The Union Jack Pub & Restaurant

On Saturday May 30, 2009, I had lunch on Winchester's Old Town Mall at the Union Jack Pub and Restaurant. This was up from Court Square, at 101 North Loudoun Street. It is Winchester's newest British pub, and fills the gap left when Coalie Harry's on Piccadilly Street closed some time back.

The 1878 building was originally constructed for the Union Bank, and is unique in having a cast iron facade. In 1977 the modernistic aluminum sheathing that had covered up the facade was removed as part of a restoration project. The associated remodeling into a restaurant business was delayed until 2008 for various reasons.

I ordered Bangers and Mash from the lunch menu. This was grilled British sausages, mashed potatoes, and brown gravy. Do you know why these sausages are called bangers? It's because they explode when they're cooked too long, unless the skin is pierced to relieve the pressure caused by the fat inside expanding from the heat.

My wife and I used to order Bangers and Mash at Coalie Harry's, Winchester's first English pub, on Piccadilly Street, when we used to eat there. It closed several years ago, some time after we stopped patronizing it because of the heavy cigarette smoke while other restaurants were offering nonsmoking venues.

The Union Jack's offerings included salads, appetizers, a lunch menu with sandwiches and entree, and a more elaborate dinner menu. The dining room is right off the street, with a high ceiling extending to the second floor. The pub area is in the back, and a stairway leads to an entertainment area upstairs. There were also sidewalk tables doing a good business.

My waitress's name was Jill, which certainly sounds British to me. The staff was dressed uniformly, with red blouses and black trousers or shorts; at least one girl wore a black miniskirt. I saw only a single male server. I welcome the addition of another ethnic eatery on the Old Town Mall; the food was good, and I'll be back to try some of the other menu items. I also plan to take out of town visitors there as my guests.