Pelham's Pub

Good food, great atmosphere, and affordable. In the summer this place really gets fun! I wish it was a littler closer to Warrenton but maybe then the secret would get out...

After eating dinner at the Inn upstairs, we were excited about trying the pub downstairs for lunch. "Meh" pretty much summed up our experience there, except for the awesome view from the patio.  The service was less than attentive during a Sunday afternoon when there were only 2-3 other tables occupied.  The food was average at best - everything was very bland and had little taste. The chicken salad was basically just chicken, mayo, and celery; the coleslaw was basically just cabbage and mayo.  We were extremely disappointed at how mediocre the food was and are not in any hurry to go back. We were hoping it would be a great place to go to grab a nice lunch when we are out that way, but for the prices it totally wasn't worth it.  Very disappointing!

Since I reviewed the full Inn separately, this review is solely based on the pub itself. We were staying at the Inn and decided to eat here both nights, as we enjoyed it well enough the first night (and there isn't much else nearby). They have a well-rounded menu for a pub and really nice daily/happy hour specials.  It has a nice pub feel, with TVs for those who want them, a pool table, and even a karaoke night, but still the classy look and service.

Everything about the place was friendly and welcoming.  We were happy sitting there for a few hours, watching the Olympics and having a few drinks.  Their long list of specialty cocktails is quite impressive, and we found that the bartenders we had were all quite excellent. The prices are also extremely reasonable considering how much alcohol you get in just one of those drinks.  

As for the food, it was definitely tasty and hit the spot, but I wouldn't say it was too much above average.  The first night, we just ordered a bunch of appetizers because they were having a half price special.  The onion rings were nice and crispy, but the jalapeno poppers were....well, not jalapeno poppers.  It was basically just fried cream cheese with a TINY little slice of jalapeno in it....with all the kick removed. The spinach and artichoke dip was solid.  The second night, we ordered some cheese fries off the specials menu only to discover that they had surprise bacon on them, so I couldn't eat them.  I also got a salad, which was almost $7 but looked like it came in a side salad portion. I was a bit disappointed by that.  My boyfriend, however, had a sandwich that he seemed to enjoy.

All in all, a really nice place to go hang out and enjoy some casual food and drinks.  Nothing out of this world, nothing horrible.  Just good, solid food and really nice drinks with friendly service. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience.