The friendly and relaxed atmosphere of this pub lends itself well to the pastime of enjoying a well kept pint. The central bar divides the pub from the lounge at the front and the public bar games area at the rear. The Black Lion was an entry in the early days of the Good Beer Guide in 1976. It was also owned at one stage by Border Breweries. Border was formed in 1931 from the merger of 3 breweries, one of which was the Dorsett Owen Brewery. This was located just up the road near the Smithfield Hotel (until its demolition in the 1930s), so it's possible the Black Lion was a Dorsett Owen tied pub prior to 1931. The pub was a runner-up in the 2015 and 2016 Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA Pub of the Year competition, a joint winner of the Market Town Pub of the Year in 2016 and runner up in 2017. The pub has recently been a rare outlet for Stonehouse 'Up The Town', a limited edition beer brewed in support of the local football team, Oswestry Town.