Blubeckers is one of those chain restaurants that exist just on the out skirt belt of London. We ate at a similar chain with my work colleagues when we worked at Marlow – the ridiculously cheap Harvester chain. It seemed like the Weatherspoons of the restaurant world.
I don’t think Blubeckers is as big as the Harvester chain although ironically this one we ate at was just opposite the road from one. We went the Duck House version of Blubeckers, located at the end of the Metropolitan line, in Ruislip. Very initial impressions, it’s very well decorated on the inside – almost as if it had recently had a renovation of sorts. The decor is modern and being constructed out of a house, was full of character including the alternatively raised floors and little nook and crannies. The best part about something like this is the way that it was very full, but it felt like you weren’t eating in the open in front of all the tables, so you had a lot more privacy.
The reason we went to Blubeckers was to enjoy the ribs – something that they are apparently well known for (at least according to their website and their menu). Who was I really to judge that without testing it out for myself. They have three different serving sizes on the menu so we decided to try the normal size because we all had a starter and a main. I had the soup of the day, a lovely french onion soup that was both light and very tasty. Although tempted by a ridiculously rich American brownie sundae, I decided to stick with the ice cream treat as I figured it might be a lighter option.
Even the normal sized ribs ended up fairly large and by the end of the meal, I was well and truly stuffed. It was served with crunchy coleslaw and fries – a classic combination that was very well done. Even the fries were exactly how I like them – crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle without being too thin or too thick cut. The ribs were very tender, enough for me to eat my ribs with just knife and fork. Served with a rich and slightly tangy BBQ sauce, these ribs are best described as stewed rather than how I would have preferred them – grilled or BBQed. Fortunately they never took on the ugly pork flavour of reheated ribs.
It’s obvious from the number of people that The Duck House remains a popular choice for locals being fully booked and tables required to turn around every two hours. I can’t really say that it’s worth going all the way out to Ruislip to try them – after all I think we still spent £30 for a three course meal without drinks. However it’s a decent choice if you happen to find yourself out this far.
Name: The Duck House (Blubeckers Chain)
Found at: The Duck House High Street Ruislip Middlesex HA4 7AR
Website: http://www.blubeckers.co.uk/ruislip/