charged me for a children’s roast, a thoughtful gesture that demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction.

The meal was absolutely delicious. Every element of the roast, from the perfectly cooked vegetables to the crispy, golden roast potatoes and rich, flavourful gravy—was executed flawlessly. My partner opted for the Mighty Meat Roast, which features four different cuts of meat, and she was blown away by the quality. She couldn’t stop raving about how delicious everything was, declaring it the best Sunday roast she has ever had, and she is a true connoisseur of Sunday roasts.

Shoal Hill Tavern has set itself apart through its attention to detail, exceptional food, and customer-focused approach. Both experiences have left us thoroughly impressed, and we are certain we won’t wait several months before returning next time. This is a venue that not only meets but exceeds expectations, offering quality and service that...

I am somewhat confused as to why so many reviewers comment on the great food. I must have come on a bad day perhaps? I had a 'Turkey' Sunday dinner. It wasn't terrible or anything, but it was disappointing really. Not nearly enough vegetables for a start. I had a few green beans and some snippets of what I believe may be Leek. An OK portion of peas at least! I would have liked to see some carrots or even Sprouts (Seen as they are a British Winter Vegetable, it is still Winter, Lap em' Up?!).

The Mash-Potato was good, and the Cauliflower Cheese was OK. The Turkey was, well, I am very doubtful that it was freshly cooked on the day. I suspect this was processed precooked turkey, the type you would typically use for your standard week-day sandwiches for work. It was just, bland tasting and I struggled to finish it. It tasted OK but it was not in anyway something I would like to have again. Perhaps I should have had Chicken?

The Yorkshire pudding was 'meh'. The Roast potatoes were just bad, they were not crispy, end of comment in that case I am afraid. In summation it was a mixed bag to say the least. I did not have a pudding as I was not confident it would be worth the price or would be all that great (£4.50). I think I made a good decision, as the my companions received, after a fairly long wait to be served, a substandard cheese-board, an ice-cream that was mostly just cream with little fruit or 'ice'. Apparently the Chocolate Jaffa-Cake was quite decent, so 1 mark out of 3 in this case.

The place was busy when when we came, on cold Sunday evening, so perhaps we came at a bad time, as the staff probably struggled to cope. A good analogy I came finish with is this; The experience was akin to a busy school dinnertime, and I think we ended up coming last in the hour, and getting the more crappy scraps left over....

Booked a table for my Moms Birthday for 5 people including a puppy (mini dachshund) they advised us that it was fine and will be seated in the area where dogs were allowed. When arrived we were seated at a table near the bar, was out the way of other tables and by the area for dogs only - as we sat down the Manager immediately advised us that we couldn’t eat at that table as it wasn’t in the area of the pub for dogs (the puppy was in arms and not exactly boisterous in nature) and showed us to a smaller table next to it (half a partition wall between the tables) this wouldn’t have been a problem moving over but it was a table for 4 people at a push. We aired our grievances that it was for a birthday and we did mention when booking a dog was with us, plus the table wouldn’t fit us all round it to enjoy a meal. The manager apologised and that’s the table available, this response felt insincere and monotone with no effort to see on hindsight if a better outcome could have been made. Unfortunately this left us with no option but to finish our drinks and leave feeling disappointed with the absent ‘can do’ approach bearing in mind it was an error on their part. I feel if you work in the service/people industry there needs to be ambition to thrive in making someone’s visit the best it can be, as surely this makes everyone, including the staff to feel satisfied and positive - leading to return custom and good team morale. I have visited this pub many times but I wonder if they are becoming complacent and just expect people to walk through the doors? Forgetting that effort has been made to spend time, money and in making that final decision to favour them from...