good food; more english than a lot of pubs here. grade: b-
a friend who just moved into a new neighborhood of falls church shared a recent discovery with us, public house no. 7. we're glad he did.
with a bar area, a restaurant section downstairs, and seating outside, this establishment can suit friends getting together to watch a football match or a family seeking dinner.
no. 7's bar is anchored by a good line of british beers, including boddington's, newcastle brown, and fuller's esb, as well as a number of other uk and domestic brews on tap and bottled. i was disappointed that they didn't have what would've given the place the ultimate in authenticity - walker's cheese & onion crisps, the ubiquitous english bar potato chip. too much to hope for, i suppose.
this pub tries to stay fairly true to british pub grub, with classics like fish & chips, shepherd's pie (their's is made with beef instead of lamb), lancashire hot pot, and even a chicken curry, the latter paying tribute to what has become the most english of dishes - chicken tikka masala.
my wife thoroughly enjoyed the roast beef dinner, with its delectable yorkshire pudding and brown gravy. our friend loved his fish & chips, a large piece of cod with handcut chips. i liked my bangers & mash, although the bangers didn't have the distinct flavor english sausages i was hoping for; additionally, the gravy was a smidge salty and the dish was missing peas, the classic accompaniment.
public house no. 7 checked a lot of the right boxes on the list of items that make an english pub real, but not all of them. still, the food and beers were good and we will be back.