Last weekend I was out walking with my dog and a friend and we decided to stop and have lunch at The Cricketers in Yateley, Hampshire. This is a chain pub owned by 'Greene King of Bury St Edmunds'. The pub is hidden at the end of a dirt/gravel road, right next to a Baptist church. (There is a sign off the main road to indicate the turning.) The parking is sporadic, but we didn't have trouble finding a spot on an early Sun afternoon--with full church parking. There is a cricket pitch within clear view, but unfortunately there was no game going when I was there.
There is lots of seating outside to the front of the pub. Dogs are allowed outside as well as inside in front of the bar. (Dog friendly pubs are always a plus in my book!) The bar staff were really, very friendly. I think my dog was even more warmly welcomed than we were! They even gave my dog a water bowl under our table.
Being a chain, I wasn't expecting much. However, the menu was fairly diverse, but seemed very American--lots of burgers, ribs, steaks, etc. My friend and I both enjoyed our meals. I had a veggie burger, and my friend had the Sun roast. We both had a Knickerbocker Glory for dessert. Very tasty! The prices were reasonable (my friend paid, so I don't have the receipt). I think my large burger including chips was about £8.
The restaurant was really filling up when we were leaving. I'm glad we got there early. Apparently, two of the chefs didn't turn up for work so the kitchen was getting backed up and there was a 60 mins wait for food. Since we were one of the first people in the restaurant we only waited about 20 mins, but there were people coming in really complaining about the wait.
One lady made a huge scene when she came in and was told the wait time for food. Instead of leaving to go somewhere else, she decided to sit and complain (VERY LOUDLY) for over an hour. For us it was like dinner and a show!: ) But after a while, it got a bit annoying listening to her and her 'group'. The staff were really patient with her, offered them drinks, and even suggested another restaurant down the road, but she still opted to stay and complain (loudly). I thought the staff handled this well--probably much better than I would have done!
Other than that, we had a lovely lunch and I thought the staff were really friendly and accommodating. The friendly people at the table next to ours were clearly locals and they said they come to The Cricketers every Sun--they have a standing table reservation. Looking around the pub, there were lots of signs for the pub's quiz nights, and other events. It seems to be a very active place.
Overall, it was a lovely setting, friendly staff, reasonable prices, and good food. The only thing that could have added to the day was to watch the Cricket whilst we ate, but I can't fault the pub for this. I will definitely be going back again soon, and I would recommend this pub to others. read more
