Craving fish and chips with a side of samosas? A pint of Boddington’s served at the proper (not too cold) temperature? A place to watch the World Cup qualifiers in the game called football everywhere but here?
You don’t have to fly to London, just head over to the British Bulldog on Broadway and Stout Street. The menu of “proper English meals,” American bar standards and Pakistani mainstays has seen some tweaks since the Little Pub Co. bought the place this summer, but new owner Mark Berzins assures regulars that’s all that will change.
The 18-foot-long bar inside an 1885 cottage opened as the Punch Bowl in 1904, and became the Stout Street Pub for a short time before Isaac James and his brother bought it and turned it into the Bulldog. The high-backed booths Noel “Chief Sundown” Adams painted with Colorado scenes in the 1930s (in trade for his bar tab, some say) remain.
Unlike some of the Indian buffets around town, where many of the dishes taste like they came from the same spice jar, the Pakistani dishes here all have unique, complex flavors, thanks to the previous owners, who taught chef Tomás Cortez to make their grandmother’s recipes, and to Little Pub’s executive chef Sean Kelly, who wisely kept the most popular dishes.
The Bulldog Sampler was one of the first menu items to go, leaving first-time diners to plunge right in with the samosas, cumin-chile-spiced potato dumplings served with red, tangy tamarind sauce and peppery green cilantro chutney. At $8.95 for three, they’re a bit overpriced, but worth trying.
The ginger-garlic-marinated Peshawari chicken comes atop a bed of garam masala basmati rice and triangles of hot naan bread. The heavier spices of the curried lamb and potatoes give the aloo gosht an earthier flavor.
In the mood for fish and chips with your ale instead? The Guinness-battered cod and hand-cut chips are as good as any I had in London. And the malt vinegar’s right where it belongs — on the table next to the HP Sauce.
If you have to ask why the pub’s open at 7 a.m. on the weekends, you must not be a fan of the beautiful game. The Bulldog shows live English premier league and World Cup matches throughout the season, as well as rugby and Australian rules football.
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
The British Bulldog
English, American and Pakistani pub food. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2052 Stout St. (at Broadway), 303-295-7974; britishbulldogdenver.com
