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Detail Pages
The Shovel Inn, Stourbridge
Lye
Postal town: Stourbridge
DY9 8DZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Shovel Inn
Was looking forward to this one but it did its best to put us off. A whiffy sulpher smell on entering, not pleasant. Wood dividers throughout, though the horrid two-tone snot green paint was garish. Decent cask line-up, though my Dancing Duck was sightly musty (NBSS 2 – aspirator?). Of interest were the tables, made of old Singer sewing machines. My two companions were similarly unimpressed and we dumped our sub-standard beers and headed-off. Lye’s a tough place to love and the pubs seem to have a similar vibe. 5.5
On 17th January 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Shovel Inn
Excellent selection of ten real ales and a couple of ciders on handpump in this semi-traditional alehouse, although the menu has an unexpected Southern / Mexican theme on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The interior has a four-section layout, with the main part of the counter ahead of you as you enter, the main seating and darts area to the right and two dining areas to the left. I went for the 'house' (Enville) Shovelicious (£3.20), but the diverse range of other (mostly very local) beers was equally tempting. However, three gripes: no card payments accepted (which is very odd these days for a pub with a significant food offering), rather distant staff and getting moved from an unmarked 'reserved' table well after having said where I was sitting when ordering a meal...
On 17th November 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Shovel Inn
Twelve pumps, with 11 ales and one cider on our Sunday Lunchtime visit. I went for the Salopian Kangaroo, whilst Mrs A went for the Elementary, a collaboration between Ambridge John & Shovel Inn Steve. Both of which were excellent beers and in top condition. We didn't stay for lunch, but the servings did look generous for £6.50. The pub also hosts a Balti night on a Wednesday and a Mexican Night on Thursdays. The menu on the table had homemade "Lizzie Dripping Faggots" mushy peas, mash and gravy for £7.50. A decent pub this one and well worth a visit.
On 23rd March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Shovel Inn
Well positioned in the middle of Lye, the Shovel is a smart pub which has been refurbished in recent years yet retains a nice traditional feel to it. You enter into an L-shaped room with a similarly shaped servery directly opposite. To the right there is a cosy looking space with tongue and groove panelled walls and some nice banquette and low stool seating. A fireplace on the end wall acts as something of a focal point and there was a TV screen above broadcasting an unidentified music channel. Over to the left there is a similar seating arrangement set around a large brick fireplace, although this time the TV screen above remained switched off. Some interesting art pieces adorn the walls and a large high backed bench acts as a screen, shielding the space from the bar area. The room runs to the rear from here, where you can find a nice snug in the rear left corner, filed with a single L-shaped banquette and several low stools around four small tables. This area has a rather novel form of decoration, with the walls having been covered with framed jigsaw puzzles, more of which can be seen in the corridor running towards the toilets. At the back of the room there is a big hatch to the open kitchen, although on a Saturday evening visit, this was boarded up, but I'm told it is always opened during food service. The aforementioned rear corridor also sports a lot of nice framed pump clip collections and leads to a rear garden which I didn't explore, but apparently contains a wall covered with over 1,900 pump clips - one for each beer put on by the current landlord, who explained to me that he was planning on hosting a beer festival to celebrate the 2,000th beer.
A good number of beers on the long row of handpulls will help add to that total, with the full range on this visit comprising Holden Golden Glow, Enville Bitter and Ginger, Morland Old Golden Hen, Salopian Mind's Eye and Oracle, Hook Norton Nice Try, Belhaven Grand Slam and Urban Huntsman Tropical with one clip reversed. I ordered a pint of the Mind's Eye, which a friendly barmaid served up, but before I even had a chance to pick up the glass, the landlord, who was sat at the end of the bar, spotted that it wasn't clearing and suggested I should get it replaced - a good spot and excellent customer service. He recommended the Tropical, which was a fine hoppy brew and a more than satisfactory replacement.
This is a great little pub that clearly takes great pride in the range and quality of the beer it serves. I enjoyed a good long chat with the amiable landlord and found it very easy to settle down with my pint, to the point that I almost ended up cutting short my little three-pub jaunt around Lye in favour of just staying here. A good all rounder and a pub I hope continues to do well.
On 8th April 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roy Collins left this review about The Shovel Inn
Has had a make over since my last visit. Several comfortable sitting areas with a kitchen on view. About 8 ales on tap , mine was in good condition.
On 19th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 124 recommendations about 121 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Shovel Inn
It was open on a Saturday Afternoon - we got there around 2:30. 7-8 real ales on - I tried a couple and they were both in great condition.
Sky Sports was on with the football scores coming in. Much hilarity as Aston Villa went a goal down to Chelsea.
Friendly barman and a handful of locals on our visit.
Recommended for the beer.
On 9th February 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1344 recommendations about 1330 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Shovel Inn
On a main road out of Lye, parking is difficult but worth it if you are a beer fan.
Refurbed local that doesn't open until 5.30 in the evening, 4.30 on a Saturday, though may open lunchtimes on a Saturday.
mainly open plan but with separation such as patterned iron railings.
Watched the end of the Wales v England football qualifier on one of the two plasma screens enjoying excellent real ale, of which there is plenty and very well kept.
Perhaps lost a bit of character by being refurbished, though I never saw it before, but its comfortable and very plesent (as was the England win!)
On 28th March 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Shovel Inn
The pub is a free house and looks to be a 19th century build to me. It has a large 'cottage type' look, with central door and red/white theme. It has terraced houses coming off the one side and to the other, though separate, is the Bulls Head. It has a beer garden/patio area.
The inside is clean, painted in a peach colour, with an open plan bar/lounge and a strange statue or two. The clientele was mixed and the service was friendly, even making a point wishing us a good night when we left.
The beer, like the Windsor, is focused on the handpulls in the middle of the long side of the bar. Two Enville's, the Ale and the Ginger, were really good, as ever. There was Spekky Hen, Malvern Hills' Bitter and Wobble, which were fine, Broughs IPA and a couple of others. The beer was kept well, even if all were not to my taste - and i didnt see a MILD on, though i believe they have them as guests.
This pub is quality. Along with the Windsor Castle and Holly Bush to a lesser extent, Lye has some excellent pubs.
On 6th September 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
trevor austin left this review about The Shovel Inn
Recently refurbed, this pub is CAMRA's best kept secret. 9 real ales, with only Bathams Best Bitter as its only 'regular'. The atmosphere of this great pub is back. Well recommended.
On 11th June 2006
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]