In My experience 'spoons are rarely stinkers and rarely outstanding. Some of course are better than others - this can be due to management (as already stated), the building (some of them are in fantastic old banks / theatres etc) and location ( a rough area will lead to a certain clientele which drags it down).

If I am in a strange town, with no access to information on which non chain pubs are in the GBG, or had good reviews on sites such as this and the other place (which still can provide useful info if you bypass the obviously persecutive posts) then a Wetherspoons (or Lloyds whatever) is always a safe bet. You know there will be Real Ale that is drinkable, and food that is edible and it won't break the bank. So even if its not as good as others, the house has not been re-mortgaged to pay for it.

Plus (whisper this quietly) in the daytime they are kid friendly (usually). I get a pint, Mrs Brew gets a cup of tea and the kids are fed and watered. I don't like to take the kids into "normal pubs" unless I know that they are welcome. 'Spoons are fair game in my opinion.