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A Different Pub By Day or Night!
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Recommendation added: 13/10/2007 22:45
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +717)dewberry has been thanked 2 times for this contribution
"Since the smoking ban came in in July, it seems that Farmer Johns has been my second home. I'm a smoker myself, but with a new baby it's lovely to be able to go to this pub without worrying about poisoning her with other peoples cigarette smoke.
One of the main reasons we use The Farmer Johns so regularly is because they have a fantastic menu at very good prices, meaning it's often cheaper for us to eat here than to buy a joint of meat and cook at home.
During the week you can buy an all-day breakfast for just £2.49, this is an absolute bargain as the meal you get is the same in size as I'd usually expect to pay £5 - £6 for in other pubs of this type. This is actually one of my favourite meals from The Farmer Johns as it's wonderfully filling and possibly the best hangover cure I've ever tried (and believe me, I've tried lots!) bacon, sausage, fried eggs, grilled tomato, chips, beans and toast all jostle for space on your plate and I bet ya you eat the lot. Delicious.
If brekkie isn't your cup of tea then rest assured the menu at Farmer Johns is definitely extensive enough for you to eat here whether you're after a simple snack or a full family meal. You have a choice of starters, light meals, main meals, side orders and desserts which are all nicely and accurately described on the paper menu. There are often 'specials' which are detailed on boards dotted around the main eating area, and also on large blackboards in front of the pub itself. Honestly, everything I've ever eaten in Farmer Johns has been superb well, apart from one steak I had which was appalling but that was a problem with the raw ingredients which had been delivered to the pub, not the way in which the meal was prepared or served.
One of my absolute favourite light meals from here is a BBQ Chicken Wrap which is a whole chicken breast smothered in a rich, tangy BBQ sauce with melted cheese and piled into a soft tortilla along with strips of crunchy lettuce. This is served with a pile of tortilla chips and costs just £3-ish. A wonderful lunch and so filling that I don't need to eat again until the evening.
There really is so much to choose from on Farmers Johns menu that it's entirely possible to eat a different meal every day for a month and still have choices that you haven't yet sampled. My two older girls' love eating here as because the prices are so reasonable they can choose to eat what they want, rather than having to go for the children's menu simply because it's significantly cheaper thanks to the smaller portion sizes. Thinking about it as I write this, I don't think they ever HAVE eaten from the kids' menu in this pub!
One other meal worth a mention here is the all day 'Curry Club'. Now, before I go on let me tell you that I'm not a huge fan of pub curry so I was pleasantly surprised at how authentic and downright tasty this meal is. For just £4.95 you get a large plate of curry (no skimping on the meat used either!), rice, a naan bread and a pint of whatever lager or cider you're drinking. Bargain! I challenge you to find even the cheapest curry house which can beat this price for such a well cooked and delicious meal.
I'd literally be here all day if I were to detail every single meal I've ever eaten in Farmer Johns; all I will say is that without fail everything has been beautifully cooked using quality ingredients. When ordering your food you can also give the staff behind the bar specific instructions regarding the meal and they will do their utmost to make changes to any meals in order for you to enjoy your meal. A good example of this is the last time we visited, my fussy eleven year old decided that she'd like Gammon & Chips from the £3.95 'Golden Greats' menu. She likes her gammon cooked until its like rubber (I know, I know, but who knows what goes on in the mind of a tweenager!?) so I asked for it to be cooked exactly this way and that was how it was served, along with much giggling from the chef who actually came to our table to check he'd been given the correct message!
The interior of Farmer Johns is attractively decorated in light, neutral tones and this gives the pub an airy atmosphere even when it's busy. This is enhanced by the open plan layout of the pub; basically Farmer Johns is one huge room which has various small alcoves where you can sit more privately if you like. There are large flat TV's dotted around the walls which are easily visible from most tables/seats and are usually showing sports or (weirdly!) Top Gear during the day and music in the evening.
Seating is great in here. There are comfy sofas, bar stools and restaurant tables and chairs to choose from me and Mark usually go for one of the tables which has a sofa on one side and chairs on the other so we can sink into the squishy sofa while the kids have to make do with upright chairs. Well, it's only fair their bones are younger! There's plenty of room between tables and this makes dining with three children an easier experience as they're not constantly being jostled in their seats as other customers squeeze past them.
Disabled access is absolutely fine. My mum has visited with me several times and her hefty electric mobility scooter can get around inside with no problems and she doesn't even have to dismount to get into the building. Likewise access for those of us with prams is excellent and if you choose your table carefully you'll find there's plenty of room to stash the pram (and the baby if she's still sleeping!) alongside the table whilst you're eating. There is a fantastic smoking area outside complete with huge umbrellas, outdoor heaters and good quality tables and benches.
With your meal you'll no doubt want a drink. Farmer Johns serves anything you could want to drink I noticed on my last visit that they even have Kahlua which is somewhat of a rarity in Birmingham pubs these days. All of the top brand lagers, ciders and ales are available both on draught and bottled; there are various promotions running at any one time so if you're not particularly fussy about what you drink then you can have a relatively cheap night out here. A fantastic selection of spirits, alcopops and soft drinks is also available at the long bar at very reasonable prices for a pub in this area. An extensive wine list of good quality plonk will help you to make the most of your meal; wine can be bought either by the bottle or by the glass and it is all nicely priced meaning that Farmer Johns isn't one of those pubs which makes up for cheap food by bunging a 20% increase on the price of an average glass of wine.
The atmosphere in Farmer Johns is really unusual. During the day, which is when we usually visit, the pub has (dare I say it) quite an elderly clientele who seem to meet up on an almost daily basis to tuck into one of the pubs wonderful meals and have a bottle of Magners. Visit after 7pm though and you can see one hell of a difference. In the evening and at night Farmer Johns is literally heaving with young people on a night out and it's transformed into a trendy drinking bar just by the customers who use the place. I've spent a few nights in here and can honestly say the atmosphere is brilliant with never a hint of trouble a minor miracle in itself considering the sheer numbers of young blokes out on the lash!
Farmer Johns is located on Aldridge Road, which is the main road you need to take when heading between Birmingham and Aldridge/Brownhills. The best way to describe it to you is to get onto either the A452 or A4041 and follow this main carriageway until you reach the well signposted Aldridge Road Farmer Johns is located roughly halfway along.
Farmer Johns
251 Aldridge Rd
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B74 2DX
Tel: 0121 352 1000"
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