The Figure of Eight (JD Wetherspoon), Birmingham

An average sort of Spoons, in a nice art deco building but in need of a freshen-up. It does at least have an outdoor area at the back and the toilets are on the ground floor! There were 5 guest ales on for this visit, 3 of which were from Salopian.

t's been over 11 years since my last visit here, but I thought I would pop in for a swift one, after checking into a hotel a little further along Broad Street. Locals I spoke to rate this as one of the better Wetherspoon's in Birmingham. For me, I can't think of one decent 'spoon's in Birmingham. As previous reviewers have said, this is an old-style open-plan branch of the chain with exactly the kind of customers you would expect to find inside. The usual ales were on - Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar. In addition, they had 3 guest beers - Titanic White Star, Froth Blowers Sporting Times & Silhill Blonde Star. Ciders were Weston's Old Rosie & Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon.

Visited earlier in the week. This is an old school Spoons, full of daytime pissheads of retirement age. At the bar, the Spoons usuals plus guest ales and a cider - the guest ales being priced at a very reasonable £1.99 per pint or £1 for a half. The barman looked a bit fed up. There are plenty of indiscreet security cameras all over the place. Beer garden to the rear. Had a bit of a piss and hemp smell in the bogs, despite the door being propped open. Not really much to rush back for, but the ale selection and pricing meant I didn't regret my visit.

This ‘spoons actually looks quite inviting from the outside with its slightly art deco exterior and period windows slightly out of keeping with all the other strange mix of architectural styles that now blight Broad Street. Sadly though, when you enter it is completely a paint by numbers old school ‘spoons and, although they try hard with several pictures of local historical dignitaries you could be anywhere in the country. Very busy on this late Saturday lunchtime and we must have bagged the only empty table in the pub. Not a bad range of guest beers but sadly the Titanic Plum Porter had gone not long before I made it to the bar. But a very decent pint of Salopian Gold was a good substitute. One positive of this ‘Spoons was that they were showing the Scotland Wales Six nations match on the tele’s which I could focus my attention on and away from the punters. Like most ‘Spoons all forms of human life can be found in them and one particular group of lads and lassies were providing entertainment. Spread over several tables it was clear that it was one of the lad’s birthdays and a couple of his mates were working the Wetherspoons mobile app to order several rounds of shots and we watched as several different rounds of strange coloured liquids arrived by waitress delivery at regular intervals to the protesting birthday boy. But I was impressed how long it took for said lads to push correct tit on mobile phone before strange liquids appeared tableside. Knowing the service levels in my local ‘spoons this is something I may have to investigate.

Not a bad selection of beers here today and we chose Glamorgan Jemima's Pitchfork which was fine.

Better of the 2 Wetherspoons on Broad Street. I like this pub and always pop in when I am in the area. Standard Spoons layout with a reasonable selection of ales on including a few from the current festival. The 2 I tried were fine and at £2.19 very good value.

This is very much an old school JDW so suffice it to say it consists of a large rectangular room. As the rain that had been around all day was now a deluge I missed the garden area completely. It wasn't all that busy on my early evening visit, possibly due to the weather. There are two sets of hand pumps here which had two available soon, the JDW Trio Of Doom, Jenning's Sneck Lifter, Mauldon's Cuckoo. Backyard Gold, Caledonian Ithaca Nut Brown and Springhead Drop Of The Black Stuff. It seems this choice was poorer than others have encountered before but it was a Tuesday. I went for the Backyard Gold which was in excellent condition. It's an average sort of Spoons this but compared to the Briar Rose it's a bit of a trek from New Street Station.

Standard spoons with an unexpectedly large beer garden out the back , which was heaving on the sunny afternoon of my visit , service was not to bad and my pint of Byatts Big Cat was decent enough .

A by the book Wethers with 10 handpumps as usual. The beer garden to the rear is ok if there isn't too many lung clogger's ruining it. Open plan as noted in previous reviews.

Large open plan by the numbers spoons with a patio area at the rear.