# I there such a thing as an English restaurant anywhere in the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019 "2002-12-11T16:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/1 "2002-12-11T16:11:26Z")
I have eaten in dozens of restaurants over the years that span the rainbow of ethnicities. I have had great Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Somalian, Ethiopian, Cambodian, French and Irish etc. food in restaurants dedicated exclusively to that type of food. However, I have never seen an English restaurant anywhere in the United States. Jokes aside about English cuisine, are there any restaurants dedicated to English cuisine anywhere in the U.S. I know you can get fish and chips in some bars and restaurants but that isn’t what I am talking about. Are there any English restaraunts equivalent to say a French Bistro. I have been to a couple of great Irish restaurants in Boston but I don’t think there are any English ones. ---
**Author:** ![Jerevan\_Somerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@Jerevan\_Somerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerevan_Somerville)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/2 "2002-12-11T16:13:45Z")
The only English pub-style restaurant I can think of is _The Elephant & Castle_, a North American chain. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/3 "2002-12-11T16:18:30Z")
I’ve seen a number of English style pubs but I’ve never seen an actual sit down restaurant with English food. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/4 "2002-12-11T16:22:46Z")
I’ve seen plenty of English pubs and Irish pubs in the U.S. The chains are kind of yucky, the mom-'n-pop ones are much more authentic. You can get staples like bangers and mash. Irish stew. Fish 'n chips etc. And lotsa Guiness and Kilkenny. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/5 "2002-12-11T16:25:30Z")
There’s one here in the Twin Cities called Sherlock’s Home that sells pub food and brewed-on-premises English ale. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/6 "2002-12-11T16:38:12Z")
Two here in Richmond: Penny Lane and Matt’s. Neither is part of a national chain. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/7 "2002-12-11T16:44:21Z")
What do you think constitutes english food? I’m interested in what you think our cuisine actually consists of (apart from spotted dick of course) ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/8 "2002-12-11T16:59:07Z")
The best food in England is Indian - and there are plenty of those in the US 😉 Seriously, I saw an English “cafe” in California. They had all the expected stuff - fried breakfast, roast beef/Yorkshire pud, fish ‘n’ chips. They’ve now closed down 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/9 "2002-12-11T17:03:47Z")
[Ye Olde King’s Head](http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/restaurant.html), Santa Monica, CA. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/10 "2002-12-11T17:04:20Z")
Camerons Inn in Half Moon Bay, Californie would qualify. The food isn’t bad either. [http://www.cameronsinn.com/innpics.html](http://www.cameronsinn.com/innpics.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/11 "2002-12-11T17:06:40Z")
**Ethilrist** , there’s also Brit’s Pub on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. I’ve never eaten there–I’ve only heard of the place because they used to sponsor the British comedies shown on channel 2. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/12 "2002-12-11T17:06:57Z")
In addition to Sherlock’s Home, there is Brit’s Pub in the Twin Cities. Which - last time I checked - did have a sit down restaurant as well as the pub. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/13 "2002-12-11T17:09:10Z")
Yes, there are a few. Some years ago, I was taken to one on a date with a rather wacked-out Anglophile (who was convinced his family were a secret relatives of the royals who had been deported to America for political reasons … OK, a REALLY wacked-out Anglophile). IIRC, I had a decent salmon steak and a really outstanding pint of ale. Can’t remember much about the other food on offer (I was too busy trying to make my date stop reciting Monty Python scripts in an obviously fake accent), although I’d guess roast beef and fish and chips were staples. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/14 "2002-12-11T17:17:08Z")
In theory this counts, but since I never ate there I can’t vouch for the food quality or how closely it resembles English restaurants. [Rose & Crown Pub](http://www.disneyclubs.com/epcot_restaurants/rose_crown_pub_dinner.htm) ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/15 "2002-12-11T17:17:55Z")
There are a few English grills, but English food isn’t that different from US food. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/16 "2002-12-11T17:24:30Z")
\>but English food isn’t that different from US food. Except, more bland and less adventurous. Yes, I’m a Brit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Longhorn49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Longhorn49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longhorn49)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/17 "2002-12-11T17:27:10Z")
“English Cuisine”? That’s an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/18 "2002-12-11T17:28:09Z")
The White Horse Pub in Pembroke shopping center in VA Beach purports to be an English Pub, never been there myself. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/19 "2002-12-11T17:31:13Z")
Aside: John Cleese was once asked what the deal is with English cuisine. His answer: “We had an Empire to run.” ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019/20 "2002-12-11T17:35:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Longhorn49 \* > \*\*“English Cuisine”? > > That’s an oxymoron. \*\* That’s because of all the Mad Cow Disease. Oxy-moron, geddit? Oh please yourself… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-there-such-a-thing-as-an-english-restaurant-anywhere-in-the-united-states/142019.md?page=2)