An enormous, impersonal drinks mill in central Stratford, the Goose on the Broadway favours quantity over quality, with less-than-impressive results.

The Venue
Situated, as its name would suggest, on Stratford Broadway, opposite St John’s Church and not far from the sprawling travel hub of Stratford station, the Goose on the Broadway impresses first of all with its size, a single room split down the middle into two levels and capable of holding hundreds of punters at any one time. Established for years in the community, the pub seems designed exclusively to absorb vast quantities of customers, a trait which will probably come in handy during the upcoming Olympic Games nearby.

A fleet of chairs and tables provide ample seating room, while up on the makeshift mezzanine, a dozen or so booths allow for more intimate conversation. Several giant TVs sit proudly on the far wall and supporting pillars, and aside from a few framed pictures and billboards displaying pub offers, that’s about as far as the decoration goes – the maroon and cream colour scheme and blood-red carpeting are particularly horrible. The far-reaching bar, stretching the length of the left-hand wall, is uncharacteristically easy on the eye, with a clock-tower centrepiece and smart white partitions for various spirits and snacks. Overall, however, the initial impression, borne out by experience, is of an impersonal and unattractive drinks barn.

The Atmosphere
Opening as it does at 11am most days, the Goose on the Broadway is more often than not full of customers a little worse for the wear, or looking to stock up for the night ahead with a few rounds of cheap drinks. Add to this a healthy turn-out from the two neighbouring shopping centres and bear in mind the sheer size of the place, and it becomes apparent that this is not a place for quiet reflection and intimate discussion, as convenient as the afore-mentioned booths may be. The combined chatter of hundreds of rowdy patrons can be ear-splitting at times, and TVs broadcasting sporting events don’t help matters. That said, the atmosphere is usually light-hearted and the music is generally conducive to a good night out, although service is often slow, a fairly major reproach for an establishment geared exclusively towards thrifty drinking.

The Food
One thing the Goose on the Broadway does have going for it is an extremely cheap food and drink menu, albeit one that never varies from traditional pub fare. Full English breakfasts are available for early birds, while light bites and sharers give way to hefty wraps, pies, burgers and generic “pub favourites”, all for around £5-£7, and often in conjunction with a drinks-and-food deal. None of which comes across as particularly appetizing, but at least there are some fairly palatable options for soaking up the lashings of drink…

The Drink
As with most facets of the venue, the drinks at the Goose tend to be both tasteless and larger than life, with cocktails available in pitchers (£7-£9) and job lot deals on Jägerbombs. The wine tends to be bottom-of-the-shelf and is best left alone, but the draught beers seem uncontroversial enough – Carlsberg, Strongbow and Bombardier, amongst others – and cheap too (£2.20-£2.50). In fact, if you are willing to sacrifice quality, comfort and intimacy for the sake of a very cheap night out, then this could very well be the bar for you!

The Last Word
Cheap and not particularly cheerful, the Goose on the Broadway suffers from its cavernous design and slow service, although there’s no arguing with the prices on display at the bar.

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