Toby Carvery, Walsall

Here's a pub that serves fine food, but our undercover meal reviewer The Insider struggles to find a decent pint . . . as Tony Hancock might have said.

Is Tony Hancock the greatest comedian of all time? If not, he is certainly right up there at the top of the Premier Division, occupying one of the Champions League slots.

A similar thing could be said of Sid James, whose picture hangs alongside Hancock's at the Walsall Toby Carvery. Fair enough, Sid did not invent the modern sitcom in the way the curmudgeonly Brummie did, but you have to say, he is surely King of the Carry On films.

And who would deny that John Cleese, the star of Monty Python, and creator of Fawlty Towers, belongs in a gallery of comedy greats? His picture, too, deservedly hangs on the wall here.

But Mr Bean? I'm really not convinced. Maybe, given time, Rowan Atkinson's work on Blackadder will see him propelled to the ranks of comic royalty. But, to me at least, he is still too closely associated with the man who gets his head stuck inside a Christmas turkey to rank alongside the true legends of comedy. And don't get me started on those dreadful Barclaycard adverts.

Mind you, I did notice that while Hancock, Cleese, and James took pride of place on a prominent wall of the Toby, Mr Bean's picture was located opposite the toilet door. So perhaps somebody here shares my scepticism after all.

Whatever the merits of Mr Atkinson, the pictures at least provide an interesting talking point, and make a welcome change from the toby jugs which seemed to adorn every shelf last time I visited a restaurant from this chain.

This Toby Carvery is located on the corner of a pleasant, tree-lined main road, running through the outskirts of Walsall. Set back from road behind generous lawns, and seating areas enclosed by white picket fences, it is quite a big, modernish building, a bit like a large dormer bungalow, with large windows ensuring plenty of light gets inside.

The car park is generous, and the gentle ramps ensure wheelchair access is not problem, but the layout and the large gardens mean it is quite a trek from the car park, wherever you stop.

What can't be criticised is the friendliness of the staff. We were greeted on arrival by a warm, cheery lady, who didn't seem to be able to do enough for us as she took us to our table in front of the said picture of Tony Hancock.

Indeed it seems that the staff know many of their regular customers. One waitress was chatting at quite some length to an elderly couple who appeared to be frequent visitors to the pub, and you get the impression that a lot of the people here come on at least a weekly basis.

For a carvery the menu is surprisingly varied and there is a decent choice for vegetarians. If a traditional carvery is not your thing, there are curry options from Monday to Thursday, Friday night is steak night, and on Saturday it's lamb that takes centre stage. There is also a choice of chicken and fish dishes, so there should really be no problem in finding something that you like.

However, you can't really write about a carvery without, er, trying the carvery can you? Noticing the absence of anybody behind the counter, a waitress summoned the carver, and a cheery, larger-than-life gentleman – think Lenny Henry with a meat cleaver – emerged from the backroom.

There is a choice of beef, turkey or honey glazed gammon, so of course, I went for the lot. Well it would be rude not to, don't you think? I would say the beef was the pick of the bunch, but that is in part down to my personal preferences. The Yorkshire puddings are truly huge affairs. a good six inches in diameter, and the roast potatoes were very good. The vegetables were all good and fresh, and there wasn't really much to criticise.

My dining companion went for the lemon and chicken salad, which she said was enjoyable, coming in surprisingly generous quantities.

When presented with a carvery, the economist in me usually results in me piling my plate too high and gorging myself on food I don't really want. After all, you've got to get your money's worth haven't you? However, on this occasion, the sign telling me I was welcome to return for second helpings persuaded me there was no need for all this excess, and it turned out my judgement had been pretty much spot on, leaving just enough room for a dessert.

As somebody with a notoriously sweet tough, I would definitely recommend the honeycomb sundae, a gorgeously decadent way to end a meal, even if it played havoc with my 'amsteads – that's what comes of choosing ice cream five days before you're due to have a filling. Perhaps with hindsight I might have been a little less ambitious though, and stuck to the regular ice cream which came in my favourite butterscotch flavour.

What did let it down – and it seems to be common to all Toby carveries – is the unimaginative choice of drinks, particularly with regard to beer.

It is something I find hard to understand – Toby Inns are owned by Mitchells and Butlers, the same company which owns the Vintage Inns, Sizzling Pub Co, Ember Inns and Premier Country Dining chains. Yet these chains always manage to have a couple of guest ales on, or at the very least a decent pint of Banks's; so why is it that Toby Inns feel it is sufficient to offer a choice of lager, Guinness or Tetley's?

And does there really need to be a choice of seven lagers? Is it assumed that everybody who visits a carvery wants to drink lager? I don't see why the enjoyment of sliced meats and quality real ale are mutually exclusive.

I feel better now I've got that off my chest. And to be fair, there is a reasonable choice of wines at competitive prices.

The total bill came to £27.70, which is about what you expect to pay for a carvery and certainly doesn't break the bank. The food is good, and the service excellent – special praise should go to Jane, the waitress who looked after us with exemplary friendliness during the evening.

They even let me pay by American Express. I bet Rowan Atkinson wouldn't have liked that.

ADDRESS

Toby Carvery, Broadway North, Walsall WS1 2QA

Tel: 01922 626899

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Cherry tomato soup, with bloomer bread £2.75; Garlic mushrooms £3.40; Chicken Liver Pâté £3.50; Gammon and cheese potato skins £3.25

MAINS

Salmon Fillet £8.25; Wensleydale-crusted hake fillet £8.25; Chicken tikka salad £7.25; Mediterranean vegetable lasagne £7.25; smoked bean hash £7.25

DESSERTS

Lemon meringue £3.55; Chocolate fudge cake £3.50; Carrot cake £3.95