The Green Shepherd's Bush
The Green at Shepherd's Bush is right next door to the Defector's Weld. It's a smaller space - but don't be fooled by the ground floor, as there is a large downstairs to the pub also. Similar to the majority of pubs and bars in the area, it's a QPR pub. Caveat: On days of home matches, you will be required to either show that you are a season ticket holder or had tickets to the game - there are no away fans allowed.
Try this beer. Wild Beer Pogo. It's a Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava pale ale. And it's amazing. But it's in a can, so you won't be able to taste test it, but just trust me on this one.
The beer. If you only look at the main bar, you'll have the standards, including Peroni, Guinness, Stella, Camden Hells, etc. But if you look toward the back wall, they have 6 additional beers, some of which change in and out regularly. At the time (August), they had Hop House Lager, London Pale, Punk IPA, Gladiator Cider, and Mango Cider. My guess would be that when Autumn starts to kick off, the fruit-based ciders and ales will start to give way to more cozy choices. But don't be fooled by the fairly limited tap selection, as they've got some cool beers in the fridge in bottles and cans. Lots of Brew Dog favourites, including Elvis Juice, and the aforementioned Wild Beer Pogo. They also have Vagabond - for all you celiacs out there - a gluten free beer! (Bonus points). And, for the finale *drum roll*, they have cans of PBR!! I've actually never seen PBR anywhere in the UK before (I'm sure it is in other pubs, and maybe I'm just not paying attention), but for those unaware, PBR stands for Pabst Blue Ribbon - "an American Original". It's like a strong Bud Light if you will... or something like that #MURICA. Give it a try at your own risk.
The ambiance. When we showed up on a Saturday afternoon, it was pretty quiet. There are TV's in the pub, so I'd imagine it could get pretty packed on match days. Already have covered the fact that they are a QPR pub, but in general, when it's not rammed with those fans, I think it would be a good spot to catch any sporting event. It's kind of a mix between pub and sports bar, with stools right at the bar as well as tables (both high and low tops). Downstairs looks like much more of a sit-down and watch the match kind of environment, with low tables all together in rows - definitely organised for watching sports. That being said - it's probably not a date place... might be good for coming with a larger group of friends - lots of open space and areas to sit down and hang out. It's not a cozy place, but I don't think that's the atmosphere it's going for. Stick to watching the match.
The food. I didn't eat here, but took a glance at the menu. Standard pub food applies, and when we went there, about 3:30 in the afternoon, there were people eating burgers. They looked nice, but can't give you anything else on this front...
Any extras. Not really. But seriously... bar staff were great chat.
The wrap up. All in all, the staff were super friendly, chatting away with the bar staff and getting some insights from them on what beers we should try and some of the unique cans and bottles in the fridge. It's a friendly pub, but I'd probably come here to watch a specific sporting event... it's set up great for that, and it's apparent that's what it is there for. And it's really nice to get a pub that is focused mainly on showing sports, but with a good beer selection too!
Average price per pint: £5.10
