Marston's seems to be the pub chain of choice in this area. Every week I do a pretty good job of planning our meals and doing the shop accordingly... except for lunch after we go rowing. I know... on one hand a bit annoying, on the other, I don't really want to make lunch. We decided to have a quick change and head to the Six Halts, especially as it was past the usual lunch rush, so we thought it won't be too busy.
It was still pretty busy at around 3 p.m., my guess is that because it is still pretty new that everyone is wanting to see what's up. Based on the menu and how they have styled the place, they are definitely going for an American theme. I've kind of stopped paying attention to authenticity because very few people actually hit the mark...there is always something slightly amiss that let's you know the person who designed this wasn't actually American. There are quite a few pizzas and burgers on the menu, but they also have a nice selection of BBQ items on the menu. You can also have your fries topped with various toppings... including Bacon Toffee... as an American, that's one step too far for me. I'll stick with Chili Cheese Fries :)
I decided to go with the smoked pork and asked Mr. Snarky to see if they could change the coleslaw to one of the other sides, like the Jack Mac. While Mr. Snarky went to order, I noticed, like me, there were a lot of people in this area of the pub that were quite cold... turns out there is a door to the play area with a significant draft, not helped by the employees who were using the door to go in and out for smoke breaks. They could probably do with a heater just above the door to counter the cold air. So if you go, don't sit near that door or you and your food will be cold!
Anyway, Mr. Snarky came back with drinks and everything seemed to be fine. About 10 minutes later, the guy from behind the bar comes over and says that they cannot substitute the Jack Mac for the coleslaw because they would have to open a sachet. He said that we could pay extra, but Mr. Snarky would have to go back to the till to pay £1.39. The mention of the sachet is actually what put me off on the Jack Mac. I know... what was I expecting?! Anyway I passed and he asked if there was anything else I would like, but I just said the coleslaw would be fine.
When the food came, I was a bit underwhelmed by the presentation. Mr. Snarky's Montreal Burger in a basket was fine, but I guess I had been anticipating that my pork would be on a plate... or the ever trendy slate slab, but it also came in a basket. I also noticed that the coleslaw was missing. I decided to try some of Mr. Snarky's coleslaw before deciding on whether to ask for it. The menu boasts less mayo... honestly... it looked like there was just as much mayo and it didn't taste of anything but onions. The pork was nice, very tender, although because it was on the paper in the basket, as I was cutting, the paper was tearing and I kept having to peel paper off of the pork. I think they could do with a different way of serving it. Mr. Snarky said the burger itself was quite large, but still juicy, however, he couldn't taste much of the other items that were supposed to be on it, namely the Brie. He said there were just too many items on the burger to really taste the maple bacon and Brie.
We may have had some dessert... I had the Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie and Mr. Snarky had the American Stack. As someone who has made Peanut Butter Pie and tried countless others, this one was my least favourite. Too sweet, not enough Peanut Butter. The American Stack is Red Velvet Cake with a layer of Clotted Cream Mousse (definitely not American), and some berries on top. It looked nice, but according to Mr. Snarky, not as good as the Red Velvet Cake we had for our wedding.
Overall, not bad, I do want to come back and try some of the other items on the menu, but don't rush over to try it. read more
