Smoking food and music The Dark Horse is a quintessential Moseley pub, full of the friendly bustle that you can expect from the area. The venue itself is a welcoming space with plenty of seats both inside and out, there's a full bar on offer with a variety of spirits that I'd imagine will have something for all tastes. Food is tasty BBQ style smoked meat and pizzas made in the pizza oven sitting roaring away in the back. I had the smoked meat platter and everything on offer had a deep smoky flavour with plenty of "narl". The Dark Horse lives up to it's name however by having a large space upstairs that they use when the night gets later and everyone gets their dancing shoes out, we had a great night listening to the house band and the DJ after that. read more

The Dark Horse - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

You guys rock, Atmosphere 10/10, Service 10/10, Food 10/10, We can find no fault here at all. Ok, if you really want fast food, then go to McDonalds. The Dark Horse they take pride in their food, service and presentation. We came here for Sunday lunch recently and we got tons of food. We were both extremely surprised and very happy with the amount and quality for the price we paid. Nothing is too much trouble, the staff are always lovely and friendly. Food allergies? no problem here at all as any questions can be asked and answered quickly and helpfully. The aroma when the smoker door opens is amazing and the stone pizza oven produces fantastic pizza too. What more can I say except, you guys really do rock. read more

See all

This evening was the first time that I had dined at the Dark Horse and was very glad that I did! I went along with Vicky O. and other yelp deputies for a catch up and meal on Vickys recommendation of the rib night. I glanced at the menu (pizzas, burgers, ribs,it all looked good!) but went for the beef short ribs that Vicky and dan recommended. The ribs smelt and tasted delicious! They were accompanied by yummy fries and a Buffalo Trace and pickle shot! -different, unusual, interesting!! Behind the bar you could get beers such as Veltins, longhorn, MoFo, Mo dark etc and ofcourse as wide range of spirits. Despite the fact it was a rainy Monday, it was fairly busy and the small band playing in the corner added a really happy vibe. I had a really good evening:) read more

The Dark Horse - Yelpers meet! - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Actually my first time in Mosely- I'm ashamed, super cute, and a load of lovely offerings in such a short walk from one another (if you're going to pizza express instead of the Indies here, then I hope that Septa Unella follows you with her bell). It was hot, we decided bbq and sitting outside was the way to go. For a place that smokes, grills and pulls so many animals, they actually have a lot of veggie options. We were both drawn to pizzas for some reason (and I don't even like the stuff normally) but I liked it here. I had the "farmageddon" he had the "sloppy seconds"- it tasted better than it sounded! Staff were lovely, and the pizzas are huge- I certainly didn't manage, and they provide takeaway boxes too. Bonus points for biodegradable straws. I hope to come back and get a bit squiffy and listen to music. read more

What a great place! Everyone talks about how great the food is, but it holds its own as a pub, venue, and meeting space. The atmosphere is fantastic, really fun decor and welcoming vibe. The Dark Horse has an upstairs event/meeting space that is really large with its own bar and a stage, which they make available for local community groups and the like. A choir I'm in meets here :) Very friendly and helpful staff, tons of seats, tons of space, good food, good drink: an overall great venue. Will be back to try these ribs everyone keeps raving about! read more

The Dark Horse - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

I need to avoid making poor puns about Dark Horses in this review. But I'm going to struggle to resist. I'll just make that clear. I've known this venue as The Cross before and knew only that it had a new name and new owners however I don't remember ever going to it as the Cross. I arrived first and was pleased to discover our table benches and table had been reserved close to the main entrance. If you don't know the area it's pretty useless for me to tell you its "Quite Moseley" but it's a suburb that behaves like a cool independent town for the most part. The others were having ribs and I knew that I would be looking at the menu. There was a lot of American influenced items but I settled for a Peaky Blinder Pizza! Which was hot and firey We also tried Picklebacks which is a shot experience that you just have to taste to believe. Out server was friendly and accommodating and I'd go back here for lunch or even a sunday dinner! FIVE STARS!! read more

See all

I visited The Dark Horse on a wet Monday night out with my fellow Yelp Deputies to have a much needed sit down together, chat and enjoy each other's company. I had visited The Dark Horse when it was MoDough and had a great time sampling their tasty pizzas, which you'll be pleased to know are still on the menu and are still made in an authentic wood burning oven. When I arrived I was also pleased to see they still did their own beers, Mo Fo, Mo Pale and Mo Dark, as well as a great selection beers from local brewery, Purity. I went for the Mo Dark, which is their own stout. It's great. I asked who made it, though they were keeping tight lipped on which well-known brewery they had on board. It was rib night, so whilst most of the party went for the ribs, I went for the double classic burger. The menu did say you had to be really hungry for this, and it wasn't kidding. IT WAS HUGE. I had to take one of the patties off and eat it separately from the burger. It was very tasty, the patties were juicy and pink and the skin on fries they came with were delicious. Whilst eating they had a great duo playing and singing country-esque songs, which really added to the rib night, America soul feeling. We also got to try their "Pickleback" shot. Very interesting! Certainly worth a try. Buffalo Trace whiskey and pickle juice. Kid you not. Service was incredible. Cannot fault them one bit. This is a definite place to visit if your in Moseley! Especially in the summer, they have a nice outdoor seating area which I'm sure you can catch a few rays in. read more

The Dark Horse - Devoured this double classic burger. Feel so incredibly stuffed. - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

See all

I'm here tonight cos me fiancé is DJing. Got here early so I could stuff my face. Ordered the piggy platter...Jesus Christ it could have fed four lol As yummy as it was , way too much meat for me! Really tender meat, very delicious! I'll let the photos do the talking, I'm far too full! read more

See all

Mmmmm.... ribs. Those that know me know I REALLY love ribs. You just can't beat slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone, juicy slabs of pig. But good ribs take time, effort and know-how. And the guys at the Dark Horse know what they are doing. Probably helped by the fact that the owner, Keith, is a huge fan of American BBQ and travelled the states sampling and learning from the best of the best. For those that don't know The Dark Horse used to be Mo Dough, a pizza joint originally intended as a pop-up but ended up being well loved by many in Moseley and beyond. But from the proverbial ashes of the pizza oven rises a majestic phoenix-like horse (quite a dark one you might say) and this beast has stampeded all over the clean, minimal interior that Mo Dough has and created a funky new interior that is suitably dark yet not too much of a black hole you'd need a torch to eat your food. Speaking of food, The Horse is truly a thoroughbred purveyor of excellent BBQ you'd be hard pushed to find elsewhere in Brum. If you can get down there on a Monday for their rib night you can enjoy a whole rack of ribs with sides, a pint and a pickleback (a delicious double shot drink of pickle juice and bourbon - no, honestly, it's amazing) for only £15 and these are lip-smacking, sauce-drenched, gorgeous ribs. They also offer a beef short rib which is possibly finer than their traditional pig, both are an absolute must. I'm yet to try the rest of their food but it won't be long til I'm back! read more

The Dark Horse - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

See all

What goes on? This place was The Cross. After a hurried and admirable quick refurb it then became the 'pop-up' pizza place Mo' Dough. Though the pizza was tasty and the craft beers good, this place was much criticized. The decor of whitewashed pallets and a slapdash sign didn't help to draw the punters in. Neither did the prices. The food was excellent tasting though, with some maverick pizzas including the 'Snow White'. An apparently well-paid house-band was installed which was a brave and salutabley original concept, until the entertainment that they provided in the form of cover songs was often late, often out-of-tune and often drunk. Then the music venue attached to the business, (which was previously called The Loft) changed name to Night Owl. If you took a look at facebook around this time, most people didn't know what was happening at the place. Is it a pizza place? Was it open yet? (They chose to shut in the day, so people traveling past on their way to and from from work were right to think this.) Was live music still going on there? Tom Hingley from Inspiral Carpets came to play. The gig was run on a free entry basis. What should have been a packed venue was Hingley playing to a couple of people. And now? The ugly caterpillar had blossomed into a butterfly. Soft lighting, and eclectic wooden furnishings make for a nice place for a Saturday afternoon beer and newspapers session. You'll be glad to know that they've kept the Mo' range of beers, (their version of a US Style IPA is tasty and good value) and the craft beers. A full programme of live music, DJ nights, dance classes and comedy runs throughout the month. They'd do good to get their finger out in terms of letting people know though. read more

The Dark Horse - From The Cross, to Mo Dough to this. A Dark Horse, indeed... - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Just a quick update on this one... After a fantastic meal at Christmas, we NEEDED to go back and try the beef short rib. A great opportunity presented itself in the form of a well needed "Yelp Deputy meeting", so I booked a table and we rocked on down for rib nights. As we had, had the pork ribs last time I was tempted into trying the beef short ribs. These aren't supposed to be included on the deal, but with a bit of wheeler dealing (I'm not beyond the occasional beg), we manage the wangle this. £15 for a rack of ribs, a mountain of fries, a big portion of BBQ beans, a pint and a pickleback. Can't say fairer than that! The Pork ribs are DELICIOUS too! The food was magnificent. Being accompanied by live music (a regular thing on Monday nights) made the whole evening even better still. The bill for dinner for 6 of us including an additional round of drinks using the IB card discount came to £84. Amazing food, fantastic service and a great atmosphere! We'll be back again very soon, for sure! read more

The Dark Horse - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

See all

This is probably my favourite pub in Moseley, which is high praise for a place known for its brilliant collections of bars and pubs. The biggest thing I look for in a pub is its drink, or more specifically it's beer, and the pub has a great selection. They have different beers on draught, about ten all in all, with a couple seeming to be regulars such as the titanic stout (a great alternative to Guinness if that's not your thing). When I've been there they were varied from saisons to big IPA's (a limited bourbon aged IPA from purity). This along with a wide range of bottled beers from all over the world gives the place a well earned reputation of serving fantastic beer. This would be great all by itself but the fact that it boats excellent food as well is what tops it off. It's primarily meat based, American influenced food but done and presented really well and you can tell they pride themselves on this aspect as much as the drink, the Sunday dinners are especially tasty. I haven't been to any of the events but they are constantly hosting interesting live acts from music to comedy etc. It's worth mentioning that the staff are also friendly, talkative and the service was quick. So all in all a really a great pub with a high standard in all areas. read more

See all

Some important things to note: They do take out! They let you swap\remove ingredients from your pizzas. They do reservations. But often aren't open during weekday afternoons. Probably to allow for a later opening on some days (they do new years eve). Still near to perfect stars. read more

What a surprise......another 5* review.....but this one comes with a warning.....please read carefully. Love the vibe of this place very 'Moseley' amazingly friendly bar staff and chilled laid back atmosphere. As I was going to meet a friend for food in town me and my brother and his mate decided to share a few sharing plates over a pint and a catch up. The food was all VERY reasonably priced at around £5 a plate and was really of a fantastic quality. We went for the hunnus, burnt ends and nachos plus a portion of chicken wings.......now here is where things get weird. My brother was was asked at the bar if he would like caroline's suicide sauce....and being a fellow chilli lover said YES......these wings were no joke....Caroline whoever she is does not hold back!! I had one.....and was ok....then it hits you.....sweating......blurred vision....the works......WOW THEY WERE HOT. Still the fool in me decided to have another and the same thing happened.....just more intense. Spice lovers of Birmingham.....if you are feeling brave this one's for you!! On a whole this place is very me.....ill take pictures next time when O2 decide to get me my phone back......now that will be a review and a half! read more

We love this place. We've been coming since it was the pizza pop-up and now since it has become the Dark Horse. I can't recall how many times we've eaten here.... but we've never been disappointed. We've had the smoked meats, pizzas and burgers. In my opinion the burgers are the best in Moseley and and that includes the new place that's opened up in the old boozer near the HSBC. They also have one of the best selections of craft beer in Moseley. The staff are very welcoming and generally excellent. It's also independent - which is another bonus in my opinion in this age of vanilla chains! read more

I really like the Dark Horse!! I have been a couple of times now and have been impressed both times, the first was a quite Sunday before Christmas. We went for some food and to make the most of their Christmas offer, a different beer every week for only a £1 with an Independent Birmingham Card, this particular week was a beer by one of my favs Flying Dog brewery. Not only that, the Independent Birmingham Card offer means you can get a free drink when you order either a pizza or burger. We ordered one pizza washed down with their own pale ale and a plate of nachos, which although the nachos were standard the toppings were excellent and there was enough to go around. With your Independent Birmingham Card, the offer of a free drink still stands when you buy a burger or pizza and in addition you can currently get 50% off food with it, which is an offer hard to refuse. So if you haven't already invest in an Independent Birmingham Card!!! So I returning last night, for the final of the Moseley comedy festival. We arrived to a packed out bar, service was understandably a little slow as down stairs had a band on whilst upstairs hosted the comedy festival. We ordered a G&T and a pint of their own pale ale which was just over £7, fairly reasonable. Heading on upstairs we were quite earlier and walked into the end of a fitness class which was just packing up, as the set up for the comedy started. The night was great and some real belly laughs filled the room which was full to the brim, I would highly recommend attending next year. All in all, I really love that there are lots of activities going on to choose from and it makes the place a real hub of activity. Good food, reasonable drinks and lots of activity, a winning combo for me! read more

The Dark Horse opened in 2013, billing itself as a provider of 'craft' beer and pizza. The whole craft beer thing has caught on in a big way, and although the phrase is a bit annoying (what makes a beer craft? distribution size? percentage of budget spent on artwork? hop forward flavours?) it's meant pubs have started to think about what they are serving again. The two of us popped down here on a Sunday on a last minute decision to grab soothing for lunch, their 12 beers of christmas promo (£1 for a selected can/bottle of beer with an independent birmingham card!) sealed the deal. After sitting down with a £1 can of Flying Dog IPA (seriously, at £1 this must be a loss leader!), we decided on a Pizza and a bowl of nachos to share. Now pizza has come a long way in this country over the last 10 years (see my review for Oak Tree), and being able to get a pizza of this quality in a pub on a Sunday afternoon in Brum is really a pleasure. Crispy crust with plenty if pliable give, an excellent example of a thin crust pizza indeed. The nachos were also excellent, and whilst not quite up to Bodega standard in terms of the actual tortilla chips, the toppings had clearly had a great deal of care and time given to them, the highlight being the salsa verde. My main problem with nachos is that often the toppings are finished whilst there are still half a plate of chips to go, so it was also a welcome change to be offered extra half way though the meal, great service. The best part was the price, with an independent birmingham card (if you haven't got one yet go and do it now!) pizzas and burgers come with a free drink, so for Pizza, Nachos, 2 beers and a coke, the total bill came to £20. A real bargain if you ask me (which if you've read this far into the review, I guess you are!). The staff were also helpful and friendly, topping of the experience perfectly. Moseley seems to be getting better and better at the moment, I can't wait to see what next year brings! read more

I really like this place, a place that serves a lot of meat and pizza with a good atmosphere. If you want to eat so much that you can't move, then I recommend 'Gods Own Fries', which is a mountain of chips, chilli and meats, although it's probably more suited to be shared between two people haha. The service is always friendly. Prices aren't too bad. You get a free craft ale with your main if you have an independent card. I would recommend this place to go to if you are a group of meat loving friends, or a couple who don't mind getting a bit messy read more

Every time I go to The dark Horse I experience something different. Some days it is very relaxed but other times it can be completely manic. This time I went on a Sunday night and the place was packed. There was a band playing funk and soul and there was a great vibe. I just love the quirkiness of the décor in this bar, it is a far cry from when it was The Cross. I have not eaten here yet but have heard good things about the south American inspired menu. There is a great selection of drinks on offer including many craft ales on draft and in bottles. For the non beer drinker, there is always a good selection of wines and spirits, including some that are rarely seen in Birmingham bars. The staff all seem to know their stuff and are happy to make recommendations. read more

We went one weekday evening to check out the dark horse, I had the buttermilk chicken which was a bit disappointing. We didn't have starters but for dessert I had the brownie which was amazing along with the ice cream. Since then I've been back for Sunday dinner which is really good, we went for a birthday meal and had very good service as there was 10 of us and a baby. There wasn't much choice for the 2 vegetarians with us though, the Sunday roast offered to the rest of us was not offered to the vegetarians and they had the choice of a salad instead or pizza which I know I'd be disappointed with. The service is very good and I really like the interior read more

Brilliant food freshly prepared as you can see whilst dining. Everything tastes amazing- credits to the chef. Service is quick, efficient and friendly. A great pub in the centre of Moseley. Only criticism is that toilets need a bit of attention. Definitely recommend if your nearby. Solid. read more

The Dark Horse - Brie and bacon burger - Music Venues Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Few of us popped in friday evening and ordered abit of everything off the small plates menu. Food arrived quite quickly so always pleasant when your quite hungry. Mac-n-cheese, suicide hot wings, burnt ends and fries. The burnt ends - the brisket was very tasty an fell apart in your mouth served onside with a bowl of salad to break up the taste of of barbeque sauce. Fries were some of the best ive had in a long while very fresh. Suicide hot wings again very tasty but not too hot. Just the kind of hot which makes you want to eat more and more. Mac-n-cheese - best to eat whilst still hot as nice, soft and guey read more

See all

Great food, great atmosphere and great live music. Such a chilled out, clean, friendly place. A favorite haunt of mine :)

Fantastic little spot in Moseley. The ribs are unbelievably good and a must try. Avoid going too near 'party' time as may hinder your food experience... or not. read more

Quality pace to visit in Birmingham. Good food and very friendly and attentive staff. A lovely surprise and well worth a visit

Brilliant independent bar and music venue, friendly staff and excellent food. They have worked really hard to bring something different, and they have succeeded to do so. A real gem of a place. Nothing but praise! read more

i came to dark horse for few drinks with friends their was a great band on so we had a sharing plater of nachos which was very tasteful with plenty of nice flavours then also had a real good rich tasting steak would definitely recommend and will be eating their in near future read more

If you love meat, you'll love the Dark Horse. Delicious smoked tender meat and very tasty pizzas too. Upstairs they have some great music at the weekend as well read more