By Dr Ink | Columnista SDUN
3701 India St., San Diego, CA 92103 (Mission Hills)
(619) 299-0230
Happy Hour: 4 to 7 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 4 to close on Thursdays. Additional
late-night happy hour: 10 p.m. to close, Fridays and Saturdays.
What pairs best with a roasted-tasting pint of dark, rich Guinness?
With or without a royal wedding steering our attention to all things British, the answer is undoubtedly a jumbo plate of fish ’n’ chips drizzled in malt vinegar, which is exactly the aroma that storms your nostrils upon walking into Shakespeare Pub & Grille.
San Diego’s oldest and truly authentic British pub quenches the thirst cheerfully during happy hour, when 20-ounce “imperial” pints of Guinness and more than a dozen other draught imports are priced at $4.95. Well drinks sell for $3.75 and bottled beers are $1 off. Food remains at regular prices.
Hospitality comes in the form of efficient wait service delivered with charming British accents, not necessarily fusty Queen’s English, but distinctly formal enough to confirm that your server wasn’t groomed on this side of the pond. If you’ve never been to a pub in the U.K., this paints the experience, right down to the red telephone booth perched out
back and the HP Sauce sitting at every table.
The taps extend to creamy Boddinton’s, Newcastle Brown Ale, Fuller’s London Pride and the requisite Black & Tan, which gives you amber Bass sale on the bottom and the coffee-like Guinness on top. Yes, the Brits are famous for such single-glass combos, so expect to also see Harp and cider, Guinness and champagne, hard cider with blackcurrant liqueur and something called the “shandy,” which blends 7-Up with Harp.
Where pubs in England lack outdoor seating—or at least the year-round sunshine to support it—Shakespeare’s compensates with a spacious, west-facing patio that can leave you tanned and beautiful on clear days. Inside, you’ll find a bright main room cloaked in dark wood, as well as framed, R-rated comic strips reserved for the men’s restroom.
Beefing up our beer choices was the fish ’n’ chips using cod and tempura batter. At $14.95, the dish isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s very good. Conjure up a drinking hunger, and it’s bloody fantastic. Ditto for the curry dipping sauce we requested for the fries.
The vegetarian in our trio ordered the shepherd’s pie using quorn, a mushroom protein common in England that sure beats tofu. I wasn’t sure if it was the Boddington’s clouding my palate, but the crumbled faux beef sure tasted like the real deal. As for those traditional canned peas that accompany most of the dishes, I hated them as a kid, and still do.
The pub is somewhat of an event center for expats and Anglophiles alike, especially during U.K. soccer matches. There are also regular quiz nights, music trivia contests, live acoustic music focusing on British bands (May 22) and of course televised, tape-delayed viewings of the royal wedding, with festivities beginning at the crack of dawn on Friday, April 29, and likely spilling into the weekend.
Ratings:
Drinks:4/5
Nearly all of the leading, memorable beers from England flow into regular and imperial-size pint glasses, replete with creamy tops and gentle fizzing.
Food:4/5
Provided you don’t come knocking for spicy foods, then you’re in good hands with authentically constructed shepherd’s pie, fish’n’ chips, bangers and mash and the like.
Value: 4/5
The $2 saving on 20-ounce imperial pints are as costsaving as it gets anywhere. Meals are a little pricey, but portions are generous.
Service: 5/5
Don’t be surprised if your waitress starts calling you “luv” after your first pint.
Duration: 5/5
The varied happy-hour periods throughout the week (except on Sundays) accommodate both working folk and latenight pub crawlers.
