Restaurant Review: The Royal Oak, Charlton, Hampshire

The Royal Oak in Charlton used to be my local pub when I lived with my ma, and I often used to go there with my friends for a couple of drinks. I had food in there before, but never really rated the pub as somewhere to eat as the food wasn't fantastic. However recently it must have changed management as the food in there is really good pub grub with a menu that pleases everyone.

Heidi and I visited the pub for a catch up and some YouTube planning a couple of weeks ago and I was seriously impressed with the quality of the food - big portions for great prices. We had the calamari to start with, which was really yummy and the calamari pieces were big and flavoursome. We also had their 'mocktails' which I have to warn you - they're not actually proper mocktails like the Pina Colada I had I was expecting maybe some more texture in the drink but it is essentially just syrup, ice and water. Not even blended ice, so slightly disappointing but it still tasted OK.
I had the gourmet meat burger which is beef, pulled pork and cheese and it was delicious - it came in a soft bun which I love and was huge! The beef was cooked well done, which isn't to my preference as I prefer rare but kind of expected as the burger is probably frozen prior to cooking rather than fresh in which cases you can have it rare. It came with chips and coleslaw - great stuff! Heidi had the scampi which again was a big potion!

The Royal Oak in Charlton is a great place to stop off for lunch or dinner especially if you're on a budget or have kids with you as they have an extensive kids menu. The pub also has a nice big garden which is brilliant for summer drinks.