Our Mutual Friend — Restaurant in Stevenage

Unfortunately it seems to have gone down hill. It now seems to cater for noisy and disruptive elements. The beer has gone down hill and the experience of a visit is no longer pleasant so I (and many others) have voted with their feet. Shame, It used to be so good.

In response to your request for further feedback Andy.

A few friends and I used to visit every Tuesday evening and would often hold an impromptu meeting to enjoy a few beers during the rest of the week. We had many friends and acquaintances that we would chat to or even just say hello. The beer was always good and although busy it was rarely bawdy and noisy and it was always possible to hold a conversation in the pub. As of about February last year we began to notice that the rowdy element in the public bar were getting louder and louder and were seemingly encouraged in that by the bar staff who began to be just as noisy and unattentively to the needs of those in the other bar, indeed it often became necessary to go around to the public bar in order to get a drink. We also noticed the beer was not kept as well, any pub can suffer a few barrels that do not quite make the grade but this was a noticeable drop in quality which did not improve even when the problem was pointed out to staff. On occasions the beer had a chemical taste and on others it tasted like the lines had not been properly cleaned. On three occasions 2 or more of us where unwell the following day. At first, we put the illness down to a bug but after comparing notes we realised each time that we had the same beer the previous evening. Some of the other locals commented on the same thing. I think the final straw was when in the public bar someone started throwing pool balls at another customer because he had some grudge over a lost game, the staff did nothing to stop the noisy ensuing argument or to remove the offending people. I did try and speak to you at the Stevenage beer festival but it seemed that you were either too busy or you did not want to talk about...

The man and wife that now run this pub are very friendly. There is a nice and friendly atmosphere in this pub and there is a good trick outside which does burgers hot dogs and chips, perfect for when watching the Weekend footy match with a beer there! Prices I would say are very cheap. I love a snack when I am having a pint, and the range of crisps they do there are amazing! Walkers crisps all the main flavours, plus two different flavours of monster munch, as well as scampi fries, bacon fries, mini cheddars (both BBQ and cheese flavours), three types of Nobby's nuts and also pork scratchings!! The pub allows you to eat the take away food inside premises also which is a bonus - I would recommend a visit here! One improvement I would suggest is to have some plates available for the bar snacks - even if they...

Different but good different... As real ale drinkers my husband and I were shocked when we walked in after the refurbishment. There was only one ale and the pub was more open-plan. But... When we asked about real ales we were told that Jack, the landlord, was requesting more barrels and there will be a larger selection in future. Good news :-) Yes, it's different (and I do miss the cozy lounge bar) but I'm still glad to have a pub down the road that's surviving the turbulent times and I'm willing to give it a chance. All the staff were exceedingly welcoming and we had a fabulous night. We will definitely go again. I look forward to seeing how the pub develops after...