The British Bulldog isn’t the only pub in Denver, but it must be the only one where you can watch Premier League soccer on the telly while noshing on Pakistani food with a pint of Tetley’s ale and a side of bangers.
Apparently, the sun never sets on the culinary vestiges of the British empire.
The Bulldog sits at 2052 Stout St., just off Broadway. Occupying the space that once housed the venerable Punch Bowl bar, its exterior is nondescript. But walk through the door, with its large porthole window, and you find a dark room with cozy booths and a massive wooden bar that conjures the pub’s saloon roots.
That incarnation is long past, and not just because of the flat-screen TVs tuned to soccer and cricket matches. While the menu offers such all-American fare as burgers and cheesesteaks, the food is weighted toward a mix of traditional pub fare, such as shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, and Pakistani fare such as peshawari chicken and chappli kebabs, a sort of skewered meatball.
This mix won’t surprise patrons who have tippled in England’s public houses. The nation is big on the cuisines of its former empire — witness the bevy of Indian, West Indian and Hong Kong-style restaurants and “takeaway” parlors that dot the land of Shakespeare and Churchill.
The Bulldog by and large nails this food.
Chicken masala ($9.95) was a brick- red melange of shredded chicken and chopped potatoes atop flavorful, dark rice studded with peas and onions. It was swathed in a spicy red curry that demanded either a pint of beer or glass of milk to chase the heat. Top-drawer, all the way, and points for the colorful garnish of diced tomatoes and fresh cilantro.
Aloo gosht salin ($9.95) was a traditional lamb and potato curry, simmered for four hours until fall-apart tender.
Roasted eggplant spiked with cilantro made a smooth, cooling dip for the flatbread accompanying the entrees. (Pita subs for traditional tandoori bread.)
Peshawari chicken ($10.50) featured a grilled breast marinated in yogurt. Seasonings included chiles, cilantro, cayenne and mango, making for a mix of zip — where’s that beer again? — and cooling fruit. That flavor contrast continued with chappli kebobs ($9.50), in which spicy ground meat was seasoned with pomegranate, coriander, cilantro and tomato.
Fish and chips, our foray into old- school pub fare, disappointed. The breaded cod was a bit on the greasy side while the fries, properly cut to the thickness of a fountain pen, were as limp as a midfielder flopping on the pitch. At $11.50, it’s also the priciest item on the menu.
Service was prompt and friendly. The chicken masala arrived in under five minutes, with the grinning staffer apologizing, “Sorry it took so long, man,” before adding that he ate the dish three times a week.
Fourteen beers are on tap, weighted toward labels such as Tetley’s and Guinness. Cocktails are served, but the Bulldog is really about a proper pint.
A recent midweek afternoon found the place packed with knowledgeable — and vocal — soccer fans. Two games were being broadcast: Blackpool vs. Liverpool, and Arsenal vs. Ipswich. Oi, lads!
Funny thing, though. Most of the fans baying at the screen and surrounded by banners for Manchester United and Old Ham were young Americans. That says something about how the Beautiful Game has taken hold on this side of the pond. (For the record, the Bulldog is part of The Little Pub Co.restaurant group, although everything about it stands apart from other in-town holdings such as the Irish Hound and The Spot.)
Soccer fans who are early risers can hit the Bulldog at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Hearty appetites can belly up to a traditional English breakfast of eggs, rashers and bangers — that’s bacon and sausage to you, mate — plus fried tomatoes and baked beans of the same type that Roger Daltry was bathing in on the cover of “The Who Sell Out” album.
A word on the decor: The Bulldog still has the hand-painted wooden booths that adorned the Punch Bowl. They’re an authentic slice of Denver history.
Details are a bit sketchy, but apparently one day in the 1930s a man with an artist’s eye and a serious thirst embarked on his own private interior decoration project at the saloon. Working for a bit of food and a lot of libation, the artist, dubbed Chief Sundown, painted oil-on-board scenes of the Rocky Mountains on the backrests and side panel’s of the booths.
The paintings remain, making the bar its own folk-art gallery.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
THE BRITISH BULLDOG
Pub 2052 Stout St. 303-295-7974
* 1/2 (Good/Very Good)
Atmosphere: Dark wood and low lighting with a classic wood bar. Televisions are tuned to Premier League soccer games, drawing serious fans.
Service: Friendly.
Beverages: Fourteen beers on tap, plus wine and cocktails.
Plates: A mix of classic British pub grub and dishes native to northwest Pakistan.
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour daily from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. and 10 p.m.-midnight. (Half off well drinks, drafts and house wines.) Soccer happy hour Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. -noon.
Details: A classic pub with a great history. Finding a parking space can take a bit of scouting.
Two visits
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
