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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
The Stag, Maidstone
Maidstone
ME14 1TG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
E TA left this review about The Stag
A traditional high street pub, originally The Sun, which has in the past been a dive bar called JP’s and a bar called Duke of Earl. It has been well described by others, below. There were 2 dry pumps on the bar ad a third dispensing Adnam’s Southwold, which was in average condition. The young staff were friendly enough, but the pub lacks atmosphere and isn’t a great place to spend an evening.
On 6th September 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Stag
The Stag has been in the Good Beer Guide as recently as 2022 and I was looking forward to trying the Reliant Robin. However, the pub has just changed hands with the Rockin' Robin beer no longer available here.
The set of handpulls remains, but with just the one clipped and turned around. We asked the barman if there were any real ales and he did offer us Doom Bar, which we politely declined. This guy turned out to be the new owner and he already owns several other pubs in the area. He eagerly told us about his plans to transform the pub, including the impending introduction of a new T-bar of keg beers, featuring such wonders as Pravha & Madri. We listened and nodded intently whilst supping our Coke and sambuca before departing for somewhere with a better ale selection.
Unfortunately, this pub is no longer what it once was and is destined to become a run-of-the-mill town centre lager-drinking establishment.
On 17th May 2023
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Stag
This is one of those town centre pubs that has been through dozens of incarnations without ever really hitting on a winning formula. Having gone through countless name changes and owners, including a stint as a branch of the O’Neills chain, the pub is now owned by the Rockin’ robin Brewery, who also christened it with its current name. It comes across as a rather ramshackle place that might well be surviving on its prime location alone. You enter into a quarry stone floored main bar area with the servery running along the rear wall. The bar has a rather bland counter, painted in grey for added dullness, although the dark wood bar back is considerably more appealing. This rather nondescript interior design extends to the exposed floorboards and whitewashed walls, although there are some sections of full height wall panelling, which add a degree of character. To the right of the bar stands a huge inglenook fireplace full of unused furniture, with a few tables and chairs opposite, whilst to the left there is a marginally cosier space with similar seating around a small brick fireplace, with a nice retro lamp on the mantelpiece and a plain mirror above. I believe there is a rear room behind the bar somewhere, but I didn’t venture around this side of the pub. Pavement seating can be found in a roped off space on the pedestrianised High Street, whilst back indoors there was an 80’s pop soundtrack playing all those bygone hits you’d hoped never to hear again.
The Rockin’ Robin Brewery don’t seem to be particularly prolific when it comes to brewing cask ale, or if they are, they don’t seem to send much of it to this pub, as only the one hand pump was in action, serving their Reliant Robin - a basic session bitter that didn’t have all that much going for it. The staff were pretty friendly though and there was a smattering of locals already propping up the bar when I wandered in on a Thursday afternoon.
I thought this pub lacked any real character, perhaps as a result of undergoing so many changes of ownership in recent years. I came here for the Rockin’ Robin beers, which were pretty limited (although there may have been more on keg - I didn’t check), so was a bit disappointed overall. I wouldn’t want to put others off from giving this place a chance, but it didn’t really work for me.
On 29th December 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Stag
This historic inn has had its ups and (mostly) downs over recent years, but its current incarnation is much the best for some time. The semi-traditional interior of the bar and small rear seating area have been smartened-up considerably in gastro-pub style paintwork (and a full menu is now offered too). Pavement seating areas to front and back. The handpumps have been replaced by four casks on the bar-back stillage, with Bath Ales Gem and Mad Cat Platinum Blonde (£3.25) on plus two more ales 'available soon'. Overall, a considerable improvement.
On 2nd December 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Sun
The Sun is a very basic small L shaped pub that has a couple of café tables on the path outside the entrance from the high street. There were a few people propping up the bar during my visit last Friday afternoon and the two hand pumps were drawing Spitfire and Bombardier. A standard draught range was also available and pub grub is served from midday until 14:30 during the week.
There are two plasma screens that were both off and there was some sporadic background music playing off the jukebox. There is no Sky Sports here, but karaoke is held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening.
I didn’t think much of this pub and wouldn’t include it on a crawl of the area again.
On 3rd October 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about JP's Bar
There are two entrances to this pub,one in Middle Row and one in Bank Street
On 18th January 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]