"You Choose" — Brewer's Social

Venue: Brewer's Social, 77 High St, Harborne, B17 9NS; website
Choice: Mud City Ribs (£13.95) Chooser: Server

If you should spot smoke billowing above the shops of Harborne High Street, do not fear — it’s probably not a fire, and it’s definitely nothing to do with the Pope. It’ll just be two smokers on top of the Brewer's Social, doing their thing. No, not a couple of Marlboro loving parkour fans, we’re talking meat smoking machines. With Sadler's pop-up closed and the revamp done did, the good people of Harborne now have a pub other than The Plough worth eating at. We smashed our way through a half rack of ribs, cooked in Sadler’s Mud City chocolate and vanilla stout, like a mad carnivorous beaver. Served up with charred corn, Cajun fries and Bourbon beans, they had a little bit of heat and plenty of flavour from the beer. Beer, you see, is what Sadler’s is all about — they’ve been making the stuff for over 150 years. The pick of the pales on our visit was the Orange Mosaic IPA, which we could happily have "tried" five too many of. Had we not shown some uncharacteristic restraint we would have found ourselves back at the Brewer's the very next day as the chilli chips (£6.95) are everything every hangover you’ve encountered was clamouring for. Fries blanketed in a chilli made from smoked brisket, pork belly and turkey is smothered in melted cheddar — what’s not to like about that? Unless you’re vegetarian, or allergic to dairy, or don't like delicious things, there's absolutely nothing to not like about it. Menu