Arriving: The new Cricketers Arms has much more outdoor seating than the old one. I think it’ll be a great area for a pint --- now that the summer swelter has ended. On the Saturday night I dropped by, a reggae band was rocking the riddim next door at Dixie Crossroads’ patio. Volume plus humidity equals going inside.
While the new patio is bigger, Cricketers Arms’ indoor dining room is smaller. The room has long tables for groups as well as seating for twos and fours. A buddy and I grabbed a spot by the “fireplace.” When bands play the small indoor stage, you better want to hear it because there’s no place to escape.
For loyal drinkers who remember the wooden beams from the original Cricketers Arms, they’ve been trucked over. Leftover wood slices have even been set into the acrylic bartop. The collection of cricket and football club ties, donated by UK tourists, has been reinstalled above the bar.
Scoping: It’s a mix of locals and Brits. Tourists know Cricketers Arms’ satellite TV is a good bet for finding that sports match they can’t miss. (On rare days, Cricketers will even open in the morning to account for the time difference.) As the night goes on, there’s a gradual shift from the “eating” crowd to the “drinking” crowd.
Drinking: The pub takes pride in having a wide selection of beers on tap, including four hand-drawn ales. That means the ambrosia is pumped out by hand instead of forced out by carbonation. It also means a more flavorful pint. Anybody who goes to a real pub and orders Smirnoff Ice deserves what she gets. (Guys don’t drink Smirnoff Ice, do they?)
Chewing: I didn’t notice any radical changes in menu from the old spot and that’s just fine. Cricketers Arms generally serves its Scotch egg appetizer ($5.75) cold. I prefer to eat my hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat while warm. Lucky for me that the cook was just pulling a batch out of the fryer.
Bangers and mash ($10.50) is pork sausage links and garlicky mashed potatoes. If you’ve never had bangers, don’t think of American breakfast sausage. Think more like skinny bratwurst with a real casing. Brown gravy for dipping has a strong onion flavor.
The dinner-size fish and chips is $13.95, and typically, the lunch portion is $8.95, but keep an eye open for the daily lunch special. One noontime, I got one big plank of the beer-battered Alaskan cod, a pile of fries and a half-pint beer of my choice (Guinness) for around $8. The batter is crisp and the fish mild, though slightly chewier than I’d prefer.
The chip butty ($4.75) is the budget diner’s way to soak up beer; a French fry sandwich on a bun with a few more fries on the side. Most douse the butty with HP Sauce. Brits eat the sweet, thick steak sauce like we eat ketchup – on everything. My waitress actually winced when my buddy ordered a butty, but the fries were crisp outside and fluffy in.
Going: The bathrooms are (of course) brand new and the Cricketers Arms Web site brags on how these new “loos” are bigger. What impressed me is the hair trigger on the toilet handle.
Departing: Cricketers Arms also brought its big red phone booth over from the old location. I could have called another friend to come over for a pint, but there’s not actually a phone in there. Instead, I’ll just have to tell you.
