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Post by jonbond on Jul 27, 2014 12:29:08 GMT 1
Anyone been to the revamped cross gates at ford now an american smoke stop/ BBQ place. ? Must have cost a fortune to refurbish again and I just can't see this type of place working in shrewsbury . Il give it 12 months tops
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Post by calimero on Jul 27, 2014 12:39:34 GMT 1
I know loads of people who have been, all positive reviews so far. I've got a good friend from America who went as soon as it opened and he said it is very good (although apparently the sodas aren't as authentic as they could be) and will be going back. I'm hoping to go in the next fortnight, looking forward to it. As for how long it will last, if the product is good people will travel.
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 27, 2014 15:51:36 GMT 1
I was surprised they went for that model there. I'd have thought it'd been better placed next to the cinema etc.
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Post by Matster on Jul 27, 2014 17:55:04 GMT 1
The Bell on Abbey Foregate went for an American food theme. That didn't last too long.
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Post by frankwellshrews on Jul 27, 2014 19:31:56 GMT 1
I just can't see this type of place working in shrewsbury . Il give it 12 months tops Not been out in Town much lately then owd lad? American BBQ / Tex Mex type food, craft beers, etc is very much in with several places in Town currently doing a decent trade in it: the Porterhouse, the ALB, the Cantina place (?? something like that, back of the Pantry in Golden Cross Passage), the new place in Hills Lane, the Blind Tiger, also looks set to be offering the same kind of food, so there's definitely a market for it. That said, with the previously popular Franks having closed recently after they switched to doing this kind of food it does beg the question whether the Town's a bit saturated with this sort of thing. The main thing I would question really is whether the location's right for it, but we'll see. Certainly heard good things so far though and will probably head out to try it myself soon. It also raises the wider point about rural pubs; the days when they could get by just as pubs are long gone with the move to restaurants of increasingly diverse cuisines being commonly seen as the only way to stay afloat. Looks like the days of the country pub could be numbered.
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Post by Dale on Jul 27, 2014 20:41:05 GMT 1
The Crossgates at Ford... wasn't that Jake's pub?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 20:53:30 GMT 1
The Crossgates at Ford... wasn't that Jake's pub? It still is, although it's one of his sons (Ryan) who is running it now. A big gamble to convert it from what I thought was a successful popular country pub & restaurant into this unique place. I hope it works out, initial comments has so far been positive but it's going to have to remain excellent for people to travel out there.
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Post by littlebluefoot on Jul 27, 2014 21:25:10 GMT 1
I'm gutted I didn't know about this last week when I was back in the UK! I wonder if they do a Man V Food challenge there! This is somewhere I will definitely visit (Reviews pending!) when I come back next!
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Post by theriverside on Jul 27, 2014 21:50:06 GMT 1
Tripadvisor looks to have one or two mixed reviews but the menu itself looks to be classic smokehouse fare and probably worth a look. Having said that it will have to go some to beat the whole experience offered at Cantina Cafe next to the Golden Cross which I thought was outstanding food with fantastic service and a rocking atmosphere in the evening. Anywhere that's been open for a couple of years but still 3 goes to even get a booking must be doing something right on a consistent basis. The only advice I can give on the place is that if you are given the option to 'double up' on your burger or pulled pork then JUST SAY NO! Looking at the plateful given to the guy on the table next to me I'm glad I didn't take up the offer
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 22:08:28 GMT 1
The Bell on Abbey Foregate went for an American food theme. That didn't last too long. About as long as the American bird who ran it!!
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 27, 2014 23:20:57 GMT 1
I have heard it's really nice - I just think people drive out to country pubs to drink ale and eat traditional pub fayre.
That said - if traditional pubs are dying out at least they're rolling the dice and giving something a go.
I will never, ever, ever, ever understand why Bar Frank moved from one of the quaintest buildings in Shrewsbury to a concrete box.
There are far too many eating places in the town centre anyway, some are bound to struggle. You don't want to end up being bottom of the pile.
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Post by barrynic on Jul 28, 2014 6:11:14 GMT 1
Think if the food is good enough people will travel................I live in Wellington and often go to Zenna in Pontesbury, great food and nice people.
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bigsam
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Post by bigsam on Jul 28, 2014 9:58:20 GMT 1
I tried to book here last week. I phoned during supposed opening hours, for over an hour and a half, and no one would answer. I then looked at trip adviser, and there an awful lot of really terrible reviews. It is ranked at something like 247 out of 260 restaurants in and around Shrewsbury. Can't see it lasting very long at all.
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 28, 2014 10:21:17 GMT 1
The one to go to is the Olive Tree on frankwell roundabout, that's lovely.
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Post by venceremos on Jul 28, 2014 11:16:24 GMT 1
I will never, ever, ever, ever understand why Bar Frank moved from one of the quaintest buildings in Shrewsbury to a concrete box. Agree about Frank's. The new place had as much character as the bus station. They made it worse by having utterly inadequate facilities. We went there in winter and the upstairs room was freezing. There was a flimsy wall-mounted radiator for the whole room and the staff wheeled out a single portable radiator. That was bagged by the other occupied table and they had no more, so we ate in our coats. We were never tempted to return. Shambolic - an object lesson in how to mess up a good thing.
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Post by theriverside on Jul 28, 2014 12:54:28 GMT 1
I will never, ever, ever, ever understand why Bar Frank moved from one of the quaintest buildings in Shrewsbury to a concrete box. Agree about Frank's. The new place had as much character as the bus station. They made it worse by having utterly inadequate facilities. We went there in winter and the upstairs room was freezing. There was a flimsy wall-mounted radiator for the whole room and the staff wheeled out a single portable radiator. That was bagged by the other occupied table and they had no more, so we ate in our coats. We were never tempted to return. Shambolic - an object lesson in how to mess up a good thing. I think they had a fairly grand plan for fitting the place out but ran out of cash halfway through and had to operate as they were in order to generate some income to finish the job. Tales of staff pushing a little too hard to get your spend up were enough to keep me out of the place - I'm inclined to spend less in any place that goes OTT with the hard sell.
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Post by El Presidente on Jul 28, 2014 15:12:19 GMT 1
The Bell on Abbey Foregate went for an American food theme. That didn't last too long. About as long as the American bird who ran it!!
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Post by mattmw on Jul 28, 2014 18:02:40 GMT 1
Is strange how 20 years ago Shrewsbury was pretty short on good places to eat. Off the top of my head there are at least 15 gastro pubs in the town centre now, probably another 15 independent cafes plus the usual high street chains and pubs
Bring in the rural pubs within ten miles of Shrewsbury and you could probably do one a night and still not visit them all in a month. In a relatively small town I'm not sure all of them can make a living, it's not like we have a massive tourist economy either
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 28, 2014 18:48:31 GMT 1
It's something like 230 places to eat in the loop now, including takeaways.
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Post by SY3 on Jul 28, 2014 19:19:51 GMT 1
It's something like 230 places to eat in the loop now, including takeaways. No wonder i'm overweight damn Shrewsbury
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 21:17:44 GMT 1
It's something like 230 places to eat in the loop now, including takeaways. No great surprise, people habits & likes have changed drastically. There's very few old style drinking pubs now, the older ones now do food too (OPO, Hole in the Wall, Bull Butcher Row, Loggerheads etc) whilst there's a load that have become eateries - Black Bull (Zizzis), Albert (Alb), Lion & Tap (Henry Tudor House), Exchange (Morgans), Swan (Olive Tree). And you now have more more variety with places like Casa Naranjo, Cantina, House of Rising Sun, the new noodle place by C21 plus a hell of a lot more I haven't mentioned. And of course there's more of a cafe/coffee culture than there was years ago. When I was younger and I went out for a meal we would always go to a nearby village whereas now I regularly go into town. There are still a lot of places in the country and I guess Ryan is trying to make his place stand out
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Post by ferkle94 on Jul 28, 2014 21:23:55 GMT 1
I don't think much really beats The Peach Tree in Shrewsbury. Amazing, creative, and not badly priced food. And the new Ramen Bar added to it, Momo No Ki, sounds fantastic too... Going there in a couple of weeks and I'm very excited!
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Post by El Presidente on Jul 28, 2014 22:11:44 GMT 1
A prime example of consumer tastes changing (or change being subtly forced on us by corporations) - coffee...and coffee shops.
I had a proper walk around Shrewsbury town centre last weekend, first in many years, and was spoilt for choice - Starbucks, Costa and Nero all within about 300 yds of each other.
The last town I lived in was much the same. Costa opened, then Nero opened opposite, then a smaller Costa about 500 yds up the road.
Add this to all the 'express' machines you see in almost every petrol station...
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Post by shrewinjapan on Jul 29, 2014 0:43:56 GMT 1
I don't think much really beats The Peach Tree in Shrewsbury. Amazing, creative, and not badly priced food. And the new Ramen Bar added to it, Momo No Ki, sounds fantastic too... Going there in a couple of weeks and I'm very excited! Interesting, I shall have to try their ramen next time I'm home and see if it is up to scratch.
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 29, 2014 6:51:07 GMT 1
I don't think much really beats The Peach Tree in Shrewsbury. Amazing, creative, and not badly priced food. And the new Ramen Bar added to it, Momo No Ki, sounds fantastic too... Going there in a couple of weeks and I'm very excited! I like the peach tree but I think the owner is getting a little too powerful. Ask people who had stands at the food festival what he's like to be alongside. The chronicle seemed to be running a 'what will happen to the prison now he's not buying it' story on the front page every week which was essentially the same story and lots of free advertising. He's done great stuff getting the butter market going and is commercially astute but it's a small town and you can't start annoying too many people as everyone knows someone.
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jul 29, 2014 6:58:49 GMT 1
A prime example of consumer tastes changing (or change being subtly forced on us by corporations) - coffee...and coffee shops. I had a proper walk around Shrewsbury town centre last weekend, first in many years, and was spoilt for choice - Starbucks, Costa and Nero all within about 300 yds of each other. The last town I lived in was much the same. Costa opened, then Nero opened opposite, then a smaller Costa about 500 yds up the road. Add this to all the 'express' machines you see in almost every petrol station... There are some brilliant independent tea rooms and coffee houses too, like Eat Up which is exceptional, especially for young families, stop, the gallery tea room etc. For a town our size without a university we certainly benefit from 1000+ sixth formers eating every day. Moving the college to London road would have decimated the number of cafes and sandwich shops, and left the big boys to slug it out.
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