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Bear & Ragged Staff, Dartford
Crayford
Postal town: Dartford
DA1 4BH
Pub Type
Flame Grill (Greene King)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 3½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Bear & Ragged Staff
I think that this place must have improved considerably since the previous reviewers' visits. but it has suffered from a typical Greene King makeover, with grey painted counter front and some walls, wood that appears distressed and/or reclaimed all over the place, clinical white tiles where there should be a bar back, and of course the tall benches and tall tables that this brewery likes so much. It's all very utilitarian now. But I realise that the majority of people must like these madeover pubs for some reason, because since Greene King got their hands on my local and did a very similar job on it to the one they've done here, it has attracted more customers. However there are some normal tables and chairs, and when my chums and I were in at lunchtime on a Wednesday it was of course pretty quiet and we had no difficulty finding somewhere comfortable to sit.
But, unlike a lot of Greene King pubs, there was no guest ale on in here, just their IPA and Abbot. But to be fair, the Abbot was in very good condition and a very reasonable £3.20 a pint after the 10% CAMRA discount had been applied (£3.55 gross). All kinds of meal deals were available, including a deal giving two meals for £10.49.
This is a typical Greene King pub, and although being nothing very special, we enjoyed our meal, and the hour or so that we spent in here.
On 18th January 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Johnstone left this review about The Bear & Ragged Staff
Dreadful place, noisy and full of chavs to be honest. Was once a pleasant pub but has been completely turned over to youth market.
On 25th June 2011
- rating: 2
[User has posted 98 recommendations about 98 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Bear & Ragged Staff
There had been a similar named pub in Crayford for over 300 years but the current Bear & Ragged Staff dates from 1925. The name has had a few variations over the years but none as drastic as the short lived Orange Kipper, now thankfully consigned to history.
The open interior is fairly large and spacious but quite unremarkable and dull. The pub tends to be aimed at the bottom end of the market pub with Big Screen football, multiple TVs, a brace of pool tables, dart board and banks of fruit machines all populated by locals who share their social interaction by beginning every sentence with an F. To the rear is a patio area with benches and some cover.
The beers were the normal kegs and lagers with Greene King IPA being the only ale across the 3 hand pumps. Quality is variable although prices are more than reasonable if you want to chance it.
There is a sign outside proclaiming the pub as Kent’s No 1 music venue but is well wide of the mark. The photos on the wall opposite the stage area show the likes of Slade, T.Rex, Joe Cocker and Brian May but are more for decorative purposes than an example of the calibre of artist who have played here.
This is a place where it is probably best just to sneak into a corner and shrink away from everything that goes on around you but you will probably wonder why you bothered going through the front door in the first place.
On 26th February 2011
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]