REVIEW – Saracen’s Head Shirley
We love eating out as a family, and whilst our dining experiences vary from The Illusion of the Perfect Parenting to WaiterGate, we tend to eat out at least a few times a month. We are now spoiled for nice places to eat out in Shirley, with a wide variety of eateries right on our doorstep!
We were recently approached by Mitchells & Butlers to see if we would like to go along and review the newly refurbished Saracen’s Head on the Stratford Road – which had recently been converted to a Sizzling brand.
I have to admit, I have lived in Shirley for over four years now, and never once been to the Saracen’s Head. I had always thought of it, perhaps unfairly, as a bit of an ‘old man’s pub’, and despite walking past it almost daily, I’d never actually been in.
I was interested to see what it had to offer!
Our Experience
I visited the Saracen’s Head on a Sunday lunchtime with my partner and two children. There is a large pay and display car park accessible to the rear, and your parking cost can be refunded from your bill.
When we walked in, I was very pleasantly surprised. The venue was large and airy, a lot lighter than I’d expected, with plenty of seating, and a pool table and TV screens at the far end for those who may want some entertainment with their meal!
We were greeted by our waitress who took us to a large booth seat and asked if we wanted some crayons for Erin. She then bought over a highchair for Neve without us even needing to ask – it was clear this was a restaurant who had dealt with plenty of younger guests before!
She also advised us of their kids zone- a small shelving area with some books and toys that children could help themselves to. Having had a fair few meals where the kids get bored, it’s the little touches like this that make it a comfortable experience for all concerned – including fellow diners!
The Food
I will be honest, by far the most annoying part of this dining experience was Mike taking a bleeding eternity to decide what he wanted. The menu choice is pretty extensive, and as such, he ummed and ahh’d and changed his mind a fair few times before settling on his choice. You order food at the bar, and collect your own cutlery and sauces from a wide selection.
The kids menus were a little more straight forward – 3 courses for £4.50, you pick the main and two different sides. Erin being a massive creature of habit opted for the chicken nuggets with chips and corn on the cob.
We decided to have sharing nachos as our starter. The plate was plenty big enough to share and we were given a choice of plain nachos or with toppings and a choice of cheese sauce or melted cheese. The nachos were thin and crispy and didn’t hang around for long. The little wipes came in very handy!
For my main, I opted for chicken fajitas, which came out well and truly Sizzling (living up to their brand name) on a griddle plate. Apart from Erin moaning that it was ‘too noisy’ (kids!) they looked yum! The wraps were then bought out on a separate plate with individual pots of sauces such as salsa, sour cream and guacamole. If I am being really critical I would’ve liked the onions to be a bit softer / cooked longer, and the wraps a bit bigger to be able to fit all the filling in, but overall I really enjoyed them and again, polished off the lot.
Mike had the mixed grill. He always says a true test of a grill chef is if they can cook the steak as you request it – and this one was cooked perfectly medium rare as he asked. Whilst it wasn’t the best cut of meat he’s ever had (a little more fatty than an average sirloin in his opinion) he enjoyed his meal and couldn’t finish it all – getting beaten by the chips!
Our plates were cleared quickly (a big plus) and we were even asked if we wanted Neve’s bowl washed for us – which I thought was a lovely gesture.
Desserts
Despite being relatively stuffed by this stage we couldn’t leave without trying the desserts menu.
Erin opted for a big glass of milk and a cookie (and entered her happy place), where as I ordered the trio of desserts. I was advised this was for one but it was pretty huge – in reality this would’ve been plenty big enough to share (not that Mike would let me!). Mike had sticky toffee pudding, and by the time I got back from taking Erin to the toilet (her timing is always impeccable), he had demolished the entire thing.
Overall we had a very pleasant experience t the Saracens Head. I cannot fault the service – everyone we met was friendly and welcoming, and very efficient in their role. The food was excellent value for money, with 3 courses for all three of us coming to just £45.
If you are looking for a family friendly grill house for a relatively low cost meal – the Saracens Head is definitely one to consider.
*Disclosure – we were offered a complementary meal at the Saracen’s Head in exchange for our honest review – as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
