Shakespeare Pub & Grille

The food and service are outstanding! I visited for the first time on a Sunday afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed the outdoor patio (there are heat lamps for chilly days). Since I had never been, I asked the waiter for some suggestions and I’m glad I did. We tried the Guinness beer sampler, split pea soup, fish and chips and Shepard pie! Everything was so delicious! The staff was super friendly too! The portions are huge; perfect for sharing.

I really like all the dishes I’ve had here, from the bangers & mash to the fish & chips. I’ve never been to England, but if I go, I hope the food is as good as it is at Shakespeare’s. Also, Guinness on tap, makes me happy.

I love this place. I am not a big fan of greasy food necessarily, but the atmosphere here is great. I am in love with their Hot Toddy and anything they make that I can dip in their homemade tarter sauce. I recommend their Cod Bollocks at Happy Hour. Delish!

Blush: I have been a Unilocaler for almost 7 years, but this UYE was the first I have *ever* experienced. Yes, I am a confessed wallflower. Shocked?
Our young host, Joshua, did a fine job organizing this intimate evening and it was greatly appreciated. For being a stranger to this part of Unilocal culture, I felt most welcomed. The rest of the smallish group had already shifted into fun mode. I knew two of the participants already, my buddies from Hawaii, Kathy A and Lyla D, but this was my personal double dare to myself to meet new people face to face. Mr. B, charmer and far more at ease in social situations (but still a Unilocaler hold out), did as well. It turned out to be a memorable evening for us both.
Joshua had arranged for a choice between two entrees, the obligatory Fish and Chips, or Chicken Tikka Marsala, but we could also order off the menu and some did. Our choice was of course, fish and chips. That was one huge chunk of cod we got, an entire filet, very impressive and way more than we could eat. One of our tablemates selected the Shepherd’s Pie. Hers was quite a huge serving as well, so she insisted we taste a bite. So glad we did! Now that is a good Shepherd’s Pie! I would definitely get that again. Since there was a full bar and extended Happy Hour prices, my Irish coffee and Mr. B’s ale added to our Dine Like a Brit experience.
The mild San Diego evening (always appreciated when coming from our hotter home base) made it possible to dine outside. The second story patio overlooked the west and popular India Street, but the traffic noise and sound was a non-​issue. Even though it was overcast and cool, the heaters kept us cozy and warm. Inside, the raucous sound of fans and the soccer game going on tv truly suggested the serious side to British competition.
A great asset to the restaurant, Jackie, our server, was a doll, and it was no secret she was a transplanted Brit. She just had to open her mouth and speak. What a cutie, and a great server too.
Thanks Joshua and group for welcoming us into the fold! It was great fun.

12 awesome Unilocalers from all over CA and a large portion from HI came to join me at the best British Pub in all of San Diego as far as I know. The group was fun to meet, cool to discuss food with and full of pointers and tips to offer me of where else I can find the hot-​spots in their home towns. I also gave them my 411 on all things SD. Everyone seemed to deeply enjoy the happy hour deals extended for our group on drinks and apps as well as the best selling dishes of fish and chips and all the other traditional recipe British pub food that Shakespears Pub does so very very well. Jackie our point of contact and primary server was on point all night for our group as she has always been for me in my many prior visits. A great kick off event for these Unilocal Spring Breakers!

Blimey! Shakespeare Pub & Grille is simply the bee’s knees when it comes to authentic British pub fare.
Tonight, my husband and I were among an intimate group of 12 to experience British food at its best through SD Elite Joshua H’s UYE. We sat on the pub’s outdoor dining deck overlooking the city while trying several specialties that we, local Hawaiians, wouldn’t find back home. Our server for the evening was Jackie who was attentive, humorous, and friendly.
Our table of 3 was completed with fellow Elite Kathy A. We experienced a pint, each, of Black and Tan (Bass Ale on the bottom, Guinness on top). After perusing the menu, we started with and shared appetizers of Baked Scotch Egg with chutney and Sausage Rolls (puff pastry wrapped seasoned pork sausage) served with Colman’s hot English mustard. Both appetizers were served hot from the oven, delicious and paired well with our Black and Tan. Our table dined «family-​style» where we shared 3 different entrées:
— Fish & Chips: Shakespeare Pub’s signature dish. A beer-​battered generous fillet of cod served with «proper» chips (French Fries) and peas. $ 14.95
— Pasty: An oven baked pastry shell filled with ground beef, sliced potatoes and fresh vegetables. $ 14.95
— Steak & kidney pie: Cubed beef and kidney simmered in a hearty red wine sauce topped with puff pastry. $ 14.95
Everything was seasoned well and the flavors were on point with my London, England dining memories. We also noted there was a Unilocal deal for a Stella chalice if we ordered a pint of Stella Artois… well, of course, we just HAD to get that chalice! I don’t remember that last time that I drank so much beer (4 pints) in one day but today, it was close to my maximum, and yay, I wasn’t driving!
Thanks to our UYE host, Joshua, for organizing this fun event. Shakespeare Pub extended their HH prices for drinks and for their Fish & Chips. Joshua extended his San Diego hospitality to us out of town Yeeps by sharing some of his SD sightseeing and dining recommendations. We shared a bit of our Aloha by exchanging our O’ahu «picks» with him, too.
This was indeed a Top Notch UYE… well organized, great venue, delicious food and SUPER company!

Who ever said this place isn’t authentic really hasn’t been to an old fashioned village pub or small town pub. The food is spot on and the servers are Mainly English too. Awesome love it like being back home.

This is the best English pub in San Diego I love the fish and chips, you get a huge piece of fish great fries and peas.
Try the sausage rolls and shepherds pie, you cannot go wrong. Plenty of outdoor seating this is the closest you will find to an English pub. Check out the store behind the pub.
Lots of English goodies.

Perfect British pub and grill to sit out on the upper level patio on a nice sunny day for a drink or an authentic meal. The Fish & Chips are the best around! Great portions and quality ingredients. They have a bakery that sells fresh baked goods, tea and a selection of imported signature food and treats. I will be back to do the Great White Challenge 2lbs of fish and 2lbs of fries with peas in under 45 minutes!

One of the better Brit pubs (which is different than Irish pubs) that I have found in the US.
The food is excellent and fairly traditional with a Cali twist in some cases. Several of the entrée’s are heavy on fried food so just need to make your know what sides you are getting… I like the peas!
Otherwise it has a great feel for a neighborhood bar and/​tourist location with good food to boot. Good outdoor and indoor dinning/​drinking areas with Football (aka Soccer) on most days especially during tournament play.
They have special meals from time to time… wouldn’t mind a beef wellington night but the fish and chips are very similar to the ones I had in London during my last visit. My favorite is the Shepard’s pie (without cheese), great favor and excellent pair to a Union Jack IPA.
They also have a decent mix of British beers, one of the few places for Fosters on tap in San Diego. This said wouldn’t mind a few more local beers but it’s all good.
Bottom line: Been there many times and they will have my custom in the future!

Fun, lively, cozy atmosphere. There’s seating both inside and outside. The waitresses are nice and quick. And the best part: they have KILKENNY on tap!!!

We came for lunch to try this place out. I figured they have been there for so many years the food has to be good. Well, I ordered they fish and chips, my husband the Shepherds pie, and we got our son the chicken strips. The fish and chips we’re very good. The chips were absolutely amazing, I would come back just for the chips. The fish was fried perfectly and didn’t have an overly fishy taste. I would definitely order again. The only issue I have is I am not a fan of peas and there were peas under my chips and that made the bottom layer of chips taste like peas. The Shepherds pie was very good. It was served very hot and it was full of flavor. The chips of course were great with it. Unfortunately I was not impressed with my son’s lunch. His was only a dollar less and yet he had different fries. His were pre-​frozen fries that paled in comparison to the chips. The chicken strips also a previously frozen item. The chicken was dried out and lacked any flavor. I would not order it again. It is pretty bad when even a 3 year old won’t touch that chicken. We also ordered sodas and something was off with the carbonation, they need to fix it. Who likes a flat diet coke. The server was very nice and attentive. My son spilled my drink and she immediately brought a towel and cleaned it. Overall it was a nice lunch I just wish they put as much care into the kids food as the adults.

This is my favorite English Pub in all of San Diego! I frequent this great, comfortable, neighborhood– feel restaurant for the best fish and chips and Reuben sandwiches anywhere ! with friends and family often!
They also have big screen tv’s for game time and the best food and drink specials around! Our San Diego weather is perfect for sitting out on the big patio and enjoying the view and fresh air too!
Centrally located just off the 5 freeway — you really need to make this a regular stop when in the area!

Service is quick & the servers get to the point.
They have awesome trivia nights. Truly a British pub.
Plenty of outdoor seating & they recently put up a shade sail /​patio cover so misty nights are no problem
My favorite dish is the steak & mushroom pie. No canned mushrooms in this pie!
My drink: black velvet.

Been here 3 times now and they never disappoint. I like the look and feel of this place, and any place that has Boddingtons on tap gets my attention quickly. I like this place for their daily, lunch and happy hour specials.
I’ve had the fish n’ chips, bangers & mashed and shepherd’s pie over the years. All dishes are good and will fulfill that craving, but fall a little short of being impressive. This is probably the best place to enjoy a few drinks and scratch your British pub food itch on occasion.

I know British food isn’t supposed to be all that great but wow. Stale bread on the sandwiches and flavorless WAY overpriced fish and chips ($ 15). Two years ago it was only $ 8.95 (update from the manager — this is the lunch price) according to another review on here. Our server Robin was the one saving grace. If I had to sum up this place in word it would be «No». Unless you’re drunk and then I’m sure it would taste awesome.
Update:
Got a nice email from Clare apologizing for the stale bread. I neglected to mention the curry sauce for the fries was pretty good even if the fries themselves weren’t all that superb. That’s my fault. I always appreciate a business that strives to keep its customers happy and because of this I’ll be sure to visit again soon to see (eat) the improvements they’ve made. Added a star for Customer Care Clare. If the quality of food improves at my next visit I’ll happily bump up my rating another star.

We were feeling a bit sentimental one day, missing the adventure, fun, booze and food of our recent European vacation. We pass by this restaurant every day on our commute, and it never really clicked: this is a British eatery. I did a bit of research and found not only do they serve the food and drink that we’ve been talking about, they also have a tea service next door!
We finally made our way there one Friday night after work. We were worried about parking, but got lucky with street parking right next door.
The patio area was packed that night, and it was just after 6 pm. It seemed like every table was taken, and people were out there smoking and playing darts. It looked like one helluva party, but we wanted to be able to enjoy our food out of the cigarette smoke, so we chose to dine inside.
There was no hostess, or anybody who even acknowledged us, so my husband had to go up to the bar to ask if we could just seat ourselves. We were given the go-​ahead, and found a table near the back, by a window that overlooked the street.
The waitress came around with food and happy hour menus, and then told us a bit about their specials and most popular dishes. She took our drink orders (I changed from a Kilkenny to a Magner’s just so that I could take advantage of the Unilocal check-​in offer of a free Magner’s glass… but I *really* wanted that Kilkenny!) and then left us to pore over the menu.
One of the things that has stuck with me since our trip is that I never had a chance to try a pasty in London. There were shops all over the place, and they were super-​prevalent in the train stations, but we were never hungry when we passed by those, and before we knew it, we were out of London and off to the next country.
So, when I saw they had pastys on the menu, I knew I had to try it. When our waitress came back, I asked her opinion on which version I should try — «traditional» or the special of the day. She recommended the traditional, since I’d never had one before (and she gently corrected my pronunciation of the word along the way). My husband ordered the fish and chips, in case you’re curious.
The restaurant started to fill up as we sat there drinking and talking, so I’m glad we got there when we did. I never realized how popular a destination this place is, but they sure aren’t hurting for business!
Our food came out quickly, and there was a ton of it. The pasty was fairly large, which made me feel better about dropping $ 15 on it. I was expecting a small pastry-​filled item, so this was a pleasant surprise. The pasty came with mashed potatoes and peas. The fish and chips (one large fried fish piece) also came with peas. Brits love their peas!
The pasty was very good. It was hot and the crust was flaky. The filling was piping hot — almost scalding my tongue! — and the meat and veggies mixed very well together. It was a lot of food, and I couldn’t finish it all.
My husband did love his fish and chips entrée, but he was also unable to finish his meal. The batter on the fish was crunchy and light, and didn’t overpower the fish at all (I may have snagged a piece of his fish…)
I really do like this place. I want to go back for another meal, but I also want to try afternoon tea here! We got afternoon tea on our vacation, but I felt it was a «light» version of the service. I wanted to have a true version before we left the UK, but that never happened. So, hell — if they’ve got a good service, I’m down to try it!

An authentic British Pub. The décor of the establishment couples the old world, English Tudor style on the interior and a large patio deck wrapping the exterior. It gets packed during happy hour because of the knock-​out happy hour prices.
The beer selection is amazing and the food is good. The difference between happy hour prices and regular hour prices is night and day. I visited during regular business hours to avoid the big crowd, the price is tripled compared to happy hour pricing.
If you order a Heineken, you get to keep the glass with your Unilocal check-​in.

This is a cool spot on India St… All atmosphere! They even have Dr Who’s telephone booth.
Neat wood burning fireplace though it wasn’t in when I was there. And the cu de gras the bartender had a British accent!
Will definitely be back

QUIZ!!! What the hell am I talking about?:
In case of a Zombie Apocalypse follow these steps:
Take car.
Go to Mum’s.
Kill Phil… «Sorry.»
Grab Liz.
Go to the Winchester.
Have a nice cold pint.
And wait for all of this to blow over.
How’s that for a slice of fried gold?
I’ve spent 10 days in Ireland and a few hours in Heathrow Airport, and can say Shakespheare has the most authentic Fish N Chips in San Diego. I’ve never actually been to Britain itself, but I’m pretty sure this is also the most authentic British pub in San Diego. Also get the curry sauce for dipping your chips/fries…amazing! Also love that all the nice waitresses are all British expats with their delightful intelligent accents. Or at least they’re Americans good at faking a British accents?

Good fish & chips plus they serve my fav’s: black & tan, snakebite and poor man’s black velvet. Nom nom