Jabez Clegg

I have been here for every type of night.

I've been to gigs, been to comedy nights, been for a drink and of course been to the infamous club night, the Bop.

It's what you expect, it's a bar/club, close to the university so full of a university crowd so cheap booze. It's OK. It's nothing to rave about, I've had some good nights here but I had that much to drink I think I'd of had a good night anywhere!

If you're a student at the uni you should definitely hit the Bop at some point. It's a right of passage.

Ah Jabez Clegg, named after Jabez Clegg this is pub that sells beer wine and spirits.
My apologies if I'm stating the obvious but there really isn't a hell of a lot to say about this cavernous but altogether average bar.
Looking like a slightly seedier Wetherspoons, it is I suppose a comfortable and fairly inviting space to be in- but I suspect this has more to do with its university campus location than anything old Jabez has been up to.
As you would expect the food and drink is pretty standard but makes up for it with its affordability. Free wi-fi is available for anyone wanting to participate in some public masturbation, you can also enjoy a game of pool or some darts whilst you're there.
All of the major sporting events are screened and should you ever find the second to last bar on earth fully booked, a private room is available for hire.

Hidden away on the dusty trail heading to upper brook street is the Cleg. This pub slash club dances to every tune known to man with gigs, comedy nights and the infamous amongst student circles bop. The bop sees many a person through embarrassing I can't remember events with shots at a £1.50.
Apart from these the Clegg is an average guy kinda bar to be honest. Wi fi and food throughout the day can make it a bolt hole for someone looking to incarcerate themselves with a much needed work session and the grub can be picked up for the reasonable side of fiver.

Hhmmmm.

The Jabez Clegg is one of the places I avoid if I can. I've been here a fair few times for different types of events and I've never been impressed, and I'll do my best to explain why.

It is true that drinks here are reasonably priced, and you can even get your hands on Manchester's infamous student drink: the Green Monster. However bar service is terrible. As soon as the place gets even a little busy it takes forever to get served, and the staff are rude. I mean I'm not sure I would be that perky either if I was being rushed off my feet in a busy bar either, but whether it's a management issue or all-round bad attitude it doesn't make for a fun evening when you spend half of it queuing for a single drink.

I'm trying to think of a better word than 'icky' but icky really does seem the most appropriate. Half of the time the floors are sticky. The other half of the time they're covered in a thin film of spilled drinks. Therefore heels are NOT recommend as suitable footwear or disaster will ensue, along with a very bruised bottom.

However I will mention that I seem to be in the minority. It appears to be one of the most popular venues amongst my peers, especially on a Friday night for the notorious BOP. But it's really not my cup of tea, which is why tonight, as many of my friends 'bop' into the early hours, I am quite happy to sit here with an actual cup of tea instead.

Crawling out of bed on a Sunday morning, only a few hours of sleep separating last night's exploits in some debaucherous, liquor dispensing establishment from an inevitable state of nausea, the prospect of a full roast dinner at Jabez Clegg definitely provides comfort.

Located in the centre of the University of Manchester campus in a converted chapel, this welcoming pub certainly offers a brilliant value-for-money Sunday roast with all the trimmings (including two types of potato, Yorkshire puds, stuffing AND gravy - an obvious essential for us Northerners). For only £4 (!!) you can tuck in to a hearty meal that will leave you more than satisfied and you may even be tempted to indulge in one of the many cask ales on offer as it is Happy Hour all day! Hooray!

If a roast isn't your style then there is a whole new menu offering traditional pub grub for just £3.50 a pop; think along the lines of burgers, curries, jacket potatoes and, of course, a number of vegetarian options. At such tiny prices clearly don't be expecting Michelin star quality but do expect a happy and bulging belly!

From my experience, the pub welcomes absolutely anyone; students, families and groups of all ages (including the oldies playing pool in the corner). Sport fans will appreciate the huge screen playing football and rugby although for anyone else, the blasting of Sky Sports at an almost deafening volume can be a nuisance, especially if nursing a booze-battered body.

Cheap dining does come with its downsides which here include slow service (which is slightly reconciled by the sweet smiles of the staff) and a tremendously difficult gap between the benches and the tables; most inconvenient for eating at!
Forgiving these slight discrepancies, I would say that Jabez offers the perfect solution to the dilemma of finding a decent Sunday lunch on a budget - this particularly applies if you have spent several hours the night before investing money in an indecent number of vodka red-bulls.

A lot of people on campus seem to favour this joint. For me, it's like JB's, but one's closer to campus and the other is closer to the city centre. Both are A-OK, but nothing great or horrible about them.

Good for a couple beers, this pub is usually relatively empty if you go on non-event evenings so finding a seat won't be an issue. They have a couple pool tables and a table football setup, along with some darts I think. A good way to pass the time.

They sit next door to Shake That! so if you're craving a pizza with your pint, they'll deliver it free. The tastiness of the pizza is more of a review of Shake That! though, so it won't help JC's rating at all.

Came here a couple times from uni and was always unimpressed. It's a pub, I'm not expecting a purple unicorn to serve me; however, there was never anything "wow" about it or cozy enough to make me want to come back. I tried so hard to look for a redeeming factor, anything, maybe the pints were 2p cheaper than elsewhere, or the chips a smidge crispier .... nope.

I love the hall scenery, atmosphere and those wooden beams! This place has some serious aesthetic quality! I literally sat there for a good ten minutes on the ground floor bar examining the structure, the carvings and brickwork. My friends thought I was a bit weird after that...

Regardless, the bar has more than enough liquor and ranges of beer to offer and PLENTY of ciders.

The venue has a great downstairs pub area to offer with comfy couches, bar stools and booths to sit in. I've not tried the food here yet (action point noted...).

Upstairs is where Jabez hold their band/club/DJ nights and they're great. With a big hall room as the main room and a smaller room too, there's a choice of music for the club nights that are put on with a bar upstairs too. The staff have always been nice to me and even remembered my drink by the end of the night! A smile goes a long way :)

I've used this place as a venue for a gig a while back and the staff were more than helpful, even connecting us with a PA guy and equipment and door staff too. Fairly decent price for hiring compared to other venues near Picadilly!

Keep up to date with their facebook page for upcoming events and pub quizzes.

A step up from the Scream Bars and a step down from Kro Bar, Jabez Clegg is a decent and reasonably priced student pub with sofas and comfy chairs a-plenty.

They show the football, have table football and pool tables along with permanent 2-4-1 offers and put on band and clubnights at the weekends. I've never eaten here but my friend and his chemistry mates often go down to get the £1 burger deals at lunchtimes. Unusually for a student pub their drinks selection isn't limited to Carling and apple sourz; instead (OK, as well) they stock around 6 ales at any given time.

They also have a 100 person function room, which would be a good place to hire for any university socials.

Jabez Clegg - what to say? It's kinda rubbish, but it's a cheerful student pub. That's about it from me, really.