City centre pub has plenty to crow about but still hasn’t hit the heights
I can never quite put my finger on what’s stopping me raving about The Raven.
This Glasgow city centre bar is my friend’s favourite pub…so I’ve been forced to frequent it rather a lot.
On the face of it, The Raven seems to tick all the boxes for a good hangout. Selling alcohol is always a good start.
And it boasts one of Glasgow’s widest selection of craft ales and an extensive cocktail list.
The staff are friendly and efficient and the venue has a stylish decor that wouldn’t look out of place in a cool TV drama.
Our barman for the night had a passing resemblance to the Noughties dance guru Moby.
The meaty Tex-Mex menu with burgers, hotdogs, burritos and even haggis nachos is right up my street and the prices won’t break the bank. There’s plenty of choice i f you’re feeling peckish.
Most of what’s on the menu cannot be descr ibed as f irst- date cuisine. I like the fact the servers leave a whole kitchen roll on the table rather than a wee napkin. Prepare to get messy.
My latest visit was a perfectly decent affair, catching up with friends over dinner. Going for The Whole Hog burger certainly filled a space, although I did wish I’d opted for the Tartan Heavy burger with its haggis and peppercorn sauce toppings.
My prankster pal refrained this time from lacing my dessert with chilli sauce so I can’t knock the food at all.
A pleasurable evening was had by all and one of our group was so stuffed she took their burrito bowl leftover away in a doggy bag for lunch.
It was a good night. I’ve never had a bad night at The Raven.
But, for some reason, I find the place just lacks soul.
The Raven’s a decent pub with plenty to crow about but it’s a 3/5 from me.