Back of Beyond

My first experience dining in England was most enjoyable! A bit of a change from American «pubs», here you seat yourself, look over the menu and wander up to the bar and place your order. I got a marvelous Eggs Benedict, delivered very quickly and was nice and hot and very tasty. All of our food was well presented.
We had dinner here a few nights later, a very traditional meal of sausages, mashed potatoes and evidently inevitable green peas. Again, all our food came very quickly and was very good. We also had a British BLT – I had no idea British bacon was so different than American. Nice crusty roll with excellent tomatoes (much more flavorful than an average restaurant tomato) with big slabs of bacon (looks and tastes more like Canadian Bacon). Recommended.

RUDE manager! Do not even bother

Cheap beer, cheep food, lots of space with all the ambiance of a marital breakdown. The advertised free wireless is virtually impossible has poor strength and frankly I felt uncomfortable taking out my laptop in this pub. Redeeming factors are a reasonable range of OK beers and a pub quiz on a Wednesdays.

Nice atmosphere, though was chilly inside due to high air conditioning. Drinks prices reasonable, as are the food prices and a great range of food and drink to choose from, including some spirits I had not hears of. Pleasant welcoming staff serving who seem quite knowledgeable about products on sale. Food took a while to come to us but on the whole very good value for the price paid. Good toilet facilities and also includes toilet for disabled access. Nice garden by river Kennet with patio heaters. No car parking as situated in town but otherwise a nice visit and can recommend a steak meal or mixed grill.

went for the curry night with a group from work, we all enjoyed the food, very reasonable, really big pub, good atmosphere, helpful friendly staff. good cheap night out.

Good selection of rel ales and draught beer. Cheap. Standard pub food. Good outdoor seating. Mixed crowd of die-​hards and passers-​by, young and old.

Back of Beyond is a member of the Wetherspoons chain of UK pubs. If it were possible to compare a pub to a restaurant, this would be the «Olive Garden» and «Red Lobster» sort of thing. Wetherspoons are useful because they’re a known quantity — if you spot their logo, you know that you’ll find a selection of drinks and beers as well as a reasonable menu of regular items and specials. Nothing too out of the ordinary, which for many folk is perfectly fine.
Lots of seating, with a few electrical sockets near the tables. Free wifi. There are some tables outside where smoking is permitted. These are right on the Kennet Canal, which is practically like being waterside. If you go for that sort of thing.
I didn’t have anything to eat today, but I saw several people with meals that they were clearly enjoying. It was a mixed crowd — some young parents with their little ones, a few grannies having a meal after a day of shopping, some mates having a pint and socializing. All quite friendly, as they do well in the UK.
Would I return? Yep.

A great place for that casual drink and bite to eat — particularly good for a crowd out for a celebration evening — all the usual beers, wines and spirits and good value food that’s not too heavy or OTT.
Nice and convenient for the town centre for going on after hours.

this is an ok bar to have a drink in after work.
The menu isnt exactly fantastic and the ambience can sometimes be off-​putting, but the drinks are generally cheaper than some of the bars in town.
Its easy to get seats for a group, unlike some places where you definitely will not be able to get seats in.
The pub is near the canal, which is goos, as its quite nice to buy a drink and drink is whilst walkign along the canal. The crowd in the pub is not my kind of crowd so that is one of the downside.

One of my favorite pubs in Reading and not just because of the cheap food and drink.
For those that don’t know, Back of Beyond is a Wetherspoons pub.
They always have a good selection of real ales and guest beers on tap and the quality is great.
Considering the average price for a pint is around £3 these days you can drink Abbot Ale or Pedegree for less than £2 a pint.
The regulars tend to take their seats at the front of the pub leaving the ten or so boothes and ample table seating towards the rear of the pub for those who want to eat.
The windows spanning the whole back wall of the pub look onto the Kennet and Avon canal and is a nice sun trap (weather permitting!)
Nice outside area too, which also overlooks the canal.
With themed food evening — currys, steaks etc. what’s not to like about this pub?!

Great after work pub. Good selection of beers and not too pricey either.

we used to go to ‘bobs’ every wednesday night for quiz night, I can’t remember why we stopped, but now I’ve remembered how much fun it was we will start going again.
It usually gets quite busy on quiz night so you have to get there nice and early to get a table, and take advantage of some of the great ‘burger and beer’ offers they have.
The staff are always great, and you very rarely have to wait too long to be served.

This is a great pub right in the centre of Reading’s financial district in the old part of Kings road where I used to work.
If anyone ever tells you to meet them at the Prudential building, ask them which one!
This is a Weatherspoon pub, but I do love them. I think they’re a bit like Marmite!
This particular one used to be a carpet store/​warehouse hence the reason it’s such a long bar that goes right back to look over the Kennet and Avon Canal where they used to unload the carpets from the barges. Reading is where you join the canal off the Thames. Nearby is the old Reading Gaol (jail) where that famous inmate Oscar Wilde once resided.
The pub itself is very user friendly, because of the size of the place it has a long bar and there isn’t usually much problem getting served. The pub is popualr with locals and local workers alike. As per the usual Weatherspoons there is plenty of choice when it comes to beers especially real ales and they often have guest beers too all at reasonable prices.
A well run pub, friendly staff and locals, good food and a nice beer garden overlooking the canal.
Well worth a visit.