The Bear - JD Wetherspoon in Wiltshire

Typical Weterspoons. There's always seems to be 1 or 2 less staff than are needed between 12 and 3 the busy lunchtime.

The menu and the cooking have gone downhill in the past couple of years. Although, some recent visits have shown signs of improvement.

Came here for lunch with one of the ladies I support and the staff was super friendly and the food was very good and quick. Also there was a lot of people inside that day but it didn't feel all cramped, I would recommend.

Best weatherspoons I've been in. Atmosphere good always busy and the food is always good👍🏻 we keep returning

If you’re after a decent, cheap breakfast the bear In Melksham can be Recommended. Ample parking in Sainsbury’s car park around the back this is far from the stereotype Wetherspoons with the sticky carpet! It has a pleasant interior open from 8 am till midnight and serves a decent breakfast From 8 am till noon at a price which is hard to understand how they make a profit. Unlimited coffee is another big plus. Searching for a negative the only thing I could say was it could’ve been a little warmer but apart from that quite adequate meal.

Chav central... I am usually forced by my friend to go here :( HELP

Always quick well presented breakfast served by friendly happy staff

Only issue with this pub,the tables where not cleaned food great,lovely pub.

Dreadful steak. So bad that we could not eat it. The waitress didn't even think to enquire as to why we didn't eat the steak. A terrible waste of money

Always receive good service from friendly staff.

Nice bright pub with beer garden. Great value due to Wetherspoons great pricing. Just popped in for a drink and live the fact that teas and coffees are refillable. Staff very friendly and welcoming.

The man who served us was miserable and we waited a long time for service. Will not go there again

Large party went for breakfast. Food was good, service was good. Overall, a nice place for cheap food

A great breakfast and great prices 👍

Recently went for lunch and ordered the triple burger for £12. It arrived with no cheese or bacon so was taken away to be added. Came back with unmelted cheese and cold bacon on. When I asked I was told that's how it comes as it's precooked. Pretty poor standards for a TWELVE POUND BURGER. Was there for a weekday late lunch and the restaurant area was quiet but there was food on the floor and we had to clear our own table n ask for it to b wiped down. Was a very disappointing experience and wouldn't recommend.

The only wetherspoons pub in mellsham, and it has gone totally downhill.. To start with, my shoes practically stuck to the floor as i walked in.. customers waiting 10 minutes to be served at the bar even with staff stood right there doing nothing.. dirty signs on the bar saying they weren't taking cash.. I wasn't paying cash, but I dont understand why they weren't taking it. It's cash.. The "clean" glasses are not clean. Some have lip marks over them and are obviously not being washed properly.. when i asked for a clean glass, the look I got from the bar staff wasn't very pleasant.. I only wanted a clean glass without someone else's lips on it.. there was a fair amount of dirty glasses on the bar just sitting there being ignored, never mind the amount of fruit flies flying all over the place.. The staff clearly had a busy day because there were dirty tables filled with plates and glasses complete with menus literally stuck to the tables.. There was a huge pile of dirty plates on the floor just outside of the kitchen that a young lad was trying to scrape off, but wasn't really getting anywhere with it.. After seeing that and some of the food coming out of the kitchen, I decided I'd rather pass and not risk it.. The toilets were absolutely disgusting. You can smell them as you walk up the stairs before you even see them.. in the ladies, there was a faint smell, and the floor was very sticky.. one of the toilets I went into was a total mess with loads of loo roll all over the seat along with what I'm assuming was wee all over the floor.. the mirrors were dirty with marks all over them, the soap dispenser was practically empty, and the sink sides weren't clean.. Im sure these toilets won an award for being so clean, once upon a time.. The garden was a total mess.. dirty tables, most of which had half eaten plates of food on them, just left for the seagulls to come and eat.. one smashed a glass in the process of stealing some food that was still there when i left over an hour later.. You can see some of the tables are wobbly and made stable by using the spoons magazine or a menu.. I did speak to a young lad who was doing his best with all the mess and asked to borrow something to clean a chair and table with. He then insisted he came and did it for me.. after a little chat, he told me they were short staffed due to sickness or holidays.. I was there for just over 3 hours and saw 2 members of staff trying to work the floor and the bar between them.. at one point, another lady came in. When she served me, she told me she was only there to help out for a couple of hours, then she was off home regardless of the mess.. I've grown up and worked in hospitality since I was very young, and in my personal opinion, 3 basic things a pub needs to survive and stay open.. CLEAN glasses CLEAN toilets And more than 2 or 3 members of staff on at a time.. There was a time this pub was a lovely place to visit, the toilets included.. but not anymore. It's sad to see it..

Brilliant beers and food! Best priced establishment by far!

Brill place, good food and service

Cheap and cheerful. Just what it sys on the tin..

I went to the bear on Sunday, July 7 2024 with my 3 year old daughter. We ordered pasta Bolognese for our kid and there was a sharp object in her KIDS MEAL!!! This is very dangerous, it could've caused serious injury to our child! This is unacceptable.

Ok if you can get served which isn't easy

Lovely garden brilliant atmosphere friendly staff

Good Wetherspoon pub that’s been refurbished relatively recently. Only complaint was that one coffee machine not working and the other constantly needing resetting.

Walked in, no ales. Barman not particularly bothered if people stayed or not. Had to ask for Curry club menu. Good food though.

Tiny portion. Chips were nearly as big as the fish. Quick and friendly service. Tasty.

Good food at usual spoons value👍

Wrap and Panini were tasty. Quick friendly service

Amongst the best Wetherspoons I have visited

Wouldn't serve us food as it was near 9pm and we had children with us, we would have happily sat outside, but no, rules is rules.

Used the beer garden which was typical spoons , had lunch which was prompt , cider was nice and cold , yeah recommend, no frills , no issues.

Good price for lots of coffee and a very reasonable breakfast.

Wasn't very impressed ordered a all day brunch when I received it was very cold told one of the staff who was behind the bar he got very rude to me saying what you expect you get what you pay for so I said if I wanted a meal that was cold I would have ordered a salad then he told me to get lost I then I went to tell the manager what the guy had said she just ignored me will never step foot in the pub again another review went into the WETHERSPOONS today ordered large vegetarian brunch but was given meat sausages instead of vegan ones explain to one of the staff and he was arguing with me saying they was vegan sausages when I known they wasn't as the vegan sausages they normally do do not smell of pork or taste like pork didn't want to call too much fuss so ended up just eating them as i don't like waisting money

Had the ramen noodle bowl with chicken. Absolutely 10/10. Always friendly staff and imo the best Wetherspoons around

Very comfortable Spoons. Reasonably centrally sited in main street.

Went with a crowd of workmates for breakfast, food was lovely , staff extremely helpful

Yet another poor experience here. Food served luke warm and with dishes mixed up on a simple order for 2 people. Tables and menus dirty.

Only one staff member on duty behind the bar, so long que. Ordered food & drinks via app, which was served reasonably quickly. Food was mediocre but you get what you pay for.

50 minutes of wait time for 12£ food. That's a great joke. Cancelled order and went elsewhere. Stop being so cheap and employ more people.

Why doesn’t it have a Wetherspoon sign on why’s it called the bear if it ain’t a brand of Wetherspoon

They sure do love skimping on the chips which knocks them down a star. Otherwise it's a decent little pub with plenty of seating.

Not sure I'd bother coming here again. I was at the bar around 5.30pm today, with two young bar staff on. Bearing in mind I was the only person at the bar, obviously the young man was busy with an online order, but the girl with the dyed hair was only moving glasses around, and evidently uninterested in serving me. I don't recall upsetting anyone previously while at the bar, so I was mystified as to why I might as well have been invisible at this point. Then a couple come to the bar after me and the bar girl serves them straight away. The barman serves me shortly afterwards, thankfully, albeit begrudgingly. Observing afterwards, more extremely poor service going on, don't know where the bargirl is hiding in her remaining minutes before ending her shift, but more customers left waiting for long periods at the bar while the lone barman has to deal with punters on his own. Bargirl reappears behind the bar shortly before end of shift, not to serve waiting customers, but to have a look at her phone and then fist bump her bar mate before walking out. Poor, poor, poor. If you don't want to work behind a bar, DON'T work behind a bar. There are people out there who would probably appreciate your job and do it ten times better than you. The Trowbridge reopening can't come fast enough. Two star rating is for the decor of the pub. NOT the service.

Lovely food good atmosphere great staff much better than Chippenham and cleaner too

It's a weatherspoons and you know what your getting!

Although at a quiet time ( 10:00) the service was good. A no nonsense bar with friendly staff .

Nice breakfast, decent coffee cheapest in town

A usual wetherspoons with an alright atmosphere.

We had a nice evening meal great value.

Had breakfast, food was good but a little cool for my liking, this was rectified when brought to staff attention. Didn't take away enjoyment. Staff were all very friendly, and good atmosphere. Will certainly visit again.

Food was cold and when I told them my food was cold they came back with my same plate but microwaved. Disgusting food tastes grim.

Usual Spoons - great place. Decent food at a decent price with great drinks.

Very nice lady Scarlett serving the bar

As you would expect weatherspoons is well above other pubs the atmosphere was great the food was great and the staff were realy nice as well.

Good value, get what you expect! Tables always need a clean.

Great place for decent great value food and drink. Family friendly. Sadly not dog friendly..

Only been in for breakfast and lunch. Love their food, cheap and cheerful. You'll never go hungry. Very polite staff. Always smiling

Nice Wetherspoon, good atmosphere. Helpful staff. Great prices.

As a spoons goes this a one of the best

So many tables, but the prices are lovely

Very good service and food excellent

Hot drinks machines were broken. When said to the lad behind the bar, he gave a look of "I don't care. But I must say it's one of the nicest clean looking spoons around.

Typically busy Spoons with remarkably well priced beers and food.

As with a lot of weathetspoons it was full of interesting characters half drunk on cheap drinks all whilst sitting in a pub which smelt like overflowing sewers had an alright pint but had to leave after that as the smell was making us all feel off.

Great breakfast, perfect start to the day

Best wetherspoons I've ever been to. Amazing!

Badly managed poor service with terrible attitude from the Manager who needs training in social skills.

Good place to catch up with friends/family. Ordered food and drinks via App, very quick to arrive and tasty. Staff were friendly.

The worst breakfast ever, scrambled eggs made with 3 eggs must have been robins eggs judging by the quantity and they were cold, extra maple cured bacon ask for it to be crisp, burnt instead! Traditional breakfast forgot the bacon fried egg stone cold, extra black pudding burnt! Coffee cups filthy. Still as they say you get what you pay for sh1te!!!🤬🤬🤬

Food hit and miss if you're going to advertise cheesie chips, then add cheese, not just a sprinkle rock hard. As far as the atmosphere, please pay addention to who is in your beer garden as taking kids out and listening to drugged up adults plus drunk it's not a good 1st impression you need when your visiting for the first time. Staff seem friendly enough

This Wetherspoons is one of the best in the area, food always good and friendly happy staff.

Friendly simple straight forward basic food at very good prices

Very good food service, and perfect beer.

It wasnt bad, you get what you pay for. Breakfast was OK. I'd return

The staff are fabulous, food was good, Thursday curry menu, friend had scampi loved it

Best Pub Fish & Chops I've ever had!

Good food and drinks. I love the variety of drinks and food. The atmosphere is pretty good. They do try to keep the place clean.

Friendly place and great service 👍

Stopped off here on the way home and what a lovely Wetherspoon this is. Clean, not too busy, excellent staff, nice food and a good atmosphere. Really enjoyed this spoons, probably my favourite spoon

You know what you're getting at a wetherspoons, Good, honest grub, and a decent cheap pint. There's a reason that they are always heaving.

Good value, food and drink, and quick service. Staff not that good. A couple of miserable female faces behind the bar. The European level of service is miles behind that of UK workers. Noisy screaming children were also an issue. Ban children from pubs, please. A pub was an adult facility.

Good service and atmosphere, food at a very low price. Tables are often sticky and coffee machines often out of order.

Great service. Friendly staff amazing value.

The food was not value for money. I asked for my steak to be cooked medium and it was rare. When I complained they took it back to the kitchen and it came back a few minutes later exactly the same. the steak only came with a jacket potato or chips and a side salad cost extra.

Food was OK but forgot the peppercorn sauce with the meal

An old pub which was spotless. Went for breakfast. Good was very good

Clean and bright, friendly staff, quick service. Food nicely prepared.

Nice fish and chips with a pint. Can't be beaten on price.

Have visited before COVID and had a good experience. Tonight went for the Beyond Burger and thought it was a children's meal this sort of experience means I won't visit again. No wonder Wetherspoon are closing branches this needs to be one of them. Even the Beyond Burger was crucified and doesn't stand up for scrutiny as you can see from the picture no salad with the buns.

Table and chairs needed cleaning

The garden looks okay, but will never know whether it's worth a visit since Wetherspoons policy seems to be no dogs anywhere on the premises, including gardens. That was pointed rather forcefully by a patron before we got being the gate. Pretty sure the dog's manners are better!!! To be fair, a few other patrons were surprised by the policy and supportive of dogs being allowed. I'm a beer drinker first, dog owner second... think Wetherspoons is missing a trick, and on this occasion £60 trade that's gone to the very obliging Kings Arms just down the road.

Very happy with my visit today…. the staff are fabulous!

A very spacious comfortable pub. Always pleasant and quiet. Food always consistent. Great outdoor area too. Free parking across at Sainsbury's. Very good.

Always had a nice time here, staff are great, place is clean, food is lovely, never had anything to complain about, always a wide age range of people, never any trouble, excellent selection of food and drinks good prices what's not to like

Nice surroundings, good food and helpful staff 🤗

Love thus place for what you pay you get great food at reasonable prices the drinks are well priced as well.

Definitely one of the better spoons I have been too. Great location. Nice beer garden. Staff are very on the ball. Food is also excellent. Nice historic building. A must to visit when in Melksham.

But dark. Barmaid / waitress was very to rude to another customer who was clearly trying to make small talk at the bar Food was cheap and cheerful. Lack of vegan products though. Children have allergies so eat vegan puddings and it didn't offer one they could eat. That was disappointing

Decent Spoons. You know what you are getting. Lush loos.

Quiet breakfast visit during stay in Melksham. Food presented not hot. Seems like pre-prepared and just plated up. Cost represented quality. Ideal for quick breakfast.

Fast service, easy to order from app to table.

Good service, good food, good prices 👍 👍