Grand Opening of THE FLYING PIG, Goose Green,

[Sue]

We were there last night.

The Bristol milk stout was delicious. I'd go again just for that :) Can't remember how much it was, but I didn't recoil in horror, so it must have been reasonably priced.

We both ordered Scotch eggs and had to wait a while for one of them, however they brought us a free plate of chicken wings and blue cheese sauce (I think it was) to eat while we waited, which was both kind and unexpected.

I personally wouldn't have the Scotch egg again - nothing wrong with it, but the pulled pork round it was quite smokey and not really to my taste. The wings were nice.

The service was very good and friendly, and there was a good atmosphere. We'll be back, definitely.

[Dog duck]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Shut it!

Why the hell should I?

[Dog duck]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Dog duck Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > For goodness sake... just want to hear about

> the

> > opening of The Flying Pig and all we get is

> > endless whingeing about non related subjects

> and

> > other crap that has nothing to do with subject

> > header? Why don't you lot just text each other

> and

> > be done with it? It's pathetic and boring, you

> all

> > craving for the 'next new place to eat in ED'

> It's

> > as if ED has turned in to some giant nursery

> > catering for bored parents that need to drag

> > children to every watering hole that opens up.

>

> xxxxxx

>

> Is this going to be the tone of your "credible"

> new magazine for East Dulwich ??

>

> :))

Eh? This is my tone for this thread. Why don't you, Jeremy and Angela go and drink some Prosecco somewhere

[Annmarie]

Dissappointing!!!!

Went there today, the food was rubbish! Baby Ribs were dry as a bone, BBQ sauce was just water which made chips soggy. Beef Ribs were just one big lump of fat. Definitely wont be going there again. complete waste of money.

[BrandNewGuy]

funfamily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Beer selection was good but for a pint of beer to

> cost ?6.20 just seems a little over priced.

That depends on the beer. They have plenty of ordinary strength cask ales from close to home at very reasonable prices, but if you're going to try a 6+ % imported ale on tap, you're going to have to pay for it. Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar was delicious when I tried it, but was never going to be cheap.

And it's nice if they do good food, but not essential for me when I visit a bar. The beer's the thing :-)

[Guest]

Food is ok, nothing to rave on about. Like people mentioned, the baby ribs are dry and not enough sauce....the meat doesn't really fall off the bone..

Buffalo wings were disappointing....very bland..

The food came out within 3 minutes of me placing my order!

[DulwichFox]

TD Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Food is ok, nothing to rave on about. Like people

> mentioned, the baby ribs are dry and not enough

> sauce....the meat doesn't really fall off the

> bone..

>

> Buffalo wings were disappointing....very bland..

>

The food came out within 3 minutes of me placing my order!

Did you hear the PING!

Dulwich fox.

[AcedOut]

It's the same company as Locale. Not sure if anyone else has pointed this out. Bar man confirmed it. Even the receipts still day Locale. But that's fine with me. At least they are trying something else. I like it! I hope it's a success.

[StraferJack]

Find that hard to believe. Quite common to have businesses stuck with legacy receipts, wifi etc for a bit

Might be true but can't quite buy it

[unlurked]

I was told it was the same owners by person that did some refurb work there - I mentioned this a few pages ago.

[StraferJack]

Yup. A few people mentioned it now. Plus I expect a humdinger of a review imminently.

Looks like they need to re engage with people sharpish

[david_carnell]

Humdinger ahoy.

I don't write this with any sort of glee but only to stop others wasting their money and in the forlorn hope that the owner/manager/chef might read this and take note.

I was looking forward to eating here - good bbq is hard to find in London and the idea it might be on my doorstep was a great prospect. Alas, on tonight's showing, a ?4.99 insta-light from the petrol station across the road and some chicken bits from Tesco Metro would be a better bet. And a cheaper one.

First, the (relatively) good bits. The beers were good and reasonably priced. If I'd stayed I'd liked to have tried more of them. I could probabl=y, just, drink here again. Service was brisk and attentive. Oddly, they wouldn't set up a tab which meant paying as I ordered rather than being able to settle at the end. Given what as to follow, this isn't surprising.

Along with my better half, we ordered corn bread, the buttermilk fried chicken, soft-shell crab and baby ribs. For a bbq place, the fact the crab was the best of a bad bunch speaks volumes.

Everything tasted of stale, dirty oil and was greasy. If it's been changed since opening night I'd be surprised.

Corn bread was two small triangles of deep fried "stuff". No discernible bread or corn content. Edible. Just.

The crab was ok. Compared to the rest it, was a symphony, but in reality it was decent enough. A decent portion. Batter a little soggy and tasting of that oil and the quinoa salad was drowned in mayo. But this was good compared to....

The chicken and waffles. The chicken was a sub-kfc job in flavour. That stale oil doing its best to render any flavour in the coating redundant but I got a sense there was some spice or heat trying to get through somewhere. But worst, it was dangerous. Bloody. Not pink. Bloody. On pointing this out to the otherwise decent waiter I was told this was normal as a result of the brining process and was nothing to worry about. I'm an adventurous chap, but this is frankly BS and I'm not buying it. The waffles were a familiar sight to anyone who has worked in the packaging industry and would have slipped unnoticed into a cardboard box warehouse. The maple syrup was diluted with carob. All elements inedible.

The ribs were dry and unyielding. Given that they are trying to charge 30p(!) extra for bbq sauce - it's a BBQ restaurant FFS - I'd presumed the unadorned product would be edible. I was wrong. Anemic chips and more death-by-mayo salad was left untouched. I think it might have seen a smoker at some point but it had seen a heat lamp for longer.

The whole lot was ?50.

We did complain and were offered two free (draft) beers as compensation.

We declined and went elsewhere.

If the chef has ever been to the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky or any other BBQ state in the South he'd know this isn't even the same food at all. It is an insult to the name BBQ. I suspect this is a case of Jamie Oliver-style bandwagon jumping on a food genre currently doing well elsewhere in London. Save your money, people.

[david_carnell]

If this is the same company as Locale, which is what I'm now reading, this all makes sense.

From piss-poor, never seen or been to Italy Italian food, to the same by-the-numbers attempt at bbq bandwagon jumping.

In the words of Marlon Brando: "I could have been a contender..."

[showboat]

I crossed paths professionally with the head chef a few years back - a very capable, talented person. I find it hard to reconcile what I read here with what I know of him, but there's obviously some problems.

[AcedOut]

Give the place a chance. I don't think we should judge just because it's the same company. Personally I didn't like Locale, but I think this place is pretty good so far.

Pretty sure they also own the lease on next door. Makes sense. They take the day trade. And did anyone ever see 'to let' signs outdoors.

Despite all this I have no issue with it being the same company. Why can't they reinvent themselves?

[arnold]

I went there the other day and had a lovely pulled pork burger. They brought ketchup and mustard to the table but told me that I would have to pay for any bbq sauce as it was made on the premises????? I thought it would have been good to give a bit to the customer and then offer for sale their 'homestyle bbq sauce' in lovely bottles which could be on the shelves with other stuff ......

[Jeremy]

Such a shame, BBQ isn't hard to get right... just needs time and foresight. Maybe they'll get it sorted soon.

[GEEKASAURUS]

We went last night, had burgers and pork belly. The burgers were tasty but bit greasy, triple cooked chips strangely slightly underdone. Pork belly very good. Tried a few of the ales which were great but London prices. If manager reading: get some hot sauces, let people start tabs, put some plants in the outside planters!

[Sue]

Is it the same company owning it, or the same company actually running it?

I think it's a bit unfair to complain about the ale being London prices - we are in London!!

[PN33]

I find it amazing that a new pub with a new menu, which is therefore likely to have a few teething problems, seem to leave themselves wide open to criticism over the silliest things. Went there last week and the maximum amount of chips we had per meal was 9.... NINE CHIPS?! Surely you'd spend the extra 10 pence and double this amount?! The charging for BBQ sauce is outrageous, obviously it's a small amount but hell, I'm sure it costs McDonalds to give sauces away for free but you'd just swallow that cost to avoid getting people's back up, right? And my girlfriend had the beef ribs which were essentially just fat and gristle which she returned... compensation? A little plate of (ironic) chips

[sonla]

we had a drink there yesterday- no table service - i know its only a little thing, but its a nice thing to be served in a bar/grill especially at those prices, not tried the food yet , i agree small menu but looked quite good.

Most people there were there for drinks.

Sonia

[DulwichFox]

Teething Problems.. A common Excuse.. NOT excusable.

Any new business needs to get it Right from day One.

If not they should be offering an introductory Price.

It is not likely to get any Better. It will probably get more expensive.

However, I do not think the poor quality of Food or Service is likely to put many people off.

Selling Beer at ?6.20 will insure that a certain element of E.D. folk will be queuing around

the block to drink there.

?6.20 will be the new norm. Others will follow once they realise they can get away with it.

DulwichFox

[annabel42]

You are probably right DulwichFox. I went past on Sunday afternoon and would have gone in, except that it looked packed out!

[Cedges]

I asked if I could book a table for a group tonight via twitter last week...was given a standard line about no bookings being taken...i replied, but surely for a group, its embarrassing to take a big group of people to a place and not be able to sit or eat....nothing. nada. No response whatsoever. After going in and being unable to find anywhere to sit last week, a disinterested waitress saying 'just find somewhere' and waiting so long at the bar and giving up and walking out hungry and thirsty...followed by the management's lack of response, and the dire reviews on here (pay for bbq sauce - do one!), I'm not even going to bother trying to go back to the best sounding joint in the area. Sad times.

[BrandNewGuy]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Selling Beer at ?6.20 will insure that a certain

> element of E.D. folk will be queuing around

> the block to drink there.

>

> ?6.20 will be the new norm. Others will follow

> once they realise they can get away with it.

>

> DulwichFox

So how much is a bottle of wine? ?3.99? ?5.99? ?15.99? See, it doesn't make any sense. Believe it or not, some beer is better than other beer and very often you have to pay more for it. If they sell London Pride for ?6.20, I won't buy it. If they sell Stone's Arrogant B*stard for ?6.20, I'll have some. And as it's 7.2%, I suggest buying it by the half.