Forum Topic

The Weir

I know there have been postings in the past about The Weir but feel this warrants a new topic.   I've been in a few times recently and the food has been pretty good, with average to poor service.  However, today, having arrived at around 1:55pm for Sunday luncheon, The Weir excelled itself.   It took 10 minutes to get a drink, in a virtually empty establishment.  There were already 8 ladies dining and maybe half a dozen others.   We ordered our drinks and food.  The starter was okay and arrived within 25 minutes.   The main course (we both ordered the roast lamb) arrived after a half hour wait.   My lamb was a plate of fat.  No exaggeration I would estimate at least 60% of the plate was fat. My friends plate was equally as bad.  When I expressed my shock, the waiter just waltzed off with the plates without comment.  We immediately asked for the bill and when questioned about what the problem was one of the waiting staff dismissed me with a turn of the heel and a flick of the wrist.  Absolutely atrocious.   We subsequently headed to O'Briens where we had a lovely roast lamb meal, that arrived within 10 minutes at a fraction of the price of The Weir. It's a shame - I like the establishment but the staff are rude and seem to operate on a "when I can be bothered" basis.  It's frustrating in this day and age to receive poor service.  It is also extraordinary that a chef can serve up a plate that is half fat and think that is okay.  Worse that the serving staff even took it to the table. 

Jan Riley ● 5535d27 Comments

Maria You are answering a post that is 6 years old someone has bumped an old 2010 thread to the top

Bernard Allen ● 3410d

That is interesting. I go to The Weir every Saturday for dinner and have always found the staff and food to be great, and my only complaint is that once we ordered a tarte tatin and got something completely different that was on top of it undercooked.Other than that I love this place and will continue to go as long as I can.

Maria Varela ● 3410d

I am looking for a friend of Sandra Harrison nee Field called Doreen Giddings who worked with Sandra at Coley Thermometer and wondered if this was you? She would love to get in touch

Ava Lynch ● 3412d

I think it probably suffered from the rise of the "new puritanism" and the backlash against the "pub lunch." I remember through most of the '80's and '90's The White Horse was always rammed to the gunwhales every lunchtime and provided one of the best lunchtime menus around. Midweek evenings were a bit quiet, although there was usually a crowd of Brentford CID boys around to liven things up (I sometimes wonder if the creator of Gene Hunt ever drank in the White Horse of an evening).I'm not sure whether it was not successful, or simply that the mark-up on gastro-pub meals is infinitely more profitable than "normal" pub grub and beer.

Mick Brent ● 5520d

Looks like a decent pub - although not significantly different from any one of many pubs in the area. The  question that springs to mind is why did it not succeed in the old guise? It must have been less than successful for it to change.

Alan Clark ● 5520d

Jim Lawes ● 5520d

Wasn't there a "Blue Plaque" for one of the Turners affixed to that wall faces the Court. All gone now. Anywhere enjoy the memory!

Jim Lawes ● 5520d

"You can't appreciate the history of the town if you think the name change is clearly not important."Well Said, I have been in the Weir once and will never go back again.I went with around 12 work friends for a leaving meal, and after spending around £300.00 for the food we was asked to keep our laughter down as we was upsetting the other guests, as there was only 4 other people in the pub i though it was only right to ask who we had upset and the other 4 people were oblivious to it.Just another good pub gone down hill.Should have left it as the White Horse when it was a real pub

Peter Hawkins ● 5523d

You can't appreciate the history of the town if you think the name change is clearly not important.

Neil Chippendale ● 5524d

The Weir  aka The Phoney Pony.

Keith Iddon ● 5524d

I never knew the old white horse so could not comment on either the name change (which is clearly important - not); but the biggest disappoint is that the 'new' weir is failing to deliver on the upmarket/gastropub claim. While I recognise that not everyone wants this format, there are enough who do not want the tired/old man local boozer format so common in Brentford. A decent place for nice food would be welcome, but a pub that is neither is a waste of space.

Alan Clark ● 5524d

Never forgave the Weir for the name change.

Neil Chippendale ● 5526d

I hate to be a dissenter but when i went there for a Sunday lunch I really didn't think much of it.  If it was cooked by a chef, he could still do with a few lessons!  Fairly taseless I thought.  Also went there one Saturday lunch time usual standard pub fayre mostly portion controlled pre-cooked/frozen and uninspiring and definitely not anything a chef would dish up!  Chefs do not usually work only one day a week and I would suspect they employ someone with microwave skills rather than cheffing skills. However it was a clean looking pub which is something it never looked before.The Weir is somewhere I used to go regularly when the current owners took over and the food was originally very good but, as with all thing, it is only as good as the chef and presumably they change from time to time and I had plenty of lukewarm poor quality food there and therefore stopped going.  Haven't been now for about 4 years was not impressed with the owners/managers.  Sounds like nothing much has changed.

Bernadette Paul ● 5526d

I like the Weir, although I have to say I've had hit and miss experiences with the food, when it's good, it's great though! It has a VERY good selection of wine for those who drink the stuff, and nice cheeseboard selections, munchies etc.I have also been very impressed by the revamped 6 Bells - you may be interested Neil as they have lots of interesting photos of Brentford in times gone by. The food is fab - they have a proper chef that the landlord has brought over from the pub he rang in Chiswick and when I went for a meeting there, they did a 'sampling' menu - the food really was lovely.

Helen Martin ● 5526d

Cheers Mark.I'm over late Sept.

Neil Chippendale ● 5526d

I think you will find Neil that one of the original front windows has been relocated inside the pub as a feature.

Mark Welland ● 5527d

Shame the stained glass window's have gone. They were part of the original fabric of the pub. It's getting rare for pubs to retain the Victorian window's.

Neil Chippendale ● 5528d

Hurrah for the new 6 bells - shows what removing ugly stained glass can do. My new local!

Alan Clark ● 5528d

The newly refurbished and re-opened 'Six Bells' at Brentford Bridge is clean, comfortable and serves good food at a reasonable price and service is good.

Doreen Giddings ● 5529d

My friend and I went to The Weir yesterday for lunch.  I had the deep fried squid with chilli jam and my friend had the homemade beefburger.  The food was lovely.  The salads fresh and the service great!  The food came quickly and was well presented and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Shame for those of you who experienced 'an off day'.Fran

Fran Naughton ● 5530d

On a slightly different tack but still re customer service. I had reason to contact Wilkinson's the cheapy shop recently, their service was second to none. A reply by e-mail within 24 hours after a standard acknowledgement, and even several recommendations as to what stores might have what I wanted . Very impressed! Pity Hounslow Homes doesn't follow suit, I contacted them re a piece of land they are responsible for weeks ago and all they've done so far is try and wriggle out of shifting their rears to do something, hopeless.

Vanessa Smith ● 5532d

She's not the only one. I would never go back after experiencing very bad and slow service. The staff were rude and abrupt.

Neil Chippendale ● 5533d

I'm with Nic on this one.Me & Comrade Sue Sampson have been in there on a number of occasions to discuss electoral matters, and have always found the food and the service top notch.Having said that, Jan's experience of bad service is just as valid as my experience of good service - and if she feels let down then The Weir will just have to accept they've lost a customer.

Robin Taylor ● 5533d

Poor service or food has NOT been our experience there, we rate the Weir quite highly.Clearly we have eaten there at different times to you Jan, and never had the lamb

Nic Doczi ● 5533d

I just don't understand these people, with the amount of competition regarding eateries you'd think they'd get their finger out and value their customers. After all they surely know that people talk to one another don't they?

Vanessa Smith ● 5534d

Best Sunday Roast the Brewery Tap. Phone in advance to make sure they can fit you in.

Neil Chippendale ● 5535d

Noted! Will give that a miss! There's plenty of competition around these days so why put up with rubbish service or food. Someone is cutting corners and obviously bad management - doesn't deserve to be long for this world!

Len Worrall ● 5535d