Frankie & Bennys - should they be on PuG?

[Quinno]

I ask as I have never been in one - do they have an actual proper bar allowing for drinking only?

Cafe Rouge is iffy but just about OK. Las Tasca ropey (I think they should probably go, myself). But Frankie & Bennys...?

[Dave M]

The ones that I can think of do have a bar with bar stools to in theory allow someone to pop in for a drink.

Can't say I'd ever go in for a drink though.

[bcfczuluarmy]

Same as TGI's. Bristol Camra have actually added them to What Pub but I'm undecided if I'll bother doing them yet. They fit the brief though......

[london calling]

I rate all the people on this forum and I have met quite a few in person as 10/10 but if anyone starts claiming a tick for Frankie and Benny,s I will seriously have to re-rate that person.Most probably downwards.You have been warned.

[sheffield hatter]

I rate all the people on this forum and I have met quite a few in person as 10/10 but if anyone starts claiming a tick for Frankie and Benny,s I will seriously have to re-rate that person.Most probably downwards.You have been warned.

:evilgrin:

[Strongers]

My eldest daughter had her 7th birthday in the Eastbourne F&B in December last year. There was a bar with stools and a couple of draught lagers. Much like TGI Fridays. I actually really liked it and found the food and service to be very good, but I did stop short of reviewing it :p

[Farway]

never been in one, but if as Strongers says you can walk in & get an alcoholic drink, then why not?

[Boots60]

Where do you draw the line? There are plenty of Asian/European restaurants that do not mind customers coming in just for a beer or two. After all they need the trade, but none of these type of establishments can be classified as even resembling a public house. On a purely personal note I would only take a review seriously if the establishment was at least something like a pub.

[london calling]

I lost a tooth eating ribs in Frankie and Bennys Kingston but I don't hold that against them.

[london calling]

never been in one, but if as Strongers says you can walk in & get an alcoholic drink, then why not?
Cos ,this is Pubs Galore.Burger King are to sell beer in 4 trial outlets. Do we include them? TGI,s is def a bar imo.

[Mobyduck]

Where do you draw the line? There are plenty of Asian/European restaurants that do not mind customers coming in just for a beer or two. After all they need the trade, but none of these type of establishments can be classified as even resembling a public house. On a purely personal note I would only take a review seriously if the establishment was at least something like a pub.
I have to agree , its Pubsgalore not Restaurants that sell beer galore.

[Aqualung]

I have to agree , its Pubsgalore not Restaurants that sell beer galore.


Agreed. Nor is it Wine Bars Galore, Night Clubs Galore, Residents Only Hotels Galore or in one case I noticed posted Chip Shops Galore!!

[Strongers]

I do love it when this subject comes up! The rule is that a venue may be added if:

‘You can walk in off the street and purchase an alcoholic drink without paying for entrance or food’

Whilst this is simple statement I do think that a little bit of common sense needs to be used by the PuG community. For instance, adding a club that is open from 9pm until 6am because it is free entry before 10pm is taking the piss.

If I find a hotel bar that is residents only I will ask for it to be deleted because it fails the inclusion criteria. The same goes with chip shops and nail bars!

I personally do not think that F&B or Café Rouge add anything to the site and IMO I think that their inclusion is detrimental because it waters down the content. However, they meet the site rules and someone must think they should be included or they wouldn't have been added in the first place.


Do we know how many new pubs are added to the site each month? When I say pub I mean a proper pub, not a bar/café/restaurant.

[Al 10000]

I personally do not think that F&B or Café Rouge add anything to the site and IMO I think that their inclusion is detrimental because it waters down the content. However, they meet the site rules and someone must think they should be included or they wouldn't have been added in the first place.

.

I would like to bet that all Cafe Rouges and F&Bs have been added by the serial photgraphers who seem to want to take photos of anything,this includes doorways,chip shops and the like.
This then leaves muppets like me to go and try to do them only to find out it is a doorway or chip shop.

Some Harvesters should also be deleted,i got chucked out of the Lincoln one because i did'nt want a meal,La Taskas are another chain that in my opinion are not pubs or even bars so should also go from the site.

[rpadam]

I would like to bet that all Cafe Rouges and F&Bs have been added by the serial photgraphers who seem to want to take photos of anything,this includes doorways,chip shops and the like.
This then leaves muppets like me to go and try to do them only to find out it is a doorway or chip shop.

Some Harvesters should also be deleted,i got chucked out of the Lincoln one because i did'nt want a meal,La Taskas are another chain that in my opinion are not pubs or even bars so should also go from the site.
No idea about Frankie & Bennys or La Taskas, but I have never encountered a Harvester where you couldn't just buy a drink (although I've never been to the Lincoln one). Similarly for the odd Café Rouge that I have visited. Neither are my cup of tea, but sometimes they are the only place in the area, and in any case the whole point about reviewing such places is surely to use what you've found to inform others about what to expect?

Anyway, my personal opinion is that we should leave things as they are since deleting them really doesn't help anybody (and preferably lets give this whole topic a well-deserved rest...).

[bcfczuluarmy]

I would base F&B on their website and it doesn't mention anything about "just pop in for a drink" so I'm out, it's all about Restaurant.

[rpadam]

I would base F&B on their website and it doesn't mention anything about "just pop in for a drink" so I'm out, it's all about Restaurant.
What?ub seems to have the same dilemma, with about 40 F&Bs listed, some ten of which are flagged as restaurants with a comment along the following lines: "This is a restaurant, which means that you will not be able to buy only drinks, and you may be required to buy a meal."

However, that leaves 75% of the outlets not flagged in that way so without a description or review one is left in the dark whether you can just a drink at the bar or not...

[Mobyduck]

this includes doorways,
Ha ha, I know what you mean Al, but I am guilty of adding this (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubpictures/83440/) recently, not managed to get in there yet as when I went for that very purpose I found out it is closed on Sundays. :moremad:

[sheffield hatter]

The rule is that a venue may be added if:

‘You can walk in off the street and purchase an alcoholic drink without paying for entrance or food’

Whilst this is simple statement I do think that a little bit of common sense needs to be used by the PuG community. For instance, adding a club that is open from 9pm until 6am because it is free entry before 10pm is taking the piss.

Agree. But this needs to be made clear when adding the pub. If it is not clear that a new submission is a pub on the lines of the definition you have quoted (and if you are aware of the thread where this definition appears, it would be helpful if you could paste the URL in your post), then perhaps Dave should hesitate before approving it for inclusion on the site.


No idea about Frankie & Bennys or La Taskas, but I have never encountered a Harvester where you couldn't just buy a drink (although I've never been to the Lincoln one). Similarly for the odd Café Rouge that I have visited. Neither are my cup of tea, but sometimes they are the only place in the area, and in any case the whole point about reviewing such places is surely to use what you've found to inform others about what to expect?

Agree. That's what reviews are for. If the review makes it clear (as in Al 10000's review of the Harvester in Lincoln, when he was refused a beer because he wouldn't buy a meal) that it is not a pub, it should be deleted. And deleted in a way that prevents it being added again, unless the drink/food policy changes.

[sheffield hatter]

I would base F&B on their website and it doesn't mention anything about "just pop in for a drink" so I'm out, it's all about Restaurant.

Lots of websites are reticent about the possibility of "popping in for a drink", because they would rather encourage customers to eat and/or stay the night. This is why intrepid reviewers need to attempt to buy a drink and report accordingly. (Even if this means adding the bloody pub/restaurant/club and then asking for it to be deleted when you can't get a drink. Bit of a drag if it's hundreds of miles from home.)

[bcfczuluarmy]

Agreed but when you are looking to add a national chain known for being a restaurant you know you could be fighting a losing battle...

What about Chiquitos and Wildwood? Talk to me....

[Aqualung]

With these potential borderline cases surely there should be some onus on the person adding it to have visited it rather than just blindly posting it on the off chance that it might be genuine?

[NickDavies]

Sadly you get a lot of places where The Curse of the Sunday Roast (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?949-Pub-annoyances-834/page7) - and indeed any other mealtime - applies. Very often they look exactly like a pub from the outside, and are called things like the Dog and Duck, but once you're in you can't sit down and there's nowhere to stand without getting in the way. The only difference from an F&B is cosmetic (but actually you've more chance of being allowed a seat in an F&B) yet nobody would say that such establishments don't belong here.

[sheffield hatter]

I imagine that the site gets more visits (and presumably therefore more advertising revenue) by including these venues. If it became a more purist site, perhaps income would drop to the point where it's no longer viable.

[Farway]

I imagine that the site gets more visits (and presumably therefore more advertising revenue) by including these venues. If it became a more purist site, perhaps income would drop to the point where it's no longer viable.

I have to agree entirely, being supported by ad revenue the more clicks & eyeballs the longer this site may remain

[Aqualung]

I imagine that the site gets more visits (and presumably therefore more advertising revenue) by including these venues. If it became a more purist site, perhaps income would drop to the point where it's no longer viable.

How do you square that with the fact that if a newcomer posts a review on here moaning about terrible food and service it gets removed as a "food rant"?

[hondo]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Punch-Taverns/Punch-to-open-pilot-site-for-licensed-cafe-concept

http://www.punchtaverns.com/property_images/38/caldes_pdf_38.pdf

http://brewedandbaked.co.uk/

[bcfczuluarmy]

Seems some are getting suggested now......

Also thoughts on this http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/newpubs/29398/ as one has just opened near me and to me it's a restaurant. http://meatliquor.com/bristol/ It even says it is a restaurant.

[Mobyduck]

Seems some are getting suggested now......

Also thoughts on this http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/newpubs/29398/ as one has just opened near me and to me it's a restaurant. http://meatliquor.com/bristol/ It even says it is a restaurant.
It does beer but no way does it sound like a pub.

[Wittenden]

Also thoughts on this http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/newpubs/29398/ as one has just opened near me and to me it's a restaurant. http://meatliquor.com/bristol/ It even says it is a restaurant.
Bloomin' eck

[NickDavies]

You can't walk in and buy a drink.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/meat-liquor

[ETA]

You can't walk in and buy a drink.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/meat-liquor

I don't think I'd want to.