The Lion & Rose

If you like English food, well they got it and it’s as good as English food gets in my book. Nice selection of beers, lots of TVs, and men hanging with their buddies. I sat at the bar for a mid-​christmas-​shopping snack and enjoyed the chips & curry and a pint.
I will be back for a full dinner in the near future.

Had fish and chips here, of course. I went here a while back with my leadership team from work. They allowed us to hang out there from noon until around 5 ish. We ate (and had a beer or 2). The food was really good. The beer was nice and cold. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

After finding out that Lupa Tortilla was not fully open yet, we decided to head over to the Lion & the Rose and this will be the LAST time my mom or myself ever eat there again. We had Christi & Ashley as our servers for our meal. They kept calling us honey, baby or love which I think is very unapproved for anyone unless they are family or Friend’s we are of neither.
The food took FOREVER to come out, refills did not exist in these girls mind and serving Luke warm food was OK. I spent most of my time having to ask other servers to get our waitresses to come over to our table so that we could order, try to get a refill or get our check.
You would think being that Lupe is opening in a few weeks these girls/​resturant would be on their toes about KEEPING their customers but that did not fit this group at all. Even though when we first did arrive there were only five tables.
Still waiting on my to go box…

We went BEFORE reading any reviews. First, after reading the reviews today, people need to realize it’s in Westlake… in a shopping center… of course it’s «Americanized!» We went on a Saturday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. The interior is very nice with dark woods and British memorabilia. The servers wear plaid skirts and black tops– not «Hooters» short, but actually tasteful– I’m not really sure why people are making such a big deal out of them. Once again, it’s a chain out of San Antonio. In A shopping center. In Westlake. Get over it.
Anyway, the food– we had Peels and Petals (potatoes and fried onion petals), Scotch Eggs, «A British Tour” — shepherd’s pie, banger, fried fish, baked beans and grilled tomatoes with parmesan cheese, and for dessert– bread pudding which was absolutely amazing! Everything was good– cooked and seasoned well, and I would definitely go back to explore more of their menu. I saw someone get a roast beef sandwich and it looked delicious.
Service– was great! We had a knowledgable server and never had to look for her to get refills or ask questions. She could tell us how several of the menu items were cooked and/​or prepared. The manager stopped by our table during our meal to make sure we had everything we needed and didn’t stay to «chit-​chat» or bother us, was just a simple, «how’s it going?» I liked that.

Sorry, Westlake. You fail at British pubbery. This place is like if Chili’s and Hooters had a misshapen baby and made it wear an oversized, novelty Sherlock Holmes hat.
We went here for lunch on Friday. When I showed up, I wondered why the patrons were almost exclusively men, and then it hit me. THE WAITRESSES ARE WEARING SCHOOL GIRL OUTFITS. …Because that’s how women dress in Britain, apparently. Eesh.
Authentic British Pub, eh? Pffbfbbt. I bet you one order of Frito Chicken that you could find more cultural authenticity at a Taco Cabana.
The food was mediocre at best. I had the shepherd’s pie, which was sad. Instant mashed potatoes on top of frozen dinner quality beef and carrots. My friends got fish and chips and reported that the fish was good, but the chips were cold, soggy and floppy. I didn’t even know it was possible for a restaurant to somehow misfire on the sacred combination of grease, salt and potatoes. The side salad was decent, at least. Lovely mix of greens and not a scrap of iceburg lettuce to be found. So, good job at making salads.
Overall it was a great big bummer of an experience.

During the course of one gorgeous, sunny Friday, I suddenly had the urge to take a little drive and go visit my friend Kat at the The Lion and Rose.
Well, maybe it wasn’t «suddenly». Only a week or so beforehand, I’d been chatting with a new-​ish resident of Austin who told me his favorite pub from his hometown of San Antonio was The Lion and Rose. He said it was the perfect venue to watch soccer, drink beer, and do whatever the hell else it is straight guys like to do with their buddies. Imagine his surprise when I told him they had an Austin location, and that’s pretty much what goes on out there, too. He also inquired if I knew any other good places to hang out in Austin… to which I responded that neither of us had the time to go into THAT much detail in person, so I linked him to my Unilocal reviews and told him to knock himself out. But I digress.
Kat was in full command of the bar when I arrived, and it’s always nice to see her in action. It also appeared she knew every single person at the bar, which she confirmed after giving me a big hug. «It’s like ‘Cheers’ up in here!» she explained, and as long as no one resembling that insufferable Shelley Long was around, I found the comparison cute.
I perused the menu, but only as a habit. I knew before going in I wanted to try their bangers and mash. Last time, I had the fish and chips and sampled the Shepherd’s pie; in keeping with the British theme, I chose the aforementioned dish. Plus, I can still hear Karen Walker telling off some British guy by declaring: «You’re not getting your banger anywhere near my mash.»
You will never have to worry about portions at The Lion and Rose. Three large, succulent sausages were in front of me in no time. Speaking of which… God, I miss my 20’s. Make sure to try the parmesan-​crusted tomatoes; they’re one of my favorite sides after the Guinness mac-​n-​cheese.
As I ate my delicious meal, I noticed the crowd was surprisingly mixed. There were two attractive couples who were knocking back a few Jamesons; a regular who is known for wearing a different quirky T-​shirt each time he comes in; a young guy who was talking «best beer bars in Austin»; and an older gentleman who works from home and can afford to have lunch and margaritas on a Friday afternoon. They were eclectic, to say the least, but the vibe was upbeat, and the cross-​talk among the patrons was friendly and amusing. Kat was the perfect ringmaster, joining in the conversation without missing a beat in service.
For my dessert, I told Kat she could surprise me. And she did, with the sticky toffee pudding. The layers of warm, moist sponge cake topped with a luscious toffee sauce was one of the sweetest desserts I’d had in a long time. It tasted like one giant gooey Worther’s candy. It was wonderful. This is definitely a dessert that is so rich and sweet, it can be split among several people; otherwise, I’d schedule an appointment with the dentist immediately.
Before I left to my next adventure, I discovered all kinds of events go on up at The Lion and Rose. Monday Happy Hours include on-​special pints; there are rotating schedules for pub trivia and karaōke nights; and of course they have all the current sports blasting on their myriad of televisions for you to enjoy. Apparently it’s soccer season now, and I only know this because some guy talked my ear off the other day about Euro Cup qualifying matches, and I watched a Greece vs. Czech game on mute when I was on the treadmill at the gym. (N.B.: I have a feeling these games are solely meant to be watched with friends and a few pints at a place like The Lion and Rose. Otherwise, they seem kind of pointless).
All in all, it was another pleasant visit to my favorite Westlake pub. If you haven’t already, give it a try. And ask for Kat: she will be more than happy to serve up some good food, cold pints, and a whole lot of fun.
Until then, pip pip cheerio, and all that sort of rot.
4 Stars.

I have been here a dozen times and the service and food has been excellent.
Tonight, I got here late, with two others, and the kitchen was closed. I was starving, and Jessica the bartender and Mike the manager got me some delicious food!
I am British and the food is authentic too!

This place has the best fish and chips and shepards pie I’ve eaten since I was in the UK! I love this place. Wish they would open one in the Round Rizzle!

OK, the short plaid skirts and high-​over-​the-​calf socks threw me off for a minute, thought I was stepping into a British version of «Twin Peaks» or something. We were seated promptly and the waitress was there in a jiffy with water and drinks (good selection of beers too). British food is well known for it’s DARING originality and BITING taste… OK, bland and uninspiring covers it well, but this place rocks! Great selection of food and some local favorites too. My friends and I had the French dip, bruschetta chicken, Sheppard’s pie and something with BANGERS so we got to sample everyone else’s dishes. Overall really good food and the prices are very reasonable.
We will be back for sure and look forward to learning more about this wonderful place which was a nice change of pace!

If you’re in West Lake and want a drink, well there just isn’t MUCH selection. Lion & Rose is located right smack in the middle of West Lake suburbia. What do you see here? Older Westlake couples and rich spoiled DB 20 somethings that have problems b/​c of daddy’s money.
Anyhow, I’ve been here twice and the service has been TERRIBLE each time. Terrible bar tenders, terrible waitresses. Went again for their St. Patrick’s day celebration. It was full and crowded and once again, terrible service. The food doesn’t look bad. The drinks aren’t bad. Everything else is just mediocre, which is alright and what you expect in Westlake suburbia. But the service…

Had a Brit day last weekend. Watched Man United beat Arsenal (again) and then we came here for lunch. There’s some thing about watching the home team beat a rival that gives me an appetite for some some fish and chips and pint.
The Pros:
1. Scotch Eggs– Pretty good. Not as good as mine. (I make a huge batch for an annual party called Scotchtoberfest. I know of what I speak.)
2. Fish and Chips– Very nice, with an excellent sauce.
3. Chicken Curry– Tasty, nicely and not overpoweringly spicy. F**cking ENORMOUS portion– Juanita and I split the LEFTOVER for dinner that night.
The Cons:
1. It’s in Westlake.

We tried the Blokes Mushrooms appetizer — beer battered fried mushrooms with ranch dressing or gravy for dipping. Meh. The portion was good sized but after a couple I’d had more than enough. I had the Traditional Pasty for my entrée — ground beef with diced potatoes, onions and rutabagas inside a pastry, then topped with onion gravy. With this dish you get a small amount of ground beef and a whole lot of potatoes. I wouldn’t get it again and would also be suspicious of the Shepherd’s Pie (unless you really love potatoes). It came with your choice of two sides and the Guinness Mac & Cheese was the lone stand out in this meal; it was delicious.
If I were rating on food alone it would be 2 stars. But I’m bumping it up to 3 because they have a good selection of British and Irish beers on tap, and a pub is a rarity in Westlake so we need to keep a hold of this one!

Ate here for the first time tonight and it was great. We have lived in England, where the food famously sucks, and this food was really good — at least, what we had. The fish and chips and the shrimp and chips. The shrimp was wonderful, hand breaded at the restaurant, and the green beans were better than any restaurant we’ve ever eaten in and we eat out a lot.
Skip the onion rings — they suck. The slimy, really, really thin-​sliced kind that slip out of the breading, which is good but too thick.
The desserts are really fine — our table tried a few of them. Apparently all made in-​house.
Good waitress, too — Laurin.
We played Trivia here, which is why we drove all the way from the downtown area to Westlake. It was worth the drive and we’ll do it again if they start a regular trivia night there. It was also the best place we’ve played trivia in Austin — we’ve tried a number of other venues and none of them are very good.
We have no real reason to drive out 360, but this place is worth it!

When you have a one-​year-​old and an urge to have some Pub Grub, your options are pretty limited. Most pubs don’t even know what the fuck a «high chair» is…
Well, my wife and I had a strong desire for some Fish & Chips and this was pretty much the only place that served them that said «good for kids» on Unilocal.It so happens it was sort of on the way to where we were headed, so we stopped in to see if it would satisfy our cravings.
Well, it did satisfy the cravings… but I have definitely had better food elsewhere. The fish was crispy, the chips were fine, and the side of Guiness Mac & Cheese was serviceable. All items were prepared pretty well and they all tasted just fine. The downside is that everything had that sort of «Applebee’s» kind of quality to it. Not great homemade food, just standard ‘out-​of-​the-​box’ frozen stuff. There’s nothing wrong with that… but some beer battered F&C would have been a whole lot better than this «Gorton’s» style stuff they serve here.
So if you have little kiddos, and you need some Pub Grub, this place will do in a pinch. But you would probably be happier if you got a babysitter and actually went to the pub without highchairs, crayons, and a kids menu.
Pros: Kid Friendly Pub Food, Very Nice Interior
Cons: «Out-​Of-​A-​Box» Style Food, A Tad on the Pricey Side

Dear Owners and Operators of The Lion and Rose:
Let me first begin by congratulating you on reading the Unilocal reviews of your restaurant. People take a lot of time to write reviews, and if you want to have a thriving business nowadays, it’s in your best interest to pay attention.
As others have noted, your food is good enough. I was bracing for a terrible experience as I tasted the Cornwall Pasty with Parmesan Tomatoes and Guiness Cheese Cauliflower. But, I relaxed with each tasty bite. I would have rated you higher based on your food alone.
Now, let me get to the heart of the matter, and why I’m taking the time to tell you how to fix your restaurant so it doesn’t go out of business like the multiple chains that have inhabited that place before you.
In my mind, I started calling your restaurant, YE OLDE HOOTERSE.
Almost every review has commented on your poor service. Let me tell you why you have poor service and a weird atmosphere: you’re demeaning your diners by thinking that they want their adequate but unremarkable pub food, that is conveniently located on the way home from their kids’ soccer game, served by young busty ladies in short plaid skirts.
You may have had a certain kind of douche-​y Twin Peaks kind of theme in mind when you opened your restaurant, but the sexy ladies and overweight male managers sorta pushing them around dynamic is unsettling. All the men working were managers and fully dressed, the ladies not so much. Now, I’m sure hot young ladies can be good servers. It’s not that. Our server was friendly and competent. But as a wife, mom, business owner, feminist, and person paying the dinner tab, I was uncomfortable that every girl working there HAD to have a low cut, tight t-​shirt on, and a skirt that was cut in a really slutty way so you could see her upper thighs. Maybe you don’t know this about the ladies, but in a natural habitat, that kind of forced sexiness is often an act, and for a ‘family’ restaurant, it makes the entire transacation awkward.
People who are coming to your restaurant don’t give a shit about how sexy your servers are or aren’t. They just want a service experience that meets or exceeds their expectations. In my book, that kind of great service comes when the server is allowed to be him or herself. How about hiring servers based on their abilities and personalities rather than their cup size? Dump the forced ‘hot wench’ atmosphere, and let your restaurant become what it should be in that location – a meeting place for friends after work and families who live in the area.
Mark my words, if you keep up with the Ye Olde Hooterse vibe, you will have to close your doors at worst, and will be less successful than you really could be at best. This is the 21^st century, and a forced and awkward sexualized dining environment which demeans everyone involved isn’t going to fly. At least not in Westlake. You could make your restaurant into a real pub, that had a sense of community and inclusivity. That’d be a much for authentic feature of a REAL PUB for your place than the old timey beer swag on the walls.

I came in for a late night outing, and it was pretty good I must say chap! We didn’t have any appetizers or anything, just drinks. Their drinks were decently priced, and they had a huge selection of beers. Next time I go in I definitely want to do some more sampling of their beer selection!
The atmosphere is very. pubby. Westlake needs a place like this, that’s for sure! Although this location is a death trap, so best of luck to them! I recommend. Thanks.

I suggested this place a few weeks back to BF but we went someplace else. He said he wanted to go this Friday so off we went. We found it without too much difficulty. We walked in and the two hostesses asked if we wanted to be seated or sit in the bar. I told them we just want to hang out in the lobby people watch. They had a good sense of humor and offered us chairs to get a bird’s eye view.
We were seated with no one around us. So of course the service was top notch. Herron was our wait person. She was at our table when we needed her but gave us space to enjoy our meal. She asked if we wanted a cocktail and since we weren’t ready to order yet. She ran to get us some water.
BF went with a beer and I chose the Londoner (gin, vodka, and vermouth). We tried the Scotch Eggs for an appy. For entrees, it was the Sheppard’s Pie and meatloaf.
Herron brought the drinks and a short while later out comes the Scotch eggs. My londoner was alright and Herron gave me a couple extra olives to go with it. There were two Scotch Eggs, but ended up splitting one to eat. Without the mustard they were okay but with it yum. It’s a hard boiled egg coated in a sausage mix then deep fried. Oh, and they are served cold.
The entrees arrive so we dig in. My Sheppard’s pie was one third beef mixture and two thirds mashed potatoes. It had a drizzle of onion gravy on top. I found it to be very satisfing. Good flavor and the gravy helped the potatoes to have taste. BF didn’t seem pleased with the meatloaf. I asked, how was the meatloaf? and he replied it is not meatloaf. It is just meat. He did like the demi-​glaze on top, it made it taste good. His green beans and bacon were bland beans so you had to scoop some bacon with each bite. He got the side of Bubble and Squeek which was mostly potatoes.
Too full for dessert, we packed our leftovers and left. On the ride back, I asked BF what he would rate it. He said 3.5 stars. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. I have to agree with him. BTW, their bar was packed so their happy hour may be good.

I wanted this place to be good, really I did.
I rarely review things that I would give one or two stars. I have been to the Lion and Rose twice and each time I have been met with poor service, mediocre pub food, and the smell of a place that needs a good scrubbing.
If I ever went back I would order beer in a bottle since their dishwashers don’t work. I would stand at the bar since the service sucks, and I would not eat anything but popcorn.
Other than that is was great.

The Lion and the Rose serves a basic purpose in the far west Westlake area: beer pub. For the beer they have, I only find one exciting (Smithwick’s). Now that I’ve discovered Fion, L&R loses it’s luster.
I have eaten here a number of times as well. It’s decent, although the service is sluggish. The food is slightly inconsistent, but that could be the fluxuation in my desire to eat corned beef.
The good stuff? Get the sampler plate appetizer. The chips/​fries and Guiness cheese sauce are worth it alone, but the other snacks are nice too.
After you’re done there, go to Fion.

The foolish boys strike again, we gathered an old fried that was wheel chair bound and took him to the Lion & Rose on Sunday for brunch. He was happy to get out of his home, he was wearing a new T-​Shirt his ex wife bought for him, it read: I would kill for a Nobel peace prize! So on we go, Google maps must have been fixed because I got right there with no problem.
We rolled him in and were seated right away by our waitress; we all liked the uniforms, short Scottish plaid skirts with logo T-​Shirts. We like this place right away, my friend of no name is Scottish and loves the décor of the bar & grill. He got so excited to be able to order Scottish eggs and Strongbow Cider We thought he was dance the gig over the place.
So we ordered the English Chips and Onion strips with dip and Scottish eggs for appetizers. We all enjoyed them both. No name ordered the fish and chips. (Before we arrive we all bet he would order fish because he orders fish 93.47% of the time.) Friend two ordered the Whitechapel & Mushroom Pie, and friend three ordered the Bangers and Mash, which was sausages mashed potatoes and & onion gravy. I ordered the burger with a side order of broiled tomatoes. We all ordered various deserts, yummy, yummy, yummy we got love in our tummy, wait that’s not right!
And now for the likes and dislike of the food. The burger was good, no worse or no better than any other bar and grill, the broiled tomatoes were not for me they had too much garlic on top. No name loved his fish and chips. This was expected since he likes almost everything he eats. We think he has no taste buds! Friend two thought his Mushroom Pie was bland and friend three liked his sausage. Friend three also got a glass of Guinness beer and got to keep his glass.
I had never had Scottish egg before and I like it. So we give thumbs up because our server was the best, she was very friendly and on top of things basically she was just neat! Cute too as were the others working here!
Would we go back? Yes and very soon!