The Met, Wolverhampton Street, Walsall.

Back in early May friend of the blog Sarah Sutherland sent me an Express & Star link saying that this place had launched a new menu and were offering 20% off the prices. I told her that I would look into it. It took me all of two days to get on it.

The bar was decked out in various nation flags. I wondered if there was any theme to them or just random but I spotted the flag of Georgia and deduced it was for Euro 2024. I grabbed and perused the menu. U2 came on performing “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Well apologies Mr Bono, but I found what I was looking for straight away. The Big Brunch which was £11.49. I ordered it along with a tea. The 20% off didn’t seem to be in play and I couldn’t be arsed to query this.

The tea came quickly with the food shortly afterwards. Both were epic. Music was a right mixed bag ranging from “Grace Kelly” by Mika through to Billy Joel, Elton John, Communards and in a rare gap in my music knowledge “Angel Is A Centrefold” but I don’t know the artist for that one. “Tarzan Boy” by Baltimora is an absolute classic and nearly had me on the table dancing and belting it out. “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis came on just as I was about to depart. Epic song by a band I love but not my favourite of theirs. Had it been “Baby Frattli” I’d have stayed and had a pint but instead I headed to W H Smith to buy a pack of whiteboard markers. That is probably the most middle aged sentence I have ever put on here.

Red Lion, Park Street, Walsall.

Had no idea ths place did food until Amanda Hignett visited and raved about it. It was June the first and I woke up peckish so decided it was time to try the food. Needless to say I’ve tried the beer in here loads of times.

Food doesn’t start until 11.30 and I was 15 minutes early but I was in no hurry. The all day breakfast was calling. They do a Belly Buster at £7.50 but it comes with chips but amazing as they are I don’t think they belong on a full English. So I went for the medium (£4.95 tea not included) with the usual bad guys held.

Also on the menu is a fish finger baguette which I’ve got to try at some point and they also do 2 for £12 meals which includes options like scampi or 3 lamb chops. Next time I’ve got a lovely lady in my life we are coming here for that. Mind I’ve not had a date since 2013 so I’m not holding my breath. I might go in, order two meals and then keep looking at my watch, glancing at the door and muttering “where is she?”. Then wolf down both meals while nobody is looking.

I sat at a table looking out onto Park Street which was busy with people heading to the continental market. The music was all 70’s disco stuff with a random 90’s track in the middle in the form of “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer.

Breakfast was good. Once finished I still had a little plastic pot of milk left which I didn’t want to go to waste so I took the lid off and necked it like a shot. Yes I’m uncouth but I fancied a Calcium hit.

This is a great historic pub, apparently saved from demolition in the mid 90’s by a Walsall CAMRA campaign. I still have a picture of it on my phone when it was stood alone with everything around it gone. I can’t put it on here as it’s not mine but I’ll show it you when you see me. The spiral staircase in here is ace. I just wish they’d open upstairs again so we can use it.

To summarise well, with apologies to MC Hammer but breakfast at The Red Lion? You can touch this and I certainly did. Now to touch the fish finger baguette next time.

The White House. Bosty Lane, Walsall.

It was early June. I was making a rare appearance at a Walsall CAMRA meeting at The Manor Arms in Rushall, so no point in going home after work eh? I couldn’t go straight from Manor (Hospital) to Manor (Arms) though so opted to come here en route.

I like to make an entrance at pubs and I sure as hell did here. The doors were wide open with a television right in front. The Chase was on so of course I started to read the question rather than looking where I was going, and I didn’t notice a step which I went arse over tit over. I looked around and there were only two witnesses and neither of them pointed and laughed which I think actually disappointed me. And I didn’t get to finish reading the question either. I awarded myself a point anyway.

I went for a starter of crispy prawns and the main of a super steak. It came to about £22. The prawns were amazing. There is a offer where you can have 5 starters for £16.75. I might go back one day and have the crispy prawns 5 times and I wouldn’t care less if the person on the till or the waitress think I’m really odd.

The steak was good but they forgot the onion rings. I even checked the menu to make sure I hadn’t imagined their inclusion. I don’t like to query things so let it slide but I did dock them a point for this. Had they forgotten the steak though I would have had the place up. In hindsight I should have gone up the bar and queried this and offered to settle out of court for more crispy prawns.

Despite my unusual entrance and onionringgate this was a good visit. I even made a friend in the toilet on the way out. 3 urinals, he was at no 1 so I went to no 3 and he struck up conversation.

The King Arthur, Liskeard Road, Park Hall, Walsall.

Straight from work on Tuesday this week jobbie. My mate Chris was accompanying me and I would hate to suggest he was eager but he arrived at the pub bang on 5 while I was still languishing in the bus station. He had to make a snap decision. Go in for a pint or walk down and meet me at the bus stop. He chose the latter.

Things are never straightforward in my life. I got off the bus a stop early, and I just assumed that you walk up that hill and the pub would appear. Thankfully Chris was with me as there was left and right turns. I’d have ended up by The Longhorn. Organised Evans strikes again.

We got to the pub. The back room contains a pool table so we gave that a wide berth and marched into the front one. For a pub called the King Arthur I was disappointed that there was only two round tables and both small. Certainly not big enough to seat numerous Knights Of The Realm at. We sat at a rectangular table. I was hoping that we’d have a roped off VIP area following Chris’s appearance on Popmaster on Ken Bruce’s Greatest Hits Radio show on the Friday before but it was not to be. The barman must still be listening to Ken’s old station.

The menu is mostly Indian but there are staples like scampi and chips available. We perused. Chris said “shall we go halves and have the Kings Mixed Grill?” This is the biggest platter on the menu. “It’s got fish pakora on it. I’m on board.” “Well” he continued “I don’t eat that so you can have it all.” I was warming to this even more on a second by second basis. Motion carried.

The food came quickly and it was epic. The fish pakora was amazing but it was all good. We didn’t speak for a while but had the commentary from Turkey v Georgia to keep us company.

I didn’t want a pudding. Chris did. He asked what the Malai Kulfi is.He was informed that it’s ice cream. He probed further. “What’s the difference between that and the ice cream that is listed as ice cream?” “It’s made from milk.” We were both confused. He pressed further to be told you get three scoops of it, with all flavours. I now wanted in to find out what it was. It was indeed ice cream of 3 different flavours and it was delish.

There was an odd incident when I went to scratch my shoulder and somehow a bee landed on the inside of my hand which made me jump. Chrs sommented that my top had atracted it. It’s about time my clohes atrracted something I guess. This was the cue for Chris to start laying on some bee related puns and even the man on the next table waded in with one “he probably got here on a buzz route.”

I announced at this point that I would not be walking back to the bus. Fortunately Chris has something on his phone where you can order taxis without having to speak to someone. I’m not one for chatting to folk so will no doubt get round to embracing this technology in about 3 decades. He found a taxi 3 minutes away so after a toilet visit we departed.

We headed to Katz hoping to wish Mel a happy birthday and it was a successful mission. This was a fine evening.

While I’m on I must give a mention to the Eggs Benedict which is part of the Wetherspoons breakfast range. It’s ace and can be ordered without the rocket on top although this confused the hell out of the new barmaid last time. I now have this most Sundays. It started off as my post gym treat but after a couple of weeks I found that having a lie in, launching a blog, getting ready, walking to gym “mosiv” workout, shower then in Spoons before breakfast last orders at Midday was pushing it. So now it’s my pre gym treat along with numerous coffee’s.

Thanks for reading this. I did mean to review the food at The Black Country Arms but went on one of the days the kitchen is closed (Mondays and Sundays) and I was going to go to The Lyndon on Father’s Day but I was invited to Josh’s for an amazing beef and chicken dinner so did that instead. There could be a volume 2 of this and let’s be fair, I do enjoy the research.