please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Large pub right next door to the station. Lots of separate rooms - it's quite a warren - but at least it means you'll find a table somewhere! You have to hunt around a bit to find out which rooms have serving bars in them, but once you find the right one there's attentive service and 8-10 real ales. The food we ordered took a very long time coming, but was delicious when it arrived.
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Our first stop in Huddersfield yesterday was a return visit to this chain pub at the station itself. Ales on were Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, Titanic Plum Porter, Cameron's 3 Kings, Road Crew, Strongarm & Sanctuary, Sonnet 43 Abolition & Aurora, Merrie City Merrie Christmas & Small World Long Moor Pale. I could only see a single real cider, which was Orchard Pig The Hogfather. But I didn't have too close an inspection of the fridges. The much more limited range may well be due to the time of year. Otherwise, very little has changed since my last visit. Cameron's Ahopolypse Now was poured through whilst we were here. But my Strongarm was on the turn.
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Fifth and final pub of the day, as very handy for train home. Good selection of beers, four rooms to choose to drink in as well as a small roped off area outside at the entrance. Only let down was that it was quite considerably the dearest of all the pubs we visited.
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This pub is at the one end of the station at Huddersfield (the King's Head is at the other end). I was quite impressed with this place. The bar extends from one room to another. Craft beers are dispensed from the bar on the left as you enter, with real ales and ciders dispensed from the room on the right. Both have further rooms at the rear, which adjoin the platform. The rooms feel like typical railway station waiting rooms and there is lots of railway memorabilia to admire. Ales were Camerons Haze & Gold Bullion, Black Sheep Golden Sheep, Little Valley Hebden's Wheat, Anarchy Blonde Star & Boot Boys, Small World Secret & Thunderbridge Stout, Stancill Porter, Fell Robust Porter & Sonnet 43 Abolition. The three ciders in fridges behind the bar were Lilleys Crazy Goat, Bottle Kicking Cider Company Pineapple, Peach & Passion Fruit & Westons Cider Twist Raspberry. The pub soon got packed with large groups, possibly those doing the Ale Trail, or possibly just stag parties. As many were drinking cans of Red Stripe, they were more likely the latter. Very impressed with this pub.
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Improved over the last year or two. Beers good. Staff seem a bit better. Choose carefully where you sit and you should be ok.
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Image needs updating as there was NO access from the platform. Its been a couple of years since my last visit and it seems that have the 'pub' is now a 'cafe'. There was the pleasant plus of a jazzz band playing in the smaller 'pub' bar. Consesus was that the beer while drinkable wasn't great I had Tring Snowfake 4.2% and scored it 6
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Walked in, looked at the sad offerings and walked straight back out, and caught my train.
Very disappointing indeed.
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Visited yesterday on a very hot evening and had a pint of Golden Pippin.
The beer was warm and went flat within a few minutes. This has been the case on previous visits so we wont be going back again.
Also has previous reviews have pointed out, the bar staff leave a bit to be desired as well.
This Pub could be so much better if run properly.
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Good pub, but in a town that is quickly shaping up as a mecca for real ale, it has better pubs nearby.
That is not to say that there is anything wrong with this place which serves a good choice of well kept real ales in a convivial atmosphere. It's handy for the station and when visited with the Kings Head next door and the Sportsman around the corner, you won't complain about the choice of ale on offer.
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This was recommended in one of my pub guides so we thought we would give it a go. The raucous ladies outside were rather off putting but we made our way past them in to the right hand bar which was packed. Never mind, the left hand bar looked quieter so we tried to go in there. "There is a band on and you have to pay" we were told rather abruptly by the female rottweiler on the door. Well actually, no we don't. We left, never to return.
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A nice place for a pint of ale, I didn't experience any of the problems that others seem to have but I didn't order food - I was going to but the dithering couple in front of me put me off. That wasn't the pub's fault of course! But perhaps an extra person taking orders would be good, that way orders can be taken whilst the other starts making the coffees, etc.
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Like many have said before this place suffers terribly from very slow surly staff who are at times quite rude but to be fair generally just ignorant, disinterested and dismissive especially the snide sarcastic landlord and his rottweiller second-in-command barmaid (?) - the big one who snarls and snaps in the evenings - both of whom can scarcely conceal their contempt for the customers who are at times made to feel invisible or an inconvenience when outnumbered by staff and still unable to get served
I stopped eating here a while ago after the food doubled in price and halved in quality
Again expensive poor quality beer - it is not a proper real ale pub - I have heard they don't even have a cellar just a backroom which would explain the
terrible beer - it is more just a railway-themed bar with a fortunate location
If you are after fantastically kept correctly priced real ale then go to the Kings Head/Station Tavern next door - and if you are after different but great real ales plus sublime pub grub go to the Sportsman round the corner where the landlady (Sam Smith, honestly) not only serves and cooks but also brews her
own beer (a particularly nice porter) and a very warm welcome/chat you get too - but if you really do like to be rudely served rank overpriced beer mind-
bogglingly slowly then by all means stick to the Head of Steam
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Revisited on St. Paddy's day. Was served a cloudy Irish ale. The Landlord added to the blarney by saying that it was because the ale had travelled a long way!! Unimpressed by his Bulls41t and the fact that a pint and a half was the thick end of �5.
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Had some good meals here in the past, but yesterday's was absolutely dreadful. Rock hard veg that tasted like they'd gone straight from the freezer to the microwave (for far too long), chewy chicken, watery gravey, items missing from the plate and very, very slow service. Complained, but no sign of the manager -- clearly they don' care too much for unsatisfied customers (customers who've been coming to this pub longer than they have, I might add -- not that we'd go back now). Also a lot of loud swearing coming from the kitchen throughout the whole meal. From now on we'll go to Weatherspoons instead -- sad to see The Head of Steam lower its standards so much. Avoid.
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A good pub, very different in character from Kings Head and differing (but as friendly) client�le - good selection of real ales and cider.
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Good station bar with plenty of well kept ales on offer, a welcome respite from Huddersfields grey windblown and frankly bloody freezing station. Seems to have become a little over popular now thanks to Oz and James, of course most of us knew about this pub years before those two fatheads publicised it.
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Went here after already having had a few pints and wanted some food and we were not disappointed. The beer was in good form and the home made food, especially the burgers. which I am not usually a fan of, were superb and filling.
There on a Saturday evening so quite a lot of passing trade but all were really friendly, even the football fans watching the City v United semi final.
Would well recommend, either for some food or as part of a West Yorkshire Day Rover pub crawl.
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At this juncture your narrator was much the worse for wear, so my recollections may be questionable. A station bar reasonably well furnished, although nobody was there apart from my good self. Beers on offer were from breweries like Osset, Thornbridge and Kelham Island, had two i think and both were perfectly drinkable.
A bit pricey mind!
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A pretty good pub with lots of room providing plenty of space for the many people here. Service was reasonably quick despite the number here. Sam Smiths, Blacksheep and a few other ales were on and in good nick. I liked this pub, but I preferred the other one at the end of the platform that was a "spit and sawdust" place.
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took a trip with the wife and daughter from stalybribge to huddersfield on a day out, first stop the head of steam, what a mistake! observed the family rules and took my child (8 yrs) into the rear eating area of the pub. was told that i had to order at the front bar very rudely by a member of staff (barmaid/land lady).waited in line to be served due to being match day and was attended to by a very courteous member of staff.decided on food choice only to face the 4ft munchkin with long black hair with a attitude problem again that i would have to wait. whilst this was going on my wife and daughter decided to go to the toilets, being in the rear bar they took the shortest route to the toilets only to be shouted at by the munchkin that they could not access the toilets that way.when the food was served my wife challenged the munchkins behavior and she was very rude in her reply. we left the pub without eating our meals or finishing our drinks!
do yourself a favour if you have family avoid this place its over priced and the managment are ignorant ,and dont care about the customers.i would just like to thank the young lady that served me my drinks - you deserve a medal!
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One of a set of twins buildings at each end of Huddersfield railway station. This his one has a chain pub feel (probably because it is). Had a pint of Consett Cast Iron which was nice enough but has as been pointed out the service can be unnecessarily slow considering the ratio of staff to customers.
anonymous - 27 Sep 2010 20:06 |
Service can be poor and it can seem to take an age to get your order in. Also a bit pricey - go to the Kings head or teh Sportsman round the corner would be my advice.
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Always been a nice pub, the beer quality seems to have improved of late, all very good the other day and good range. We�ve heard this from a few friends so it can�t be a one-off. Still dear though. And yes the beer�s much better in the King�s Head. Still not entirely sure about the staff attitude either.
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A real ale pub at the Manchester end of Huddersfield station. There's an entrance from the platform and another from St George's Square. Sam Smiths and Black Sheep on, amongst others. Looks a though the pub also does food but was not there long enough to try it. Reasonable ale but not quite as good as the King's Head at the other end of the station.
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some interesting railway memorabilia, food looked pretty hearty as well. Sam Smiths OK and Black Sheep in very good condition.
m_j_t - 16 Mar 2010 10:03 |
This is an attractive, 'well-aled' pub with good food and is part of the Summer Rail Ale Trail. I like it.
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Good range of ales, mine was in good nick. Had the food here and it was near to Burns Night so had the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, very nice. A transient crowd as one would expect. Watch the potato wedges, they are very filling especially if you woof them down and try to neck a heavy porter just as the train is arriving!
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Decent range of real ale and Sam Smiths bottles plus some foreign beer. No exit to platform when football on. Huddersfield station must be one of the best in the world for pubs.
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Plenty of real ales on offer - tried 2. Food looks ok. On the station so no transport problems.
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As i regular of the Head of Steam in Newcastle, i thought i would pop when down watching Newcastle Utd play Huddersfield the other night. Was ok, pint was so-so but seemed seemed a canny bar.
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Called in this pub in March while visiting for the Star beer festival. Had a look in and nearly left as only main stream beers seemed to be on, but spotted a Kelda beer on the list so stayed for that one. Enjoyed it so much we decided to have another and eat there too. Not disappointed with either food or beer.
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Lively, busy pub. Locals mixing with the rail pub crawl crowd made a good atmosphere. About 6 beers to choose from and a couple of proper ciders. Good pub.
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Housed in a pavillion at the west end of Hudderfield station's platform 1, the opposite end to the King's Head. D�cor wise it is also the opposite, much more has been made of the victorian station aspect of the building, old style wallpaper, a very nice embossed freize and it has a large collection of enamel signs and railway pictures. It offers a changing range of seven decently kept ales plus umpteen kegs from bar counters in each of the four interconnected rooms. Each room is a little different in style with the two nearest the platform being more dining areas and the two others having more of a lounge and public bar atmosphere. The beers are mainly mainstream with some interesting smaller brewers mixed in. The d�cor being more user friendly than the King's Head and as it also serves food, it attracts a wider range of customers, mainly rail passengers I suspect as you can enter from both the street and platform 1.
anonymous - 18 May 2009 09:42 |
Excellent beer (Thwaites Dark Mild) in busy pub. A friend had a sandwich which looked pretty good.
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More comfortable than the King's Head at the other end of the impressive station building (but this does depend on which of the rooms you are sitting in), albeit with a smaller range of beer. The Thwaites Dark Mild was well kept, and overall this place is pretty good as a pub, let alone a station buffet.
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A good boozer in its own right with plenty of train parafanalia (sp) and has comfy sofas and is fine to stop for a quick pint whilst you are waiting for the train but the station tavern next door is better...
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Agree this place has something of a transient atmosphere with people stopping for a pint of two on their way home from work or going out, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I've always found the beers in good nick and the food is served pretty quickly - a good thing for people with trains to catch !
Friendly staff and a choice of 4 rooms decorated with railway nostalgia.
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Good place to wait for the next train. Small but well kept selection of real ales. It feels like most customers are just passing through, which is probably the case. This also may be due to the fact that it still feels like a waiting room.
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Good for a drink after work but the beer isn't the best kept I have encountered
Edd70 - 29 Oct 2008 13:09 |
Sam Smiths bitter and a range of other Sam Smiths wholesome products available, including draught wheat beer, following the inundation of much of the Sam Smiths estate early 2008.
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I regularly make the trip to Huddersfield to go boozing, as its got some good venues - Vox, Zephyr, Lifeboat...and this is right up there. Great range, bargain sunday lunch and live jazz too. Waiting for the all-too-infrequent trains back to Sheffield is never a chore here!
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I think the Head of Steam is a great pub, I've never had any problems and I've been going in there regularly for the past 18 months. The Station Tavern isn't a patch on the Head of Steam - I've only been in the Station once and got a very unfriendly welcome. I would definately recommend the Head of Steam; a wide range of real ales and plenty of ciders! (Stowford, Woodpecker, Strongbow, and Westons in bottles)
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Nowhere near as good as it used to be. Still a reasonable selection of real ales, but guests are frequently off and staff are more often than not clueless on how to pour them. Expect to be treated with contempt if you request a top up!
Food is decent, but now somewhat overpriced. Drinks are fast becoming extortionate.
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Decent range of beers but this is much more of an "eating" pub than a beer one. Very pleasant but nothing more.
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I cannot believe the Station Tavern, at the other end of platform 1, is not in BITE (and I cannot find a way of adding it). The Head of Steam is better than most station pubs, but apart from doing 'fancy' food and trying to impress more than the Station Tavern, it is a poor second in Huddersfield Staion pubs league. The Tavern has friendlier staff and customers, is quieter, yet manages to have a large range of much better kept beer.
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In the process of being re-painted, more modern furniture has been put in. Beer quality is not consistent, but there is a great range of bottles and always a choice of (fairly expensive) real ales. Coach House Passion Fruit was superb though.
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Two cracking sessions last weekend. Arrived late-night on Saturday following on from a "beer odyssey" at the Sair Inn, Linthwaite. The place was buzzing, fairly busy, but I was served quickly. Quite a mix of drinkers of all age groups.
However Sunday lunchtime (28/01/07) was a memorable event. Three-course lunch for under �7, comprising the following items by choice from the menu:
Mushroom Soup
A dark, full-flavoured, exquisitely aromatic soup, textured with actual mushroom pieces affording texture. The flavour was rich and intense, helped along with swirls of cream and olive oil. Came with fresh granary roll. I almost asked for a second helping!
Salmon with chilli sauce
A good-sized portion of salmon arrived, still sizzling, in individual dish together with a generous plate of roast potatoes and mixed whole fresh vegetables. The chilli sauce was a Thai sweet variety, not very much of it, though left the meal slightly dry but nevertheless very tasty indeed.
Black Forest Gateau
Excellent, almost ended up licking the plate clean.
Although it was my intention to visit Marsden after lunch, a superb jazz band struck up at 1330 featuring keyboard, drums, bass plank and a very well accomplished tenor saxophonist. Varying styles kept all patrons entertained until 1530, all this washed down with a few halves of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, one of their most hoppy and bitter beers.
Far from previous descriptions of poor beer quality, the ale I drank on Sunday was perfectly well kept. I found the staff to be friendly (lady in her 20s, and a guy in his 30s who chews gum). I would go again, even though the original reason for visiting Huddersfield was to see other pubs!
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Have to agree with Wobblybob (below) - used to be a good place for a few beers but has gone downhill of late. Both the selection and quality of beers has fallen. The food too has been reduced in size for the same price. Only worth popping in if you've got a few minutes to wait for your train. The railwayana on the walls of one room is worth looking at though
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Not what it was a couple of years ago.
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Asked for a bottle of white wine. Was given a warm bottle of white wine - unopened. I asked for it to be opened. After a sneer from the barmaid, she opened it. I then had to ask for 2 glasses. They were red wine glasses too. Say no more.
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Surly staff,overpriced beer & soft drinks & not very
good quality.Why do people drink in there when there
are much better pubs around i.e.Grove,R&R,Station &
Wetherspoon,s.Don,t bother going.
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Good meeting place, late night drinking but beer quality variable as is the service. Agree with other posts that Station Tavern at other end of station has quality beer on tap at all times although all my female friends refer to it as the Tramps pub. Lunchtime meal service at HOS is abject.
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Not a bad pub though I always feel it gets praise beyond it's merit. Beer price, choice and quality is much better at the Railway Station Tavern on the other end of the platform (though surroundings are the other way round!). With so many other excellent Real Ale pubs nearby (Grove, Albert, Star, Rat+Ratchet to mention a few)they need to raise the bar!
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Been a few times the service is crap, may be many staff on but getting someone to serve you is hard work,
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Pricey, beer quality not always the best. I dont know where the other comments are comming from. Must be getting mixed up with the Station Tavern at the other end of the Station. NOW THERE'S A GOOD PUB
anonymous - 28 Aug 2005 14:26 |
Great pub, love it during my time at Uni.
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This is about at good as a pub gets: Great beer, comfortable, chatty customers with a great attitude.
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Everything a pub should be, ever changing guest ales and full of characters, the jazz nights are superb. You don't get nutters in here like you would expect being on a train station. Full of all sorts of Railway memorobilia for any enthusiasts out there!
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One of the best real ale pubs around.
Axe - 18 Oct 2004 00:23 |
Well worth a visit. I have been to the one in Euston, and it simply doesn't compare. The staff & management @ Euston should take a trip to this shining example of Head of Steam, and it could be transformed! Keep it up guys!
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This is very good pub with a regular turnover of ales from across Great Britain, and sometimes Ireland (recommend the Dwan - Black Pearl, it's a gorgeous pint!) If you're waiting for service just call for Clare and there'll always be one there due to the number of people called Clare - no males yet though!!
Andrew - 28 Sep 2003 20:36 |
A fantastic pub. Great ales, changing fairly regularly. Always full and a good crowd. Handy for the last train home too.
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If you are thinking this pub is anything like the Euston H/Steam, then forget it.
This pub is absolutely excellent, and it's almost worth a trip to Huddersfield just to visit the pub! A constantly changing range of exciting real ales, good food and bar snacks, coupled with a late licence. Can become very crowded. Good place to meet before going on to Linthwaite (for the Sair)
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