The Royal Peasant: Your Neighborhood English Pub

By Jonathan Shealy

The Royal Peasant is a British style pub right next to Five Points in Athens, Georgia. At first glance to many Athens residents it may appear to be just another bar, but once you go inside you discover that it doubles as a restaurant as well, serving classic British dishes. The inside is small and cozy, with soccer jerseys and memorabilia coating all of the walls, and there is plenty of outdoor seating on a patio at the front. A Real Madrid soccer game was on the TV in the background.

A listing of the "Footie" being showed for the week.

It was a lively place, even for 8:00 pm, and most of the tables were filled, as well as the stools along the bar. On the beer list they had many British imports, and I decided to try something random, which turned out to be decent. It didn't quite go with my food, but it was on its own, it had a solid distinctive taste. The menu is not huge, but they seem to go for quality over quantity. The kitchen must have been very small, and tucked away in the back because I couldn't see any signs of it. The girls working the bar were also the waitresses, and they did a great job going back and forth and running everything. The room was slightly noisy, with many different conversations going on between people, but this was hardly noticeable, and I felt it really added to the pub feel.

Try one of "The Royal Peasant"'s selection of British imports.

I decided to go out on a limb and try something I had never heard of before, so I ordered Bangers and Mash. I didn't know what to expect, but it sounded interesting. When they brought it out, I could smell a strong smoky aroma, and my appetite grew exponentially. The dish contained the two large sausages on top of a pile of mashed potatoes, with cabbage and turmeric gravy on top of everything. It looked like a pile of pure deliciousness, and I couldn't wait to take a bite.

I cut off a piece of the plump dark red sausage, breaking through the tough outer skin with my knife and cutting through the juicy interior with ease. I placed it in my mouth and discovered the sausage was sweet, not what I had expected, but pleasantly surprising. The mashed potatoes were a perfect complement to the sausages, and I wondered why I had never through to eat the two of them together before. The cabbage I suppose was there to make it a little more healthy, and it was good too, especially when mixed with the mashed potatoes.

I finished the meal quickly, because of my great hunger, and was thoroughly satisfied. The portion size was perfect, as I didn't have trouble finishing it, and was full afterwards. My friend got the shepherds' pie, which was the special that night, and it was good, though I still have no idea what was in it. It was basically a lot of vegetables, meat, and bread all mashed together into one big, tasty clump.

The pub's house made English Blue Chips, with blue cheese, bacon, and garlic oil.

Overall I enjoyed the experience, and this would definitely be a place I would consider going back to. I liked the pub atmosphere, and the food was exceptional. It's open a lot later than most restaurants would be, and has good options for both food and drinks. I've never been much of a soccer fan, but if there was ever a match I was interested in watching, this would be the place to go. A great, fun, casual place to eat.

The Royal Peasant 

1675 S. Lumpkin Street 30606

Athens, Ga

(706) 549-7920