REVIEW: Quality pub grub at new Hayes Beefeater

The last time I went to a Beefeater, I left feeling full but not particularly impressed.

Known for their ‘bottomless chips’ and classic pub dishes, they’re usually a safe choice for eaters of all tastes.

But the Beefeater chain has had a major revamp in both menu and interior design in recent years, and it’s safe to say that it has changed everything.

The autumn menu has a fantastic variety of dishes to choose from, across three courses.

Whether it’s classic pub food you fancy or maybe something with a bit more class, the options are all there.

I started with the new steak skewer with a three-cheese fondue, along with the buttermilk chicken wings to share.

I can’t fault the steak skewer, it was seasoned beautifully and cooked to a perfect medium well.

Partnered with the tangy cheese sauce with a hint of paprika, this was a solid flavour pairing.

But the buttermilk chicken wings were disappointingly average, both very greasy and not particularly great for flavour.

Anything that tastes like its come straight out of deep-fat fryer doesn’t do much for me.

Though a steak certainly did tempt me for main, the burger collection ‘made for burger lovers’ really caught my eye.

It’s always appealing to see a restaurant trying to up their burger game with something different.

In a toss-up between the King Wagyu beef burger with onions, bacon and Emmental cheese or the Lobster Double Stack, the latter won out.

This burger scores top points for meeting my expectations and being all-round delicious.

With high-quality meat, delicious beer-battered lobster and a sauce that didn’t overpower the delicate balance of flavours, this was a solid win.

Opting for chunky over skinny fries, they were a perfect fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside.

The vegan option is a BBQ soya burger, so no one has to miss out.

The ‘house favourites’ page of the menu provides some appealing alternatives like chicken and chorizo pie and teriyaki salmon, and there’s a page of salads and pastas.

The desserts finish strong on this menu, and the chain has cleverly jumped on the growing gin hype, offering a Sipsmith sloe gin trifle, and even a gin fizz sorbet.

However, I opted for the tantalising chocolate churros sundae, which is crowned with two huge churros. Burrow deeper and you find brownies, ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Though not particularly standoutish, the churros alone make this a solid dessert, and it’s definitely a change from the bland sundaes you get in a lot of restaurants (they’re a classic deserving more love and attention!).

Though slightly more expensive than your average pub menu, you really do get what you pay for, and it’s worth that little bit more for the added quality. 

It’s a big step up from the previous Beefeater image, and the restaurant is suitable for a whole host of people, families particularly.

The service was also great, and even on a Saturday night they were comfortably on top of things.

There’s also an open-kitchen style set up which allows customers to see the hustle and bustle of the kitchen making dishes fresh to order.

The chain restaurant has embraced a modern, comfortable, and cosy interior design, and dimming the lights at 8pm was a nice touch.

Returning after a few years to a restaurant with much more sophistication, buzz and quality food, it’s clear to see that this revamp has been a success.