The Stag, Rotherham

The Stag was to be my last pub of the day in Rotherham before retiring to the hotel. I had been contemplating booking a table, as I guessed that the pub would be busy with the football being on. Instead, I decided to visit the other 2 bars in this part of town and have a meal in the local Brazilian restaurant and to wait until after the match when things had calmed down. On approach to the entrance, I could see a wall of barmaids waiting to "greet" me. One spoke up immediately and said they were fully booked. No "hello" or any other greeting, just a confrontational approach. I did say that I was only staying for a half, but the answer was still no. Another barmaid approached me and asked if I was trying to come in with a child (my wife was waiting outside with my son). I said I was happy to have a swift half by myself if this was not possible. So, the excuse not to serve me changed to "we're closing in 10 minutes". At this point it was 10:05pm. I'd like to bet that I could have gone back 30 minutes later and people would still have been ordering. It's a real shame that some pubs are not interesting in serving strangers and that they recruit young bar staff with real attitude problems. It had been 28 years since my last visit to Rotherham. If it's another 28 years, I doubt very much that this pub will still be there, given the awful customer service I encountered. If attempting to visit here, be prepared for a hostile "welcome" and call ahead, as they will amend their published opening times at the drop of a hat.