I am smitten with this gem of a neighborhood pub. My favorite parts are the atmosphere and friendly…read morestaff. Bolder Tap is the flagship location for Joule's Brewery in the Midlands region. The interior has been painstakingly restored to its original charm. Decor highlights include display cases of beer bottles from the early 1900s, a wood fireplace, cosy seating nooks with leather cushions, and the outdoor patio. Because this is a neighborhood pub, families come in throughout the day to enjoy a refreshing pint and most know the servers by name. It's a bit like being on the set of Cheers (American TV show from the 1980s). I went here with Seth S. and took my laptop with some reading. While the Tap doesn't have wifi, seating is comfortable and atmosphere is conducive to relaxing. We stayed for a few hours, enjoying a few pints of cider and then ordered two sides of chips when the kitchen opened at 5pm. The chips were perfectly cooked and flavorful. The portions are HUGE. We could have easily split one side, which was served up in a pasta bowl. The staff were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. I'll definitely be coming here often.

Market Drayton based Joule's Brewery entered the Birmingham footprint last year, opening their…read morelocal flagship location in Boldmere. The Boldmere Tap has refurbished the previous Old Cork & Bottle into a homely neighborhood pub that is one of the most welcoming in Sutton Coldfield. Joule's is a craft brewery that jump-started a defunct 19th century brand (the first ever trademark in England) in the early 2000's that had been purchased by one of the big macro-breweries. The brewery is an easy one hour journey from Birmingham, and centers on crafting real ale with the local spring waters of Shropshire. The focus on the Joule's brewing legacy has led to the creation of some very well done ales and lagers. The Boldmere Tap is the first pub in Birmingham to be under the Joule's umbrella, and features their full line of beers on tap. I recently dropped by one afternoon with one of my mates to see what the brewery had to offer. I have previously tried their pale ale at a pub in city centre, and was excited to see the other featured beers. Joule's has four main beers in their stable, which are complemented by seasonal offerings. The mains are their flagship Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk (a malty bitter ale), Joule's Blond (nice and citrus forward), and Green Monkey (their lager). Their winter seasonal, Old No. 6, is a dark ale. All of the brews are available in half or pull pint pours (a half of the Slumbering Monk is only £1.50). If you aren't in the mood for Joule's taps, the pub also provides more standard fare, including Guinness. All of this is on top of their food menu. The kitchen opens at 10AM, where you can start the day off right with a full English Breakfast for £4.95. The main courses at dinner average around £8, with fish and chips at £7.95. For vegetarians, there are four main courses to choose from, including broccoli cheese bake, mushroom stroganoff, vegetable lasagna, and a bean burger, all for £7.25 or less. The neighborhood feeling that the Boldmere Tap elicits is woven into the very fabric of the building. The pub is decorated with bric a brac of old photos, vintage beer bottles, and a railway sign from the Chester Road station before the branding was refreshed by London Midland. On a cold January afternoon, a stove fire roared near the entrance, heating up the front room. Events are held throughout the week, with a quiz night on Mondays at 9PM and open mic nights on Wednesday. The Boldmere neighborhood, and Birmingham as a whole, are lucky that the Boldmere Tap has been chosen as the flagship Joule's pub for the area. The pub gets all of the benefits that come from being affiliated with a craft brewery, while still maintaining a very old school English pub charm that is increasingly lacking in the city.

When coming back to Birmingham, a friend and I, always have lunch and a few beers. The location…read morechanges, but the story stays the same. This has been one of our locations three times now, and I'm beginning to wonder why it's not been more. Service during the day is casual, sit where you like, here's a menu, back in 5. The food selection is BBQ tastic, and is served very similarly to the big states places, on a little red tray. Nice but small craft beer selection, nice range of cocktails and spirits. There's even PBR if you're looking for the complete USA experience. My friend always goes for the Buffalo Black burger, which I have to say is phenomenal. I've varied and gone for the brisket one, and the pulled pork meal. Sides include "loaded" chilli cheese fries - which deserve a mention on their own. Burnt ends (side of more meat please!) and 'slaw. It's all been good, I've not experienced a bad bit of food there. Price isn't bad, for two of us last time it was £45. That was for the two burgers, burnt ends, mac n cheese, chilli cheese fries, and four beers. I'd like to see something like a Nashville hot chicken plate on the menu with the BBQ stuff, but other than that, this place is wonderful. It sells all of the things I like. Bravo. I didn't even notice it was a Bitters' and Twisted place until I read it here..

Another completely unique venue for Bitters and Twisted. Buffalo & Rye is new to the Bennetts Hill…read morescene, and a few doors down from sister venue Bodega. This place generated a ton of buzz before the doors were opened mid November, so naturally I wanted to try it! After stalking their Facebook, it seemed the best time to grab a table and avoid long waits was right at opening. My dining partner and I turned up shortly after noon on a Saturday and were seated immediately. The first thing i noticed is how intimate the venue is. There really is only a handful of tables. We opted for our own high top table as stools aren't the most comfortable seating. The menu is simple and specific. I'd check it out ahead of time so you know what you're in for. I thought the servers were great. Timing of food, not as great. They were rammed but we were the first people sat for the afternoon so I'd expect less of a wait than 25 minutes for starters. We shared some wings and beef chili cheese fries. Now, I am from Buffalo, NY. The chicken wing capitol of the world. We invented and perfected chicken wings. Its hard to compete with our wings in this country. Back to the review, here the wings were left still attached which I kinda liked. Usually you find the drums and flats separated so this was actually a nice change up. I do think they needed more sauce. Ours were nice and crispy but dry. Overall they were a nice choice for a starter. Ooh and the cheese fries are lovely and served in a little baking tin. As for my main, I had a buttermilk chicken sandwich which was juicy and crispy goodness. The roll was a bit too hard for my liking. I left most of it on my plate. But the chicken was amazing. Random fact about me: I love pickles or gherkins as you Brits call them. It's always a nice surprise to see a place over here serving pickles. I asked for some on my sandwich and only got one tiny piece. Step up your pickle game Buffalo & Rye! I almost forgot to mention the cocktails!! Such wild and crazy concoctions here. I tried a grape fizz and red kool aid inspired drink. Grape fizz blew me away. Kool aid was a bit uninspiring. Not as sweet or flavorful as I imagined. There's also milkshakes that looked wonderful. Sadly I was too full for one. I really liked this place. Although I can't see myself visiting it as often as the other BnTs, it's still worth a pop in. Plan accordingly. It's busy!

Is the King Arms a summer pub? I've always thought so but after a couple of years away, I decided…read moreto spend a Sunday afternoon there with a group of friends to see if the answer is still 'yes'. I was amazed to see how many of my fellow Sutton residents were taking advantage of the rare June sun to see if they could also find the answer to this burning question. The beer garden which flanks the entrance was packed. Cold lagers were being drunk. Children were playing games. A barbeque sizzled with burgers and hotdogs. We fought our way through the throngs and towards the bar, which was a little quieter. The draught lager choices weren't particularly to our liking so we went down the bottled route, buying a round of Portugal's famous Sagres, a beer that's not always easy to find. As there was no room out front we exited through the back door, to stand in a quieter part of the pub's grounds. We remained there for a good few hours, sunning ourselves and making occasional trips to a very reasonably priced barbeque. Sadly, my summer love affair was not to last. A member of staff came out and warned us about standing too near to customers cars. We weren't, and had been in the same spot for several hours with nothing said to us. The fact other families were standing in exactly the same way made the comments feel slightly mean and inconsistent, as did a large sign informing customers that the pub accepts no responsibility for the cars parked there. Maybe I'll go back in winter.

Looking for some great beers? The food isn't bad either! I stumbled across this pub when I couldn't…read morebe bothered to cook one night... I took a book and thought I'll have a bite and see what it's like! I was very pleased; friendly staff, nibbles on the bar and Affligem on tap! I ordered the chilli con carne to enjoy with my beer and it was very tasty. Rich and spicy with sides of rice and nachos. A truly wining combination. Paired with my book and a comfy leather sofa, I'll certainly be visiting again soon!

1st time there. Popped in while passing for a beer or two. Tom was alone behind the bar. He greeted…read moreus very politely and was courteous. He explained what beers they make & what is what. We were guided by him in our choices & he was bang on. Tom was pleasant, polite and most helpful. We had no intentions of dinning but did share a Key lime pie that was to die for. The menu was not just pizza & burgers there are a lot of great healthier choices too all reasonably priced. The outside is amazing. Will we go again? YES!!! Only negative we found was there are no litter bins in the garden.

What a fantastic addition to Sutton! Seth S. and I had a friend visiting from the states and took…read morehim here for a tasty beer and meal. The decor is posh and welcoming, the interior is highlighted by reclaimed wood, Edison bulbs, industrial metal, mid century styled seating, and lots of books (which you're actually welcome to read while sipping a pint or 5). I ordered the ribs, which come with fries, slaw, and grilled corn on the cob. The meat was tender, fall off the bone, perfect. I would have liked just a little more BBQ sauce on the ribs though. I asked for an extra ramekin, which the wait staff kindly brought. The BBQ sauce is unique and makes use of bright orange rind and juice to punch up the flavor. The corn was seasoned just right. There is enough food on the "plate," a cutting board, for two to have a large meal. I ordered tea to drink to soothe my sore throat. Tea was served in the cutest little tea pot and was very tasty. I tried a sip of the stout. I will definitely be getting that next time. It was phenomenal! (If you go for just beer, I'd give that 5 stars). The stout had smooth chocolate notes and drank like a delicious cuppa cocoa.

After big meal, walking around and playing some arcade games. we decided to go for desert and have…read morea chat. I have heard good things about this place and their dessert. I haven't had dessert from here so my hopes were high from what I've heard, and also couldn't think of any other place that do deserts in Star City. Place wasn't full and got table easily. I love that theres TV all over and they played music videos from 90s. It's good distraction for the waiting part of your food. I've got a thing for waffles, pancakes and crepes. I got a nuttela and banana waffle, which my friend later told me I had orderd the most expensive dessert on the menu £6.50. I felt guilty and knew theres no way I'm going to finish it. You can have it with ice cream or just whipped cream. Less than five minutes and I'm already digging in. I just have to say this is one of the best waffle I've had. Was so soft and buttery but felt light. Just melts in your mouth. I loved it and even knowing I had no more room left to finish I still tried. Banana and nuttela sauce went well with waffle. Though it does later gets too sweet and started to take off the sauce as it was too much. If wasn't for eating not long before, I would have had 2 of these.

Yes please!! It may not be big, it may not be clever but Tinseltown hits the spot. Those folk who…read moreare a bit precious about food and scoff at the thought of choosing an American-style diner over more 'fancy' options really won't enjoy Tinseltown but, for anyone who thinks a juicy burger and milkshake combo done well is just as good an option, you're in luck. Located in the city's off-the-track Star City complex, Tinseltown is in debt to Hollywood although the food it offers is likely never touched by any actress hoping to get an agent. It's all about moderation though so, as an end-of-week treat, Tinseltown offers the goods. The last time I went was a couple of months ago and I stuck to the classics: vanilla shake complementing a double cheese burger with fries. It's simply delish and a lot more satisfying than Maccy D's. The menu offers more exciting options (including, of course, 'Challenge' burgers because America just hearts obesity) but, if I'm going to an American-style diner, I'm not gonna go for chicken or spicy - don't mess with the cliche, guys! The restaurant itself is fine but nothing special (or that authentic) inside, reminding me of a similar venue I encountered at Disney's MGM Studios in Florida. As expected though, the waiters are very friendly as if trained in 'have a nice day' school.

Looking for some American diner style breakfast/brunch spot, Seth S. and I decided to check out…read moreCelebz since another brunch place was closed. The Celebz concept is based on a kitschy stereotype of Americana with quintessential foods like burgers, waffles, fries and milkshakes. I love a good bit of kitsch but Celebz seemed to hit all the wrong notes. The blaring music, loud colors, and cold interior left me feeling like I was on Sunset Strip after a late-night bender in search of greasy garbage to cure my hangover. The vibe, encouraged by Rhianna screaming "bitch better have my money," was starkly contrasted by a grouping of families with small children. Womp womp. When placing our order we learned that the milkshake deal (+£2) advertised with the burgers only applies to the burger meal, requiring you to spend £9 for a sandwich and milkshake, with or without fries. Seth S. got the burger but skipped the milkshake and I decided to get some pancakes and twisty fries instead. Seth's burger and my fries were delivered to the table fairly quickly, but we were almost finished eating before my pancakes arrived. I was disappointed that the pancakes were crepes not American style pancakes in an American themed restaurant, but that's neither here nor there. The twisty fries were perfect - just like some of my favorite from a greasy spoon in NC. The crepe presentation was nice but the flavor underwhelming. Too much egg was used in the batter, and the egg flavor overshadowed the Belgian chocolate drizzle and strawberry filling. If you're in search of an authentic Vegas hangover cure, this is the place for you!

I am big fan of reviewing places on what they are and as an independent American diner I have to…read moregive this place five stars. Located over by Aston uni campus this place is a bit out of the way but when looking for a late night sweet myself and a friend took a wonder over here to see what it was all about. Now I know this place will not be for everyone, it's loud and in your face in terms of design with pictures of the USA and celebrities on the walls. The menu is made up of a range of popular American classics like burgers, milkshakes, pancakes, cookie dough and ice cream. We decided to go for nachos and a cookie dough dessert to share which were both surprisingly good. The nachos had the guacamole and salsa on the side instead of being all over top which is great for a condiment lover like me! The thing that I love about this place is you can easily sit a chill for a few hours eating and drinking on a quiet weekend night off the booze (dry Jan seemed like a good idea at the time) if you are looking for a place to get something sweet with a good range of options this is a great option in the city centre.

I went here with a group of friends for Sunday dinner. We just had to check out the American themed…read moremeat joint. The decor is straight out of the opening credits for Fresh Prince of Bell Air - photos of celebrities line the walls and are covered in bright colored tags of fun phrases like "YOLO". There is plenty of seating, perfect for a pair or large groups. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered the appetizer salad with pulled pork BBQ on top and shared a side of fried pickles. I was a little disappointed in the pulled pork. Being from North Carolina (home of pulled pork BBQ in the states) and eating at a place with smoke in the name, I was expecting smoked BBQ. The pork is just roasted like what you'd expect to come on a bap and lacks the tenderness that comes with slow smoking. The BBQ sauce at the table has a nice smoke flavoring added, so I was able to drown my salad in that for an approximation of the smoky flavor I craved. The salad portion is very generous and uses fresh veg. The fried pickles need a little tempura batter mixed in with the corn meal and maybe a little more time in the fryer for a better texture.

A group of us went here as we wanted to check out the newest 'American' BBQ joint in Birmingham…read more Based on reviews of The Smoke Haus' other locations, I was pretty excited. First of all, this restaurant is HUGE. Incredibly big and spacious, with an assortment of booths and tables and a huge bar. The decor of the place is awesome-- fun pieces of americana all over the place and funky graffiti all over the walls. But the highlight of every place is the food, and well, the food was just OK. I opted for a pulled pork sandwich, and a side salad instead of fries. The pork was good (mostly because they have a fantastic BBQ sauce) but definitely didn't taste slow-cooked. The salad was served without any dressing which was a bit weird, since it was huge and mostly lettuce. By the way, portions here- GIGANTIC. Come with an empty stomach! Neat selection of American beers. I don't know. I wasn't incredibly impressed, but my meal was satisfying, and the BBQ sauce is tasty. I'll have to try a few more things on the menu...

Great pub. Lovely people. Huge portions that tastes amazing. I most definitely recommend.read more

Wonderful restaurant, good American style IPA, pie of the day: steak and blue cheese. Wonderfulread more

Absolutely amazing taste. Very nice staff. Would highly recommend. Proper food. Big portions. Not…read moreenough space in the stomach for all 3 courses. A****

From the owner: Homemade tenderlicious burgers, over 30 flavours of incredible milkshakes made from real ice cream,…read morechargrilled steaks and American waffles made using a secret batter that is prepared fresh to order.