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The Mechanical Elephant (Wetherspoon)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Whitstable - Faversham CreekExcellent1
Caledonian - Coffee PorterExcellent1
Shepherd Neame - Bishops FingerExcellent1
Wantsum - Black PrinceExcellent1
Caledonian - 80/-Good1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 3Good1
Nelson - Hardy's KissGood1
Mordue - Newcastle Coffee PorterGood1
Cotleigh - Long Eared OwlGood1
Tring - Pudding PorterGood1
Bath Ales - Gem BitterGood1
Naylor's - Roaring RubyGood1
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Galbraith's Mr.G's Luncheon AleGood1
RCH - Pier AleAcceptable1
Woodforde's - Dragon Hall BitterAcceptable1
Banks's - Toshi's Amber AleAcceptable1
Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Scarecrow BitterAcceptable1
Bath Ales - Hefeweizen HareAcceptable1
Nelson - Powder MonkeyPoor1
Browar Namyslow - Namyslow PlumPoor1
Adnams - Ghost ShipNot Tried0
Wantsum - One Hop ClusterNot Tried0
Greene King - AbbotNot Tried0
Marston's - PedigreeNot Tried0
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)Not Tried0
Moorhouse's - Black PantherNot Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)Not Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Banana Bread BeerNot Tried0
Highgate - Davenport's Last MinuteNot Tried0
Rooster's - YankeeNot Tried0
Caledonian - Odell 90/-Not Tried0
Adnams - BroadsideNot Tried0
Picture 1. The Mechanical Elephant, Margate, Kent

Visits Details

24 May 2012 (Blair)
We were parched on our way to the lifeboat so dropped in for a swifty. Sat upstairs and reminisced about the time we spent up there in our teens.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Wantsum - Black Prince3.90ExcellentExcellent condition and a stunning mild, really good stuff.
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Adnams - Ghost Ship4.50Not Tried
Wantsum - One Hop Cluster4.50Not Tried
22 Mar 2012 (Blair)
Arrived at the train station to find we had a 35 minute wait until the next train so jogged here for a quick night cap. It was 11.40 so it wasn't very busy, in fact I can't remember the last time I saw this place busy.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Caledonian - Coffee Porter4.30ExcellentI was tipsy by this stage so can't remember much other than really liking this.
27 Oct 2011 (Blair)
Wow it's been a long time, still nothing changes. Fair few in, but looks like they've lowered their prices so no surprise. £3.90 for 3 pints using our camra tokens, we'll have to come more often.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Tring - Pudding Porter4.50GoodFruity, chocolatey porter. In great condition, a really nice beer.
Rooster's - Yankee4.30Not Tried
Caledonian - Odell 90/-5.30Not Tried
22 Jan 2011 (Pedro)
Lunchtime
BeerABVScoreNotes
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger5.00Excellent
Caledonian - 80/-4.10Good
Nelson - Hardy's Kiss4.20Good
Cotleigh - Long Eared Owl4.90Good
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
12 Jul 2010 (beery steve)
Busy due to the rain
BeerABVScoreNotes
Bath Ales - Gem Bitter4.10GoodVery Tasty
Whitstable - Faversham Creek3.80Not Tried
02 Apr 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
Quite busy with pre festival goers before the Planet Thanet festival.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Whitstable - Faversham Creek3.80ExcellentVery good bittersweet taste with good hoppiness being balanced by biscuity maltiness. Refreshing hoppy finish. My score 16/20.
12 Feb 2010 (Blair)
Stopped in for a couple of pints before moving on to the other hell-holes Margate has to offer. Really quiet tonight, strange to see as it used to be packed in here a few years ago. Margate isn't the place to be anymore it seems.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 35.00GoodSweet, malty and lightly hoppy. Not quite in top form but still tasty.
Nelson - Powder Monkey4.40PoorI didn't like this before and I don't like it now. Overly sweet with a malty/creamy flavour to it. A poorly executed beer in my opinion.
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
26 Nov 2009 (Blair)
Met an old school friend here as it's equidistant between where we both live. Almost empty, a far cry from thursday nights in margate a couple of years back. It was actually rather depressing, I really want to know where everyone hides these days.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Naylor's - Roaring Ruby4.70GoodDark fruity bitter, fair amount of malt. I liked it.
Lincolnshire Craft (formerly Tom Wood's) - Scarecrow Bitter4.00AcceptableMalty best bitter, a little one dimensional but a decent straight forward bitter.
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Marston's - Pedigree4.50Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
20 Nov 2009 (Blair)
The usual filling up stop before a night out in Margate. Unusual crowd in tonight, mainly older people, not the usual hoardes of young people. relatively impressive line-up yoday, we stayed here for quite a while .
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mordue - Newcastle Coffee Porter4.70GoodRich black porter with a nice hit of coffee. I'd like to try this again outside of 'spoons.
RCH - Pier Ale5.00AcceptableAmber ale, quite bitter and malty. Fair hop to it. Not bad but not really my cup of tea.
Woodforde's - Dragon Hall Bitter4.40AcceptableSweet and malty bitter, fairly standard as bitters go but perfectly quaffable.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please)4.00Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Marston's - Pedigree4.50Not Tried
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Wells Banana Bread Beer4.50Not Tried
Highgate - Davenport's Last Minute4.50Not Tried
06 Nov 2009 (Blair)
I was on an adventure in Margate so ended up coming in here twice. They've now got a big sign saying they've made it into the good beer guide, not sure how that's happened. Pretty quiet for a friday night, a lot of families in oddly enough.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Galbraith's Mr.G's Luncheon Ale3.70GoodPale, hoppy beer. A little lemon and malt, all quite subtle. To be honest this is quite nice.
Banks's - Toshi's Amber Ale4.40AcceptablePale, malty ale. Pleasant, if a little watery.
Bath Ales - Hefeweizen Hare4.70AcceptableHas the usual wheat beer kind of flavour, a little sweet. Alright but not that great.
Browar Namyslow - Namyslow Plum4.00PoorWow, when they say plum they're not joking are they? I found it overpoweringly plummy and sweet. Very artificial. I really struggled with a full pint of this.
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Marston's - Pedigree4.50Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Moorhouse's - Black Panther4.80Not TriedAvailible soon.

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About The Mechanical Elephant

The pub sign. The Mechanical Elephant, Margate, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional1
Excellent37
Good46
Acceptable21
Poor8

Website.

The pub is found in Margate, Kent, CT9 1XJ.

Typical Wetherspoon's, on the sea front, although at one time was a Lloyds No.1 Bar at the weekend thus got pretty busy and had music playing loudly at the weekend. Since early 2013 the formerly dance floor partitioned off area for weekend music has been converted to carpeted bar seating to make this Wetherspoon traditional through and through. 10 handpumps in 2 banks of 5.

We have visited this pub 91 times, seen 149 different beers and tried 84 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CT9 1XJ