... go onto fancyapint.com and have a look at the reviews where the pubs get an empty pint glass (where 5 full pints is good, and one full pint is crap). Some of the reviews are trouser-wettingly funny like this, on their review of the Punch & Judy in Covent Garden.
"Some things never change and the Punch and Judy is one of them. It always was a terrible place, especially on Friday and Saturday night, full of pissed up day-trippers and tourists who stumble into the place and seemingly find it impossible to leave unless they've drunk a few gallons and started a punch-up. We could go on at length, but we'd better not. Suffice it to say we can think of no good reason to visit this place. Sorry, one thing has changed - it doesn't smell of vomit any more.
clientele: twats"
Of course if your local is one of the ones they slate then I'm afraid there's no cheering you up - you've had it!
fancyapint? 
Comments
"The Willow Tree, Hayes, Middx
We can only imagine how this place used to be. Quite possibly once a charming country inn, at some point it got cut off from normal society in a sea of dual carriageways, roundabouts, ugly council blocks and '80s new build houses. Now, sadly, it's a strong candidate for the worst pub in London. Perhaps some of Yeading's residents have been cut of from normal society for too long, but the behaviour of the majority of clientele on our visit was simply unacceptable. We knew we were in for a bad time when the abuse started from 40 feet away. Perhaps the fact we weren't wearing tacky sportswear made our arrival conspicuous, but at midday it was still a surprise to see shouty locals (with toddlers in tow) some drunk to the point of incoherence - and in one case, unconsciousness. Continual comments and thinly veiled threats in our direction, whilst sitting in a beer garden more reminiscent of a brownfield site, made our drink here the most unpleasant imaginable. The landlord may have been agreeable enough, but here it's clearly the lunatics who run the asylum.
clientele: drunk, aggressive dregs of society, kids"
Is this place worth taking a "ale lover" to off it?
That is one of the finest ale Houses in this area. Would thoroughly recommend it. Was there a couple of Fridays ago and got tipsy on the Whitstable Bay...Nice
Never been there myself, but have heard really good things about it.