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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat on the Pub Forum

The Strugglers Inn, Lincoln

83 Westgate
Lincoln
LN1 3BG

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Pub Type

Punch Taverns
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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Strugglers Inn

Excellent beer-drinkers pub with a heritage inventory interior, located on the west side of the castle and close to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life if you are interested in other aspects of the local history. The bar is dominated by the splendid selection of real ales in a range of styles and strengths from up to 11 handpumps and a vast array of clips on the walls and ceiling, but the Lincoln Snug of to one side is a real treasure of a room. That said, it was full on a Friday afternoon on my latest visit, and we had to resort to the patio area down a few steps at the back, but my Tollgate Ashby Pale (£2.30, half) was in good shape.

On 16th November 2024 - rating: 9
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]


Tris C left this review about The Strugglers Inn

With a pub sign that recalls a time when participants to a hanging employed family and friends to pull on their legs to speed up the inevitable, this place requires a little effort to reach but is certainly worth it, one of the highlights of our crawl.
I went for a half of the Vocation Turning Point with no annotations to my notes, so must have been good.
A must-visit Lincoln pub.

On 8th November 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]


Steve of N21 left this review about The Strugglers Inn

At 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon, when other ale pubs off the main tourist artery of Steep Hill had a few in but were not overly busy, this one was packed out to the extent that we struggled to get the 14 or so of us on the Pubs Galore crawl in the main small bar room and had to shift out to the courtyard garden when served.
It’s not the biggest place, one small bar room and an even smaller snug to the back left so in truth it doesn’t take many in to be busy. But if the extensive collection of beer mats decorating the pub entrance corridor and then ceiling and walls when you are in doesn’t give you a clue to why this pub is popular then a quick look at the bar top will cement it. Ten hand pumps decorate the bar top providing an interesting and varied choice of brewers and beer styles. Most of these were in operation for our visit and by the time I made it to the front of the bar I was in front of a bank of three dispensing Adnams Double Ghost IPA, Tolegate Ashby Pale and Horncastle Ales Mr Pumpkin Head. However, unlike the previous reviewer, I didn’t panic and cast eyes right to spot a couple of stouts on at the end and went for a very nice Vanilla Stout, although I couldn’t tell you who’s as my beer recording skills let me down in this one.
The well planted small courtyard garden, with its interesting brewing mural and hanging Stones Brewery Barrel (giving evidence of this pubs ownership past) is a nice spot to enjoy the ales and apparently a sun trap when the sun is out, something we could not confirm.
The interesting and almost unique pub name comes from the time it was built in 1841 when hangings used to take place in this part of Lincoln and people often gathered at the Pub to observe the executions nearby.
This lovely traditional pub had the best beer choice of all those visited on the day and is probably worthy of a higher rating than I gave it, but due to the crush I didn’t really get to see or experience the inside enough to go higher.

On 6th November 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]


Graham Coombs left this review about The Strugglers Inn

A consistently excellent pub where the only failing is that it can get a bit full, although there is a good patio garden out the back. Excellent beer selection also, even if I panicked slightly and went with Horncastle Mr Pumpkin Head for some strange reason.

On 2nd November 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Strongers . left this review about The Strugglers Inn

Seeing old pump clips up the walls in the main entrance of the Strugglers Inn, before the doors to the left and right-hand sides of the pub had me hopeful that I was about to walk into a destination pub, and thankfully I wasn’t let down. This is a small space that has a snug in the front right bay window with banquettes that are served by a hatch from the bar. In the left-hand side of the pub is the main bar area where every part of the wall and ceiling is covered in old pump clips. Seating is found across the front windows and up the left-hand wall opposite the bar counter. At the rear are some high tables and steps out the back lead down to a beer yard with seating.
The bar counter supports a limited standard keg range and ten hand pumps that were all in operation. Available during my recent Thursday evening visit were TT Landlord, GK Abbot Ale, Animal Brewing’s XT Goat, Vocation’s Pride + Joy, Welbeck’s Atlas and Greendale Oak, Salopian’s Day of Days, Pheasantry Brewery’s Black Pheasant and Saltaire’s Spiced Chocolate Stout alongside the guest cider Gwynt y Ddraig’s Welsh Warrior. I plumped for the Salopian, which went down well and was served by two extremely friendly gents who were working the jump. I had to stand at a high table as there was nowhere to sit, but I didn’t mind as there was a decent atmosphere. This is certainly a pub to include on a visit to Lincoln, and it is certainly worth the cardio work out climbing up the hill from city centre.

On 10th May 2023 - rating: 9
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Strugglers Inn

ORIGINAL REVIEW May 2012 score 8.

The best on a sadly brief tour of Lincoln,as Ray says a wonderful traditional interior with a small bar and even smaller Lincoln Snug containing just three tables and room for around a dozen.The bar has fitted bench seating around the perimeter,a small fireplace and a blackboard describing the ale selection which features several local micros and some national brands.Pork pies are available at 60p and pickled eggs and onions are snack alternatives.

A definitive local where regulars are greeted by all and sundry on their entrance and bade a fond farewell on exit.There is live music on Sundays but there is hardly room to swing a cat,so this is a place for solo artists only.
A slight fly in the ointment was the inclusion of several undistinguished national real ale brands such as 6X and Doom Bar on my trip,but I expect this reflects regulars tastes so who am I to snipe.There is a wide enough choice however to keep even the fussiest drinker happy.A must visit and I will be back,but it is worth choosing a quiet time given the lack of space if you are troubled by the prospect of vertical drinking.

UPDATE

A revisit 10 years later found the terrific interior unchanged but ,after a change of hands,a much better ale selection.Gone are the national brands,all brewers are chosen because of their excellence and the chatty landlady told us they always have two dark ales ,one of which will be pokey (on my trip Roosters Scoundrel).I arrived late in the session and had a great Beartown Creme Bearlee (NBSS 4.5) while my colleagues said the Roosters Baby Faced Assassin was also excellent.There was another Beartown brew , something from Ossett and another one or two I have forgotten.
This is a must visit when in Lincoln and worth the struggle up Steep Hill.An upgrade and very close to a 10.

On 3rd July 2022 - rating: 9
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about The Strugglers Inn

Two bits of news prompted a visit after too long an absence: first, a pub of the year award from local Camra, and second, the long time licensee's retirement this month. It was good to be back, but perhaps our midweek afternoon was a bit of a low key time for a celebratory or farewell visit. My spirits were lifted by the Milestone Honey Porter 4.9%, a beer I hadn't seen for too many years - I'm not a fan of honey beers, but this one hits the spot for me. Other beers (there were seven on, out of 10 hand pumps on the bar) included some from local(-ish) Welbeck Abbey and Ossett, and an IPA from Horncastle which is just up the road. I must remember to come back again soon; I hope nothing too much changes.

On 6th April 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about The Strugglers Inn

Still one of my favourite pubs in Lincoln. Nothing has changed since our last visit, except that maybe a couple of the guest beers are more adventurous. The usual, friendly welcome with people moving up so that you can sit down. Good craic, well kept ale and friendly locals. What more do you want in a pub.

On 23rd September 2019 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3196 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Strugglers Inn

A wonderful place at the base of the castle walls and full of traditional character (CAMRA inventory listed too – regional), especially so on our pre-festive visit where the decorations and atmosphere were maxed out to 11. Absolutely rammed, and we were fortunate to grab two spare stools at the end of a table. Basically penned in so unable to explore much, beyond noting that it’s a two-room place (one is basically a snug) with lots of old pumpclips on display and a tiled log-burning fire. 11 ales listed on the blackboard from near and far. My Abbeydale Salvation was in very good shape. Really enjoyed my stop and having then gone down the hill to tick other far less good pubs, I wish I’d stayed here. The best two pubs on my evening were this and the Vic opposite, with this one edging it. Plan a session split between the two and you can’t go far wrong, I’d say. Lovely. 9.5

On 17th December 2017 - rating: 10
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Strugglers Inn

An absolutely wonderful traditional pub under the castle walls, if ever there was a pub worth the walk up the infamous Steep Hill, this is the one. If you only ever only go to one pub in Lincoln make it this one.

On 31st May 2016 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]

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