[UK] Wetherspoon - The High Cross, Leicester
Monday, June 18, 2012
Situated in the centre of medieval Leicester, the location of this pub Wetherspoon marks the site of the High Cross, where Highcross Street meets High Street. Outside this pub, some granite sets are laid into the road in the shape of a cross. This 'High Cross' was actually the last remaining pillar of the Old Market House.
Being Cask Marque accredited, it is no wonder that J D Wetherspoon (more commonly known simply as Wetherspoon) is a popular hunt for the locals. The Cask Marque scheme operates by having an independent assessor to check on all cask ales on sale for temperature (you don't really want your beer to be served warm, do you?), appearance, aroma and taste. If you care about beer, it would be worth visiting http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/, not forgetting to check out the tab under 'Beer Info'!
With more than 400 pubs country-wide, Wetherspoon offers a typical 'English pub' environment, serving quality pub food at affordable prices. There are ongoing offers such as 2 mains for £6.49 and lunch time offers that definitely suits the likes and interests of students and budget conscious.
Gourmet Butterfly Chicken Breast Burger
Topped with two bacon slices and a spicy Monterey Jack cheese and pepper sauce. Includes six beer-battered whole onion rings.
Tuborg
Being Cask Marque accredited, it is no wonder that J D Wetherspoon (more commonly known simply as Wetherspoon) is a popular hunt for the locals. The Cask Marque scheme operates by having an independent assessor to check on all cask ales on sale for temperature (you don't really want your beer to be served warm, do you?), appearance, aroma and taste. If you care about beer, it would be worth visiting http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/, not forgetting to check out the tab under 'Beer Info'!
With more than 400 pubs country-wide, Wetherspoon offers a typical 'English pub' environment, serving quality pub food at affordable prices. There are ongoing offers such as 2 mains for £6.49 and lunch time offers that definitely suits the likes and interests of students and budget conscious.
Gourmet Butterfly Chicken Breast Burger
Topped with two bacon slices and a spicy Monterey Jack cheese and pepper sauce. Includes six beer-battered whole onion rings.
The menu stated that it would be rather spicy given its 3 chilli rating, but it did not really deliver the intended kickback punch which I was quite expecting. The spicy Monterey Jack cheese and pepper sauce which was spread only on the top bun was rich and creamy but not quite the sort which would give you that 'oomph' spiciness. It was not presented in the most appetizing manner either (think McDonald's fillet-o-fish tartare sauce).
The chicken breast was well-grilled and a sizeable portion might I add. Despite being grilled, it managed to retain juiciness within the meat and did not taste overly stiff nor dry. The medium-sliced smoked bacon was a good complement to the plain chicken breast. As the supposedly spicy cheese and pepper sauce was not exactly generous in serving, the good old brown 'HP' sauce did the trick. On a side note, the onion rings and thick-cut chips were very crisp and freshly fried and somewhat saved the day.
Verdict: 6.5/10
Char-grilled Chicken Breast Burger
This was pretty much the same burger as above, except that the portion of chips was evidently less and there was no onion rings nor bacon strips. The burger buns would have made all the difference if they were slightly toasted.
Verdict: 6.5/10
While the burgers were not exactly worth raving about, the draught beers made all the difference.
Amstel and Kronenbourg 1664
Tuborg
I am going to admit that we are not exactly beer drinkers, though we figured that it would be more complementary to go with the burgers and chips. Amstel and Tuborg tasted okay and like how beer should be, cold and smooth. Both beers did not taste overly bitter either, which suited us well, especially over dinner. The Kronenbourg 1664 however tasted too sweet for our preferences. For a comprehensive guide on enjoying the taste of your beer, do visit http://www.wikihow.com/Enjoy-the-Taste-of-Beer.
The overall experience of dining at Wetherspoon was average, not exactly the most romantic spot for dates, but it would probably be a decent place to meet up with mates for some good quality beer and to catch the Euro 2012 live while at it. There are quite a few meal deals which they offer, which helps make eating-out affordable if you are not particularly fussy about the setting.
One tip to note when dining at Wetherspoon is to note your table number before heading to the bar counter to place your orders. Unfortunately, the servers do not come to your table to take your orders, but you get what you paid for, since there is no gratuity charge being imposed. Each Wetherspoon restaurant has a 'sauces corner' which I term it, where diners are free to help themselves to sachets of sauces ranging from ketchup, mustard to malt vinegar.
Currently listening to 'Call Me Maybe' by Carly Rae Jepsen
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