Burger was scrummy (From Echo)

Burger was scrummy

10:30pm Wednesday 29th April 2009

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THE Railway Hotel has a long and proud history in Southend. The Victorian building stands on the Clifftown edge of the town centre near Southend Central.

After a major refurbishment, the pub reopened in late 2007, with its Victorian features enhanced and styled as a live music venue catering for a younger crowd.

Since a further revamp a couple of months ago, it has started serving food with the menu proudly displayed on a billboard outside.

Myself and several friends decided to sample the pub grub on a Friday evening.

The pub was fairly busy when we arrived but we had no problems getting a table.

Because of the time we arrived, the music was quite loud and we had trouble talking to each other but at other times of the week this would not necessarily be the case.

Since the refurbishment, there is plenty of space. The style and decor is unpretentious with a mixture of tables and chairs and sofas.

There are bookcases and plenty of mirrors covering the walls and an old jukebox near the entrance signifies the musical theme.

The Railway has a friendly and relaxed vibe. The menu is nicely simple and concise, but with enough choice to satisfy most discerning bar food fans. Customers order at the bar.

We all went for different dishes to get a cross-section of what was on offer.

I fancied the look of the bangers and mash, my colleagues opted for the spicy beef noodle stew, steak and ale pie and the beef burger with chips and salad. We also ordered a bowl of chips and some garlic bread.

The bangers and mash were good, tasty sausages and creamy mashed potato with onions and gravy. There was just enough to keep me satisfied My friend was also very happy with the steak and ale pie which had a crispy but light pastry topping and a generous beef filling.

The homemade beef burger was described as delicious and came with a crispy salad.

My friend who ordered the beef noodles was less enthusiastic but still enjoyed his meal.

The chips were particularly good, perfectly done with a fluffy yet crispy texture. But the garlic bread was a bit dry and could have done with some more butter.

The service was excellent – friendly, helpful and attentive. The food arrived quite quickly with the fact it is all homemade emphasised as a selling point.

It was all very reasonably-priced and merits a big thumbs-up for the home-cooked effort rather than the all-too-common pre-packaged dishes at many other pubs.

As pub grub goes, you’d be hard-pushed to find better.

WHAT WE ATE Homemade beef burger with salad and chips £5.90; Bangers and mash £6.90; Steak and ale pie with mashed potato £6.90; Spicy beef noodle stew £4.90; Chips £1.40; Garlic bread £1.40.

OUR VERDICT (Out of 5) Atmosphere 5; Food 4; Decor 4; Value 4; Service 4. Has disabled access.

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