Since I arrived in Chicago, I have searched for a good English-style pub that feels like the real thing. Little did I know that the perfect place would be a stone’s throw from my office in the Loop.
At 111 West Adams Street, Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant is a chain that finally got it right: amazing service, authentic-looking surroundings, fast food turn-around, great beers on draught and English nosh that tastes almost as good as my Auntie’s (who is English through and through).
The true test of a good English pub is threefold. 1.) Serve a pint in a traditional 20 oz. glass rather than a 16 (this is how they do it in my Fatherland). 2.) Display your fish and chips the traditional way…in newspaper. and 3.) Meat pies are to be meaty, have a good gravy to filling ratio and have a pastry crust that is flaky, buttery and absolutely not calorie-conscious.
Does Elephant & Castle pass? Yes and with flying colours.
The pints are served in 20 oz glasses which means you get more of that delicious, heady Boddington’s for the same price you would at that McBar you go to with your mates on Friday night.
The fish and chips are adorable and served up in…what else?! Faux newspaper! Love it!
And what about the steak and ale pie I had? Oh, you guessed it. The crust was flaky, the meat was tender, the potatoes tasted creamy and the gravy was perfectly fattening made from giblets. You cannot get much more English than that.
Sure, Elephant & Castle may be a chain, but the food is so close to its English counterpart that if you close your eyes and tune out the American accents, it is almost as if you are in England!
Dev xx
8 comments
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14/05/2009 at 10:51 am
Megan
Ok, seriously, why are you reviewing chain restaurants? What’s next, a write-up of your thrilling time at the Olive Garden? Chicago has so much to offer, reviewing something like this, or America’s Dog, is an offensive joke.
14/05/2009 at 11:10 am
makingchicagohome
Hi again Megan! Good to see you are still reading!
We at Making Chicago Home believe that good food is good food, whether it comes from a Mom and Pop restaurant, a chain or from our kitchen! Being of both English and American citisenship, I know that it can be difficult for American restaurants to replicate good British fare. In all honesty, Elephant and Castle did a phenomenal job and I think that they needed a pat on the back!
Remember that a chain restaurant once started as something small, and good food is good food!
Thanks again,
Dev xx
14/05/2009 at 11:14 am
Michelle
With its kitschy faux newspaper and greasy fare, Elephant and Castle also whisks me away…..to New Jersey.
But really. Whenever I see the Elephant and Castle in the heart of Chicago’s loop, I can’t help but think about entertaining my mum and dad at the Clarion in South Jersey. With every fry and meat pie I shove down my gullet, I can almost smell the aroma of failing industry and murder that hovers over Camden — only a stones throw from my favourite E&C location.
The fact that you’re reviewing a restaurant so closely tied to hotels (isn’t the one in Chicago attached to Radisson? Or at least strategically placed to serve tourists?) seems really counter-intuitive to the idea of making Chicago, or any city, home.
And, unless you when you lived in/traveled throughout/were vaguely associated with the UK you spent your time frequenting hotel bars and chains, I’m certain you could find something more reminiscent of England than a 20 oz pint glass.
Cheers.
14/05/2009 at 11:25 am
makingchicagohome
Michelle,
Of course if I really wanted to truly make Chicago my food home, I would only eat Chicago style dogs, Italian beef sandwiches ad a handful of other foods solely created in Chicago. The best part about this city is that it has a wide array of food options and is an international hub for food from all walks of life.
Plus, there are not a lot of good, local restaurants and cafes in the Loop. I would argue that the Loop is kind of a local food desert, and the fact that there is some palatable English food with a great surrounding is fantastic!
And by the way, you make a reference to Elephant and Castle’s “greasy fare” reminds you of New Jersey? English food is generally greasy. The reason fish and chips were originally wrapped in newspaper is to act as a sponge for the grease! Any Englishwoman would know that!
So now are you maintaining that English food reminds you of New Jersey?! Shame.
We here at Making Chicago Home are always open to suggestions! So please, if you know English food and you find a good, local and family-run pub that has good food, let me know! Until then, E&C will have to suffice and I am standing by it.
Cheers
Dev xx
14/05/2009 at 12:05 pm
Ben Dover
Hey, you fucking anti-chain puritans, you authenticity nazis, there are only 13 E&Cs in the entire United States. There are 4 Spagos in California alone. Presumably it would sacrilegious to review one of them.
E&C is a prominent Loop restaurant and most people haven’t eaten there. Wouldn’t it be fucking useful to know if it’s any good?
14/05/2009 at 4:57 pm
Anthony Stewart
hmmm I have walked past this place a number of times when I was downtown and being British I thought it was a curiosity. I may have to pop in now.
Ignore the detractors, chain or not most British pubs are actually chains too, very few pubs are owner operated these days and they are all owned by breweries or the like. However a good pie is hard to find. Not convinced about the fish and chips mind you, I will have to try these out.
When I htink about it the Haddock and Chips I used to eat in my local fish and chip shop has been surpassed many many times while in the U.S. Chips from British Chip shops while I love them if I was objective about it I would say they were always soggy, never crisp and probably a bit undercooked in general. Most chips you get in restaurants/bars are frozen crap and some are better than others.
I may have to get friendly with my British chip shop owner when we move back and ask him to double fry them. Now that would be perfect fresh cooked crisp battered haddock and double cooked chip from an English chip shop.
14/05/2009 at 6:59 pm
makingchicagohome
First of all, Ben Dover, thank you for reading. We are always appreciative of new readers and… urm… strong opinions.
Anthony,
Thanks for checking us out! I have few questions to ask you before I address the rest of your post. 1. What part of Britain are you from? 2. Have you found any English markets that sell crumpets? I am dying for some.
You should definitely call around to Elephant and Castle. The steak and ale pie was fabulous and I believe they had a few other pie options. I am still looking for a butcher that sells lamb’s kidney so I can make a steak and kidney pie. *sigh* A place that also sells tripe would be a bonus.
You are right, most Brit pubs are chains. By the way, you can get Haddock at E&C. The chips are not very authentic, but they have some malt vinegar planted at the table. A couple of dashes of that and you will not know the difference!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! And please, let me know where, if anywhere, you are getting your British rations!
Dev xx
14/05/2009 at 7:25 pm
Anthony Stewart
Hi Again. I don’t miss too much from home to be honest and I find Dominicks and Treasure Island are a good source for Heinz Baked Beans and McVities Digestives which I love. Ooh I hail from London, born and bred.
However I do know a web site called http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk which will ship up to 30Lbs of british food to the US for a fixed price. I used it when I lived in Luxembourg before arriving here. Great shop and worth checking them out. I detest kidney and any kind of offal so I have no idea where you would get that. Will need to do the research on crumpets. I do love a hot toasted crisp crumpet dripping in butter too!
Cheerio for now