No matter where you visit in the UK, you are likely to come across a 'Spoons. 

But where are the best and worst venues in Southend?

Wetherspoons, which has three pubs across the Southend borough, remains a popular choice for many.

Thousands of you have been sharing your experiences of the pub chain, good and bad, on TripAdvisor.

A mix of reviews of 'Spoons' visits based on food, service, value and atmosphere make for some interesting reading.

Here are the best and worst Wetherspoons across Southend based on TripAdvisor reviews, starting off with the best rated.

What are the best and worst rated Wetherspoons pubs in Southend?

The Last Post

Chelmsford Weekly News: The bar area at The Last Post (TripAdvisor)The bar area at The Last Post (TripAdvisor)

Where: Weston Road, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1AS

TripAdvisor rating: 3.5/5

The Last Post is the best rated Wetherspoons out of the three in the Southend borough, with an overall rating of 3.5 from 277 reviews.

Located on Weston Road, it has garnered 63 'excellent' and 92 'very good' reviews from the bunch.

A postive comment described the staff as "brilliant" and the rooms in the associated hotel as "great value".

Another said they enjoyed the "nice food" and that they go there quite often.

However, there are a few detractors of the place.

Their most recent review stated their service was "terrible" and that they would rate it no stars if they could.

Parsons' Barn

Chelmsford Weekly News: Parsons' Barn in ShoeburynessParsons' Barn in Shoeburyness

Where: Frobisher Way, Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea SS3 8UT

TripAdvisor rating: 3.5/5

Middle of the bunch for Southend borough Wetherspoons is Parsons' Barn in Shoeburyness.

It also has a 3.5 overall rating on TripAdvisor from 275 reviews, 88 of which were in the 'excellent' category.

A review from August this year was very complimentary, saying: "Service was great, the food was lovely and very well priced."

However, their most recent review was far more scathing, describing the customer service as "appalling".

They wrote: "When the two traditional breakfasts were bought to our table they were just plonked down in front of us followed by the cutlery and off they (she) walk without a word

"This place is shameful and not a patch on the great service we get in South Street Romford."

Not all reviews have been heavily critical of the staff, with another comment describing them as "friendly and helpful" when dealing with their problems.

The Elms 

Chelmsford Weekly News: The Elms in Leigh (Google Streetview)The Elms in Leigh (Google Streetview)

Where: 1060 London Road, Leigh-on Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS9 3ND

TripAdvisor rating: 3/5

The final Wetherspoons in the Southend borough area is The Elms in Leigh, which has an overall rating of 3/5.

Out of its 377 ratings, 77 were 'excellent' whilst 85 were 'terrible' indicating a mixed bag.

Its most recent reviews have been very positive, with one saying: "Wetherspoons are hit and miss but the Elms is one of the good ones, unlike the Last Post".

Another said the staff were "very friendly" and that the pub had "excellent value".

However, on the other side of things one reviewer said to avoid the place.

They wrote: "This place has the most ill mannered, miserable, and rude staff you are ever likely to meet."