This little pub is in the heart of Hoghton, outside of Preston Centre. As it's located near Dan G.'s parents place, we have visited numerous times over the last 6 years. In the last few years it has changed hands many a time, with the owners never getting the mix *quite right* to cater for the market of locals based around it. This is the best incarnation yet. I am reliably informed it opened up just before Easter as a 50/50 food and drinking pub. The Old Oak has served food throughout all of our visits, but the offerings here are now better than ever. But before we get on to that... let's take a step back. Located on the corner of Hoghton Lane (next to the Petrol Station), it's slap bang in the middle of a residential area. It's pretty huge (with a pretty looking exterior and a small patio offering), so you wouldn't miss it if you were passing through or based around this area. On Saturday, the sun was shining and the weather was warm; meaning it was a great day to go and grab some dinner and a cold pint. The patio area was busy, but not overly so. A lot of the chairs and tables were taken by small groups (also enjoying a refreshing beverage on a hot day), but this wasn't our destination. We had a table booked for 7:30, so at around 7:15 we sauntered inside. Although we were 15 minutes early for our booking, this wasn't an issue. We were seated as soon as we got inside and our waitress made sure the table was ready laid out for us. The restaurant was unusually busy of a Saturday eve due to a large booking for 25 people arriving at around the same time as us. Obviously, this could have been an issue with us receiving our food and drinks; however, there were plentiful staff on duty meaning service was top notch. The drinks selection in terms of ale wasn't huge (I believe there was a choice of 2 cask ales), but they have a full bar selection available. After selecting a Cumberland Ale (light, refreshing and wholly pleasant), we perused the menu. On Sundays the pub do a roast for a very reasonable £6.95, but they also have a full menu and a reasonable list of specials to choose from too. One of the specials wasn't available, but this wasn't the end of the world. Me and Dan decided to split a starter of meatballs (£5.95) and king prawns (£6.95) before opting for the "Lamb Henry" off the specials menu. The meatball starter was excellent, but when offering a sharer - why do an odd number of meatballs (5)? It would be much better if this was made up to 6! The prawns were a little bland, but the sauce was tasty and they were quite large. The Lamb Henry (£12.95) was fantastic. A huge piece of lamb served with mashed potatoes, carrots, roast potatoes (I know, 2 types?) and broccoli. We could have done with a few more greens, but at one point we were asked if we had enough vegetables. The lamb was cooked so well the bones just fell out as you were eating it! The butter mash was delicious as well. All the waiters/waitresses we were served by were pleasant, friendly and helpful. A special mention to Barry (or Baz) who was a cheeky delight during our meal. After we had finished we were asked if we wanted desserts or more drinks, but we were all completely stuffed. I have high hopes for this incarnation of the Old Oak. I can't wait to check it out again when we're next in Preston! read more