On Friday night, when you’re a party of 6 without reservations it can be a little nerve wracking to try to find a place to eat at the last minute. This is especially true when you have no back up plan and two hungry toddlers. Luckily, we timed it just right to get a table at The Squires Pub without any line or waiting.

The pub itself is great. To get inside one has to enter through a doorway made to look like a vintage British phone booth. **ADORABLE** Once inside you find yourself in front of a small bar area with some high top tables, several seats at the bar and a few dart boards. The bar seems well stocked and the bartender immediately said “hello”.

We were quickly greeted and sat without any hassle. However, I may have mentioned…. I had two hungry toddlers. We were seated at a round table and two, slightly sticky high chairs were brought over. We had to squeeze them in next to a wall where they would be out of the way from the walkway and even then they jutted out a bit into the path of other diners. Both high chairs had broken or completely missing buckles. The waitress immediately offered to replace them with a different one for us. She promptly brought over a third high chair…with a broken buckle. This isn’t just a safety issue, it’s a kid wrangling issue. There is absolutely NOTHING relaxing about spending an entire meal reminding your one-year old to “sit on your butt” because not only does he barely understand English, but the two-year old thinks the word “butt” is funny. Thankfully, the hostess sat us with plenty of crayons and something to color.

Food came quickly, once ordered, and the dishes tasted good. The portions were a little smaller than we anticipated and my husband left hungry after eating his London Lamb Burger. But, the Shepherd’s Pie had luscious chunks of lamb and my London Broil was well seasoned and, though slightly cooked past medium-rare, tasted lovely despite the side dishes being small. The food was plated hastily and I admit that I eat with my eyes before I taste food with my mouth. The fish and chips seemed like an afterthought tossed onto a too big plate. I took a photo of it…but it is so ugly looking I decided I shouldn’t post it… although now that I’ve mentioned it I suppose I should.

But, let’s talk about my London Broil.

I love red meat. If presented with the option of chicken or beef, I will always choose the beef. That being said, London Broil is one of my favorite celebratory meals to make at home because, as long as you master the cook time– it comes out great each time you make it. This evening, my London Broil at The Squires Pub did not disappoint me. The meat was both juicy and flavorful. It was paired with mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of sweet green peas. I happen to love peas, so this was perfection on a plate for me. I shared a bite with my husband, which I rarely do, but I was afraid he was still starving. After giving the bite away, I wished I hadn’t because I wanted more after my plate had been eaten clean.

All in all, we had a nice evening and a quickly served meal which is a necessity when trying to eat out with kids.

Our quick check for The Squire’s Pub, Southern Pines, NC

• Kid Friendly?  Yes, but we tried THREE different high chairs and they all had broken buckles. Not safe and not easy to keep our one year old in his seat.
• Quality Kids Meals? Limited kids menu but the portions for kids are quite large.
• Interesting Menu?  Yes! There is a huge, varied menu
• Daily Specials? Yes.
• Beer Selection? Good
• Waitstaff? Very friendly, but seemed a little overwhelmed by the amount of tables they were attending to.

Do we recommend The Squire’s Pub?

Yes… But, bring your own baby wipes to clean off the high chairs and order an appetizer!