One Trick Pony Club

At first I didn’t realise this was an M&B pub until reading the other pubs. Then I was apprehensive since the majority of large chains aren’t anything to write home about.
This place was chosen for our teams staff night out and it wasn’t a bad choice to be honest. The menu is quite restricted, about 8 burgers, 2 hot dogs some tapas sized dishes to share and other Mexican offers. Everything is either American or Mexican themed but it’s done well. It gets pretty lively, I believe it’s predominantly a drinking pub whilst people are preparing for there night out but the atmosphere was still great.
Definitely recommend upgrading to sweet potato fries, really crispy and some of the best I’ve had.
I would go here again if in the area but I wouldn’t say it’s worth making a special trip to Mosley for.

Had the hot wing challange… my word they are not wrong there. not for the faint hearted, but fantastic!!!
Also a good selection of beers.

One Trick Pony is a relatively new addition to the Moseley Village bar scene. A whole host of local talent fills the small stage at the back of the venue on a weekly basis (both live and DJ) which is backed up by a solid menu of pub classics.
Whether you are taking advantage of the mid week offer on burgers, or out for a Friday night dancing, this venue can provide the perfect setting. It’s well thought out inside, with décor that is fitting for the area, with a decent size beer garden out the back.
A word of warning… I am a spice lover (as seen in my other reviews) and the hot sauce I had here was one of the spiciest things I have ever experienced. My words of ‘how hot can it be’ were followed with streaming eyes and about 15 minutes of regret. If you are going to be brave a try it… tread carefully!
If you are out in Moseley Village, definitely pay the One Trick Pony a visit. You wont be disappointed.

I’ve been meaning to check out this place since it opened and this week I finally got the chance to go for a post-​work early evening meal with the hubby and two friends.
First impressions were good, it wasn’t too busy and I loved the décor. We got our drinks and hubby ordered a coffee… ten minutes later and his coffee hadn’t arrived (communication issues at the bar, apparently) but we were ‘entertained’ by the couple nursing a single pint at the next table who were having a loud domestic and two other lads who decided to have a punch-​up. Nice.
Having heard good things about the burgers we all opted for one and they were indeed very good. Unfortunately one of the burgers was missing the extra patty my friend had ordered and my burger was missing, well… everything as someone had forgotten to make it. I twiddled my thumbs for five minutes until my burger was plonked on the table without apology. Our «friendly» waitress then started to clear our plates whilst one of my friends was still eating. Undeterred we ordered dessert. I had the peanut butter and ice cream stack which was yummy but too rich for me to finish. This time our «friendly» waitress brought the correct orders but no spoons and when she did bring the spoons one was filthy and obviously hadn’t been washed. Hubby asked our «friendly» waitress to change it and received a look that was even dirtier than the spoon. A clean spoon was handed over but the dirty one was put back with clean ones.
So…rant over. In conclusion: Good food that is fairly reasonably priced but you can get food which is just as good at the same price AND get decent service elsewhere.

Visited on a Tuesday as burgers are 241. This used to be an O’Neills and is still part of Mitchells and Butlers. I really like that they’ve tried to something a bit different and suited to the area. The interior is really nice with lots of tables and seats and there’s a good variety of beer and cider options. I liked the music and spotted that they have an indie/​alternative night on a weekend. I’ll definitely go back for a drink.
Onto the food! I picked a chicken bacon and avocado burger and Edd had a pulled pork beef burger.
It arrived in a little basket with some very good skin on fries. Liked these very much.
The burger was… fine. Both burgers were fine but just missed a certain something. I’ve given lots of fabulous burgers 4 stars so this one is going to have to be a 3. I felt the whole thing needed a bit more flavour and seasoning– perhaps better bacon would do it or some cajun spice on the chicken. It wasn’t a bad burger by any means, and a great bargain, but I felt I could have made it myself.
The menu does have some great things on it like chicken wings. I’ll definitely go in again to try something else from the menu. It’s also a great place to kick off an evening with a drink.

The pertinent question is: What is the one trick that this pony can perform? If it is that it is that it’s a mainstream pub company that can fool people into thinking that it is an indie, then they’ve pulled a tiny bit of wool and maybe scored a point. My ambitious friend went for a chicken waffle burger which dripped with grease. The breadcrumbed mac and cheese came with a warning of ‘don’t touch the handle, it’s hot’ even though it’s obvious that you’d never cook it in such an outlandish receptacle, you’d just present it like they did on the table to look bit too cool for school. They ain’t fooling us. Impressed by ‘em? On the night that we went it was one step up from McDonalds at twice the price.

Having heard and read good reviews about this place, I decided to give it a whirl on Saturday afternoon.
It was fairly quiet with a few booths and tables occupied — I guess not everyone knows about this place yet.
The décor of this place is awesome — think retro and American diner rolled into one. You can either prop yourself by the bar or grab a booth or table to dine. There is also a separate bar area that has yellow retro leather seats.
I love the lighting in here and there is graffiti style art on the bathroom walls and avant-​garde graffiti in the beer garden /​smoking area outside the back.
Before coming here I had already looked at the menu knowing that I wanted a dirty burger! So that’s exactly what I had — pulled pork burger with chipotle jam and fries. The burger was pretty delish and for a starter we decided to have 4 chicken wings with BBQ sauce — this were a bit disappointing if I’m honest.
In short I would rate the following elements of my experience as follows:
Service — ⁶⁄₁₀
Food — ⁷⁄₁₀
Atmosphere — ⁶⁄₁₀
Toilet cleanliness — ⁸⁄₁₀
It would be interesting to visit this place in the evening for drinks, to check out the vibe. They have a quiz here every Wednesday at 8pm and bands quite often play here.

This bar is fairly new to the area (the venue used to be O’Neils I think) and I have only been here once. It feels a bit more like an American diner than a pub, but nevertheless the atmosphere is buzzing on a Friday night.
Service at the bar was quick and there seemed to be a reasonable selections of ales, bottled beers and wines available. I haven’t tried the food, but I’ve heard good reports about it so will have to pop back:)

That was the place I have chosen to start our New Years’ eve celebration. Firstly, I love the name. Yes, silly thought but it’s a hell of a good one. And yes, I read the definition and meaning of One Trick Pony Club before writing this review and I presume it suits the place well.
Secondly, I love neon. «It’s very cheesy» some would think, but I just like how One Trick Pony Club takes seriously its neon signs. For a bar located in Moseley, having a modern décor just not help to attract young people but also gives a bit of personality to the place.
(Note: I use to have drinks in that place when it was an O’Neil’s branch and I never had a complaint about the place. Actually, I was watching Andy Murray won Wimbledon there and the atmosphere was great. I have great previous memories from that place, to be honest.)
But I also had that feeling One Trick Pony would be a successful establishment as soon as I stepped inside the place. For being that kind of American-​diner place, it’s definitely a good place to spend some time drinking with friends, especially in such an important date like NYE. I was right! To start with, they serve Bacchus beer. My favourite Belgium one (at the moment) and as a selective beer to be offered, I truly believe they care about what is served there. Great choice!
I also have a «thing» for places with booths (yes, a good retro booth seating). They are comfortable and modern. And at One Trick Pony, they are huge. Huge enough to have bags, coats and four people getting together with plenty space to share.
Food: yes, expect some nice burgers and hot dogs, or plenty of nibbles to share. I pretty much like it. However, I was so tempted to try the Ruby Jean´s burger and didn’t expect to share any meat at all.
The burger itself is succulent. As well as the onion rings and chips that accompany the meal are also excellent.
I also notice a 2−4−1 (every Tuesday) deals at burgers that is definitely pretty much popular. While they asked for one of the veggie options, my husband got the plain hot dog and it wasn’t ordinary at all — It’s was more like outstanding.
Their Selection of beers is also a great feature to the place. From real ales to fruity Belgian beers, it can be a bit pricey but makes the place a better option around to drink. And because Moseley bars and cafés are so versatile, it’s necessary to bring some differential to your business, if you want to set down there.
I left One Trick Pony before the buzz of a NYE evening started with the feeling that Moseley has definitely gained another successful establishment. Well done to Castle pubs group for bringing another great bar to Birmingham.

Finally getting to review this place. Heard about this place opening from Vicky O. So was excited when she suggested this place for our lunch meet up.
Love the interior, You can see the brick work and wooden structures. Neon signs around and graffiti like paint on walls. Menu was simple and american-​ish. We wanted to build our own burger. One thing I loved about the menu is customisation.
I had Chicken with egg, fried onions. Good didn’t take long to come. Burger was delicious. Loved it and fries were just right.
I would definitely come back with friends for more and it’s great to have an American style pub in Moseley Village.

Birmingham has had a fantastic year for new businesses opening and the One Trick Pony is no exception… Moseley is a fantastic spot for coffee shops, bars and pubs. This new venue at the top of the High Street popped up in Birmingham in late November, so I figured it was about time to check it out.
I had obviously heard a lot about their burgers before my trip and knew immediately that this would be my choice when I got there. I arranged lunch with Mohamade and suggested a trip down would be a good chance to have a look at what we had been missing.
The exterior is unassuming, but has a hint of the Americana charms of this foodie pub. The hanging signs show the simplistic design of the logo (a horseshoe with the name) and the dark wood and windows look very smart and a world away from the previous venue that stood on this spot.
The interior is fantastic. Wooden benches, a long bar and brilliant low hanging light fittings really give this place a rustic and warm charm. It’s also much bigger than you might think and boasts a well kitted out beer garden as well, so I imagine this place will become a bit of a hotspot in the summertime.
We took a couple of menu’s (labelled «Ruby Jean’s Diner», which added to the charm) and had a peruse. The choice is largely American style diner food, which you might expect (chicken wings, burgers and ribs), but the real star of the show is the burger choice. You can either opt for their large selection of pre-​chosen burgers or «choose your own». The bases are either grilled chicken breast, beef burger or vegetarian (named «Hippy»).
From here, you can opt for double patties and around 20 different toppings (ranging from cheese to chorizo and the much spoken about Monster Munch). I went for a single beef burger with Mac & Cheese and a fried egg. I was pretty impressed that for the burger and a pint of lime and soda (my non-​drinking drink of choice in bars), the bill came to £9.70. We only waited around 10 minutes and our food was bought out to us.
The fries were quite frankly, awesome. Skins on, crispy and not too greasy. The beef seemed to be pretty good too! It was a sold burger and I would definitely like to go back and try some of the other combinations (I was eyeing up the avocado and chorizo).
The design, atmosphere and food were pretty spot on. I can see this place going from strength to strength in the coming months. Hat’s off to the One Trick Pony!

Absolutely the best nachos I’ve had in England. Love the theme, décor, and food. Our meals were all great, with generous portions, and it was fabulous to be able to order a burger exactly to my every whim – blue cheese, cheddar, jalapenos, onions, mac ‘n cheese, peanut butter… No, I didn’t get all the toppings, but it was delightful to think about it. There are so many options here. I wanted to eat everything, and next time I’ll be ordering the Mac n Cheese with chorizo and mushrooms.

American diner style is not the most unique for a pub/​restaurant. I liked O’Neils because outside of wetherspoons there aren’t many cheap places to eat and get a drink at the same time in Moseley.
I was pleased by the prices and choices are indeed quite a good realisation of the American diner expectation… What I mean by that is you can get a standard burger or hotdog and they aren’t charging gormet prices. You can also get fried pickles or hot wings… Enough to keep the interest for a few visits.
But I just don’t see it as a comfortable place to spend much time. Unlike O’Neils or the Fighting Cocks or even the other excellent new arrival The Dark Horse, it seems obvious that it is simply a place to exchange money for provisions. Fast food otherwise. Once fed and watered why stay? It hasn’t convinced me. I will be returning to try a few more things, and perhaps when less busy it will feel different.
Three stars for now and I’m moving on to see the lovely people at the Dark Horse. A suitably more grown up, not to mention better styled place, than this one trick pony.

A rare Friday lunchtime with my other half meant we decided to venture out to Moseley, just outside of Birmingham city centre to find our lunch and when we were there we found the brand spanking new One Trick Pony Club who had just opened their doors to the public.
Very pleasant décor greeted us, the classic uptown New York diner had been suitably reflected in the furnishings, fittings and fixtures and the candles on the tables further added to the relaxed ambience of the venue.
Drinks ordered at the bar we took our place at a nearby booth and perused the menus. I dove straight in and chose one of my all time favourites, a chilli dog and my dining partner chose the Ruby Jean burger. For the time of day (we ordered close to half two) and the business of the restaurant (3 tables including us) the wait felt a bit longer than the average lunch return. However, when it arrived, it was certainly worth the wait.
My chilli dog was sublime, the chilli was slow cooked to perfection and the ‘dog’ it sat upon was a good quality sausage. Excellent fries accompanied it, crispy and beautifully seasoned and as for the burger. Well it’s difficult to describe the colossus that was the burger served up across the table. Stacked high with onion rings and lovingly adorned with bacon and cheese, I was allowed a taste and it was just brilliance in burger form.
A quick exchange with our waitress at the end of our meal and we discovered much to our surprise that the venue was part of a Mitchell and Butlers chain who have to be congratulated on giving the place a really independent feel to the place. It hasn’t quite got there in terms of the lively atmosphere it seems to be craving and the staff seemed a little subdued and disinterested considering it was the first day open to the public. Early days though and in terms of food, if the quality remains, the existing bars and eateries may have some stiff competition headed their way.

The Mitchell and Butler backed chain of quirky pub/​restaurants finally makes its way to Birmingham! Im a big fan of the Leeds and Sheffield based versions of these pubs so was excited to see how they would transform the old O’Neils pub into something a little more upmarket.
Overall I think they’ve done a great job, its perhaps a little more streamlined and safe than the aforementioned northern counterparts, but character takes time to achieve. The outdoor courtyard looks great though.
Food and drink wise, its as expected, a good selection of booze, a huge range of burgers (and an extensive create your own section), along with the usual american influenced fried chicken, ribs etc.
I went for a fried egg, peanut butter burger with extra smoked bacon, and it was great, the burger was well cooked and the toppings worked great together. The chips were fine, not the same as I’d previously experienced though, which is a shame as the chips in the other venues were perhaps the best that I’ve ever tasted! Who knows though its early days, perhaps they are introducing the menu gradually.
The staff were really excellent, attentive, friendly and helpful, the venue was kept clean and tidy throughout.

Today was the opening day to the public for One Trick Pony Club so we thought we would go and check it out. At first look, I thought this place was an independent but after speaking to the very pleasant staff i found it to be a Mitchells and Butler pub but you certainly would’t be able to tell. If this is the sign of future M&B outlets things are certainly heading in the right direction.
We went in for lunch and it was evident that everyone was getting themselves familiar with the place and the atmosphere was something quite exciting. The décor of the place has a sort of cattle ranch fee about it which fits in well with the American Diner style food that they serve.
They have a great selection of beers on offer including pump ciders like Rosie Pig along with beers on tap such as Brooklyn and Sierra Nevada.
The food menu price wise is mid range, certainly not what I would deem as expensive in comparison to other similar quality outlets. I decided to opt for the ‘Ruby Jeans Burger’ which consisted of a beef patty, bacon, emmenthal cheese and mushrooms. My fiancée went for the chilli dog.
First impression on the presentation of the dish was the biggest downfall for me, both came out in a plastic basket style dish which for all reasons apparent i can see why but all it screams out to me is «Bowling Alley Food». However, trying the food was a different experience all together, the fries were beautifully cooked, the onion rings were sublime and the burger was amazing. A great contender up against some of the brilliant street food being produced in Birmingham at the moment.
Overall I thoroughly recommend One Trick Pony Club, I think it will be a thriving place of a an evening, I’m not sure if the opening hours will be overly favourable as they close at 11 most weekdays and 11:30 at the weekend and a lot of places tend to be opening till 12 now. That may change in future though and its certainly not a reason to steer clear of the place. Give it a try, I know i will be heading back there in the future.