In a city filled with British Isles-themed pubs, each one has to work to stand out from the pack. Some are calm and intimate, some are filled with raucous crowds chugging black and tans, and others go all out on the local craft beer front, catering to locals who might never order a Pimm’s cup. One pub, Three Lions of the British-themed persuasion, has made a name for itself by catering to soccer fans, British expats and diners looking for more than typical bar food.
Take a seat at either of the long bars in Three Lions and you’ll likely notice a few British accents around you. While hearing that may amp up the Britishness for us Americans, it’s not like the pub can hire those blokes to stick around just for our sake. But it’s clear that many Brits find something familiar enough with this pub to become regulars. Sure, there’s a life-size yeoman guard statue that greets you and an old London telephone booth, but if you look past those tchotchkes there’s also cozy, worn wood booths, tufted leather couches in front of a fireplace, (mostly) friendly banter about politics and a convivial, social atmosphere that you sometimes don’t get in Milwaukee’s corner taverns.
There’s also soccer on the TVs, including the projection screen in the back, anytime there’s a match televised. The pub regularly opens early in the morning for big matches, and draws a good crowd, too. On those early days, breakfast is served, including the classic full English ($11.95) with two bangers (sausages), two pieces of English bacon, eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, white pudding (another type of sausage), a puddle of baked beans and toast. There are also familiar options from this side of the pond, like cheddar and herb biscuits and sausage gravy ($9.95) served with eggs. The breakfast and brunch menu is also served each Saturday and Sunday. Fried cheese curds ($9.99) from Clock Shadow Creamery are definitely not something you can get across the pond, but are a must at any bar here.
Naturally, the lunch and dinner menu is filled with British favorites. Scotch eggs ($6-$19) are just as popular here as they are across the pond, if not more so. The bar snack consists of a hardboiled egg wrapped in pork sausage meat, which gets breaded and deep-fried. Here, they’re topped with a generous drizzle of mustard and horseradish aioli for an extra kick.
Fish ’n chips ($14.99) is made with one huge piece of flaky cod in a thick ale batter. It’s served on top of a bed of chips, which in this case are skin-on steak fries, along with mushy peas and an onion-and-caper-heavy tartar sauce. A bottle of Heinz malt vinegar is served alongside, something any Brit will appreciate.
Bangers and mash ($13.95) features handmade sausages sourced from Diamond Sausage in Chicago, an Irish butcher, served on horseradish mashed potatoes with gravy and onion rings. Or get your sausage fix in the sausage rolls ($11.99), a bakery item of sausage meat baked in puff pastry, also served with mash and gravy.
You can’t talk about British classics without pies. Three Lions has two on the menu: shepherd's pie ($14.99) and steak and ale pie ($15.99). Unlike many restaurants that name a beef-based pie “shepherd’s,” this one uses the correct meat: lamb. It’s braised with red wine, carrots, celery and onions and topped with mash and herbs. Steak and ale includes Guinness-braised short ribs and parsnips under a top of puff pastry.
There’s also a small plates menu available that changes often, so check the chalkboard near the entrance for the selection. It can range from Brussels sprouts with lemon aioli and Parmesan cheese to scallops with butternut squash and arugula or pork loin with peach, red onion and blue cheese.
End your meal with the date-filled sticky toffee pudding ($6.95), or just drink your dessert in the form of a spiked Irish or Welsh coffee ($6-8). By the end of your meal you’re already likely to know you neighboring bar mates mothers’ names, their political affiliations and their favorite football clubs.
