The Abbey Inn Restaurant and Pub

Even after two separate trips and almost a month in merry old England, I have never eaten in a proper English pub.  I almost said I had never set foot in a pub, but that’s not quite true.  With my stomach gnawing from a day of sightseeing in Winchester, I was relieved to find any eating establishment for myself and my one year old son.   In a moment of culture shock, I learned that many pubs do not allow children inside and I was promptly asked to leave.  I’m imagining it was a double culture shock as the pub owner seemed to be surprised that bars routinely welcome children in the States.  Live and learn.

With a little sleuthing, I learned that many pubs would allow children up to a certain hour, while many did not welcome children at all.  However, it’s tricky to discern the difference until you have actually stepped inside.  Since, I was not keen to repeat the scene from the pub in Winchester; I stuck to the restaurants that proclaimed on exterior signs that they were ‘family friendly.’   This class of restaurant did not give me the best impression of English food, and I came home with a fairly stereotypical view of English cuisine.

The view of the courthouse from the giant picture window.   Tightly closed for the Texas summer.

For that reason alone, I have staunchly refused to even entertain the idea of eating at the Abbey Inn Restaurant and Pub in Denton, TX.   Right in the heart of a college town, this gastropub has created quite a cult following.   From the exterior, it is the most unique and welcoming restaurant in the historic downtown square.  Standing out among its burger joints and pizza place compatriots,  the Abbey Inn cranks open its huge front windows to let in the lovely fall weather and lure in hungry and thirsty guests.  But I have never been fooled.  I know English food and there is no new restaurant hype that could change my mind.

Finally, I decided that I had held to my convictions about bland and tasteless food for too long and I owed it to myself and the Abbey Inn to give it a try.  Oh, who am I kidding?  We had a two for one coupon and my inborn cheapskate took precedence over my desire for a decent meal.

With less than high hopes, my husband and I and the coupon went out for a meal.  Inside the Abbey was a mix of dependable English pub furniture and college bar paraphernalia, with just a dash of stone castle décor.  The 19^th century pews for benches and the imported English wooden bar were the centerpieces of  the restaurant, while the flickering sconces and tapestries mimicked a fifteenth century bastion.   It was an oddly placed mish mash of choices, but surprisingly created an instantly comfortable, yet upscale atmosphere.   Maybe something like filming Cheers, in England, in a castle, with a big screen.

We began with a traditional appetizer of scotch eggs.  The handmade sausage was slightly spicy and fried to a golden perfection.  For a twist, the eggs were served with a raspberry coulis, a taste that my husband enjoyed, while I did not.  So, he sought out the eggs with the most red drizzle and I poked around for the ones with the least.  Between the two of us we licked the platter clean.

For dinner, I ordered Gaelic Chicken with Mushroom and Tullamore Dew Whiskey Sauce.  Cheddar mashers and peas and onions were served on the side.  Oh my goodness!  Normally, I am not one to clean my plate, but I did just so I could soak up every last bit of that sauce.

My husband ordered the Fish and Chips, even though he doesn’t really like fish because it seemed like the ‘English’ thing to do, and he was pleasantly surprised.   The fish was light and flaky with none of the fishiness, but combined with a hearty beer batter. Both the fish and the crispy chips were cleverly served in a cone and wrapped in a section of the London Times.

All this talk about a pub and this is the first mention of beer, I can hear you exclaiming.   The Abbey has a distinguished menu of fine imported beers, served on tap at 29 degrees or less.  Because Denton is a college town, to order alcohol in a restaurant, you must purchase and carry an alcohol card, which we did not do.  Rest assured though, that there is plenty of good beer available.

We finished our meal with Bread Pudding served with Whiskey Cream Sauce and Raspberry Coulis.  I’ve always been a skeptic about bread and pudding mixing together to form a dessert, but this was quite good.

Despite my decidedly cranky (and cheap) attitude coming in the door, the Abbey Inn was a delightful first English pub experience.  I don’t know how the food quality compares to an authentic English pub, but if you are ever in the heart of Texas, there’s  a great little pub that defies all stereotypes.

Check out some more yummy food posts at Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick