Red Lion Inn

Went for a quiet drink on a Sunday with some friends, we ended up here after going to check out the Weighbridge Inn but finding last orders were at 3pm, not to reopen until 7? I have been here a couple of years back for food (which was pretty meh) but it would seem a little harsh reviewing a place based on one experience had over a year ago, so scoring based on the latest drink only visit!
Its a lovely looking place, lots of old wood, big chairs, roaring fire etc, set right in the heart of Alvechurch and it serves a few cask ales and a few lagers. Pretty standard drink selection, but serviceable. The bar staff seemed friendly too.
There was a large group of people sat behind us who were pretty much at odds with the old country pub setup, some questionable conversation topics and a couple of the group were absolutely battered. That said, they did us no harm, but its interesting to note a previous review which mentions some trouble at the pub (back in 2011 albeit).
I’ve also been to a ‘do’ in their function room, and the food and space was excellent, with plenty of car parking spaces available, so that is certainly worth keeping in mind.
3 stars on the basis of the nice open fire being nice but drinks being average. Nice enough but nothing to make it stand out.

Having been to this pub a couple of years ago and enjoyed a nice meal i recommended it as a place to meet some friends for dinner. We visited on a Sunday evening, our table was booked for 6;30pm (i was impressed with the booking via the internet, it was easy and i got a text to confirm the booking which was good).
Upon arrival we were shown to our table and ordered our food and drinks. Thats when it all went downhill We were a party of three — one starter did not turn up — i had to go and find a member of staff to ask as no-​one was around. Of the other two starters one of them (calamari) was overcooked. Once my starter arrived i was informed that this had been knocked off the bill and the staff were very apologetic.
One of the mains (black and blue rib eye steak) had a large, extremely greasy field mushroom on top of the steak which contained the blue cheese (not what i would class as a black and blue ribeye — id expect the cheese to be in contact with the steak!!). The mushroom was so greasy that my friend had to leave it — there was oil oozing all over his plate. My main (fish and chips) was awful. The batter wasn’t crunchy, was too thick and wasn’t properly cooked. The fish itself was also not cooked and i had to spit some of it out. I left a lot on my plate.
We were so disgusted with the food that we were going to make a complaint however when the waitress came to clear our plates away we were not even asked if everything had been ok. I would expect this normally in a restaurant but even more so if a) there had been a problem with the starters as there had in this case and b) if people had left food on their plates.
i will never, ever go back here again.

Updated 18÷1÷11. I am having to knock these down to a two from a four star. This is not due to the food. The last time I went I was more than happy. However, they couldn’t help an armed robbery, but there seems, allegedly, to be a number of fracas at the pub, and I really don’t want to go where there’s likely to be a fight. It finally culminated in the recent incident:
Where a man died. I know a family that had to make a hasty retreat when they saw that things weren’t right, that night. Difficult to know what management can do in these situations, as they are torn between wanting to make a profit, and not turn away unsavoury characters. Alternatively, turn them away, and make it more welcoming and safe for families. This pub is in a village that is much sought after as the estate agent blurb goes. This will do little for the village’s reputation. The Barnt Green Inn, a few miles down the road, used to have bouncers on the door, not sure if that is still applicable at the weekends. Again a much sought after area, but sends out the wrong message So not a place I would want to visit again. I visited this place over a year ago, and had thought I had placed a review on this site, but it appears I must have forgotten. I certainly responded to their own survey, it was quite brutal. The food was terrible. Visited again recently (21÷5÷10), mainly due to the fact that we wanted somewhere fairly local, and we had run out of ideas. HOW VERY GLAD WE DID!!! Whether there’s been a change of chef, or management, no idea. My wife and I had the same main course: Fillet Steak. My wife always has medium to well, and I really take a chance with my option, as you never know how good the steak is going to be I go for blue. Mine was fantastic. Clearly the beef had been well hung. No blood. Beautiful purple colour inside. My wife’s was cooked exactly as she liked hers. In fact she couldn’t quite finish hers, and I helped out. It had a dfferent flavour to mine; certainly you could get more of the beef taste. OK. I swallow my original words, and I have written to them to say as much. The staff were good humoured, and engaged in a bit of banter. This always makes the evening enjoyable too. Yes, I will be using it more often on our Friday night out. Please be aware that it does get extrememly busy on a Friday night. You cannot book (I think that this has changed, please check). The car park was packed. We travelled by taxi, that way no problem parking, and no problem with having a drink. I now fully recommend this venue. A good selection of beers, lagers, and wine.