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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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The Ale Wagon, Leicester
Leicester
LE1 1RE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Ian Mapp left this review about The Ale Wagon
1930s, unspoiled two room drinking pub.
Several cask on - from Hoskins Brewery (associated with the site) and others. I tried a Hob and it was a decent session bitter.
Eclectic crowd of real ale loving (mainly men) on a friday night - from those in work clothes, to studious chaps reading books.
On 8th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Ale Wagon
The Ale Wagon has a room with seating and a fireplace through some doors to the right of the entrance. This area was empty with the locals preferring to sit in the bar area which is straight ahead. Parquet flooring is found throughout and the serving counter runs up the right and banquettes run up the left wall under the windows. At the rear are a few tables around a fireplace and log fire. I counted nine hand pumps, seven of which were in operation drawing Anstey Ale’s Old John and Neddy’s, North Star Smooth Porter and Charnwood Cider along with three offering from Hoskin’s Brothers. I preferred the Hob to the IPA and I didn’t try the Green and Gold. The service was friendly and there was a bit of background music playing, but the locals in attendance were more interested in having a natter. The toilets were interesting. For some reason the right hand urinal is very high up the wall. I’m six foot and the rim was tickling my bollocks as I had a wee so I moved along to the next one. The hand dryer is also very high up on the wall, I know a couple of people who would have to be on tippy toes to turn it on. Maybe the toilet was refurbished by a giant. I found this pub to be friendly so will certainly pop back in again when next in the area.
On 10th March 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Ale Wagon
Was it really 16 years ago?? Anyway a friendlier reception this time - positively smiley from the barmaid - though some of the customers remain mute and surly. A good line up on cask and keg. My Hoskins HOB was excellent (NBSS 4) whilst Mrs Quinno enjoyed a tidy cider from Simply Cider called Liberty Press. The interior is rattly with some odd colour choices; I'll never love the place but the range and quality mean I'll be back a bit sooner. GBG’22 listed.
July 2006
Two big rooms with a smattering of old men looking at the Racing Post and waiting for something to happen, like tumble weed to blow past perhaps, it's that devoid of atmosphere. Not helped by the large open spaces, high ceilings and poor décor. Has an alright Real Ale range (Hoskins) and the Dolphin wheat beer was nice. A regular comedy evening was advertised too. It'd have to be bloody good to get the residents to chuckle though. Rated 5
On 12th November 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Ale Wagon
I don't know why I'd never been here before, as it's quite handy for the station. It was my last pub of a trip to Atherstone and I'd got a slightly early train back from Nuneaton which gave me a chance to pop in here for a swift half. There are nine hand pumps on the main bar counter, with a couple of extra pump clips which seemed to signal more beers available. There was one real cider, and of the beers seven were from Hoskins Brothers (though apparently one of them is sadly no longer with us, and the Hoskins beers are brewed at Anstey these days). My half of Hob Best, a mild, was superb. As is this pub, though a little rough around the edges, much like the best of us. With those high ceilings it must cost a fortune to keep warm in winter; I'll have to come back some time.
On 23rd May 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Ale Wagon
Hoskins is a name I remember from early CAMRA days but sadly their beers are now all brewed by Belvoir.
This is very much an old school well worn boozer. I don't know if it's been done up since some of the reviews below but currently it has yellow walls and an only slightly restrained lime green ceiling. There were no TV screens turned on.
It was quiet on my Thursday early afternoon visit. The landlord was reading his paper when I entered and that's fine by me, I'd prefer that or even someone like Jack Dee serve me rather than a Michael McIntyre clone.
The main bar has nine hand pumps and I didn't look further. There were two unused, Hoskins Green And Gold, Hob, IPA & Old, Portobello Star, a cider and Maldon Farmer's Steel Cow.
I went for the Green And Gold (£3.25) which was a decent enough pint in good condition.
I quite liked this pub especially as most of the others on the day had the Eurobore 2016 blasting out.
On 29th June 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Ale Wagon
Slightly run down drinking den. L-shaped room with high ceilings, wood parque floor, bench seating around the outer walls & space filled with rectangular tables with wood chairs. An aged male dominated pub, there was not a female in sight, the pub has a large selection of real ales, including 3 from Hoskins (Belvoir?). The ceiling is bright green. The landlord not very welcoming. Beer quality is good, luckily.
On 28th July 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Ale Wagon
A long itme favourite stop off when in town, this pub has been redecorated since our earlier visits.
Its generally fairly quiet each time we have visited but still enough locals in to create a bit of atmosphere, mainly of the older age but some younger people in there aswell.
very chatty bar staff with the locals so didn't really get chance to engage in a any conversation.
Not all the hand pumps were in use but still 5 or 6 ales from local breweries available and those that we tried were in good condition.
On 10th December 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Ale Wagon
I called in here twice over my 2 days in Leicester. On a Thursday evening at about 7.30 the pub was fairly quiet and the welcome extremely muted, to say the least. Called in again on Friday night at about 9 to see if had changed and it was even quieter and the service was grudging and grumpy. The beer was passable, but not top drawer. Plenty of handpumps on the bar, but no WOW factor with any of the beer. The pub is tired and scruffy and needs a refurbishment to brighten it up. Scruffy pub, grumpy service, so-so beer. I wonder why it's quiet. I won't bother going in again myself next time I'm in Leicester. I think I can hear a bell tolling!
On 14th May 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Ale Wagon
This pub dates back to the early 1930’s in its present incarnation, and although the interior has been altered since then, there are still a number of notable features, including some fine oak woodwork throughout. The layout is fairly open, with two distinctly different areas either side of the main entrance and it is still possible to spot evidence of previous partitioning. The main bar is to the right and has pew and standard chair seating in front of a small tiled fireplace, with a staircase at the rear leading up to a function room. The smaller left hand side has banquette and low stool seating and a bar that was apparently rescued from the Princess Charlotte – a live music venue across town that has now sadly been demolished. Despite visiting on a Friday night, the pub was practically empty which is disappointing for a GBG listed venue.
The pub is run by the Hoskins family, who also operate a small brewery which supplies the pub with much of its beer. As such, the selection on our visit comprised Hoskins EXS, Hob Bitter and IPA, Down the Pan Last Plantagenet on the Throne, Cottage Duchess and Tollgate Stand and Deliver, with more Hoskins beers available on tap. I tried the IPA which was okay as low abv IPA’s go.
We visited this place at the end of a fairly long crawl of Leicester’s finest pubs, so I’m not sure I saw it in quite the right frame of mind. It seemed to lack the charm of many of the other pubs we visited and although I wouldn’t rule out a return visit, I struggle to muster much enthusiasm at such a prospect.
On 1st May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Ale Wagon
In an unpromising part of the city centre,this pub feels a bit cut off from the lively bar scene elsewhere.It's a large corner pub with a very high ceiling in the main seating area with an impressive wooden staircase to one side.However this part of the pub can lack atmosphere and the decoration is minimal apart from a few Hoskins mirrors.The handpumps are mainly in the side section but I failed to note the number and plumped for the Hoskins Hobs Bitter which was passable but a rather dull brew.Towards the end of the crawl so my observations were limited,but I didn't feel that I had to return .
On 23rd March 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]