Pub Review: The Lion and Rose, San Antonio TX

The Lion and Rose is a chain of British pubs located in south Texas. I’ve only visited the Lion and Rose in Alamo Heights, so my review will be limited to that location. I visit this pub every time I’m in San Antonio visiting my girlfriend, Ms. Gunnerrific. You might say that it’s a home away from home away from home.

The Lion and Rose is a traditional English pub in all senses. Walking up the front entrance into a dark nook of a walk way, you immediately get the feeling that this place is going to be right up your alley. As you walk into this cozy bar you’ll be welcomed by Dark Oak and Mahogany walls, a striking red carpet, candle lit fixtures along the walls, and dart boards in the back corner.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Adorned along almost every wall are flat panel televisions of varying sizes. To your front, right, and back, there are large screens full of footy action. They carry Setanta, FSC, and ESPN, so if it’s on TV, they’ll be showing it. The quality of the cable is as good as it gets, the screens are clean and unblemished, and the color is perfect. The TV’s that are hung higher than the rest are even angled slightly downward to maximize your plane of viewing. It’s truly a fantastic set-up.

The Food and Libations

The Lion and Rose offers a wide variety of meals and drinks. They have traditional English classics like bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie, while also offering American staples like burgers and fries and chicken pot pie. Their liquor selection is quite complete and they even have a small selection of wines. A myriad of beers are on tap like Hefewiesse and Boddington’s, so it’s easy to procur a fine pint while you cheer on your club.

The Staff

The bartenders are a knowledgable lot on topics of beer, food, and football. Just like any bartender should. They are quite friendly and like discussing the most recent results and happenings in the Premiership and International games, so if you show up alone you might still have a bit of a drinking buddy. The waitresses wear the cutest little English outfits with tiny skirts and tight shirts. Well done Mr. Owner. They are responsive and curteous but don’t really know shit about football. But that’s okay, they’ve got tiny little skirts, remember?

The Smoking

The only bad part about this pub is that it can, like most pubs, become quite full of smoke. But that’s alright, because they have a non-smoking room for those that just can’t handle it. This also serves a great use if there are two games on where both parties want volume. The bartenders can flip the channels and volumes on all the TVs quite easily. The last time I was there Chelsea drew with Aston Villa while a cohort of Chelsea fans watched in the main area. Me and the rest of the gooners watched in the non-smoking room (It’s a Chelsea pub really) as we stomped on Charlton with that magnificent Van Persie strike. Although it seems to be a Chelsea focused pub there are usually supporters of every type.

The Atmosphere

I’ve seen mostly EPL matches at the Lion and Rose, but I did manage to catch two ’06 World Cup matches there as well. At 9am for my Arsenal matches the bar might have anywhere from 10-50 people, but usually on the lower end. The international matches I saw (one of which being England) saw the pub completely full, standing room only. All the patrons are friendly and fun to talk with, and are passionate and loud just like they ought to be.

Over-all

I can’t speak highly enough about this pub. It’s only 2 minutes from Ms. Gunnerrific’s place, but to be honest I wish it were only 2 minutes from my place here in Beverly Hills. There are always other passionate supporters there, the food and drinks are delicious, and the ambience is just magnificent. If you are in San Antonio and looking for a pub to visit, this is your spot. I can only assume the rest of the locations are just as nice.