The Pig Iron

You're walking down Corporation Road towards the town centre, and The Pig Iron sits there like it always has—unpretentious, solid, the kind of place that doesn't need to try. Inside, it's all dark wood and dim lighting, the sort of pub where you can actually hear yourself think but there's always enough going on to keep things interesting. The crowd's mixed: regulars nursing their usual, after-work drinkers, people popping in before heading to the stadium. The drinks are fairly priced, the food's straightforward and doesn't pretend to be anything fancy, and there's a real sense that this place belongs to Middlesbrough rather than trying to impress some imaginary audience.