The Olde Salutation Inn (or ‘The Sal’ as we call in these parts) on Maid Marian way is an excellent pub catering to the Rock crowd, Real Ale drinker and those of us who just want a good pint and some pub grub without any fuss, frills or pretention.

It is self described as an “Ancient 13th century pub on top of Anglo-Saxon caves. Live music, real ales and traditional food” and is one of the pubs you really must visit if you are in Nottingham looking for a bit of history to go alongside your pint

We wandered our way down the road over lunch down to them looking for a pint and a feed, I wasn’t really sure what I was after but knew I was going to be in safe hands

Somewhat self deprecating the menu called the place the ‘Dead Beats Diner‘ which was a bit harsh on the resident crowd but perhaps apt in a way as it was a midweek lunchtime and there were plenty of characters supping away without much care in the world.

If we didn’t have to go back to work I could have easily grabbed a pint or two and slip into that crowd to join in for the afternoon, instead though we tucked ourselves away onto one of the rooms in the alcoves and checked out the food offerings and eased our way through a pint

THE BURGER MENU

Once I spotted the burger section on the menu I knew that there was only one thing that I was going to order and that was THE BEAST BURGER for £6.66!

‘2 Beef Burgers, 2 Slices of Bacon, 2 Hash Browns, 3 Onion Rings, A fried egg and Mature Cheddar Cheese on a Toasted Bun‘

Now that is a lot to contemplate! I confess that the vastness of the offering and the amount of food for the money was a key driver in my choice.

Yes I am that shallow in my food choices that I let the story get in the way of how much food I genuinely thought I would be able to scoff over lunch 😎😍🤣

THE BEAST BURGER

OK I admit it, this was virtually impossible to eat without a knife and fork but I did try my best. I grasped it with both hands and took a fair few bites from the stacked beast alternating between the top and bottom burger in an attempt to prevent it falling apart.

I resorted to pulling out the hash browns and onion rings from the bun to get the meal back under control, a slice of bacon went the same way followed by a bit of burger that was seeking an escape.

It was a mammoth task but I game-fully continued to chow down. The burger patties were thick and quite solid, I liked them but they were proper meaty efforts not some thin wispy smash burger far more hardcore!

Towards the end a knife and fork came into play more because the strength in my arms from holding this beast was fading and I needed to put it down. Unbelievably I had chips to eat as well so I needed at least one spare hand 🤣

Talking to the chef I learned that this is one of their most popular meals and it was easy to see why.

One could of course dine far more sensibly here during lunchtime when they have a whole load of deals for just £5. If I came back for a burger I reckon that the Cheeseburger and Chips would have been plenty, ok so maybe I might not have squeezed out a blog post from the experience but I would still be full of food

MINI FISH AND CHIPS

My dining companion did take advantage of the meal deal ordering the Fish and Chips which was judged to be be no frills but filling enough and good value for the cash outlay.

There was a lot more on the menu that I might like to try in particular I was curious about the dish called the ‘Dogs Bollocks‘ for £6 “2 Giant meatballs, fried potatoes and amazing gravy” which did sound rather tempting and quite comforting.

The kicker was that it was served in a dog bowl and I have been down that path before (read more here). I guess that is one meal that has to be done one day!

The regular breakfast for £8 described as ‘2 Sausage, 2 Bacon, 2 Hash Browns, 1 Eggs Beans, Bread and Butter’ could well be another solid option especially as it was being served all day as a main meal.

Located on Maid Marian Way in Nottingham on the corner with Houndsgate and St Nicholas Street The Olde Salutation Inn is well worth a visit, and not just for the great beer and pub grub. You also have caves, ghosts, music and a whole lot of history!