Stags Head, Goosnargh, Preston

My family and I came to The Stags last sunday for lunch. The pub was busy and had a great atmosphere. We were all very impressed by how efficient the staff are. We got seated immediately on arrival. Both members of staff we met that day were very friendly and seemed more than happy to help in anyway they could. My husband was impressed by the real ales available. The food was to an excellent standard and we all left incredibly pleased.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

“It’s changed a bit since we were here last,” I remarked to 'Her who must be fed', as we pulled into the Stag’s Head car park on a wet and weary Saturday night in late October.
“Well it was 53 years ago,” she reminded me. It was indeed over half a century since we had last set foot in this traditional country inn situated on the main road through the village of Goosnargh. The previous visit in 1960 had been a more formal affair with about 70 guests accompanying us. It was our wedding reception no less, which we both agreed had been an occasion to remember. The question now was, would this return visit be as memorable?

We dashed from the large car park into the snug and warm interior of the inn, which now calls itself a ‘Traditional Ale & Eating House.’ The hostelry had obviously had a number of makeovers and ‘face lifts’ since our previous visit, yet it still managed to retain the old world charm of yesteryear that we both remembered. We were greeted warmly and shown into the small but cosy dining area. It was a tad disappointing to see that there were only two other tables occupied and we hoped that the fare on offer would make up for the lack of atmosphere.

The Menu was well presented though somewhat typical of your average pub diner. Having said that, there were plenty of choices available including a rather interesting ‘specials’ attachment. Unfortunately, this was quickly whisked away when ‘mine host’ realized we were dining with a special offer coupon. Not sure that this was really necessary, particularly as it appeared that the establishment needed to attract all the diners that it could in the very competitive marketplace of dining out. This minor disappointment was soon forgiven when we realized that the standard menu contained dishes that were pleasing and acceptable to us both.

Choices made we settled back with a nice bottle of reasonably priced merlot and awaited our ‘starters’; garlic ciabatta bread with cheese and salad garnish for madam and a black pudding and bacon creation for me. Both dishes turned out to be tasty enough without being remarkable. The merlot was going down a treat when our ‘mains’ arrived, whale-sized haddock and hand-cut chips for her and rib-eye steak with all the trimmings for me. The portions on our plates were more than generous and it took a determined effort on both our parts to do justice to the well-presented dishes.

We both agreed that once again the food was good enough without being outstanding and if there were to be ‘scores on the doors’ then I reckoned 8 out of 10 was about right. Now pleasantly full to even contemplate the sweet menu we settled instead for a couple of cappuccinos, which I’m happy to report were certainly up there in the top 10 of our coffee tasting experiences. It was no surprise therefore when we discovered that our waiter Sav’ was half Italian, his father being the manager of the establishment, as madam remarked so astutely that no one makes a cappuccino quite like the Italians.

As we sipped our coffee we browsed the ‘offers’ brochure on our table and there certainly appeared to be plenty going on at the ‘Stag’s’ on the run up to the festive season. Activities included excellent value theme and speciality nights that would surely appeal to discerning diners. We learned that the hostelry had only recently reopened under a new manager and it did appear that both he and his staff were trying hard to attract custom both old and new. However, at this stage I would say that it’s still ‘work in progress’ but I do believe that they are getting there.

We also discovered that a dedicated website had been set up for the Hostelry (www.stagshead-goosnargh.co.uk) but despite the initial attractiveness of the site it certainly lacked detail. It’s fine advertising your establishment in house but even better to have a website that includes not only detailed menus but also news of your theme nights etc, which will obviously reach a far wider public. We think you are missing a trick here Sav’ and believe that a revisit to your website is an absolute ‘must’.

So how should we rate overall our return to the Stag’s Head in Goosnargh after a break of more than half a century? Pretty highly we both agreed, despite a few minor niggles. Would we be tempted to return then? I think the answer must be a guarded ‘yes’ but if it’s with a ‘Deal Monster’ offer I would like to think that next time we will be allowed to chose from the specials menu if we so wish.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Been coming here on and off for a few years and things have not been quite the same for awhile...until now!

Visited 2 weeks ago at the start of October, not only were the staff very friendly and helpful the food was fantastic...we had a lovely chat with the Landlord and Landlady who were more than hospitable, with a warm, friendly atmosphere here now We will most certinally be coming here again!

So many events happening there too, enough to keep me and the family entertained! Well done to the new landlords for making this a must-do pub!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

One of two pubs located in the quaint village of Goosnargh. The Stags Head has its own unique idea of selling bags of 'old fashioned' sweets, and many more 'blasts from the past'. Inside the pub there is a large bar with small rooms surrounding it. Lots of dark wood is in use with a refreshingly modern conservatory and carpeting. Outside to the rear there is a very large garden with a trellised walkway. This is a popular area for children to play football etc. on a warm summers day. The Stags Head has an extensive menu with a good use of local produce. There is a selection of real ales on tap alongside the regular lagers and beers and an annual beer festival is held every May Bank Holiday!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Since Eduardo and his wife took over The Stags, the pub has become a much more friendly place to visit! The food is always 'spot on' and the staff are really friendly. Regular entertainment and special food tasting evenings are putting The Stags back on track!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The food was very good and good value for money but waiting 45 mins for a bowl of soup and a sandwich is a bit much.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Came a couple of weeks ago and had a nice night with my wife came tonight with family and again the young gentleman who served us was fantastic the food was lovely got very busy and we all enjoyed the evening.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Thanks Rob (the landlord )
for another enjoyable evening.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

food lovely needed a plate for the grills felt like I ate everything separate. the young lady who served us hair tied back in a pony tail was lovely so welcoming and made our night will be calling again ( just a bit to long a wait for the desert ) b back soon thank you

Friday, June 15, 2012

Now one of only two pubs in Goosnargh (The Grapes being the other), and now under new management since 1st June 2012, we have just dined at this pub and the food was great and also great value for money. The atmosphere was nice and the staff were really helpful. Rob the landlord was the chef tonight and produced some really tasty food. Will definately dine there again. Well done to all.

Friday, June 8, 2012

since new owners took over the standards and quality of food have dropped. ordered an alcahol fre beer to be served somthing that was flat and out of date by 7 months, ordered starters to be told few mins later they had sold out of one of them the pate is now bought in the sausage taste like frozen bangers and are deep fried the burgers are now not nice minced beef but cheap bland tasting processed stuff, chips are no longer cooked in dripping, but just cooking oil and are no longer crispy, it's a really shame the standard has dropped, this is not the first time we've been here since new owners but it will be last time, after gaining such a good reputation,

Friday, December 30, 2011

The food & service here are excellent & I would, without hesitation, recommend it to anyone

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Went for a meal here midweek and found that it was pretty busy-which is always a good sign.Both the service and the food proved to be brilliant and my wife and I look forward to returning to sample more of their excellent menu over the next few months.

Monday, October 12, 2009