You know the one, that serves pints of lager by the river for 2 ****ing pounds 30! I love it!
The one that floods?
Great pub.
Sam Smiths? King's Arms?
Sams Smith pub. Great for a pint in the summer.
Kings arms, and yes I believe it floods regularly. Bloody loved it. Tadcaster ales. Paid 8.10 for a shit pint and a half not 3 mins away. It can be done and the big boys should take note. That's why there wasn't a spare seat outside. Great effort and a huge credit to York!
£2.30?! Christ it's got dear since the last time I was there.
Anyone used to drink in the Angel in the centre of Leeds? Another cracking Samuel Smith's pub (as long as you went upstairs). Has that breached the £1.50 mark yet?
I used to meet a couple of mates in the Angel regularly. Used to get change from a fiver for 3 pints. Haven't been in for a few years though...
Sam Smiths pubs are great value, just a shame that the owener of the brewery is a complete cockwomble. Humphrey Smith. Treatment of his staff is awful, he does everything he can to be a pain in the arse. A couple of years ago when the road bridge was partially swept away in Tadcaster, splitting the town in two, he refused to allow them to put a temporary footbridge in place next to it so people could walk in to the town because one end of it would have been on land he owns for a few meters. So intead they had to put it further upstream and making the trip for the elderley and disabled much more difficult.
https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14200874.an-open-letter-to-humphrey-smith/
Really? Sam Smiths beer?
Hateful stuff.
if sam smith's were the only ale available in the world, I would become a lager drinker.
it is CRAP
The Princess Louise in Holborn used to be a great pub, now it's Sam Smiths it is dire.
Once you know something about a company owner it is impossible to unknow it and think of the company any differently. Too much out there about the way he/they treat their staff to enjoy their ale even if it tasted nice. The fact that it doesn't makes it possibly even less appealing than a Weatherspoons establishment.
I like my livingroom. Everyone who is in it I like and the beer is cheap and pretty much infinitely variable. To get me out of it requires me to feel good about where I'm drinking. Could not do that in a SS pub.
What Ton says but I'd not drink lager either as it's shite.
if sam smith’s were the only ale available in the world, I would become a lager drinker.
it is CRAP
I wouldn't say it is crap. Yes it does have a certain taste but it is perfectly drinkable and, from what I remember, it is brewed only using malt, hops, yeast and water with no additives - a proper old school traditional bitter.
sam smiths reminds me of beer that we drank in the early 8o's.
john smiths, boddingtons, websters and Tetleys.
we called it and still call it Carpet beer. the landlord has spilled it on the carpet, then scooped it back into your glass before handing it to you.
pales, blondes, ipa's and the offerings nowadays are worlds apart and miles better than the stuff of days gone by.
Drinking in a Sam Smiths pub was always a low light when out in town, The Chandos at Charing Cross and a couple that used to be in Fitzrovia - all crap and I seen to recall that their lager was disgusting as well.
it is brewed only using malt, hops, yeast and water with no additives – a proper old school traditional bitter.
It's still crap.
Never knew that about the owner.....shame.
The bottled stuff is nice - the Nut Brown Ale is still a cracker.
john smiths, boddingtons, websters and Tetleys.
Can't really speak for John Smiths or Websters, but a proper pint of cask Boddies or Tetleys was an excellent, excellent thing. Unfortunately they all went the way of keg/smoothflow awfulness.
Obviously, many pubs used to, and still do, serve terrible beer, regardless of the brand/brewery
pales, blondes, ipa’s and the offerings nowadays
... are often really effing samey. So often now I go in a pub, they have four handpumps, and they're all serving different types of golden/pale ales.
It’s still crap.
IYO 😉
Spent a few miss spent hours in there back in the day, but we always preferred the Grobbs. It's changed a tad since we went there mind.
Freebird (long version) on the duke box. Fab.
Ah; the self appointed Laird of Tadcaster! Guy is a living parody of monty burns.
it is brewed only using malt, hops, yeast and water with no additives
Sam Smiths pubs are always near a river.
Makes you think...
It’s cheap because it’s bloody awful stuff
Having worked in the brewery I can tell you theres a reason the beer doesn't taste right. The place is ****ing bogging.
We've got a Sam Smith's in Newport and it's a decent place to go for a pint but unfortunately the beers not the best. Pint of 'man in the box' anyone?
I've heard a rumour that the board can overthrow the owner when he reaches 75 this year. It should have happened 5 years ago but he changed his job title to keep control. His latest rant is mobile phones so they are banned now. Hopefully the new board will bring some life back to the pubs if the overthrow happens.
Am I the only person in the world who doesn't actually mind a Taddy Porter 🤫
@timbob78 no as tbere was a few ordered whilst I was at the bar, along with the stout. Obviously the beer snobs (of which there are many on here), just like the coffee snobs in similar circumstances will always sneer at a lager drinker like myself. Fwiw I think "ale" tastes like shite!
Fwiw I think “ale” tastes like shite!
Don't worry no one is perfect.
At least I'm not alone then 😁 also it is a great pub 👍
His latest rant is mobile phones so they are banned now. Hopefully the new board will bring some life back to the pubs if the overthrow happens.
I hope your'e not inferring that allowing mobiles in pubs adds life to it! Jesus, it does the opposite. Heads down & faffing around with apps.
We were in The Blacksmiths Arms in Farlington near York a few weeks ago for Sunday lunch. Beer was 'ok' & cheap, the food was excellent but that's nowt to do with Smiths, & the place was packed with locals & non locals alike. No-one on a phone & plenty of good banter.
Humphrey Smith is indeed a Nob though. A very wealthy Nob. He owns most of Tadcaster I believe.
I hope your’e not inferring that allowing mobiles in pubs adds life to it!
Its probably that banning phones will keep people away. Lift the ban more people will come in.
That phone ban was possibly my fault. I got an invite to watch Tadcaster albion play at home. Our group went into a Sam's pub nearby and we sat near some distinguished gentleman having a chat. I started watching the Leeds game on my phone for 1/2 hour or so. I apologised for disturbing their peace when we left. 1 week later the phone ban was introduced.
Great spot for a sunny afternoon. Had sex with a lovely girl outside it once about 3 in the morning after leaving a party nearby. Ah the early 90’s. How we entertained ourselves before mobilephones.
Great spot for a sunny afternoon. Had sex with a lovely girl outside it once about 3 in the morning after leaving a party nearby. Ah the early 90’s. How we entertained ourselves before mobilephones.
Humblebrag alert
Sam Smiths pubs tend to get everything right except the beer. Its a real shame its sooooo bad.
I was keen until i read it was a Sam Smith's pub. I'm usually a lager drinker but as a mate was managing one in the City for a couple of weeks I popped up to visit.
I really struggled to find something drinkable.
Say what you like about Wetherspoons - and oh God you will - you can usually find some alcohol that won't offend you.
So two chains that are cheap and have dubious owners.
Hmmm... have they ever been seen in the same room together.
* Public Notice: I actually like my local Spoons.
I don't like wetherspoons pubs either. try to stay away from them, But the Shipyard ale they have on keg is very suppable.
nothing that sam smiths have ever made is suppable.
That’s the thing with Wetherspoons the beer they stock is good and they know how to look after it. I won’t actively visit one but I won’t boycott them either.
teethgrinder
My humble brag would be I took Cyndi Lauper to the Spread Eagle for a pint in the afternoon. I was working as local crew at the venue she was playing at when she said she wanted to try English beer. I volunteered. The lovely lady in question was a pleasant end to my day.
Surely the only Yorkshire beer to drink is Tim Taylors Landlord, and even then only from the Boltmakers Arms in Keighley
I drove past a pub with the sign:
ALL PINTS £2
HEINEKEN £3
In Ponty I think, somewhere up the valleys.
Surely the only Yorkshire beer to drink is Tim Taylors Landlord, and even then only from the Boltmakers Arms in Keighley
Landlord is my fave beer but their Knowle Spring is rather nice too. I had to have 5 pints in Kettlewell to make sure I really did like it.
5 pints of handpulled tonight for £10. Pretty much hammered for a tenner 👍