Fox and Hounds

West Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE5 2ER
0191 274 1198
www.thespiritgroup.com
Listing on Pub Explorer

30 November 2005

Audio Notes (recorded on site)

WMA file 919 Kb   Right Click to download file

Reviewer: Graeme Stickings ( graeme@stickings90.freeserve.co.uk )

The Fox and Hounds sits on the West Road at the top where, going west you go down hill and then up to the junction with the A1. The pub is owned by the John Barras chain. This is a pub where you can take children for a meal, although they must be out by 7:30PM. Since a refurbishment in 2004, it has also sought to provide entertainment nights. More details are given in the link to their listing in Pub Explorer above. This is a pub I regularly visit on my way to Bible class, where I have a meal before hand, and they are usually quite good.

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Garlic Bread and Main Meal 91Kb   Dessert 69Kb

 

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Meal: Half Roast Chicken, stuffing, peas, mash potato and gravy
Dessert: Treacle Sponge pudding
Drink: Two large Pepsi colas
Availability
Monday - Saturday 11am - 8.30pm.
Sunday 12noon - 8.30pm.
Garlic Bread Standard Three pieces from a baguette with a herb and garlic butter, lightly toasted
Waiting Time For the cutlery, it was instantaneous. For the garlic bread and the main course, it was about five minutes and the dessert came in two minutes. The fact it was a quiet night may have been a factor
Quality of Service
Reasonably high. The cutlery and a selection of condiments are brought to the table before the food is served and the staff seem friendly enough.
Menu Variety The menu see attached,  ( pdf file 357kb ) has a number of sections, for starters, sandwiches and burgers, sharing (for groups), salads, jacket potatoes, side orders as well as the main meals, which are further subdivided into Best of Barras, Our specialities and Pub Favourites. On Sundays there is an additional Sunday lunch menu.

The desert menu is separate, see attached (pdf file 363kb) Occasionally they will have a chalk board of "chef's specials"

{Note Since the original review they have now updated their menu see here (pdf file 377kb) }
Ambience The seating is all on one level. The dining arrangements consists of a mix of wooden tables, long ones or small tables. Some of the seating is done with standard pub couches and others by traditional cushioned chairs. I usually sit at a small table right next to an electronic gaming machine.

Since the refurbishment it has an airy feel to it, with walls of a pastel orange lemon or green with the historic prints on the walls. The layout is rather like a "horse shoe" around the central area where the bar and the kitchens are. The pub has a number of added attractions, Sky Sports & Premier Plus, 4 TVs, Big Screen, Pool Table, Darts Board, Juke Box and an ATM. For the summer months there is also a patio.

Quality of Food The food was quite good, and the main course was a real substantial meal and very tasty. The dessert was quite nice and just the right size, especially after the main course. All in all quite a good value for money meal
Tie in with bar Drinks and food are normally ordered at the bar in the same place. As I normally pay separately for the main course and then the desert , I have not so far successfully been able to order drinks from the table.
Facilities There is full disabled access, with a disabled toilet in addition to the 3 sets of toilets. Everything is on the ground floor

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