Alright everyone, i’ve finally got another review for you. This time, local here in Fredericksburg (which I think, should be obvious by the name). Just as a brief overview, Fredericksburg Pub is a self-described “authentic British Pub” located in the new portion of the Spotsylvania Towne Centre (behind the mall) across from Central Park. The prices are inexpensive, as most dishes are priced from $8-10. What’s REALLY great about this place though is not just the food (which i’ll get to in the review) but the decor. I know I said i’d mostly focus on the food in these reviews, but the Fredericksburg really goes all-out in trying for the pub theme. Other than the fact that the restaurant is huge (as opposed to small and cozy like a real pub), there’s a crazy hand-carved wooden bar that looks like it came straight from jolly old (and I do mean OLD) England, and crazy carved wooden chairs with velvet seats that look like they were pilfered from someone’s castle.

I decided to try something new with this review (at the awesome suggestion of Jim Groom) by posting this review on yelp.com, which is a review site for restaurants. There’s actually quite a few other reviews for the Fredericksburg Pub already written by other Fredericksburg residents and others passing through, so check those out if you either a. don’t like my review, or b. don’t trust me after trying Big Bowl from my first review and didn’t like it.

Find the review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fredericksburg-pub-fredericksburg#hrid:Ny6fKOIVKvcZoJDpnjuY1Q

It’s under Chris B.

Just to be safe, I’ll also post the review in written form below, but I highly encourage you all to check out yelp.com, and especially to read the reviews if there’s a new restaurant anywhere (not just Fredericksburg) that you’re interested in trying (there’s bound to be a review already). Enjoy!

What makes this restaurant so great is the unique decor, affordability, and great food.

The menu is mainly composed of standard pub fare ranging from traditional entrees like fish and chips to less-standard “Jamaican Cheesecake” and “Jamaican Jerk Shrimp”. I ordered the chicken and chips, and sampled the fish and chips. Both dishes were excellent, considering you can order the same dishes for similar or higher prices at a lower quality at most big-box restaurant chains. (You might be able to find something better at a local bar or pub downtown, but it’s likely to cost slightly more).

For the chicken, think boneless wings, only giant, and tender-sized. The reason i’d equate the dish to wings is because you have an option between having the wings cooked in a variety of sauces, including Asian BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, or fried with no sauce. I’ve ordered the buffalo sauce and without sauce before, and both had their merits. The buffalo sauce is mild, but flavorful, and good if you want to dip in some bleu cheese dressing. If you order without sauce, the tenders come fried, and might be a better option if you don’t like the flavor or spice that comes with buffalo. You can also use the restaurants own barbecue sauce for dipping if you choose to go plain fried.

For the chicken and chips, what I think is most noticeable is the amount of fish you get (which is probably the least British part of the restaurant, and arguably the most american). When i’ve had the fish and chips, the piece of fish nearly took up the entire plate. Since one of the problems that I usually have with fish and chips is that sometimes you only get a moderate amount of small pieces (and fish is less filling) and end up hungry in the end, this was a nice surprise and really made the dish worth the 11 bucks.

The Chips are pretty standard. Of course, they’re cut thick like steak fries, and they’re very good with the malt vinegar the pub has placed at every table. Now personally, I like dipping my fries in all kinds of sauces, whether they be ketchup, barbecue, or vinegar. So I really appreciate the pub’s bbq sauce for when I get tired of vinegar on the fries.

Something to think about when you come here is to take a look at the drink menu, which they call the “Beer Bible”. As a pub, they have a pretty good selection of ales and lagers. I was able to try the Hoegaarden on draught, which has some kind of an orange citrus flavoring to it that the waitress described as being similar to a Blue Moon (though it tasted much better).

Overall, i’d highly recommend the Fredericksburg Pub if you’re in the area around the mall/central park and looking for a good pub themed meal for a decent price.

Restaurant website here: http://www.thebritishpubs.com/