Poachers in Shropshire

Atmosphere is really nice in here BUT foods not great, all seemed like frozen stuff and you couldn’t get through the steak at all wouldn’t even chance giving it to the dog, and staff never bothered to check on us or the food. Would definitely come for drinks but not for dinner.

Excellent meal and friendly service

we had a lovely meal here and the servers couldn’t do enough for us

Lovely meal, lovely staff, after a long day.

I used to love The Poachers. It was my go to place to take people. Always friendly, good food, lovely atmosphere, but due to moving further away, I hadn't been for a few years. On Sunday, I booked a table and brought my wife for the first time. The outside looked just as warm and inviting as I remembered. When we walked in, the atmosphere felt a bit dead, but we waited to be seated nonetheless. For 5 minutes, staff members were looking at us, and then disappearing back into the kitchen. I decided to approach someone to let them know we were booked, but the girl didn't know how to access the computer. She went to fetch a man who looked like he was in charge, and he stormed over to the computer without saying a word to us, and started sighing heavily while typing. It was clear we weren't welcome. Once the computer failed to log on, he picked up two menus and said "Fine! Follow me." And still without looking at us once, led us to a table and dumped the menus on it before disappearing again. We looked at the menu, decided what we wanted and waited another 5 minutes without ever being asked for a drinks order or anything. During this time, a waitress dropped a jug of water next to our table. We then heard a female member of staff having a loud discussion with the man who showed us to the table about a member of staff who had just disappeared. She said they had vomited and then gone home, and the man shouted that he can't just disappear without seeing someone first. At this point, we decided enough was enough. We now feared catching a bug as well as being appalled by the service, and so informed the first girl we'd seen that we were leaving, and went to a McDonald's instead. Honestly, I'm shocked at the decline in this once great place, and will sadly never return.

Good Sunday roast spoilt by slow service. 50 minutes is too long to wait.

Lovely food and Josh was amazing for finding us a table on a busy day :)

Came for family tea tonight and we were not disappointed. Lovely food, cosy atmosphere and Josh the new manager runs it very well. We will be back again to visit soon. Thank you

Great little gem just off the canal, food was amazing and service was above and beyond, I recommend a visit to anyone in the area

I bought my daughter and 18month old grandson for Sunday. It was my daughter’s birthday and rare treat for us. Our order was taken promptly on arrival at midday, it was almost 1oclick before the food arrived. Trying to keep a hungry toddler occupied for this time was not ideal. When the food arrived it was luke warm. We were told the delay was due to the kitchen waiting for a batch of Yorkshire puddings to cook, but our meal was bought out without these, we’re told if they were ready in time they’d be bought out after, they never were. We were also told that the delay was due to how busy Sundays get, that really isn’t our problem. You do not expect to wait an hour for Luke warm food. We were met with no apology when we complained, although they had taken my grandsons meal from the bill. Even this was explained and felt like it was done begrudgingly. Very unprofessional service and very disappointing for my daughter’s birthday.

Very good service, friendly atmosphere

We had the beef Sunday roasts,potatoes were dry and cold,peas wrinkled and dry,rest of food was OK but it was cold.My wife went into the toilets and she had it looked like a bomb had gone off there was mess in the toilets and toilet tissue everywhere. Surfaces on tables and bar were sticky.

Great friendly service from lovely Nardia, and the meal was delicious. What's not to like.

Dreadful. The worst service & food I have ever experienced. We stayed on the nearby Caravan Club site & booked a table for 17.00 on a Sunday evening for 2 with a dog. On arrival we were told that all the tables in the dog friendly area were taken. I insisted that we had booked & were given a table in another area. A waitress said we could not be there, but I insisted on staying. A bad atmosphere fron the start. We fancied the roast, but another couple sent theirs back as it was cold. Eventually they were served again, but also cold. They left paying only for their drinks. A family out for a birthday treat left without being served, as did another couple. Our starters were served 50 mins later. My prawn cocktail was good. How can you spoil that? My wifes pate was good. The mains were served at 18.30. My hunter's chicken was as tough as the sole of an old boot. The chips were more like kindling sticks. It was all inedible. My wife's sea bass was ok. She shared it with me. Our teenage waitress was struggling to cope & kept apologising. The incompetence of others was not her fault. We left having not paid for my main. We will not be back.

We also left after more than an hour waiting for food and Not being told the kitchen were having problems which may have helped customers waiting. Others had already left before us. Poachers were having an extremely bad evening of it!

Had quite a few lovely meals here and can't recommend it enough, all the staff are very attentive and can't help enough, was served by a very nice young lady called India who was so polite.

Enjoyed a lovely meal with the family. Food was delicious and from the welcome to the end of the meal staff were kind and attentive. Definitely going back.

I walked into poachers approx 1hr ago , I was kept waiting for quite awhile the staff going past kept 2 minutes after about 3 or 4 times I went and sat down at the first available seat as I was constant pain, I was in a situation that was very stressful to me, a young lady came up and asked Me and my partner to leave as I must have come over a bit loud. I was asked to leave, I think she could of handled the situation much better.So I was forced to walk about 1/2mile to the garden centre, where my needs were met. I don't think I will be going to the Poachers again. IF YOU ARE DISSABLED DO NOT FREQUENT THE PLACE.

Lovely pub by the canal. Has seating outside, some of which is covered,do good in most weather's Food is good and the staff are friendly, patient and helpful.

A Fantastic standard of food and service

Sunday lunch was delicious. Well worth the wait. Kids played in the play park out the back which they enjoyed. 30% off the bill if you sign up online.

From walking in the door to leaving, the whole experience was fantastic and we WILL be coming back! Super helpful staff, super service, super food, super drinks, just all round SUPER!

Decent burger, tiny amount of coleslaw though, very poor wifi which seemed to only allow social media access

Really nice bit of a wait for food presentation let it down due to both chips and fries had black bits on them but still tasted fine hasn’t put us off returning again

Friendly welcoming staff. Very professional. Food was delicious. Dog made to feel very welcome with the doggy pack.

Very nice Pub, food was excellent.

Very nice restaurant with lovely staff the bartender especially was very helpful think her name was lily

Pleasant staff, dog friendly, motorhome friendly, delicious food, good choice of beers, nice outside beer/food garden, canal walk nearby

Nice pub on the side of the canal with very good food.

Quality of the food, first steak returned although medium rare it was like a piece of shoe leather. Second steak marginally better but fat content was probably 2oz shocking. Chef clearly made no attempt at trimming or rendering. Service was beyond slow taking 1.5hrs to get a main and desert. Unacceptable as bookings on line and known. After all that I was presented with a full cost bill, no issue there but would have expected an apology or token something. When I raised the issue of the meat I had a very defensive response and not a thank you for your feedback!! Needs to be managed and better food supplier.

Had a very good supper. Service was busy but good by very friendly staff. We were a group of six and it was a very good meal all round.

We had quick service, food was enjoyable, everything we asked from our server (Lee) was provided (extra water,mustard etc), and he was very friendly

The food was lovely. The service was slow, the staff didn’t seem organised and we weren’t brought cutlery or condiments until our food arrived, then we had to ask for them. A couple of our meals were wrong and had to be changed. We waited 40 minutes for steak sandwiches on a Tuesday afternoon.

Excellent service, all staff were very helpful and friendly. Food was fantastic.

On arrival no record of booking even though called to confirm. Chairs were tatty which created a poor impression. Long wait for food. Food served on cold plates.We ordered the Sunday roast. Vegetables were undercooked and turkey was tough and flavourless. The stuffing was missing from our plates and there was no crackling with the pork roast.The meal overall was awful . One guest had a burger which they enjoyed although was served with a skimpy portion of chips. Not exactly a meal to savour and remember.

Very understaffed and food we had was poor. This is not aimed at staff on duty as they were doing there best under difficult circumstances. Area manager needs to staff the business correctly.

Food was faultless, and the two young ladies serving us were brilliant, with nothing being too much trouble. The tables are well spaced out, so you don't feel like you are sitting on top of each other. The drinks are not too badly priced and the Guinness was good. The only reason it is not a 5 star rating is that the mens toilets needed some attention. There appeared to be a leak from the urinal, and they weren't the cleanest. In honesty it wasn't a major issue, and it certainly wouldn't stop us from going again.

Lovely pub, only had bar snacks but very tasty, friendly service, will definitely return. 😎

Always very tasty food :), except the Sunday lunch!! I found the staff to be very friendly, welcoming and thoughtful , it was a wet and cold day and the member of staff that seated us was able to put us next to a fire and he put it on for me which was lovely and very much appreciated, other members of staff were very attentive also and I found my food to be cooked very well and all meals very tasty and enjoyable we were all very full and satisfied when we had finished and all very reasonably priced also. Would definitely come again and would recommen to friends and family.

Great location after a walk along the canal

Came in today for some lunch after visiting in September and having such a lovely meal, food and service was fantastic yet again! We met the Chef (Hollie) who was very informative on our meals and again we couldn’t fault the quality of food we received or the service! Definitely be back again soon

Friendly staff, nice food with good-sized portions. Nice location. Plenty of parking

Having vowed never to return after a very poor dining experience 12 months ago, we were tempted back by a 30% off main meals offer, and a recommendation by some friend’s that it was now much improved. We were welcomed at the door promptly by Lee, who I later found out was the manager. We had booked a table in the bar area, because I knew it was the same floor level as the disabled toilets which my wife requires, Lee offered to see if there was a table free in the main dining area which is a bit more cosy, there wasn’t but we appreciated the gesture. So quickly seated and drinks order taken. All four main meals were excellent, two steaks cooked as ordered, and all meals piping hot. All the staff we dealt with were friendly, which does make a difference to the overall experience. Definitely a far better vibe about the place than 12 months ago. So all in all a good night out, and if things stay the same will definitely go back

Beautifully situated alongside the canal towpath. Gorgeous outside seating. Lovely friendly happy staff. I didn't eat but it looked very nice.

Katie and Leila were very sweet and attentive. We enjoyed the food - it was as excellent as the service! Delightful!!!

Super friendly in every respect. Fantastic being able to park overnight in the campervan. Great value meal with the offer. Only minor negative was the poor apple crumble. Will def visit again. Superb.

Lovely pub/ restaurant Greeted by a warm welcome Food was lovely Enjoyed it so much rebooked in for Sunday lunch

Food not brilliant and run out of everything Had kebab chicken which had 3 tiny pieces of chicken all dried up very poor .

Poor food quality precooked then warmed up to serve grilled pineapple straight out of the tin stale prawn cocktail sauce that tasted like it was months old

Was very busy, but staff served us and food came out right on time. The staff were lovely and food was spot on. We will definetly be back! Thank you x

Terrible service, disgusting toilets, didn't received our food!!

Always a good choice, lovely food and atmosphere

Nice pub, food is satisfactory, service is good when it happens but rather slow, they appear to be short staffed at the moment

I liked everything about the place. Nice building and nice location. The food however was below par. So called signature burger burnt. The main negative of the night was 6 meals served out of 7 as one meal delayed due to being burnt. Never communicated this until asked, resulting in 10 minute delay to finally get food. Ate at different times. Disappointed. Waitress was not to blame very polite.

Friendly staff,Nardia and Ben lovely friendly staff

Had a lovely meal with family. As a Coeliac it is good that there is a gluten free menu and the choice is quite good.

needs a good brushing each day outside

Table booked online, with confimation for 2x in dining area at 6.00pm On arrival greeted and offered a high seated tabe facing a wall by the bar?? I explained our booking request and was told it is the dining area. ( behind the entrance lobby). With the bar behind us. With the manageress intervention she put us on a table facing the entrance doors. ( felt like we were meet and greet ). Table was wet and sticky, wine menu soaking wet, eating menu also dirty, sticky and wet. Drinks order taken and shortly after food order. Drinks arrived just before the food. My chicken pie was a soggy mess of pastry and chewed up bits of something, the creamed potato was an elasticated lump on the plate. Left almost everything, wifes burger meal was average. Within 5 minutes of finishing we were asked if we wanted the bill, still had drinks on table. This was a continuing trend x4. I ordered another drink which took 12 minutes to arrive, I asked twice where my drink was as it could be seen on a serving tray. Inbetween we asked yet again do we want the bill. After all of that the kitchen power went down and no more food was produced that night. THANK GOD. won,t be back soon. Shame.

Bar service was on point. Food service was seriously slow waited over 50mins when it wasnt even full.. the sunday roast was a good portion and nice but had to wait for my cauliflower cheese and it was cremated and burnt.. my son and his friends burgers were okish but missing some sauce on one and the plate just looked a very small portion compared to sunday roast and chicken burger over cooked and burnt

Great servers. Great British pub food & ales

Popular atmospheric pub. Great food and friendly staff. Dog friendly.

Ordered food and must’ve waited around 40 mins before having to ask where it was. Then 10 mins later it showed up burnt and with no sauce like on the menu

We were staying I the area in a nice hotel decided to have a drive out passed your pub and thought that looks ok so we decided to book a table for evening time so we arrived got shown to our table got some drinks we the found out that we could download an app for 30 percent of your bii wich I did we then waited over one hour for our food it was not good told the young waitress we was not happy and please pass my comments onto the manager se said ok o will so I got my bill and she told me they had taken both meals off but you had not all you gave me was the 30 percent we was entitled to through the app and not even a manager or manageress who was on duty came over overall I was totally disappointed with the whole experience

Visiting from the states. I was looking for the pub environment on the canal. I wanted to taste the traditional dishes and beers. The food was delicious, the beer super creamy. Very busy our second visit. The staff greets you with warm smiles and a happy "Hiya". Don't get discouraged when waiting to be seated inside. Book ahead. It was worth 2 stops in a week.

Arrived at 19.55 and was told kitchen closed at 20.00 so no food available. Website clearly states kitchen open till 21.00. A nice pint though and whiskey selection.... The Family Kebab house delivered some food to the carpark in a prompt manner and was quite nice 👍

I would love to have given The Poachers five stars because the staff and food were excellent, but sadly they were overwhelmed by the number of customers they had that lunch and while the two chefs were doing their best it was an hour from arriving to our food being served. When it arrived it was served on hot plates (so unusual these days), very tasty and in huge quantities, also rare in the modern times of small portions. We will definitely be back

One of the best mixed grill I've had, everything fresh and tasty,great,quick service Visited again today still excellent mixed grill, great service an friendly staff thanks Nardine

Chargrilled burgers were great, but having paid £1.50 for a side order of onion rings, I felt let down to get 3 small shop bought onion rings only. I booked the table to eat at 7pm and when I went to the bar to order, the girl had to check that they were still doing food. She then said that there was a half hour wait on food which eventually turned up 45 mins later. I think the staff need training in cutlery as we were surprised to be expected to eat desert with soup spoons.

Exceptional food and drinks pub itself is brilliant staff are very friendly and helpful the location is stunning and a gorgeous canal runs right along the side of the pub so if you’re eating outside you can see all the different canal boats going by also children and dogs friendly highly recommend visiting

dry and bland roast dinner with stingy portions and charged us 2.50 per pot of extra gravy after ours came out with no more than a dribble. Additional sides like cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets and stuffing balls were laughably small for the price.

Very dry, barely any gravy and had to pay 2.50 for more. Stuffing was less than a mouthful of burnt pepple and the cauliflower cheese wasn’t cooked in the centre.

A great find on our canal boat trip. Fantastic roast and great value which 2 of us had and the other 2 main course also great. All the staff were welcoming and efficient, but a special shout out to Lee and Sophie. Thanks so much everyone - you turned a miserable wet evening into a really pleasant one.Thanks Karen & Co

Wait 45 mins for food and when it came was not pleasant mix grill well over cooked and so was the gammon fries well over done and inedible. Would not return

Overall, enjoyed the fish n chips with Guinness here. dessert (some sort of ice cream parfait) was very ordinary, not recommended. First night we had a table, on our return trip through the canals, we had to eat outside on a picnic table (Saturday night) so apparently, they were completely booked though the dining room was half full and even less full when we finished dinner and departed. Our server was courteous.

At this stage of this pub business, I do not recommend it. But if your standards are so low for the money you pay, then have a try. A client-centred approach is the most important task in any business. Indifference and arrogance especially to the person in charge (I suppose he was the business owner) has no place in such a business.

Waited a long time to be served at the bar when not overly busy. Queueing system non existent. 4 of us wanted the set menu. Asked if we could decide whether to add the 3rd course later and were told no, we had to decide as we ordered. So, as we didn't know if we'd have room for the 3rd course we opted for the 2. Waited 20 minutes before waitress told us one of the starters was unavailable. Sat outside. Saw 3 tables who ordered their food after us be served before us. Waitress then reappeared to clarify our order. Waited a further half an hour before we asked where our food was. Waited another 20 minutes before it appeared. Hunters chicken and burgers were extremely dry. Peas with fish and chips cold. Presentation very poor overall. Very disappointed! Would like to add that the waitresses were great, pleasant, friendly and running around all over the place. They did all they could to alleviate our problems. *** I note the reply from the pub about letting them turn our experience around. I am open to their suggestion as we live in Bristol? 🤔 ***

Great pub right by canal. Always a warm welcome. Friendly staff, family and dog friendly. Enjoy visiting when staying at Lady Margaret's caravan site.

Poor service, poor experience, good was just ok.

Thank you so much to the team at Poachers for being so brilliant and accommodating for our group. The front of house staff were so lovely and the food was excellent 😊

We arrived at 3:15pm without having made a reservation. No problem seating us but we were informed that the kitchen was closed for an hour due to staff shortages. It would reopen at 4pm. We decided to hang on. As we had our dog with us we were directed to sit at one of two tables unreserved in the Bar Dining Area. We also learned that table service is not extended to this area! This makes you feel somewhat penalised as it’s offered elsewhere in the pub. Why is that? We are charged the same prices! So at 4pm we ordered at the bar from the lunch menu. We ordered 2 starters and 2 mains. The starters arrived quite quickly and were nicely cooked, marginally overcooked/crunchy but tasty (garlic mushrooms). We both had these. There was no follow up to check on the meals and quite some delay before starters were cleared, which also delayed mains being served. The mains we both chose were the buttermilk chicken tenders. When it came I was astonished to see how small the portions of chicken were! It looked more like a starter that had been shared between two!! Very disappointing. However, the flavours of it were delicious and it was cooked very nicely. So apart from the stingy size of the supposed mains, and the segregation of service, it was a nice late lunch experience.

Had a lovely evening with family and friends the food was fantastic and the drinks. Very welcoming pub The staff are excellent

Lee & Ellen were pleasent, friendly & helpful - great experience, many thanks

Great meal as always, Millie our server was friendly and attentive, brilliant atmosphere and tasty food, will be returning

It was good, very busy only complaint is that I paid an extra £1.50 for onion rings and only got three tiny ones. Did take a pic of you want to see.

Fast food well cooked with great beer

First time coming to this pub, it is a lovely pub will definitely be coming back, the staff here are very friendly. Sophie was very friendly and welcoming xx

Whilst on Holiday in the Area we chose to book on a Sunday for our party of 8 (4 adults & 4 children) From the outside it looks very nice. More than enough parking. Play park. But unfortunatley that's where the positives stop. Young staff meant no or little customer service. Barely a smile. Food arrives cold on a blistering hot plate. They missed a drink off the original order and then mixed up our Desserts order. When asked for extra sauce.. we had been charged £2.50 for a small pot of luke warm gravy. Not impressed at all. The roat pork had no crackling or apple sauce as promised. The veg was 1 big carrot. 1 big parsnip.. meaning undercooked. We had to pay for extras like Cauliflower Cheese etc. We have seen better quality at a carvary. Finally - The choccy brownie was more like old dried cake. Sorry but lots of room for improvement.

Well worth the visit, great staff and friendly atmosphere. Loved the food and it was cheaper than I expected.

Absolutely loved our experience at The Poachers! The waitresses were so unbelievably welcoming, warm and attentive. A surprise birthday dessert arrived without us even asking!! Really super.

We can't really fault any of our visit to the Poachers Pocket.

We were on route to Wales and detoured through Chirk, although we hadn't booked a table at The poachers we were greeted by Lee,who. although the restaurant was very busy able to accommodate us efficiently.Millie was our table host and she served us efficiently and had a friendly manner too. The food was delicious and served perfectly. We would like to thank both Lee and Millie for making our first experience at The Poachers very good , we will definitely detour there again.

Millie did a great job waiting on our table, was friendly and patient as we decided what to order, then asked if all was OK. Manager Lee was also great in finding us a table (we're never organised enough to book places in advance) I'd probably recommend doing that if you want the same great service from Millie 😃

Under staffed …which caused lack of quality.

I was disappointed in my last visit, we got there at about 8.50 on a Saturday evening, and was surprised that we could only have one drink because they were cashing up, which I thought was early for a Saturday night.

This is the 2nd visit of the week to this pub,1st visit food good no problems. As for tonight we waited nearly an hour before our food arrived and that was only one meal out of four the rest arrived a good 5-10 minutes later.when my hubby went to complain and say we be been sat for 15mins with dirty plates in front of us the still didn't come to clear them service was appalling

Went for lunch today. Very very disappointed. Waited over an hour after ordering food. First off the drinks were mixed up, then we had to chase our food 3 times. Staff were not aware of any specials, and apparently the pub does not serve diet coke. We were with 2 children and the wait for them was extremely difficult. We ordered lasagne with an extra portion of chips. The lasagne was cold in the middle and burnt on the edges and was obviously microwaved. It said it came with a mixed salad, but it just came with soggy lettuce. We didn't get our extra chips and another dish came incomplete. The children's nuggets and BBQ sauce came without the sauce and were so overcooked. Unacceptable service, food and the restaurant tables felt sticky and unclean. I would avoid for food.

Food good, waited a long time with table service

Really improved since our last visit! The food was amazing! And the staff were lovely!! Was no Sunday dinner left. But we had food off the main Menu and it was beautiful! 💜 be returning again soon!

I have been a number of times and to be honest, the service has no continuity, but they are always helpful and pleasant. However, on this occasion they really messed up with the food. My friends had scampi which had to be re-cooked as it was raw. I had sausage and mash and it was Bisto gravy and I lobbed brown sauce on it so it was okay. We both had sticky toffee pudding, but this was very poor, toffee ice cream had obviously been let to go defrosted at some point because it had ice in it, not a lot of toffee sauce and sponge was rather dry. A little bit disappointing to be honest the food did not represent the quality of the staff , Basics , you can do better than this!

We last visited 9 years ago when family lived nearby. We are on holiday with friends and had booked a table with high expectations and good memories of eating here. Such a massive disappointment. From the point when we entered and despite there being lots of tables empty the manager kept us waiting for ages and another member of staff then seated us. The waitres came over after a long wait and did not ask about allergies or what was not available on the menu. Being a Sunday at 630 we were looking at the menu at the roasts. A neighbouring table told us they had no roasts. We ordered starters and mains. Lots of items unavailable. After 3 hours we were still waiting for Desserts to arrive and when I questioned the 5 staff members at the bar why we were still waiting as there was no one else there- a gobby female from the kitchen asked me what table and shed get them. A few minutes passed and the gobby female came to our table and shouted at my husband saying that your desserts are not sent from the kitchen until the mains are cleared. We did not order desserts until the mains were cleared as we (6 of us) were all still hungry. When desserts came they were unpalatable. Cheesecake with no base! I asked for the manager who said they wasn't working so I asked for the duty manager which was the person we was talking to. Yes I understand that it's a busy time of year and it had been a busy day. They were extraordinary short staffed and the staff they did have were very green. Good service would have rectified lots of the mistakes made. There was 3 other tables sitting in our veiw. 1 left without ordering as nothing was available. The other 2 tables were unhappy with very long waits and incorrect items when it did arrive. We were in the restaurant for 3 1/2 hours and left disappointed and hungry. Terrible start to our narrow boat holiday