Fox and Hound English Pub and Grille

By KIM HARWELL / The Dallas Morning News
A former discount movie theater is not the usual locale for an "English pub and grille." But then again, Texas beef brisket, Philly cheese steaks and baby-back ribs aren't your typical pub grub, either. And Fox and Hound isn't among the most authentic British-themed establishments to sling its fish and chips into the local dining scene.
This latest Dallas-area entry by the Kansas-based chain, in part of what once was the UA Skillman 6, is no dark, cozy pub serving pints of Newcastle and plates of bangers and mash. It sports an expansive series of spacious rooms filled with TVs and pool tables, an array of bottled beers ranging from Budweiser to a California brew called Arrogant Bastard, and a menu heavy with burgers and barbecue.
Downstairs, Fox and Hound makes a sporting try at a faux-Brit feel with dark wood accents, overstuffed leather loungers and comfortable equestrian dTcor. Upstairs, an appropriately U.K. dart board is outshone by a bank of Golden Tee video games.
But if this upscale sports bar isn't all pip-pip and cheerio, there's still a lot to like about it.
Take, for example, the service, not usually a hallmark of sports bar dining. From the check-in at the hostess stand (since this is a dry area, guests are requested to produce a Unicard or driver's license for membership) to our waitress's enthusiastic treatment, we felt well cared for - despite a few glitches, such as the arrival of our entrees on the heels of our appetizer.
Speaking of appetizers, an order of spicy chicken billiard sticks ($6.99) was another laudable element of our Fox and Hound experience. The wraps - sort of a cross between an egg roll and a burrito - were stuffed with moist chunks of chicken, black beans, onions and cheese, with sour cream and mild salsa on the side for dipping. English? Of course not. Tasty? Indubitably.
The Black Forest sandwich ($6.29) was just as impressive. Though the flavor of the Monterey Jack cheese was a bit underdeveloped, the other ingredients - shaved turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, honey mustard dressing - were top-notch, as was the unusual Bavarian pretzel roll that the warm sandwich was served on.
Newcastle beer cheese soup ($3.59 bowl, $1.99 cup) was heartier than its thin texture led us to believe.
But the Caesar salad ($5.29 entree, $3.59 side salad) was disappointing. Though the lettuce was fresh enough, the dressing was bland; the only noteworthy addition was the scattering of crunchy red tortilla strips mixed among the Parmesan cheese and toasted croutons.
Our fish and chips entree ($6.99) was also less than satisfying. The meager portion of battered fish was watery and the fries were mediocre.
Desserts are limited to New York cheesecake ($4.99) and the brownie sundae delight ($3.99). While we found the flavor of the brownie similar to a store-bought Little Debbie treat, it didn't stop us from wolfing it down. After all, there's only so much you can do wrong with a dense, fudgy brownie, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
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Published in The Dallas...