Power tip: quaint pub with an adjoining burger and fries stand. Good bacon burger, and both the…read morespiced and Alabama fries were tasty. Staff were friendly

Built in the 1920s by the Mitchells & Butlers brewery this large, Grade II listed pub in the middle…read moreof the Birmingham suburb of Stirchley is something of a hidden treasure, despite being situated in plain sight along the busy Pershore Road. You step across a small car park and into the public bar, which is a large open space that can often get busy when there are sporting events on the big screen, but venture past this and The British Oak slowly starts to reveal its many charms over a series of side and back rooms, and an extensive garden. You may think that the place looks big when viewed from the front, but this really only tells half the story. When the pub was originally built, and for many years that followed, the side rooms were variously 'The Gents' Only Lounge', or 'The Smoke Room', but in 21st Century, smoke-free Britain these are now simply extra rooms within the same pub that offer quiet places for customers to drink, eat and talk, away from the bustle of the main bar. Move towards the back of the building and you could almost be in another pub entirely as you enter the small and cosy back bar, more than likely stepping over a sleeping dog or two in process. With an open fire and the genuine feel of a small, country boozer, this snug space is particularly welcoming on dark and damp Winter afternoons. To the side of the back bar there is yet another room, the last of the 5, which is variously used as a venue for family parties (particularly at weekends) or for any number of events promoted by Stirchley's burgeoning creative community, including film screenings and a comedy night. Whilst the 5 interconnecting rooms of the main building offer an impressive array of different pub experiences under the same roof, it is only once you move outside at the back of the pub that you really get a sense of the size of the place. The back door opens onto a large, covered area containing leather sofas and long tables that offer a rare chance to drink and smoke in comfort, before leading you down the steps into a seriously huge garden that is also the perfect afternoon sun trap. The garden has a slide and various other play equipment for the kids (and big kids) and even when busy, as it often is during the summer months, it never feels too crowded. Further still, and at the very back of the garden, there is the quintessentially English site of a manicured bowling green and wooden clubhouse, for this is the home of The British Oak Bowling Club. Listen to sound of polite applause and muted cheers drifting across the garden on summer afternoons and you will be a million miles away from the slow drudge of the Pershore Road. The British Oak is child and dog-friendly and offers a decent selection of wines, spirits and lagers, as well as a range of cask ales sufficiently varied to make it one of CAMRA's 'Real Heritage Pubs'. The food an offer ranges from good, honest pub grub - the gammon, egg and chips is particularly fine - as well as bar snacks, such as bowls of chips, sandwiches, pizzas and hot pies. In an age of homogenised chain pubs and regenerated urban boozers that often try too hard to impress, The British Oak is a welcome change to the norm. It's a traditional pub that is moving with the times but doing so at its own pace, thank you very much, and therein lies its charm. If you are looking for a place to sit and read a newspaper over a pint, or for somewhere to take family or friends, in summer or winter, I recommend a visit.

Despite being gifted with a great frontage, a lovely garden and smoking area, as well as a…read morespacious open plan interior, the Three Horseshoes miserably fails to be anything more than average. It's rare for me to be so negative in a review, especially in the opening sentence but I really do struggle to find much positive to say about the place - the drink selection and the food are nothing unusual, the music that is played is soul crushingly bland as well as seeming to repeat every hour. The staff try their level best which I always appreciate but there's very little that can be done in this situation to elevate the experience to anything special or unusual. When I go out, the aim is to enjoy myself and usually I succeed. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite manage that in The Three Horseshoes.

I'm not a huge fan of this place, to be honest. Even though there are only a handful of pubs in the…read morearea - and that one of them is The Hibernian, which also isn't great - this pub would be the last one I would chose. As is often the case with a less-than-great boozer, it could be so much better. The building itself is a great, traditional pub and the location is superb - right in the middle of the gateway to Stirchley - but unfortunately the pub lacks any kind of soul. This might be to do with the fact that it is quite large inside, but there are plenty of big pubs that manage to retain a welcoming feel. In fact, it's hard to put your finger on what exactly is wrong with the place, but it just doesn't feel right to me. A shame, and perhaps it will change in time, but at the moment this place is just not for me.

A cosy little indie bar on Stirchley's main thoroughfare, The Wildcat Tap is a beer lovers must…read morevisit. It's a single room for the bar and the cellar, which means you pick your beers as if you're at a festival (unless you read the blackboard, but where's the fun in that). A good (rotating) selection of cask ales is balanced with some excellent craft keg and bottled beers from around the globe, but the selection of non beer drinks is only adequate. But with such limited real estate to play with, they've gone with what they know and do it damnably well. The small nature of the bar means that seating is limited and it's often impossible to get a table for group; so thank goodness that it's located in one of Birmingham's friendliest suburbs and you're pretty much able to get in on the conversation wherever you end up. All in all a wonderful place for a quiet couple and a great place to meet ale lovers.

This is my closest local at the moment, but I have to admit, I hardly ever go there. Not quite sure…read morewhy, if I'm being honest, as there's technically nothing wrong with it. I guess it's just that there's nothing particularly ... particular about it. It's a large pub and, certainly at the weekends and when there's sport on (they show a lot of sports) it can get a bit rowdy. Personally, I didn't find it a massively friendly pub - I got the impression that there were a lot of regulars who are a bit suspicious of other people flitting in and out. They do do some good meal deals though - all standard pub grub at standard pub grub prices, so it's worth ducking in for a generous portion of pub grub with your pint. Other than that., I'd say it was a pretty average kind of pub.

Located on the Pineapple Road this is a really good local public house which has a lot of character…read moreabout it. They have a very loyal customer base all of whom are friendly and extremely welcoming to any new faces that walk through the doors. The best thing about this place is its deals; Mondays in particular are a real cash saver with pints of lager priced at a ludicrously low one pound fifty. Throw in the mix the great food they do and you have a top notch pub experience. On the subject of food be sure to go for their smothered chicken which is delivered to your table on a sizzling hot plate covered in bacon, cheese and a fantastic BBQ sauce. They show live sport too and on the weekends you will encounter as lively a pub as there is in Birmingham. Bear in mind also their function room which is available for hire at a good price and is perfect for a special celebration.

Smoking food and music…read more 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.

You guys rock, Atmosphere 10/10, Service 10/10, Food 10/10, We can find no fault here at all. Ok,…read moreif 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.

Not a great place this - firstly you'll have to fight your way through the smokers who hang around…read morethe porch to get in - they're not exactly a welcoming bunch either. Secondly when you get into the pub you'll see that it's seen better days. Every time I've popped in it looks like they're just recovering from some kind of bar room brawl (which if the other review is anything to go by, is a distinct possibility) - seats are ripped and tables are wonky. Staff are nice enough and the food looks okay and I'll always rather like the place because I used to skive off College and pop here with my mates for a cheeky half, but really there are nicer places to go.

We often pop into The Navigation Inn on Kings Norton Green for a meal because they are one of those…read more2-for-1 pubs and this makes it cheaper to eat a proper meal here rather than heading up the road to McDonalds. The food is really nice, it's typical pub grub and the menu is fairly extensive for a pub of this type. When me and my fella eat here we usually go for one of the steak meals, although I love their chicken breast with bacon smothered in a cheesey bbq sauce! You can choose to have chips, potatoes or a jacket with your meal which is ideal for those weeks when I am on a healthy eating kick! The chips are worth having though, they have a beautiful home made quality and are not greasy in the slightest. When you order tell them how you want your steak cooked at they will endevour to get it perfect, occasionally it's not as rare as I'd like but it's still so well cooked that I never bother to tell them. The meals cost between £5.79 and £10, it will be the cheapest meal you get for free so try and make the prices as even as possible to make the most of the special offer. They have a good kids menu which is more or less smaller portions of the full size meals, I think this is great because my kids would rather eat the same kind of food as me so it was nice to see that the menu didn't consist of just chicken nuggets and sausages! The portion sizes for all meals are very good, but the childrens meals are excellent in size and would fill me up let alone eating a large size meal! The Navigation Inn is fine for disabled visitors, my mum lives nearby and regularly visits with her friend who uses a wheelchair. All areas in the pub are on one level so no-one should have a problem getting around, although if you want to use the beer garden you will need to go out the front door and through the car park in order to avoid a steep flight of stairs. Likewise if you are very drunk. There are a good range of drinks behind the bar, everything you would expect to find in a pub like this. You can also choose from a good selection of soft drinks including tea and coffee plus the most delicious mixed fruit juice which is served in a tall glass with loads of ice. Surprisingly the drinks are not overpriced and are actually among the cheapest in pubs around here. I usually find these 2-for-1 pubs will inflate the prices of the drinks to make up for all the free food they are giving away, but the Navigation has cheap prices across the board with some great promotional prices as well. I like the atmosphere in this pub because there are plenty of children playing around which always makes a place seem fun, also there are lots of elderly gentlemen who drink here who are obvious regulars. Sometimes it gets very busy, especially at the weekend, but usually there are just the right amount of customers to give it a lively feel but not so many that you are having to elbow your way to the bar. Outside you have a large car park, beer garden and an excellent wooden play area for the kids. My daughters' love the freedom they have in the Navigation because although it's located on a fairly main road they can go into the play area and have some fun while I watch them from the comfort of the wooden bench.

The Red Lion in Kings Heath is an Ember Inn, so you basically get the same in terms of food drinks…read moreand activities as you get at any other Ember Inn. However, this place is noteworthy for a few reasons: 1) It's a Grade II listed building. Built in 1903 in Cotswold limestone its a classic turn of the century old stone pub. It has a beautiful elaborate arched entrance, and the interior contains old wooden timber beams. There's also, as you might expect, a rather striking ornamental red lion on the front as well. 2) In keeping with its olde worlde feel, it runs a very well regarded folk club from out of its upstairs function rooms. They put on live gigs every Wednesday (which is pretty impressive - I had no idea there were that many folk acts knocking around in Brum) and have a membership scheme that offers members a (small) discount on gigs. They won the Radio 2 Folk Club of the year aware back in 2006 - and I'm pretty sure it won't have deteriorated since then! They also have a decent beer garden at the front (if you don't mind being surrounded by main roads).

Ye Old Red Lion is an Ember pub with brilliant staff and always pleasant customers. They sell lots…read moreof real ales including my husbands favourite Deuchers IPA and also Timothy Taylor. Beers are always served at the correct temperature and the pub is clean and well stocked with everything. There's always a nice atmosphere in here as the customers tend to be older people who are always ready to chat, or at worst keep themselves to themselves. I've eaten now and again in Ye Old Red Lion and have been impressed with the food, the steak is very good and served with chips or a jacket potato if you're feeling healthy. There is a car park outside the front of the pub which has limited spaces and it can be hard to get your car in and out if someone has parked at an awkward angle. Parking is available on the road round the corner though so not a problem.

Tucked away at the end of Stirchley in a location you cannot see from the main road, neighboured by…read morea canal and a venue for children's parties, you cannot help but wonder how The Roadhouse has managed to exist for so long as a venue. I played here with one of my old bands about seven years ago and it seemed to have been around for ever then. My sporadic visits since have revealed The Roadhouse to be a friendly enough venue with the ambience set to old school/biker . A good sound system and a fairly standard but well priced bar make this a good place to see a band. The schedule seems to consist of a mix of up and coming indie/rock acts and tribute acts of classic rock bands with acoustic nights on a thursday. They also offer music tuition services but I can't comment on these as I haven't had need to use them. The venue side of the business I can recommend, providing the style of act playing that night is to your tastes.

This venue is part of the newly revived and thriving Birmingham (Brum) scene. Entrance is cheap,…read moreusually only a few quid, and the drinks are student prices, which is fortunate considering most of the clients. This venue is big on Folk, acoustic and rock. A place to check out the local talent in all it's various forms. The doormen are laid back and friendly. The staff rather new wave and hippy nice. A good laid back venue for a chilled out evening. Tune in and tune out.

I came in here for an early breakfast a couple of days ago. I sat down to the Lion King soundtrack…read moreblaring in the background. By the time 'The Circle of Life' had finished I was ready to end mine. The breakfast was cold and the plate was chipped and smeared with grease, my extra portion of black pudding looked like a brain tumor. The yolk in my egg was yellow like the poor old souls' teeth that sat adjacent to me. The décor was dirty brown, and tanned by nicotine from the time we could smoke in pubs. It wasn't the food though, I was here at 9am and the patrons were drinking in full force. If ever you want to give up alcohol because you have a problem or for health reasons, then instead of the 12 steps I would recommend spending a mornings hour in The Goose. The depths of human depravity that can be seen here are quite inspiring. If you have given up on love, life and music then The Goose is perfect for you.

Full of the near-dead, the unemployed and the very low-waged, every face in here tells a sorry life…read morestory. In the weekdays, single old men stare out of the window onto the bird poo caked exterior paintwork wondering where it all went wrong. Puffy-faced red-nosed men in their fifties stumble out at 5pm staggering blind-steamed drunk back to whereverland. On weekend nights women with bodies from Baywatch and faces from Crimewatch stand out the front smoking Mayfair cigarettes in their supermarket clothes. Men fresh out of prison are welcomed back to society with a round of pound-shop priced drinks. Does The Goose have any redeeming features? The prices of the food and the drinks are staggeringly low-priced but the quality of the food ain't great. You get what you pay for, so the old adage goes. I've no doubt that The Goose fulfills a role the community and it's where some call home, but I wouldn't even wait at the bus stop out side it.

I got to the pub for the Daytime Menu, and I was starving, luckily the Hare and Hounds has a large…read moremenu of tasty sandwiches, omelets, pancakes and burgers on hand to stimulate my culinary desires. I tried the recommended Organic Burger £6.50 with chunky chips and side salad. It was a clean plate of food with a healthy sized burger that tasted fresh and wholesome, the way a good burger should be. It was only until after I had devoured my meal that I noticed the large selections of Ales they have on offer from breweries across the country. My friend indulged in a reasonably priced IPA whilst I had a Coke as I had to drive home. Well, the car got left outside overnight, I couldn't drive home in the end. Crowds of chain smoking revelers outside were anticipating the arrival of a band at one of the Hares' two live music rooms. I noticed that UB40's first ever gig took place here in 1979 - commemorated recently with a PRS Music Heritage award and plaque - to establishing itself as one of the top small music venues in Birmingham. We were in for a good night! We had a few more ales and the band came on in the Main Room. The acoustics and smaller intimate feel of the venue put a big smile on my face, so did the band, so did the night. The Hare and Hounds is definitely the place to visit.

There are many great venues in Kings Heath, but one that often comes up in conversation is the Hare…read moreand Hounds. This is not just a great little pub, but a bustling music venue that covers a huge range of genres (it can be forgiven for the blue plaque stating "UB40 played here"). Easy to get to on the number 50 bus and with plenty of on-street parking (if you're not drinking, of course) available, it's well located on Kings Heath High Street. Like so many of the great venues in Birmingham, the exterior is smart and well kept (giving off a "traditional village pub" vibe). The interior isn't hipster, but rather twee and portraying a feel of antiquity. There are comfy booths and plentiful tables and chairs, but this venue can get very busy due to it's reputation and collection of fiercely loyal regulars. It has a smoking area just off the street (at the side of the pub on York Road), which is a great place to start chatting with the other frequenters. Last Friday we ended up having great conversations with total strangers about the cost of the Bloody Mary in London and Don Letts (who is due to be appearing at the venue soon). As with so many of the bars in this "up and coming" area, a drink aint cheap. It certainly isn't as bad as some Central bars - but you are looking over £3 a pint .It was £1.90 a half of guinness (rather than £1.80 as previously stated), making a full pint of the black stuff £3.90. A double vodka and tonic was north of £5. That being said, I still believe the venue is worthy of 4* (for it's fantastic atmosphere and well kept decor). If you are a keen Muso, I would recommend regularly checking the listings. There are some really great events being put on right through the year with big and small names rocking the H&H. If you're in Kings Heath, I recommend this as a bar to check out - but being based on the High Street and York Road; you are spoiled for choice in this area.