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The Head of Steam, Birmingham
Birmingham
B2 5DP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Rob Hunter left this review about The Head of Steam
Four years have passed since my previous visit, so I was pleased to call in again earlier this month. Different sections and levels with the almost-outdoors lower seating area, then the main bar up the steps, then a further level to the front inside. The central island bar sported seven available cask options, with a mix of styles represented.
Service was friendly, albeit there was a small delay in being served as it seemed that not everyone behind the bar was actually serving customers.
I went for Green Duck The Storm (4.6% stout) and Meanwood New Normal (5.6% old ale) - both pleasant but The Storm was more to my taste.
Friendly service and decent ale selection means this will be on the cards for a return visit.
On 21st August 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Head of Steam
After a couple of quick ones in Tilt, I paid a return visit to the Head of Steam on Saturday morning. The pub doesn't normally open at midday, but does open at 11am on a Saturday. This seems to have escaped most peoples' attention, as it was completely empty, apart from the bar staff. Completely the opposite end of the spectrum from the queueing endured on my last visit in May 2021.
We had the choice of seating on this occasion, instead of being forced to sit near the door. So, I got a better chance to survey the surroundings. In fact, the pub is split over 3 levels, with the entrance at street level, the main bar area up a few steps and a further area at the front of the pub if you double back up more steps.
The real ale selection this time around was much more limited. Just the 4 were on - Cameron's Road Crew, Magic Rock Ringmaster, Hobson's Citra Mosaic & Siren Memento. There was no sign of a real cider on this occasion, whilst there were still plenty of craft beers. Despite the queuing last time around, I think I preferred that visit to the quietness of the pub and the scarcity of the beers and ciders this time around.
Original review May 2021:
Head of Steam pubs are always fairly reliable and this one was no exception.
The only drawback was a queue to get in on Saturday evening. With only 5 people ahead of us in the queue, it was still a good 15-minute wait, despite around 20 people having left during that time.
We were seated at the table nearest the door, which had been free since the time we'd arrived! Nevertheless, the ale range here is as good as in other branches I've visited. Cameron's Sanctuary is the regular real ale. Guests were Vocation Bread & Butter, Shiny Moa & Halton Turner Whiplash. Snail's Bank Raspberry Ripple was the real cider.
Craft beers included Lervig House Party, Northern Monk Eternal, Halton Turner Beverly Hills Hop 2, Gweilo East & West Pale Ale, Deya Steady Rolling Man, Tooth & Claw Squeeze Please & Pilsner, Huyghe Delirium Red, La Chouffe Blonde, Vocation Sweet Temptation & Neon Raptor Abandoned Dragons.
The pub is split over 2 levels, with the bar itself on the upper level and the majority of seating spread around it. With plenty of food also being consumed, it is easy to see why this place is so popular. However, with this the last of the city centre pubs to complete the Good Beer Guide entries again, we moved on to further conquests.
On 16th August 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Head of Steam
My first ever pint in Birmingham, a Vocation Naughty & Nice Marshmallow Stout. It was nice, with a pretty good lunchtime sandwich. The pub had the usual decent Head of Steam atmosphere and friendly staff, dealing with complex beer orders from gangs of blokes. Definitely one of the good pub chains, and it continues to be reliable wherever I find it.
On 6th February 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Head of Steam
Like going on holiday, without the hassle of travel.
Fine collection of Belgian Beers (including the large 75cl Chimay Blue bottles for just shy of £20) - far too many handpulls to record - not that I could get to them, due to the bar hangers. Both Chouffe and Deliriums on tap. No end of craft.
The Good Beer Guide describes it as "Cyperpunk" - so if you won't like it if you don't like exposed ducting. Or afternoon bouncers.
However, a world of experimentation awaits, so well worth throwing caution to the wing and see where a beer topped with a pink elephant will take you.
On 27th October 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Head of Steam
Another excellent Head Of Steam pub. Up a few steps and you get to the main part. Open plan with an island bar. 10 handpulls greet you as you enter plus several taps for crafty fizzpops on either side of the bar. Well worth a visit.
On 10th August 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Head of Steam
Excellent modern bar covering a number of bases well - real ale (local suppliers included), a lot of craft keg, cocktails, sports TV on low, music (can be a bit OTT), food, comfortable, sociable or not. Covers them all with credit and an excellent place all round
On 5th August 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Head of Steam
A new and impressive mega pub from this excellent chain. Enter to a fairly large downstairs lobby area with nicely aged (if modern) plank panelling with a blue WMR (West Midlands Railway I guess) logo painted upon, a massive frieze of the wheels of a stream engine and huge wooden cogs on the ceiling. Up a few stairs to the main area featuring an island bar and ten pumps (9 ales and a cider) direct in view on entering. A similar decor ethos up here with a more industrial bent, as well as a ‘Brum by night’ jumbo frieze at the far end. An interesting mix of stuff on the pumps; 4x Northern Monk alongside some micros and larger quasi-regionals. My Northern Monk Coffee Porter was a tad on the warm side but managed to sneak in at an NBSS 3. Also a fair range of ‘crafty fizzpops’ too. Unfortunately my arrival coincided with a quiz which was being compered by an awful wannabe local radio DJ, far too loud and with the occasional high pitched squawk added as if he was having an unexpected rectal spasm. Otherwise it was a decent place and worth putting on the central Birmingham ‘should do’ list but I suspect it’s one to do earlier rather than later in the day. 7.5 - would hgave been a straight 8 without the din.
On 21st July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Head of Steam
Modern, busy, trendy, industrial decor and lots of flats screens this is not necessarily one for the pub purist.
The place was hopping on our Saturday evening visit with the young and beautiful of Brum making merry, as well as us old boys. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was good with a friendly if efficient welcome and none of the bumping and banging that might be expected in a busy spot on Saturday evening.
A fine range of beers included: Craddock American Pale, Squawk Crex, Fallen Brewing Chew Chew, Fixed Wheel The Sheriff and Wheelie Pale, Hobsons Snuffly Hedge Grog, Cameron's Sanctuary and Twisted Barrel Litany Against Fear. A very decent showcase of local breweries across strength and style.
There was also a cider, various keg taps and a good bottled range.
Well worth a visit.
On 11th June 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Head of Steam
Busy and hectic on a Saturday night but the young crowd inside were enjoying themselves.You enter on the ground floor into a seating area but climb the stairs to reach the large island bar.Thankfully for the real ale fan the handpumps are directly infront at this stage and a walk around the bar will only yield information on keg lagers and beers.The 10 handpumps were serving an eclectic mix of ales from the likes of Fixed Wheel,Craddocks,and other Locales while my Squark Crex Session IPA was very tasty.
There is seating on high benches near the bar,there is a higher level lounge in front of a flatscreen but this was reserved for a private party.Elsewhere BT Sports was playing ,and the music was loud. I noticed a DJ setting up ,so the volume may get cranked later on.
This was a crawl visit,next time I may come at a calmer time and inspect both the ales and keg options.There is a very impressive bottle menu.This should also be included on any real ale crawl list,I liked it.
On 8th April 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Head of Steam
This one wasn’t here the last time I was in town so whilst the good lady was stuck in Debenhams and John Lewis I thought I’d look the place up and I was impressed as well.
As others have mentioned you have to go through this strange half in half out lobby seating area before climbing up steps and through doors into the main bar area. And for my Sunday afternoon this space had no customers but was patrolled by a couple of doorman, which I found a bit strange but was completely forgetting that the fun loving supporters of Aston Villa and Birmingham had recently finished exchanging pleasantries at the not that far away St Andrews.
Once inside the pub it’s a large space with plenty of seating areas on two levels around the central serving Island and the usual shiny Industrial décor you would expect from a newly opened Steam outlet.
There is an impressive range of some 20 Craft options on the taps down the sides of the serving area but full marks for putting the 10 ale pumps on the front section so that they are the first thing you see when you approach.
One was dispensing Hogans Wild Elder Cider and for my visit the nine ales available were Backyard Brewhouse Coaltown Stout and Gold Rush, Arbour Shangri-la, Camerons Sanctuary and Ahopalypse Now, Kirkstall Brewery Ryeteous, Northern Monk Eternal IPA, Fixed Wheel Wheelie Hazy IPA and Twisted Barrel Citra and the Coaltown Stout went down very well.
I bagged a table in the upper section with its view of Temple Street outside, but also with a large flat screen tele which was showing the Ireland v France six nations match and armed with my pint of Stout and decent sized bag of Pork Scratchings, all was well with the world on this strange weather Sunday afternoon.
On 12th March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]