When: Friday, February 17 2012
Where: 3 Jolly Butchers, 59 North Road, Brighton
I paid: £3.45 for a pint of Arundel, £2.95 for some cheesy chips
I hadn't originally intended to review a pub today, but having suffered a particularly bad day at work I suddenly fancied a pint and the 3 Jolly Butchers is handily placed, being just 50 yards up the hill from Stalag 17. Indeed, it used to be a popular after work hangout for postmen before they were lured away by the offer of free bar snacks at the nearby Pond. To be sold down the river for a plateful of stale mini-cheddars is a crying shame, because the 3 JB's (sounds like a funk band) is by far the superior pub in my humble opinion.
It's situated at the top of North Road, just five minutes walk from the train station. The close proximity to a number of offices and call centres means it can get quite crowded at lunchtimes and the small size of the place just adds to the lively feel. The selection of beers on offer is quite small but this is compensated for (if you like this kind of thing, personally I don't) by a large menu of available coffees and teas. I'm seeing this more and more frequently in pubs now and to me it's quite surprising as if there's one thing that Brighton doesn't lack for, it's poncey coffee shops. Surely you don't need to come to the pub for a 'skinny latte'? Still, a quick scan of the other tables confirmed that this was quite a popular choice with the luchtime crowd so who am I to argue? The landlord obviously knows his target consumers better than I do.
I defy anybody to go and sit in a pub at lunchtime and not eventually order food. Even if you're not hungry, the aromas and the sight of other diners tucking in will weaken your resolve in the end (in my case it's academic anyway, I'm always hungry). The 3 JB's offers quite an impressive selection of main meals and snacks (no stale mini-cheddars though!) at fair prices and I opted for a bowl of cheesy chips with which I have to admit I was a little disappointed. They didn't lack for quantity but were a little short on quality (and cheese) and that's coming from someone who's not particularly discerning about what he eats. I thought about ordering up another bowl to see if there was any improvement but instead returned to gawping at the mocha drinking masses and being quietly critical of their attire (it must have been dress down Friday, I'm the first to admit I'm far from the most stylish guy in the world but a shirt, tie, blazer and jeans is just wrong.....bet he was called Rupert). A small certificate on the wall caught my roving eye and it confirmed that the 3 Jolly Butchers is a Carbon Balanced venue. Quite what this means I have no idea but it all sounds very noble. Give me a choice though, between a pub that's doing its bit for our ecological future or one that's going to serve me a decent portion of cheesy chips and I'm going to plump for the latter every time. Selfish? Probably.
Dog Friendly: No Quiz:No
Entertainment: One small flatscreen TV showing only major sporting events. No fruit machine, pool table or jukebox.
Outside seating: A few seats outside on Frederick Street, no tables.
Food: Quite a large menu on offer, reasonably priced and the other diners were certainly enjoying their food. Just don't order the cheesy chips!
Live music: The 2nd Wednesday of every month is the Pickin' Party! Feel free to take along your geetars folks, yeeeeehaw!
Happy (jolly?) Hours: 4:30 to 8:30 Mon-Thurs and Sun. £2 on selected beers. Bottles of Tiger beer are available for £2 at all times.
Miscellaneous: It's officially a Carbon Balanced venue. Right on, Brighton.
OVERALL SCORE: 7/10......those Butchers, they had a lot to be jolly about.
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