Wetherspoons

This is my first visit to the Wetherspoons at the Metro Centre, so it was a great sight to see, having just got off the train from Newcastle.
I wandered around a bit, just to say I’d visited the Metro Centre (a great place if it wasn’t for the children, bless them!).
Anyway, back to the sanctuary of Wetherspoons, I knew I was in familiar territory. Saturday lunchtime was heaving, which is always a very good sign, and I wondered if I’d find a table. As luck would have it, two people got up from their table and left, so I grabbed theirs.
The menu is, as you’d expect, standard fare from this chain, but you know what to expect and the standard is always good.
Yes, this outlet is more expensive than others (on par with their airport counterparts I would suspect), but I have no complaints.
My meal was quickly and efficiently delivered, and was presented most professionally.
Despite the number of people eating there, getting to be served was painless and the service from everyone encountered was very good. Each person I spoke to was polite, engaging, and made me feel welcome.
If I return to Gateshead shopping «Mecca», I’ll be sure to visit Wetherspoons.
Well done to all concerned and for making a very busy afternoon look effortless.

After many years of walking past the entrance to Wetherspoons in the Metrocentre (my first Wetherspoons visit) and the overwhelmingly brown palette that is inside, coating the walls, floors and everything that could be considered a fixture and being put off by it because it doesn’t seem the kind of place I would be welcome; I was eventually coaxed into going by friends who were meeting there.
I can’t say I was entirely wrong about my initial feeling that it wasn’t somewhere I would willingly be, certainly I would not suggest meeting people there myself, choosing instead a bar or pub located in Newcastle city centre (10 mins journey) where they are more modern or at least less dank looking.
It is usually busy inside, with patrons occupying most of the seating areas visible from the exterior but there is often a table tucked away out of sight.
Luckily at my time of visiting it was a Sunday night and it was quiet and we were all able to get seated and served at the bar quickly. I had a double vodka (they don’t do trebles for reasons unknown to me) on the rocks which I assume was the house brand. It wasn’t as strong as I would like but it didn’t make me wince as I sipped at it (which is nice). The price was a little cheaper than most in Newcastle and they do a good range of drinks, giving me the option of the much more to my taste Stolichnaya afterwards.
I did not personally have any of the food on offer owing to not being hungry at all. However, most others did and it was predictably good for a place constantly being touted to me as having delicious food and I heard no complaints whatsoever.
I’ve given it a ³⁄₅ because I really can’t see myself going back there any time soon. The surroundings aren’t very nice at all due to being in a shopping centre with no windows to the world at all. So in the event that I was planning a pub meal I would choose one of any number of other dedicated pubs with beer gardens or outdoor seating during the summer and a more authentic feel indoors (plus maybe more than one colour). For a quick bite to eat there are dozens of places inside the shopping centre with a huge selection of meals and snacks I’d prefer as well as good restaurants for dedicated eating out.
For drinking, as I stated before, Newcastle city centre is preferable and caters to a much wider demographic. For non-​alcoholic afternoon ‘sit down and relax’ times there are Starbucks coffee houses or Costas not two minutes away with much nicer atmospheres and appearances.
It really, really needs a design overhaul to attract younger customers and more diverse consumers who are sitting in Starbucks, like me. I just don’t see it happening. The metal, spiral staircase is bizarrely out of place.

great pub, service is quick even if you do have to que for ages, the food is generally nice and the drink is cheap, what more could you ask for: p

Very popular pub, mostly quite busy due to the good prices, excellent food and large seating area. In the mornings (it opens at 9am) it tends to be full of pensioners (bless ‘em) having their coffee and all-​day breakfasts, while at lunchtimes it’s full of harrassed shoppers. Evenings can be the fullest but you can usually get served without too long a wait as there’s always 4 or 5 staff serving. Staff are very friendly and polite.
Only downside I find is that there’s far too many young kids left to run amok by their parents. My view is that if the place is classed as a ‘pub’ — even if it does a roaring trade in grub — then no under-18’s should be allowed. There’s plenty of normal food places in the Metrocentre where you can take children.
Well worth going to thoughI like to watch parties of already clinically obese women come in and dive straight for the nearest menu. Oh, and if you fancy a pint at 9am, as I once did, prepare to be ‘tutted’ at by the pensioners :)

2 dollars to the pound. No problem. Wetherspoons as well as many other pubs have promotions such as 2 for the price of 1 entrees. So basically you can get fish n chips, lamb n mint burgers, etc for the price of McDs value menu. I miss the lamb burgers, I might have to hit up Nevins in Evanston to fulfill that craving.
Also having Wetherspoons in the Metro Centre is nice because after a day’s work of shopping, you might realize you spent a little too much.