The Goose

Although I am not a big fun of the Goose atmosphere I like going there with friends after Uni. Prices are fine, but I always thought the meal deals were poor in quantity. Good place to drink cheap beers though.

Stuck in the middle of Selly Oak, a place dominated and almost exclusively inhabited by students The Goose does an excellent job of staying student free. So if you’re in the area and don’t fancy taking part in the ‘student experience’ its probably the one for you.
Why is The Goose under visited? Despite the food and the drinks being cheap it is tired and completely laking in atmosphere.
We visited on a Thursday a few hours before a firework display at the University. Every table was filled, including a group that between four people had commandeered three tables and a whole corner of the pub. Friendly and welcoming much?
No music, no laughter and horse racing on the television.
With two members of staff on I waited 15 minutes to be served only to be told they weren’t serving food… despite having just taken food orders from the girl next to me. Couple this with the drunk ‘regular’ that pushed in front of me to be served, knowing full well what he was doing because he apologised (read saw an opportunity to be lecherous) and we were in and out without even getting a drink.
Very lame.

On various occasions with friends, our visit to The Goose has ended in some kind of altercation, mainly due to the sheer ignorance of the bouncers.
The old fashioned pub in Selly-​Oak is part of a well known ‘pub crawl’ route through the student dominated area. Every time I’ve been to The Goose, it has been packed, but not so packed that you can’t get a drink, perfectly busy to generate a jolly atmosphere amongst all those enjoying a drink.
Another down side of this pub is its regulars, many of which are hardcore drinkers and never seem to stop drinking. For some this can be quite an intimidating sight, to those I would suggest finding somewhere else.
For my group of friends and I, a bunch of 20 something guys, we don’t seem to mind that as much, once we get passed the ridiculous bouncers who seem to make it their mission every time to instigate some sort of ruckus.
The Goose itself would be nothing without the student influence from the surrounding area, aiding the overall atmosphere of the place. Overall, I would not suggest this pub if you’re easily intimidated but I definitely would If you enjoy the student lifestyle and cheap drinks.

There’s a poem by Ted Hughes called ‘Dick Straightup’ where he marvels at an old bloke who commands a certain sense of mystical energy, having sat on the same stool at the pub for forty years. In the same way that Hughes respects this old-​timer, there can certainly be a kind of appeal for a drab, old pub when it’s situated in the epicentre of a somewhat gaudy and chain-​soaked student haven; sadly The Goose does not possess this authentic lure. What it has instead is all the trappings of the cliched ‘old bloke’ pub: You half expect to see flat caps and pipes as you walk in. Although your eyes see no hint of this, your nose will certainly tell you otherwise. If you love to have a grumble about times past though, The Goose will have plenty of stools available for you to polish with your backside. A dark and joyless place, the last time myself and a friend went to The Goose a few days ago, there was literally a full on bar fight — I thought that sort of thing only happened in the Wild West? The bouncers are a bit fist-​happy, too.

This pub is part of the Goose chain, somewhere I would normally avoid. Did you know, for example, that in Scotland ‘Goose’ is a verb? As in, «I’m going out to get Goosed», which means «I’m going to take advantage of the very cheap drinks prices». You know what you’re getting with a Goose pub, and it’s usually the somewhat depressing site of very serious drinkers huddled in sullen groups, and usually just after 11am.
This place is worth mentioning, then, because despite being a Goose it is unlike most other outlets in the chain. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the building that houses it is great and it looks like a proper old pub — in fact for many years it was a proper old pub and still retains the name The Old Varsity Tavern as part of it’s livery. The second is that this pub is situated in the heart of the student area of Selly Oak, and so the seasoned professional drinker has been replaced with hordes kids from the nearby Birmingham University, which at least gives the place a wee bit of vibrancy. However, other than the above, it’s a fairly bog-​standard and depressing place. Best avoided.

Along the Selly Oak student strip I would say The Goose at the O.V.T is the least of my favourite pubs to walk into, only due to personal preferences. I find that the bouncers are very rude and the atmosphere within this pub is very dry and disheartening in terms that there’s not much excitement going on in there as a student pub. Without the crowds of youths, The Goose at the O.V.T would just be another bright-​lighted and slightly boring place to drink and order food. But depending on people’s preferences, this could be a suitable place to hang out with friends if you don’t mind the stereotypical pub environment and atmosphere. I would highly recommend going to The Goose at the O.V.T during a weekday rather than a weekend night as the atmosphere within there, I find, doesn’t promote a weekend spirit. I think the only upside to The Goose is perhaps the duke box that they attain as you will be guaranteed that the song you choose will be played.

This pub is a classicI say that cor I went in there for a few bots of wines when the world cup was on and I was just keeping an eye on my pockets, watching my back every 5 secs just in case I got thumped in the neck. It’s sociable but you’ll get a few bobbies walking in stalking. Seems to be the spot for friday nights, drunks, football, young uns who think there mike Tyson, yeah a comical place to have a drinkmaybe get glassed or sum dude asking you for a pint. Yeah next door is the soak, student bar seems fun. ;-/

Before they turned this place into a Goose pub, it was probably one of the better pubs in Selly Oak. Sadly, times change and the OVT has been left in the dust by some of the newer, or simply more popular destinations in the area.
For some, a pub that time forgot is a good thing. Unfortunately, when the period it’s stuck in is not quite traditional enough to be charming, and not modern enough to impress, what you’re left with is a pub that gets by on its prices and those who prefer a slightly quieter drink.
It’s not bad, per se, it’s just average. Average drinks selection, average food… average everything. Worth a look if you’re after a quiet drink, but it’s far from exciting.

The food is ok, but very cheap. the beer is ok but again very cheap. Its more of a locals pub as the clientel are quite old, however its a good place for a quick beer. Its quite clean and comfortable and there isn’t usually too much trouble so its worth visiting if you’re reaching the bottom of your wallet. Easy to get to from either University station or Selly Oak station.

It’s a funny old place, the Goose. The toilets are dire; the women’s rarely has loo roll, soap or toilet seats. The food is cheap and palatable, though the state of the toilets leaves you wondering about the state of the kitchens.
Recently refurbished, this place appeals to two distinct groups; students, and locals. When I say locals, bear in mind this place boasts the cheapest pints on the Bristol Road; yep, it’s the smelly old man crowd. The installation of the jukebox has been disasterous, as it plays at a deafening level at the weekends.
There’s a good range of seating and a large smoking area, but if reports of yesterday are to be believed the Goose isn’t what it used to be. It’s seriously going to have to rethink itself and up its game; now it boasts loud music, there is nowhere left for a quiet pint in Selly Oak.

This pub is centrally located right next to the University of Birmingham and normally has a good number of students hanging out there. Their drinks are cheap and they also show a premiership football games on various screens. Now that smoking has been banned, this place is a lot better than it used to be before. It is also a nice place to have a pub lunch.

ah, the OVT! or the Goose! but never both, what a ridiculous name this place has. Serious corporate branding issues methinks. Get the consultants in.
This was the first place i got wasted in Birmingham, back in the day. The place is nothing special. The food is pretty good (for pub food) and is reasonably priced. The beer is reasonably priced and includes one or two decent real ales generally.
The OVT is mainly notable for being located very close to Birmingham university, and so students make up 90% of it’s punters. It lies in the heart of Selly Oak (student-​ville) and is cheap. That’s about it really.