An ode to the Dirty Duck: The last decent pub in Warwick

One month into my first year and I've lost count of how many nights and afternoons I've spent at The Dirty Duck. Quizzes, karaoke nights and Carling-just a tiny part of all the great things that the Duck provides for us. So I think it's about time I did something to show just how much I love this plucky pub.

I've decided to split this love letter into four main points, just so I can zero in on all the things I appreciate about this particular aspect of the Duck-while offering a few suggestions as to how these areas can be made to be even better!

The Drinks

How a pint should look-courtesy of the Dirty Duck.

See this? This is how a pint of Carling should look. Sadly, most of the time this isn't what I end up getting. A lot of bars and pubs these days employ staff who seem to enjoy serving pint after pint of slushy, mushy foam-although the Duck is a welcome exception to that rule!

If it sounds like I'm being harsh then that's only because I've worked behind a bar. I'm a veteran of many harrowing "happy hours". I've battled to serve wave after wave of OAP's who screech at you like irate cats if you serve them a gin and tonic without a lime. So I know the proper way to pour a pint that doesn't leave the customer drinking something that is 50 per cent foam. Just lift the glass up to a sixty-degree angle and pour. It's not rocket science.

Luckily, I don't have to worry about this when it comes to the Duck and for that I want to show my appreciation. Lunch just doesn't feel the same without a quick pint so thank you, Dirty Duck, for always being there for me. Now I might just be able to get through my afternoon seminars.

The Food

Suddenly I'm hungry.

First things first: BRING BACK THE PIZZA! Seriously, you guys have driven me to going to Canopy to get my cheesy fix. Get rid of the gammon. Bring back the pizza.

Jokes aside, when it comes to food, the Duck ranges from pretty good to pretty great. The burgers, for example, are just the right price for an impoverished student looking to treat themselves. The beef is delicious and whoever it is that works in the kitchen knows not to drown out the taste of the bacon with sauce. I would recommend these burgers to any uninitiated fresher. I mean, just look at my DD burger and garlic bread (seen above). Don't you want to try it yourself?

Sometimes the Dirty Duck does forget that their is a difference between medium-rare and medium (Okay, I know it's a nitpick) but when they get their steaks right they definitely get it right!

The Menus

I come seeking shelter from the rain.

I'm a fan of the Duck, in case you couldn't tell. I like its food, I like its atmosphere and I like the service. That being said, we're now four weeks into the first term. Can the Dirty Duck please update its menus? The amount of times I've been told that they no longer serve sticky toffee pudding only to see it on the menu, mocking me. Enough is enough.

On a more deserved and much more positive note can I give a shout out to whoever it is that makes the new rocky road chocolate brownies? They. Are. AWESOME! A treat for the taste buds, just typing this out is enough to tantalize my tongue. And I'm sure it will do the same for you, too! Just one of the many new additions to the Dirty Duck's menu.

Which is really what makes this little pub so wonderful. It's always evolving-changing menus, hosting more and more events and training all its new staff to meet its high standards for customer service. Yet, it never loses that lovely 'Duck' atmosphere. Anyone who goes to the Duck will leave with the impression that it's been there for a long time-and will stay put for even longer still.