The Streets of London Pub, located at 1804 J St. in the heart of the downtown area, has been offering Sacramento residents a taste of the United Kingdom for several years. Conceived in 1999, the notion behind the establishment was to provide us Yanks with a pub the likes of which could previously only be found on a street corner in Britain.

Walking into the pub, patrons immediately are immersed into another culture. The TVs mounted on the wall almost ceaselessly air footage of football games (we unwashed Americans call it “soccer”), with the occasional Kings game disrupting the pattern. The ceiling in the area near the bar is covered with football jerseys from various countries. In the hallway leading to the restrooms, framed black-and-white photographs of British landmarks such as Trafalgar Square adorn the walls. The Union Jack makes a handful of appearances around the building.

The interior of the pub is rather spacious, which is a welcome reprieve from the often cramped interiors of many local bars. A cozy touch in the form of a fireplace is present on the right-hand side of the pub. In the rear, there is a large patio area, in which you and your friends can enjoy your pints under the moonlight.

Should you happen to be in the mood to engage in some competitive activities with your mates, dartboards and a foosball table are available. There is also a jukebox on hand.

If you’re looking to whet your whistle, Streets of London offers a variety of beers, including many European brands such as Harp, Hefeweizen, Boddingtons and Stella Artois, which bartender James Liggins (who is, himself, British), claims is the most popular beer served at the pub. Beers range from $4.00 to $5.00 for a pint and $10.00 to $14.00 for a pitcher.

Streets of London once served beer exclusively. As of last August, the pub now serves hard alcohol as well.

The menu is comprised of a variety of British dishes (or “pub grub,” as the menu calls it). You can go with the traditional fish and chips ($6.95 for lunch, $9.30 for dinner), where you get a large piece of beer-battered Icelandic Cod served with the aforementioned chips (french fries, to those of us in the United States) and tartar sauce. According to Liggins, this is the pub’s most popular dish.

The second most popular dish, Liggins says, is bangers and mash, which consists of two sausages served with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy. This will run you $6.05 for lunch and $8.30 for dinner.

For $8.30, you can treat yourself to a shepherd’s pie, a dish made up of ground beef cooked with carrots and onions in a traditional English gravy and topped with mashed potatoes.

However, if these items seem too terribly British for the neophytes among you, know that Streets of London also offers an assortment of culturally neutral options, such as sandwiches, chicken wings and chicken strips. These items range from $6.95 to $7.95.

Not sure of what to order (and not nearly brave enough to try that shepherd’s pie), my friend and I hedged our bets and got the Sample Plate for $11.00. This meal offered a variety of different foods, such as chicken strips, chicken wings, fried zucchini, scotch eggs, battered mushrooms and a battered sausage. It was very tasty, though I would advise against ordering it if you happen to be cholesterol-conscious. There isn’t a single thing on that plate that isn’t deep-fried.

We also ordered the bangers and mash, which wasn’t too bad. The mashed potatoes were a bit lumpy, but I’m uncertain as to whether the consistency was intentional or due an error on the chef’s behalf.

Streets of London opens at 11:00 a.m. every day and closes at 1:00 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at midnight on Sundays. The pub has a very relaxed and comfortable environment and is a great place to hang out and chat with friends. The food is decent, if not great, but definitely worth trying for those who wish to expand their cultural horizons.

I’d say, however, that the biggest draw of Streets of London is the utter Britishness of the establishment. That vibe is what really sets it apart from the other bars in the downtown area and makes it unique. After a couple of hours in the place, you might just find yourself asking some sodding git what the bloody hell he’s on about.

Brandon Wolfe can be reached at [email protected].