Description: EXTERIOR

I've always thought this pub looks inviting from the outside with its traditional façade, wooden benches, table and parasols placed outside. It's situated on a slip road off of a fairly busy main road. The pub looks good when seen from the main road, when driving or walking past.

If I'm visiting the pub in the warmer months then I like to sit at an outside table at the front of the pub. From here the view is good and I find myself thinking back to years ago when the area would have been a country village. It's easy to imagine bygone days from this aspect of a wonderful view of the village green with the focal point being the beautiful old church of St Paul's. There's the pond with willow trees and ducks a plenty enjoying the area. It's a green enjoyed by many living in a residential area which still has signs by which to remember the past.

To the side of the pub are a further seating area, another entrance and an entrance to the garden.

I've been in the pub occasionally over many years to eat and more often to have one or two drink s mostly during the summer, often on a Sunday afternoon. I must say that I have never been impressed with the menu here or the quality of the food but recently the pub has changed licensees and the new people seem to be making an effort. I hope they do; we don't have many pubs left in this area and need to keep open the few that remain.

I prefer to visit the pub for a drink before going out for a meal or just for a drink when I can sit in the sunshine and watch the world go by.

GARDEN

The garden is quite large but so much more could be done to it. Wooden picnic benches and tables are placed on the grass which is often in need of mowing. It isn't pretty but then again it can be nice if the weather is pleasant. But as I have already said, I prefer to sit outside at the front of the pub. If I had children with me then the garden would be appreciated. Before my youngest daughter reached eighteen my husband and I would occasionally collect her from school on a hot summers afternoon (when was that I hear you ask!) and sit in the garden with her while she consumed a large slice of chocolate fudge cake and a cola while we had a cold drink.

SMOKING

An outside area has been dedicated to smokers. Umbrellas, heaters and tables for customers to use while they smoke are set up in the garden away from the grassed area.

INTERIOR

This pub is traditionally decorated and in keeping with a village pub. This, in my opinion is its main selling point. But then also there are few pubs in the area which makes remaining trouble-free pubs popular.

Inside is the main pub and bar area which can be entered from the front or side. In this area are tables and chairs, and also some stools around the bar. One end of this area leads to a smaller bar with a fruit machine, pool table and toilets.

The other end of the main bar leads to a conservatory area where there are more tables and this makes a pleasant dining area, although at times traditional pub games take place in here and tables to dine at are limited. However, meals can be eaten in the pub area and in the garden and other outside areas.
The garden can be reached from the conservatory or a side entrance.

MENU

I last ate a light lunch here a few weeks ago and the meal was quite nice but then our choices were a jacket potato with tuna and mayonnaise for me and a beef burger with chips for my husband. I can't remember the cost of the individual items (although nothing on the menu is at all expensive) but do remember us saying that we had a drink each and lunch yet we still managed to spend under fifteen pounds. But I wouldn't recommend this pub for its food yet but I will be looking to see if the standard improves, now that the management has changed.

The menu at The Crown and Crooked Billet is a typical pub menu with food being on the plainer side and I would say that prices are cheap, even without partaking of offers. Various offers/deals such as a meal and a drink means not much money has to be spent to go out for lunch or dinner.

There are various choices on the menu for less than five pounds for a meal and a few priced at a little more. However, there is little choice for vegetarians. For main meals there is a fajita wrap with peppers, courgettes and the usual, a lasagne and light bites such as jacket potatoes with fillings such as cheese, or beans and baguettes with chesses and salad fillings. There is a Sunday vegetarian nut roast but if they have run out of this (which has often happened) then there is not much else to choose from. Not so bad for me as I will eat the battered fish and chips. For meat eaters the menu is typically a pub one with burgers, mixed grill or sausage and mash on offer.

I don't often have dessert but my youngest daughter and my future daughter-in-law both have a sweet tooth and enjoy the desserts here. I always think they look superior to the main meals.

DRINKS

Brands of beer seem to change quite often. They did serve Bombardier and Spitfire and always seem to have Carling and Foster's lager and John Smiths bitter. All types of wine (red, white, rose and sparkling) mostly from the cheaper ranges are served, as are all spirits and soft drinks that you would expect to be able to order from a public house.

FACILITIES

Sky sports shown on plasma screens

Pool table

Fruit machines/quiz machine

Beer Garden

Outdoor smoking area

All day food menu

EVENTS

Events are held at The Crooke Billet Pub such as quiz nights and poker nights. I have been to a quiz night. Cash prizes are given but the system of winning a cash prize depended on luck with numbers rather than getting questions right. We won some vouchers for free meals but certain restrictions applied such as times they could be taken and weekends weren't included so we didn't get to use these.

TOILETS

There are two sets of both gents and ladies toilets in this pub. I feel that the ladies toilets could definitely do with modernising and decorating and would expect that the same would be true of the men's.

DISABLED ACCESS

Access is good; the pub can be entered from level ground but toilets are not adapted.

BREWERY

The Crown and Crooked Billet now belongs to the chain, Stonegate Pub Company.

DOGS

Well behaved dogs are allowed, which is handy for dog owners as this pub is located near to parkland and wooded areas popular for exercising dogs. I don't take my dog into pubs as I'm not confident he would behave. I think he would probably get barred, or would have me barred!

LOCATION

The pub is in an area that, although not countrified, still has many green areas and has retained some charm. It’s just into Woodford in Essex, although close to Chigwell, also in Essex, in an area known as Woodford Bridge. Close by is Manor Road with houses possessing garages the size of the downstairs of my home. But I don't think the clientele of the pub are from our local Millionaire's Row.

Opening Hours

Sun - Wed 11am -11pm
Thurs - Sat 11am - midnight.

Buses serve the area, stopping close to the Crown and Crooked Billet, coming from neighbouring areas of Redbridge and Essex.

It's also only a walk away from Woodford central line station.

Easy by taxi or, indeed, one's own car as there is a good sized car park available free to patrons of the pub.

Several customers walk here from nearby and some from further afield when walking their dogs.

OVERALL

I wouldn't be too happy to recommend this pub to others and certainly not if wanting a good meal but admit to quite liking it myself for a drink. I mainly visit this pub to have a drink or two with my husband occasionally and usually sit outside. There's often some quite blue language to be heard from the regulars but I haven't seen or heard any fighting or arguing, although I wouldn't be drinking here on a Saturday or Friday evening when trouble seems more likely.

Customers range in age from a few over eighteens to all age groups. This means that no-one in my family would feel out of place in here.
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