Visiting the Horton Arms in Chadderton was a recommendation from a work friend, and thankfully it doesn't take much to tempt me into trying out new places to eat!
Checking the place online!
I usually have a look online at the restaurants website, trip advisor reviews etc – shamefully enough sometimes I do judge a book by its cover! Disappointingly there was very little online about the Horton Arms, it doesn’t have its own website and the trip advisor listing is very low in the search results but you can find it here.There are also a couple of reviews saying that the Horton Arms is mediocre or that the food isn’t great – but these were before the place was taken over by new owners and it seems to have made all the difference.
Booking a table
I rang to make a booking on the afternoon of the Saturday we were planning to go. The lady taking my call was polite, friendly and was very happy to tell us there was availability. That was the first mark in their favour, I really do think that your first impression of a place (often booking over the phone) is very important.Finding the place
The Horton Arms wasn't exactly where I was expecting it to be, it's extremely close to Royton. For those of you familiar with the area, you turn off the 'Elk Mill' roundabout next to the Toby Carvery and it's just a couple of minutes from there. To find directions from where you live to hear, click here.From the outside
It looks like a nice pub from the outside, but it did look small for a pub/restaurant and I was worried that it might be cramped or that the décor might let the experience down. There was however ample car park spaces both outside of the pub and across the street.Looking in from outside, you can mainly see the bar area and that was BUSY, another off-putting sign that I may have booked the wrong place for a nice cosy meal with my family.
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On the inside
When we entered the pub my fears were (so I thought!) confirmed, there was the main pub and then a tiny room off to the side with 3 tables in. When I advised the waitress that we’d booked though, she walked me in entirely the opposite direction and there turned out to be plenty of tables with a nice one which had been reserved for us. It was a bustling atmosphere but still quiet for us to have a nice chat during our meal.Sitting down for our meal
After being sat down at our table, the waitress immediately made sure we were alright for drinks and gave us our menus. She advised that there were specials, which were on the specials board – now I know this is going to sound picky, but I like being told what the specials are, or being given an extra menu for it. It just seems a bit awkward for everyone to go wandering around the pub looking for the specials board before returning to tell everyone else about the wonders it bestowed!! (as I did for my boyfriend and Dad). The same goes for the dessert but I’ll get to that). It’s also a shame because a lot of people just aren’t going to bother with even looking at the specials, they’ll just order of the main menu and the specials…suddenly aren’t so special. But that’s a minor point.The menu isn’t massive with roughly 6 main dishes (amongst them: lasagne, steak and ale pie, cheese and onion pie, fish and chips) but it’s a good selection for anyone looking for a good pub meal. You’ve then got another couple of meals on the specials board.
The waitress came back to us quickly to ask for our orders, but was kind enough to give extra time because we hadn’t quite all decided. Once we were ready:
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The mains
- I had steak and ale pie (I always have it wherever it’s available, but it’s also handy because it means I can rate places against each other)
- My boyfriend had fish, chips and mushy peas.
- My Dad had beef casserole with dumplings (off the special menu)
I ordered my pie with mash, but the waitress insisted the chips were amazing and that I should pinch some off my boyfriend when his came – the waitresses were very nice, down to earth and friendly, whilst still managing to be polite and respectful.
The food came extremely quickly – it was no longer than 10 minutes, but was very clearly steaming hot and fresh. The presentation was fabulous and you could tell it was going to be a good meal. My boyfriends fish and chips came wrapped up in a mock newspaper cone (see the picture, should have taken one earlier whilst it was still wrapped but you can see the cone at the top!). Following the waitress’s advice, I did pinch one of my boyfriends chips…..she wasn’t lying, they were fantastic. It promptly led my Dad and I to order a bowl to share between us, which arrived a few minutes later.
The food was all delicious – as of 23/02/2014, it’s the best steak and ale pie I’ve ever tasted, beautifully homemade, all seasoned to a tee and the perfect balance between pastry, meat and gravy. My boyfriend and Dad were also very happy with what they’d ordered and said the food was fantastic
The desserts
Right, desserts. I consider myself to be a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to my desserts really! I usually have an ice cream sundae when it’s available (something cool after a nice hot meal) but am up for anything, a nice piece of cheesecake, apple pie and custard – I’m not picky when it comes to desserts.Again the waitress said that there wasn’t a desserts menu because things change so quickly, so I needed to get up to look at the specials board and the cake cabinet. I do think that there needs to be something which can be brought to your table – if nothing else, this makes you feel like you’re being pampered.
I spotted a problem straight away – not for me, but for my Dad. He LOVES ice cream, and he always has it for dessert when we go out, but there was nothing on the specials board. I plumped for a lemon curd cheesecake. I gave my order to the waitress and my Dad asked if it was possible to just order ice cream – which she said was no problem at all. She quickly returned with my cheesecake and with a little sundae dish of ice cream – which was excellent, but some people might be too nervous to ask, ideally it would be noted somewhere that this was available.
Again the desserts (particularly the cheesecake) were delicious – the cheesecake had a crumbly digestive base and a thick tart lemon filling, really very very nice – unfortunately I wolfed it down and forgot to take a photo – sorry, I will do better next time!
Settling up
The waitress came to take our plates away and asked if we would like
anything else (a range of hot drinks are available) but we just asked if we
could have the bill. She returned with it quickly, and it was £27.50, not too
bad as all for 3 excellent meals and 2 desserts! I added a tip on and rounded
it to £30, the staff really do deserve it and the food was top notch.We were able to pay by card (doesn’t seem such a big thing these days but we still visit one or two places that don’t!) and the staff were happy for us to stay sat there chatting as long as we wanted.
Verdict
The good points
- Home cooked food, piping hot and absolutely delicious
- Amazing chips!
- Staff very attentive and polite, whilst being down to earth and friendly
- Staff happy to ‘go off menu’ getting my Dad a basic bowl of ice cream when he asked for it.
- Ample car parking
- Ability to pay by card
- Nice rich pub décor - not posh, but clean, comfortable and you still feel like you’re ‘going out’
Constructive Comments
- Separate specials menu or a chalk board brought to your table would be nice.
- A bigger range of desserts – especially with regards to ice cream sundaes!
- I know it’s not always possible, but a great place like this really deserves a website. Some (fickle) people like me need to have the comfort of seeing an online presence which suggests a professional business that’s not going to let you down.
Overall view : The place is fantastic, a hidden gem with
delicious food which really deserves more chatter online. I’d whole heartedly
recommend it.
Additional Comments
- I should also mention that we didn’t ordered drinks to come to our table, instead my Dad went to get them and he was served very quickly.
- There were plenty of free tables when we went on a Saturday night at 6:30pm but while we were there it started to fill up. I’d definitely recommend booking, and one of the waitresses were saying it’s really important to book especially on a Sunday when they do ‘a brilliant Sunday lunch, if I do say so myself’ (the waitresses words). We will be visiting again to check out the Sunday lunch, but I have no doubt it’s going to be delicious.
Contact Details
Horton Arms
19
Streetbridge,
Chadderton,
Oldham,
OL1 2SZ
Phone Number
: 0161 633 3272
