Smith & Western

Be prepared to be stuffed as the portion sizes seem huge. Always a good atmosphere and ideal for family birthdays, etc

Quick glance:
+ great for children’s parties /​families
+ fun Western-​themed décor
+ spacious, with outdoors seating
+ lots of car parking space
— beers don’t come in pints (!?)
My boyfriend and I stumbled upon Smith & Western after a 5-​hour hike in the Surrey HIlls near the Box HIll area. We thought it would be great to end our long trip with a pint before we head back home and so we visited Smith & Western, which is very near the Box Hill Visitor Centre.
The outside looks like a giant wood cabin, surrounded by ample car park space. The inside was very busy with wooden sculptures, US car plates, US flags, and various other «American» and «Native American» decors. It felt as though a tornado has lifted a Texan saloon into the Surrey Hills.
The staff were dressed like Texans, with black cowboy hats, a white shirt and bolo tie. My boyfriend asked for a pint of beer, at which point the waiter kindly pointed out they only come in half pints or two-​pints, confirmed with «it’s an American thing» and a shrug. (I am from the states, and I was both baffled and bemused!)
After much deliberation, my boyfriend went with a botle of Sol and I had a mojito. The waiter took his time, crushing the drink with great care and minutes later handed me my cocktail. Even though service was slow and the experience amusing, I must say the mojito is one of the best I have ever tasted.
We sat outside with our drinks and could hear kids singing happy birthday inside. As soon as we sat down there were a table of four children behind us chomping down peanuts as their parents try to round up the fifth one stomping around the wooden patio.
We got the gist that the place is very popular with large famlies and kids parties. The drinks (esp. beer and cocktails that comes in jugs) are aimed at a party atmosphere for both children and adults. We didn’t try the food but would recommend this place if you are planning a big, rowdy party for kids (daytime) and probably adults (night time).

Ha, I can’t believe nobody has reviewed Smith & Western! Well this one, anyway.
This restaurant is set out on its own, with a nice big car park, and is always very busy in spite of its isolation. It has a Western theme which is religiously adhered to by décor, food, and staff attire. The interior is impressive, and so is the food actually — a bit on the pricey side but the whole «experience» gets so many customers I guess they can afford to charge a bit more than TGI Friday, for example. The portions are also massive, so I guess it’s not as pricey as it might at first seem.
Expect to see lots of kids birthday parties every day of the week (birthdays are celebrated here by the staff running around the restaurant in a line ringing cowbells and singing, from what I remember — the ultimate embarrassment but seen as everyone here seems to be celebrating a birthday, it doesn’t really matter so much).
Come here if you like novelty restaurants, big portions of good American food and a lot of «hubbub» (for want of a better word).
Don’t come here if you like peace and quiet. Or are on a diet. Rhyme unintended.