The Poachers Pocket in Shropshire

Amazing staff friendly service with a smile. Food was tasty and would definitely recommend to anyone visiting in the area right by the canalside

The venue is nice, and the staff is polite. However the size of the meals were just disappointing. Cesar salad for £ 15/16 had no more than 3 leafs of salad. / paid extra for onion rings (£1.5) with the burger and got 2 onion rings added. Desert menu looked nice and we were willing to have it, but after seeing the sizes of the portions for the main, we just decided to go somewhere else for desert instead of risking. Food tasted good, but I would not come back or recommend.

What can I say? Just keep driving straight past is my advice. We should've been warned by all the tables outside that clearly hadn't been ckeared and food all over the floor. We were sat for at least half an hour before anyone even took a drinks order and that was only after my wife went and asked someone. All the food was disgusting. Steak was meant to be 18oz. No way was it, 8oz at best and half of that was inedible due to sinew and gristle. Seems to be a regular theme judging by the reviews on here. My wife's pie was literally frozen cold in the middle and black burnt on the pastry. We sent the pie back, everyone else had finished eating and fresh food still hadn't arrived for my wife. We got up and walked the hell out of here. Such a shame as great canalside location and could be good with decent staff training and management.

The pub is looking tied and the food was nothing to write home about and was extremely disappointed to go to an establish chain that should have been better. It started bay when they hadn’t got MARSTONS pedigree . We then were looking for Sunday roast that none of the 5 selections were available I then selected 3 different main courses only to be told that these were not available . I therefore went safe and had their SIGNATURE burger that was bland and the burgers overcooked . Has better mc d value burgers . The fries were like thin crisps and for the side homemade coleslaw this was about a table spoon full. My wife had bangers and mash with onion gravy , however was more like instant Bisto. We did have deserts that was ok although my chocolate dome with met in the middle was actually a chocolate dome ice cream sat on a brownie ( no melt in the middle) it was ok but certain not as described . Then to compound our visit the pub was playing Xmas music in October . Really !!

Amazing as always, lovely food and friendly staff, location is stunning right on the canal, perfect for a pit stop on the boat

Var där för en Guinness kl 17:00 Guinness var god men jag fick lov att gå till Manager för att få en trasa att rengöra bordet. Sen gick vi kom tillbaka kl 19:20, fortfarande var vår glas kvar på bordet. Och det hade tillkommit fler tomma glas och tallrikar på andra bord ,det låg servetter och sugrör mm runt borden. Men vår mat var ganska ok. Dock var bearnaisesås pulver och maten ganska smaklös fattas salt och peppar.. kan jag rekommendera,nej

We booked via the app as you can’t talk to anyone at the establishment, but all in all the booking went through and we arrived on time to be greeted by the sign saying please wait to be seated. So we waited and waited and yes you can guess waited some more I could go on but you get the drift. After a damn good ignoring we decided to leave and go elsewhere, we keep trying with this place as we live locally and in the past it’s been great but now it’s just not great, I’d advise to avoid unless you are entering a let’s get ignored competition.

We had a fantastic visit this weekend! The staff went above and beyond, accommodating a large group of lads, finding us a great spot in the garden to set up some games. Really made the weekend, so thank you!

We waited over 30 minutes for our food, when it did eventually come out we had food missing a stake priced at £21 come on a plate over cooked with a few chips and lettuce, missing all the other items it should of come with, we also paid extra for peppercorn sauce which didn’t come to the table until the stake was almost finished. One meal never arrived at all, when asking the waitress about this the attitude she had was absolutely appalling. When trying to call her over twice she walked passed and completely ignored us, we did speak to the deputy manager, who said she would talk to the waitress but as we seen before leaving they were walking passed each other smiling, there is absolutely no leadership there, not what I would expect from a manager. We will not be returning

Poor, inexperienced service. Food obviously microwaved as lukewarm in the middle burnt on the edges. Mixed up and incorrect orders. Mixed salad consisted of just soggy lettuce. Childrens food fried to a crisp. Over an hour wait once ordered. Complained to manager and was offered a discount. Quite frankly I wouldn't have paid a penny!!!

On arrival at this establishment. I was greeted abruptly bar the member of staff at the bar with a get hold of your dog now. Not a good start. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The abrobtness and rudenessof the member of staff at the bar was not nice. This is not the first time I have had problems with this establishment A few months ago I had problems with the food when dining with friend's and my friend had to send the rib eye steak back three times as it was not cooked proberly. This is a Marston's house. And I would like to recommend that Marston's send the male member of staff in question back on a customer service course. I will not be returning.

We visit the poachers quite often and we enjoy our visit every time the staff are so helpful and friendly as my parents are elderly the staff always got the extra mile to help the food is brilliant always cooked perfect i had a mix grill this time and all the meat was fantastically cooked my partner had a chicken kebab the flavour coming from that is amazing We will definitely be returning very soon

We are so impressed with the Poachers. Our son is autistic and on a restricted (gluten-free) diet. We are so used to going into a restaurant and being told that he only has one or two options to choose from. But not at the Poachers! They have a specially printed menu for people with gluten intollerance with plenty to choose from. The first time we visited, they were so caring, asking where best he might like to sit and explaining where was quiet and where might be a bit noisy. The staff were very attentive without being intrusive. Even with the special menu, they were still happy to chop and change some of the vegetable options to suit our son. Other restaurants usually charge us extra for that but not the Poachers. The food came quickly and was absolutely delicious. We have now been to the restaurant several times. The staff always welcome our son with the appropriate menu without needing to be asked and make him feel like a regular. We feel really looked after and well catered for.

I have never been here before but it looked very nice. What a terrible place it was manager and his wife were both rude and obnoxious why do people like that take a job in the hospitality trade. Food was cold the grease congealed.I felt sorry for the young lady who served us. We paid and left without finishing our food which really was inedible.

We have been here a number of times when we visit the area and we always are made to feel welcome with our Frenchie, Kevin. Dog friendly is always a big tick for us. Food is great, lots of choice and cooked to order, service is brilliant and servers are always attentive. It’s always our go to place to eat when we visit.

Superb night. Staff friendly. Pub was warm and inviting. Lovely and clean Dog friendly. Give you treats and water for pups Food was very good. Not complaints. We will return. Thank you.

A warm friendly welcome as we arrived. We were shown to our table and ensured that we were comfortable. We were given a few minutes to look at the drinks menu and order taken. The atmosphere was warm and friendly with a mixture of couples and families, dogs are welcome too and there are blankets for them to lay on and d doggy box with bowls water and some biscuits. Our food order was taken we didn’t order starters. My husband chose a mix grill I went for pie of the day which was chicken. It arrived lovely and hot. My husband said the mixed grill was tasty and my pie was delicious I can highly recommend it, it came with creamed potatoes mixed greens and glazed carrots and extra gravy in a jug. We could not fault either meal. We had one of the special Hendricks gin with homemade lemonade very refreshing. We chose sticky toffee pudding and ice cream and I had apple and cherry crumble and custard which was fantastic! All of the staff we met were friendly and helpful very willing to explain the meals. We were asked if we had any allergies when we were seated.

Wow what an amazing Sunday lunch. Myself and three friends visited for lunch. Although the pub was very busy the host managed to find us a table. The service was impeccable and the food far surpassed our expectations. The trio of roasts was amazing. The gentleman on the bar was very engaging and made our day, his banter was brilliant. We will definitely be returning

Had a short break in Chirk over the weekend. Went to The Poacers for a drink and decided to have dinner there. We were accommodated with no booking and nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. We enjoyed the food and service so much we ate there the following 2 nights. Management were amazing. Very friendly and welcoming!

Goodness me. What a miserable landlord and front of house. Unwelcoming, unfriendly, positively hostile. Took ages to find us somewhere to sit in an empty pub. Was it because we are not from Chirk? Waitresses were sweet and could not have been more helpful. Food was defrosted heated up. How not to welcome people to an empty pub and ensure they never go back. It's a shame because we have just moved to the area and we certainly won't go back. Pubs should give people a warm welcome, ask them where they would like to sit and try to accommodate.

Wonderful food and excellent service, enjoyed my birthday dinner here, a lovely welcoming restaurant and the managers were very accommodating, would recommend to anyone in the area and to those staying at Lion Quays which is only a few minutes drive down the road! Will 100% return when in the area again!

We arrived as we’re on a canal trip. We hadn’t booked, but it was my husband’s birthday so we decided to try our luck and see if we could have a meal. We clearly arrived at peak time, they were so busy, but still managed to squeeze us in. Having eaten at other Marston’s restaurants (Oyster bed and Gunpowder mill) we had very low expectations - we’d previously had awful experiences at the other locations, but were hungry and without high hopes surely nothing could be so bad! I wasn’t only satisfied, but left impressed. The food was delicious (would be better if vegan Mayo was an option) the staff were wonderful, helpful, friendly and cheerful. Clearly a reflection to great management. We spoke with the manager and suggested he take a trip to Kent and give training to the two branches we’d tried previously. We do plan on returning!

We arrived at the Poachers Pocket and enquired about a table for a group of 7 of us to eat. A young staff member went to check with another staff member about some tables and she said ‘No as tables were reserved for others’ which is fair enough. We explained that we would be happy to wait and if needed eat on 2 separate tables but it was a definite NO from the senior member of staff. So we bought some drinks and went to sit outside and ordered a kebab and drank our drinks whilst waiting 3/4hour for the delivery to arrive in the car park for us. During this time no extra customers came to eat as we could see the tables which were ‘reserved’ - we came to the conclusion that they just didn’t want any extra work on a Friday night at 7pm which was really surprising in this current climate. Wouldn’t go here again. We had an amazing kebab and ate it on the barge - perhaps a lucky escape was had.

Went for a 6oth birthday with friends and family which was lovely but when we went to order I couldn't find anything to eat that wasn't spiced or herbed.i ended up with a sirloin steak and cold potatoe which had pepper in which I left.also it was very very hot in there we had to keep going outside.so I phoned the manager up and he was the most arrogant inviduual ever.so won't be going back there

Reading the comments always make me laugh, My wife and I visited the poachers Saturday 30th September I had the ribeye steak and my wife had the buttermilk chicken tenders as a Main as she wasn’t very hungry, both meals were cooked very well and...

We’ve been to the Poachers many times over the last year or so, mainly to eat but also just for drinks. We went again on Saturday for our evening meal and the food was lovely as always. I had the buttermilk tenders, which are actually on the starter menu but I just fancied them so I ordered a double portion as a main, and that wasn’t a problem. My husband had the ribeye steak, which he very often has especially when he knows that Ryan is working in the kitchen as he cooks them to perfection. I’ve read on a previous review that they were unhappy with their food and blamed this on Ryan being a joiner!! What a ridiculous comment to make, can people not make career changes? Whether he’s previously worked as a joiner does not take away from the fact that he’s an excellent chef and a lovely lad! Emily was her lovely self and was helpful as ever. The management are always welcoming & friendly with us & always up for a chat. We went again the following day for the Sunday roast and I can honestly say it’s one of the best I’ve had, a really good size & excellent value for money. I can’t consume any alcohol and Ryan happily made me a gravy without any in. The veggies were cooked perfectly, not at all mushy with a nice bite, but not undercooked. We’ve had 2 great meals over the weekend, cooked and served by lovely staff.

Had heard it had improved, it was awful 6 of us went one asked for chicken salad 🥗 ended up with no salad 🥗 but my husband and I had salad with our chicken, the fish was like a ready meal fish the roast dinner...

Extremely rude managers, foul language, disgusting behaviour! The food is all frozen rubbish, it tastes and looks like it, but it’s no surprise as the so called chefs that are running the kitchen are in fact a joiner and a cake maker! Avoid at all...

Excellent food , very friendly staff , highly recommended. Third year in a row we’ve been there for food and drinks 🍺. Great location

Excellent food , very friendly staff , highly recommended. Second year in a row I’ve been there for food and drinks 🍺. Great location will be back again.

my freind and i had a tasty dinner and the staff were very friendly and accommodating.ic would highly recommend. it and will be returning.

Wonderful place, lovely friendly staff, Emily was fantastic. Beautiful canal just along side dog friendly our dog loved it here too. Food was exquisite. Would recommend.

Myself and some friends went for some drinks one night and as soon as you walk into the pub it’s like a homely atmosphere everyone was so nice and welcoming We sat outside with the weather being so nice. It was all round a great...

Bustling warm dining room and plenty of outdoor canal-side tables. Food was beautifully presented, served quickly and all the waitstaff worked hard to keep everything in order. Please try the sweet potato fries! Pate starter, fish and chips (moist with tempura light batter) and steak...

A beautiful pub in a beautiful location. The staff were amazing and nothing we asked for was too much. We were served by Emily and then sat in the bar for a few drinks after our food and was served by Craig. Would recommend to...

Walked in with a group of 4 of us and we were greeted with a great welcome and from the second we walked in we felt right at home as all the waitresses made sure we were all ok and having a great time whilst...

Went to the poachers again on Sunday, was really busy but got a table with out booking and service was fast and friendly, both me and my partners had the pie of the day. It was steak and ale and can say it was everything...

We have been here for the first time as recommended by family friends and when I tell you the staff, the food and the atmosphere had exceeded my expectations especially Amy and Jordan they had excellent knowledge of the menu with my gluten intolerance and...

Visited with my Husband, Daughter and parents. We had a warm welcome from Andrea who was manning reception. We all enjoyed our meals very much and will definitely visit again.

Good food at a reasonable price, very nice staff, dog friendly, they got water and biscuits for our dog which we appreciate. We were passing by on our holiday and stopped for food after long day of walking. It was raining so we were sitting...

Well from start to finish , great welcome , great service , good value for your money, all the party really enjoyed there meals and we had a good verity from steaks to kebabs , then great drinks selection with deserts. The only one thing...

Not impressed with the service. I walked along the canal to the pub and called in for a coffee and a light lunch. I waited while the bar person served a customer which then turned into a chat with him. Another chap walked and he...

I would just like to thank the team at the poachers fora wonderful evening. My family and I were all overwhelmed by the service and the food. The manager was more than accommodating as we hadn’t booked but he managed to move some tables round...

Dog friendly, diverse clientele, great veg options, and a super friendly owner. Oh, and great views of the canal with outdoor dining - this place is a winner. Took the in-laws while on a canal trip - we loved the food, met a group of...

Lovely setting, food was pretty good but the man serving us was rude and obnoxious. I don’t like leaving bad reviews and tend to think it’s better to say nothing and hope it was an off day but having looked at other reviews since I...

Great food great service couldn’t fault it . Highly recommend set in a superb location nice canal walk .

Just happened across this lovely gem whilst visiting Chirk with my Mum and 3 children. The food was absolutely delicious; my Mum said the steak was one of the best she had ever had. 2 courses for £14 and portions were excellent. Really lovely outside...

This is a lovely place for lunch or evening meal. Food was excellent with quick and polite service. The owner/ manger was amazing with his staff. Would definitely recommend. Nothing was too much trouble.

Although we never booked, they soon found us a table. Food was lovely. Would definitely return if we are in the area again.

Brilliant i must say the staff were so friendly and helpful especially emily helping my family with there allergens and the male behind the bar was so welcoming when we enter we hadnt booked a table but they still managed to fit us in even...

Lovely pub in a great location by the canel, food and service are second to none,food came out quick and hot and the drinks served with a smile will definitely be going back again

Visiting family in the area and booked the Poacher online , fabulous service , amazing food and lovely venue! Thank you

As a solo narrow boater, I’ve experienced a variety of canal side pubs, this has to be one of the very best and it was all down to the service, the staff are amazing, in particular Amy, she was so friendly, polite and clearly happy...

We came in to be pleasantly welcomed by a young man and guided to a table with my young family, I was then greeted by a polite young lady (Emily) at the bar. We sat inside, which we found to be very clean and comfortable,...

Visited on the 21st of August. Myself and my wife visited on our way to visit family. We were blew away from the get go. We were sat straight away and informed about the early evening menu and main menu which left us indecisive as...

Great food/ great service will definitely be back very clean with a wide choice of food and drinks at a reasonable price

Arrived 4.45pm Lunch time menu advertised 12 - 5pm £14 for 2 courses We asked the girl who came to serve us if we were intime to order from the lunch menu and she said yes. She took our order and when the bill arrived...

Well Marston's, you need to do better. This place says it's dog friendly, I should have heard alarm bells at that point. Conversation was murdered by yelping dogs, there didn't appear to be anywhere you could get away from them. Meal portions were strangely rationed....

Disgraceful customer service from who appeared to be the manager/landlord, i went to the bar with my 19 year old son and ordered 2 alcoholic drinks, the man declined to serve my son, unfortunately he didn’t have his wallet with him but I had a...

We found this large pub after randomly pulling off the A5 looking for somewhere to have a light lunch. We were warmly greeted by a lady who was very efficient and friendly. We ordered a Camembert, toast and chutney to share - which arrived piping...

Very friendly & helpful staff. Very well trained! The food was amazing and good value! 2 courses for £14 from 12 noon to 5pm. Lovely garden. Very dog friendly. We were presented with a little box for the fog to use with a little blanket,...

Poor customer service from man behind the bar - (blue t shirt) extremely rude. Informed that in order to sit outside we could not order from the lunch menu but if we ordered off the main menu we could sit outside? Absolutely ridiculous rule which...

2nd time here and so sorry never again, meals very small in size(even I can microwave what I got), it's obvious the food is frozen not fresh,staff ok but it doesn't reflect the food .We over heard others saying how poor/bad the food is,I know...

Excellent service, really nice staff and the food was wonderful. If we're down this neck of the woods again then we will definitely call again. Thank you

Excellent service on a very busy night would recommend booking in advance but they will accommodate if they can food was of a good standard with plenty of choice we were served by Emily who was very efficient

Absolutley fantastic food and customer service! Always made to feel so welcome and at home. Wonderful Sunday lunch also, would definitely recommend!

I wished to book for 10 to 12 people, precise number to be confirmed nearer the visit. The online booking allowed me up to a table of 8. I booked this 2 weeks before but added in the comments box that our number would be...

What a rude manager. If you have an issue with someone who has made a booking professionalism would dictate that you speak to that person privately. Not in front of members of his party and other customers at the bar. Maybe some management training would...

Had a business meeting, the atmosphere was very chilled, perfect for the occasion, food was outstanding with very well mannered staff! Would definitely recommend

Amazing atmosphere, beautiful food,clean room and lovely staff, definitely coming again absolutely amazing experience.

Unfriendly personell that was not at all interested in serving us in any way when we arrived. I would strongly recommend looking for some other place that are interested in serving tourists.

Good food, great atmosphere, very chilled night, staff are very lovely and polite would definitely recommend.

Food and service was absolutely outstanding, the manager is respectful and polite, helped me with every question I needed help with, and even recommends the best foods ;) 11/10 service.

Very chilled atmosphere, food was great, even for such a fussy eater as myself, would definitely recommend for others

Food was outstanding, great service, the staff were very friendly, would definitely recommend to others passing by!

Great food and a lovely environment. It was perfect for my friends kids as they had enough things to do and enjoy themselves. Pretty sure you pour the best pints around 🤩

Had a fantastic time last Sunday lunchtime at this lovely canal side pub. Great atmosphere and although very busy the service was friendly and efficient. Orders taken and dealt with quickly and quality service in no time - obviously down to a well run and...

To say we went would be a lie….table booked online for 8pm phone call came 15 mins later to say kitchen closes at 7:45 and they couldn’t possibly fit us in earlier…booking cancelled….sure they have there reasons but why allow the booking to show online...

Thank you team poachers for a lovely experience. The food was lovely and a lovely chilled atmosphere. We will be returning again in the near future. Keep up the good work.

I have visited The Poachers many times and never been disappointed so I choose it for a family birthday. From the moment we arrived the staff were attentive and friendly nothing was too much trouble. The food was fantastic.

Well I highly recommend this place , it’s changed so much and definitely for the better, service , standards and food all amazing

We visited over the weekend with our dog, there’s lots of dog friendly amenities. The staff were super lovely and inviting. Especially Andrea and Craig. We had the hunters chicken and a sirloin steak. The sirloin steak was cooked to perfection by the chef Ryan....

Excellent meal here at stake and chips, well cooked and presented. My wife had curry and rice which Craig Wyn I’m having knowledge papadum and non-bread service was good only downside was too much ice in the Coca-Cola. I would call the guidance staff very...

Been twice in the last month, both times with a dog. Booked ahead with no problem and met with a smile and a bowl of water and some biscuits for the dog - lovely touch, thank you. Food was great, service was really good and...

Booked for myself and partner and mum who was visiting Staff were friendly and pleasant Good choice of menu and good value Food was really good and arrived quickly Pub had a nice chilled atmosphere Would return

Returned to the poachers last Saturday for some lunch and again couldn’t rate it highly enough, staff were friendly and helpful. Food was very nice again, I had the burger and my partner had fish and chips, great quality food and didn’t wait long considering...

Great waiter from start to finish. Food was good and very well priced and so was the wine. You even get an extra discount on steak/grill food on a Thursday.

Had a great family lunch here, booked online and quoted that we have a dog and wheelchair user and that was all fine when we arrived. Staff very welcoming and friendly. Good choice of drinks, service was good…water and biscuits for the dog first of...

We had a really good meal and, having recently moved into the area, are super-pleased to have found Poachers. Our meal was ŵas well prepared and presented, delicious. Their team were all friendly and helpful. Emily in particular managed the introduction of a nut allergy...

Avoid this place at all cost!!!Having picked up our canal boat at Trevor via Anglo Welsh for a weeks holiday, I was advised that most people headed to the Poachers Inn on their first day boating, moor up and go for a meal at the...

We have been staying on the canal the last two days and had the opportunity of being in Poachers for both a drink and a meal. The staff were so friendly and engaging. Plenty of craic! Great range of cask ales at good value and...

As frequent visitor's over the last 7 years to the Poachers, we are disappointed to read some of the recent negative reviews. We have seen management come and go over that period of time. Since Craig & Andrea have been management over the last year,...

Staff were very welcoming despite us turning up without having booked a table. They were more than happy for us to have the dogs inside. The place was very clean and had a great atmosphere. Most importantly, the food was amazing! It was displayed very...

on canal boat, tried to go to poachers and order meal, tried to use QR code, unfortunately we could not get it to work therefore my friend and I went into the pub to ask for help. The bar staff extremely unhelpful, told me use...

Didn’t book a table it was Monday and we arrived at 7:10pm, the manager was behind the bar and straight away his body language was very obviously unfriendly. I ordered 2 drinks and asked for a menu to which I was abruptly told there are...

On holiday for a week at Henley heights, went to visit Chirk for a wander around , passed a lovely pub The Poachers , do we booked and went on the 27/06/23 We were not disappointed Plenty of parking Dog friendly for those who have...

To anyone who is planning to come to the poachers in chirk. Do not! Save your will to live and money. I have gave this place many chances and rarely am i impressed. The lack of respect the management have for their staff is appalling....

For a venue that has a great location they fall down on every level. The staff are rude and unhelpful. They will not serve food outside after 6pm and when you have two dogs that are not allowed inside - you are now going hungry....

Pulled up and parked at Poachers for lunch, found a table outside and my friend went in for a menu, he was told we had to move from the table we had chosen to another that had a bar code on it because that's the...

My visit to Poachers Pub was nothing short of a disappointment. Despite arriving with a group of friends, we were subjected to a seemingly endless ID-checking process. It was astonishing that even after three of the lads in our group provided valid identification, we were...