Blockhouse at The Sheet Anchor

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#1 of 1 Restaurant in Whitmore$$ - $$$, Steakhouse, Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+44 1782 680804+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Mon

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Tue

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Wed

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Thu

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Fri

12:00 pm - 12:00 am

Sat

12:00 pm - 12:00 am

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

1,236 reviews

#1 of 1 Restaurant in Whitmore

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Steakhouse, Bar, Barbecue, British, Pub

“Amazing nachos”

“Sunday roast”

“My halloumi salad was £16 but substantial and delicious.”

Location and contact

Newcastle Road Baldwins Gate, Whitmore ST5 5HW England

+44 1782 680804

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Is this restaurant good for large groups?

Yes

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Details

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About

Styled with an uncompromising flair and large helpings of individuality, the Blockhouse is a dining experience with its own distinctive character. Luscious and juicy prime chargrilled steaks, sizzling burgers oozing flavour, barbecues that tantalise the tongue, followed by a range of outstanding desserts to perfectly complement your meal.

CUISINES

Steakhouse, Bar, Barbecue, British, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.0

1,236 reviews

Excellent

640

Very good

232

Average

174

Poor

113

Terrible

Josie R

Manchester9 contributions

So so

Feb 2020 • family

We have been to the blockhouse before and the food was nice just very over priced for what it was - this time we came for a family meal and I was a little disappointed. I am vegetarian.. I chose the sweet potato and halloumi skewer fajitas which were very nice to be fair! But We had to wait an hour for food ..and I had to keep getting up to ask a waitress to take our drinks order and the restaurant did seem quiet. I ordered a cookie dough s’mores pudding and have never seen anything so small for the price.. it was served in a skillet pan but the cookie was half the size of the pan. I think the food isn’t bad but it is overpriced... the service let us down on this occasion which is the main reason for my review.

Written 1 March 2020

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Matthew F

Stoke-on-Trent1 contribution

Hows would you like you Steak? Sorry we don't do that!!

Apr 2021 • none

Having been to the Blockhouse on multiple occasion's and with it being local, this is one of house favourite places to go. Usually we have the sharers with a few cocktails/beers. We always feel welcome and food always up to standard. Today we visited for the 1st time since lockdown, excellent set up outside despite the train going past every 10minutes. Still the right place to go and eat and drink merrily. Unfortunately today was a disappointment as a matter of principle and selection, the food was great, the service was great. The server still received a generous tip (20%) However the menu was an utter disgrace essentially Burgers/Steaks & 3 Desserts. Whilst we appreciate reduced footfall requires reduced shelf life we didn't expect to go to a "Burger Joint" So much so that my partner ordered a Rare Rump Steak, it arrived only to cut into it to discover it was Medium Well, we asked/showed the server that it was so, they took it back to the Kitchen in which they brought the Steak back to explain that, that is the "rarest" they can cook it and that's it. Whilst disappointing the steak was literally 2cm thick and we fully understood. The point being however if you ask how someone wants their Steak you should be able to provide that, not make excuses when its sent back. Ultimately the manager removed the Steak from the bill without us knowing. the overall experience was great however hugely let down by the minimal menu which when ordered was wrong, when questioned was defied.

Written 17 April 2021

John S

Staffordshire44 contributions

Birthday meal

Jan 2020 • family

Oh dear Blockhouse, never thought I'd have a sub standard experience at The Block but today was nowhere near as good as usual. Visited for a meal with family (x6) and had a distinctly average experience. The staff were polite as usual but there were long delays for food and some parts of the described meals were missing. Portion sizes were tiny and the 'sizzling' option just wasn't, lets just say the smoke alarms weren't troubled. I regularly visit the block for drinks and sometimes for food. Disappointed, please sort this out block team.

Written 12 January 2020

Case2

Birmingham25 contributions

Ratio of Staff to Customers incorrect - No wonder problems!!

Jan 2020 • none

Arrived for a Birthday meal which had been pre-booked as we were staying in a local hotel. In our room the Swan and Two Necks was recommended but not the Block House which was strange as both part of the same group. We said where we going to eat and the hotel owner said that he found the place too loud and preferred somewhere where you can talk, but we decided to stick to our booking as everyone enjoys different things. Table was available on time, so we were off too a good start, but it was very very busy and quite loud so hard to hear your conversation and the staff when they came to the table. Starters came within a reasonable time and were nice, but the first sign of it not quite being right was that we had to ask three times for water before it arrived. Whilst waiting for the main meal more and more people were coming into the restaurant and it was noticeable that a time that had previously had six occupants was added additional chairs to up the capacity to 8 or 9. This table was not really a big table and left a small amount of room per person. This gave us the impression they squeezing people in and this was going to cause a problem. We arrived at 7.15 and we were now on 8.45 and still no mains arrived. Then on there arrived I took one look at my Salmon and knew it was overcooked and dry, a small mouthful confirmed this and I sent it back and asked for a new meal. My husband had the fillet steak which was lovely, although the chips were lacking the seasons flavour that was described on the menu. After another ten minutes I had to get out of my seat and go to the reception of the restaurant to chase my meal and my husbands peppercorn sauce which had failed to arrive. I spoke with Polly who was the manager and she couldn't be more apologetic and did take control of the situation producing the sauce immediately and chased my salmon advising me of time scale. When the Salmon did arrive it was cooked beautifully. Polly gave us a discount on the bill which I would of expected but there was no was we would of stayed for sweets because we just didn't have the confidence in how long it would take. All in all very disappointed and won't be going again. I can't moan about the staff as when advised we were not happy it was dealt with but it was very clear that they were overbooked for the amount of staff they had, therefore the customer was not getting the best experience. We won't be a returning customer.

Written 20 January 2020

Gary2829

Stoke-on-Trent240 contributions

Very Underwhelmed

Feb 2020 • family

We booked a family meal here as one of our girls had been before and said it was nice... The car park is small and you’re lucky if you get a space however the pub itself is extremely popular and very busy. We had booked our table for a specific time as we had small children with us however it wasn’t ready when we arrived early and had to wait almost 45 minutes after our booking time to be seated. The service was very slow all through the night and at times was quite frustrating, it’s Saturday, your busiest night and your customers want what they pay for, they’re not interested in your staffing issues...get on with the business or get out of it! The starters eventually came which weren’t too bad but to be fair but you can’t go wrong with nachos, cheese wedges and prawns although for the price I thought the quality may have been a notch higher. I asked several times for the children’s meals to be brought out as they were hungry yet we continued to be kept waiting until they became upset. They had asked for hot dogs and what they actually got was half a smoked sausage in a roll, kids like what they like and they expected a frankfurter, ours don’t like smoked sausage. They ended up having a chip roll which cost about £7 each! The mains were the biggest disappointment.. we ordered mixed grills, smokehouse dogs, butchers block and chicken schnitzel. The mixed grill was the smallest piece of steak I or the others have ever been served and once the fat was off it would easily have slipped into my palm and been lost. The ham hock with beans was the tiniest amount of shredded pork which could easily have just been stripped from a rib, dropped in a little bbq sauce and some beans added. Also on the plate was one of the awful smoked sausages..the menu stated sausage NOT smoked as none of us wanted the smoked. As the fries that came was also a small portion I gave these to the children as they were still hungry after their roll and fries. Most components of the mixed grills were left uneaten. The smokehouse dog was over smoked as were the others as they’re all the same, so once again was uneaten. The schnitzel was overcooked and dry and came only with a few hidden potatoes underneath. This is a hideously overpriced restaurant, given that our £24 mixed grill probably had £4-£5 worth of food on it I expected the service and quality to be second to none....it wasn’t! Had I not been asked not to make a fuss by my family I would have only paid it’s worth! We spent over £400 that evening £250 being the food for which I would have taken off all the uneaten meals. You Sheet Anchor, entered into a contract with us to provide good service and quality food and you delivered neither. I also notice that there are no responses from the Sheet Anchor which would indicate reviews are not read or that they don’t care. If I don’t get a response from this or the email I’ve sent I shall be writing to the directors. It’s a long time since I’ve felt so let down and disappointed in a restaurants service and quality.

Written 2 February 2020

Becky

Stoke-on-Trent1 contribution

Disappointing

Jan 2020 • family

Visited yesterday for my daughters 14th birthday. Service was very slow from start to finish. Took them 20 minutes to come and take a drinks order and we had long gabs between courses. Only appeared to be 2 waitresses serving both of which looked extremely miserable the whole time we were dining. As it was my daughters birthday I had requested something special be done on her dessert. I was told that this wasn't a problem and the kitchen staff would sort it. However what was served was a chocolate brownie swimming in sauce which was far too sickly to be enjoyed. We will not be returning which is a shame as it was my daughter's favourite restaurant.

Written 22 January 2020

Ellie Bowers

1 contribution

Worst experience, family birthday celebration ruined!

Jan 2020 • family

Visited Saturday night as a family of 5 with a 5 year old to celebrate a family members birthday and all I can say is shocking. The food was average, ordered a steak medium rare but came well done and tasted burnt. We were designated a member of staff called Alyshia? Who came across very abrupt and rude when serving and when we asked simple questions about the food and she seemed very keen to be elsewhere doing other things. When the food arrived, we weren’t offered more drinks which is normal so therefore had to call someone over and ask for drinks. Once we had all finished eating , we sat waiting for 25 minutes for someone to come over and the members of staff knew we had finished eating as every single one of them that walked past made eye contact and we even stacked the plates ourselves but they simply just ignored us.All staff including MANAGERS were racing around preparing tables and carrying trays of cutlery when they should have been paying attention to the customers that were already present! Once someone finally noticed us , the table was cleared but one plate and empty glasses were left on the table and nobody came back to clear it and they also forgot to even ask us if we would like deserts and once again we had to call somebody over and ask for them ourselves. We waited quite a long time for deserts which isn’t very helpful when you have a five year old. We then had to make eye contact for somebody to come over to bring us the bill which they did quick enough. However , we were once again left waiting for the card machine to the point where we had got our coats etc on just for somebody to notice us! Alyshia who was supposed to be our waitress never actually come over at all again during our visit and a lovely girl called Shannon took over half way through and was very apologetic for our wait. For the amount staff that were working in the restaurant (6/7) you would expect the service to be outstanding, however it was not. Having visited here before , we were very disappointed with the service provided and it has put us off coming here again ...

Written 19 January 2020

SunshineLover101

Market Drayton58 contributions

Track and trace hygiene nightmare!

Oct 2020 • couples

Sorry to give a bad review but went here expecting a ‘higher’ class of venue to be meticulous about safety during COVID pandemic, but sadly this was not the case. The full car park should have warned us. Went in, nobody on door or any track and trace requirements except the QR code on wall for those who had the correct phone. From what I saw nobody was registering their entry. Walked all the way through restaurant past other diners and then had to join massive queue to check in. Place was packed, we were seated within touching distance of at least 2 other tables. Watched staff cleaning tables, people were touching chairs as they sat down or got up, they were not being wiped between people, salt and pepper pots on tables were being handled by people and not cleaned before the next party sat down. We read that they were keeping wait staff to particular areas to avoid unnecessary contact however we had 4 different staff attend to us during the meal. I don’t consider myself to be a nervous person but we really could wait to finish our meal and get away! We deliberately chose this venue for a special meal as we thought that they would have a better standard of safety and hygiene than cheaper places, but at £40;per head this was not the case. The food was nice enough but we felt so uncomfortable watching for people brushing past us, etc that we just didn’t enjoy it. Won’t be back.

Written 13 October 2020

Zoe S

Stoke-on-Trent18 contributions

Not worth the money.

Jan 2020 • family

We arrived ten minutes before our table was booked to ensure we were on time. We checked in and were told the table wasn't quite ready yet so to wait at the bar. Thirty minutes after the time our table was booked for we got seated. Starters came all very nice no complaints with them. Mains. The mains came trickling through after a long pause from our starters. Schintizel- Just potatoes underneath a breaded chicken with cream sauce. Mixed grill- This is where I get confused. On the menu it states rump steak, ham hock pit beans and sausage. The rump steak was the smallest steak I've ever witnessed and a fat. The ham hock pit beans are just BBQ baked beans with left over pulled pork. The sausage was not a sausage! It was a hot dog. Was not worth the 24 pound at all. All in all service was mediocre prices far too much for the quality. Won't be visiting again.

Written 1 February 2020

pootle18

Stoke-on-Trent52 contributions

Ignore the mixed reviews and give it a try.

Feb 2020 • couples

We chose to visit the Blockhouse as we had a voucher for the Paragon Group and so thought we’d try there for the first time. For a Monday lunchtime, the restaurant was fairly busy, approximately 12 tables, and a lit fire was very welcoming. We were quickly seated and informed that our waitress would be with us to take a drink order shortly. This is where the definition of “shortly” becomes blurred, as we’d had time to fully discuss the menu (no lunch menu produced only the main one) and our choices and tried to attract the waitress multiple times, by the time we were asked if we would like a drink. I can’t fault the waitress herself, as she was busily serving on her own and was very friendly and polite. It was only when more people arrived that the lady, who appeared to be a manager, started to help. The burgers arrived soon after and were piping hot and very tasty. We were table checked and were able to exclaim that the food was lovely. My only suggestion would be that as the portions are so big, a single burger option would have been appreciated as I was unable to finish my burger.

Written 17 February 2020

Sarah

1 contribution

Amazing!

Feb 2020 • family

Really enjoyed our meal out with old friends. Spacious table, very pleasant surroundings with lovely lighting and acoustics. Everything we ate was very tasty, gents enjoyed soft and well seasoned brisket, kids had burgers and chicken The staff were really attentive and everything we ordered was served promptly and piping hot. Just a good experience all round. Recommend!

Written 5 February 2020

Jack

1 contribution

Evening Meal

Feb 2020 • couples

This restaurant was recommended to us for good food and service. We were delighted to visit this pub/ restaurant. The food was served very quickly, piping hot and very tasty. The service from the staff was very efficient and the staff were fab to chat with. They worked tirelessly to look after all the customers in the restaurant and it was very busy. Well done to all the staff we look forward to returning next time we visit Stafford.

Written 5 February 2020

Sar88

1 contribution

Unsafe no social distancing

Aug 2020 • friends

Visited for a late lunch with my partner and a friend. We'd all been a couple of times before and enjoyed it. I really don't like leaving reviews especially under the current circumstances but we all just didn't feel safe. The place was packed, it certainly didn't look like they'd removed any tables in order to socially distance. In fact the only safety measures I noticed was a couple of hand sanitiser stations, an entrance and exit door way both of which you had to squeeze past tables to get to and the staff wore face coverings. We even witnessed staff clearing dirty tables the relaying clean cutlery on clear tables without sanitising their hands. To top it off the service was very slow and the food quality and portions were pretty poor. We just wanted to get out of there after eating but had to wait nearly half an hour to pay. For somewhere with a good reputation and high prices we certainly expected more.

Written 13 September 2020

Simon R

Meir152 contributions

Wonderful Food - Expensive Drinks

Aug 2020 • none

We went with another couple for an evening meal, taking advantage of the Government Discount Scheme in August. This was our first visit to the Blockhouse. The ambience is lovely, much like an American BarBQue restaurant. Our server was lovely, really polite and very attentive. Food was amazing, rib eye steaks were soft as butter and the rub that they use really adds depth of flavour. The only downside to the whole experience is the price of drinks, they are VERY expensive. £25 for a £7 bottle of Prosecco is a big markup, especially when most restaurants in the are charge between £15 - £20 a bottle. If drinks weren’t so expensive I think that we would eat here more often. Great place for a special meal if you want a Bar B Que style restaurant.

Written 6 August 2020

Nimal Patel

Dudley2 contributions

Highly recommend place!

Oct 2020 • couples

We was greeted by Hattie, who we spoke to on the phone earlier to reserve a table for two early afternoon on Sunday, and requested to be sat in the bar area as we have a little doggo. Jokingly, I asked if the log burner was lit and she said it was already going. Hattie was more than helpful, she was wearing ppe, she was friendly with us & with our dog, made us both feel welcome and made it easy for us to choose what we wanted to eat. Where we was sat, wasn’t that busy either and was nice & cosy. We ordered the Sunday Roast sharing platter for two as recommended by Hattie. This comes with a beef (cooked to your liking), gammon and chicken which was coated in a paprika/southern fried dressing I believe. All the usual sides of roasties, gravy, yorkies, mash and seasonal vegetables. We’ve been coming to The Blockhouse quite often either for lunch or dinner and the food, service & pricing has always been spot on. The Sunday roast sharing platter was absolutely delicious, came out with no delay and served very presentable. Wasn’t too filling either to the point where you’d have to undo a trouser button. As always, we will be coming back here again as we both enjoy it, we’ve both had very good service & experiences and what’s even better is that they have Red Stripe on tap which is always a plus for me!