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Friar Street, RG1 1DB
Reviewed On: 10 Jan 2007
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Public Houses in Reading
Berkshire, England.
   
Westside
Previous Names:
Tilehurst Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 7TN
0.68 miles from Reading station [Map]
Final Score: 6.0 out of 10
Steve's Score:3 (Out of 5)
Gray's Grade:3 (Out of 5)
Steve Supped:Morland Old Speckled Hen
Gray Gulped:Greene King Abbot Ale
Garden / Facilities:Some good seating outside the front of the pub - set back far enough from the road.

RE-REVIEW:

6 May 2005: Not really a proper re-review, but I thought I'd leave a comment on my recent visit. The pub is still just the same, and doing very well, but might need to work on its beer! The IPA smooth was gone - which can only be a good thing - and normal IPA was in its place. However, the beer tasted very bad indeed. I should have known when the girl behind the bar didn't know what IPA was and denied they even served the stuff. She might have been right on this tasting! The pub itself had a good feel about it still, very nicely done up and looked after, and a dedicated non-smoking area too.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
29 September 2004

The Westside underwent a name change and a massive re-brand a few years back - and it's much better for it. It's a Greene King pub I guess - but not like the normal formula (Warwick, Spread Eagle, Rose and Thistle, etc). Instead it's the same but made all swanky, trendy and town centre like - which is a bit strange since the pub is out of town (West Reading as the name gives away for those that needed an explanation!) It's very neat and tidy now and a good place to go for a drink if you fancy something sophisticated feeling without having to go into the town centre. I wish they'd fix the broken "W" on the outside of the pub it's been like that for ages! And is the "D" on the way out too? I'd get a refund for those big letters. G.
Odd place this really. Done up like a dogs dinner it is very much more like a townie pub on the lines of BAR 38 and it just didn't seem right for a local as it wasn't like anyone had got their glad rags on to go out so it had a strange slightly confused feeling inside. I think it would have been better to stick with atried and tested formula but it's nice to see a real effort being made. As with the beers, I'm just not sure they got it right. It was busy enough though for a Wednesday and they had the traditional big screen for the footie so most peolple in here were happy as larry me thinks. S.

BEER EXPERIENCE

I don't know what was going on here! Very strange! Who's heard of IPA smooth before? I guess Greene King are trying to work their way into trendy beer by pumping loads of nitrogen into what is otherwise a nice session brew. Disaster. Steve made a big mistake with his Old Speckled Hen in my opinion - that was a "smooth" beer as well!! Crazy! But who was to know - typical Greene King beers ruined in my opinion. Still, on the plus side my Abbot Ale was as expected (a very nice pint) - phew. Actually you do have to admit that they had a good range of beer for the pub it was - and probably the right beer for the audience they're aiming for. G.
What was I drinking! this was very not what I was after. I couldn't even taste the old hen in it! Some very interesting pumps on the bar (odd frozen looking things) for the normal lagers and you have to dmit that they definitely serve something different with the 'smooth' IPA and Speckled Hen but whether this is a good variation on the norm is highly debatable. !.

VISITOR FEEDBACK [Give Your Feedback]

"Brilliant - I think I was the girl behind the bar........text book f**k up!"
Ruth visited in June 2005

"My local so I guess I'm biased...not a bad pub at all since the refurb a few years back. Top bar staff, tv's for footie, good selection of drinks. Well recommended."
Colin visited in September 2004

NEIGHBOURING PUBS

The following pubs are within stumbling distance of this establishment:

         
Current Score:
6
Original Score:
6
Traditional Pub?
No
Party Pub?
No
Proper Food?
No
Real Ale Pub?
No
Pub Games?
No

Westside Pub (Reading, Berkshire)
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