Pilsen's Royal Pies British Pub
Pleasant House Pub on Halsted in Pilsen is the city's proper British pub — savoury pies in the regional British tradition, considered British beers on tap, and the kind of unfussy comfort cooking the format too rarely receives in America.
The cooking is traditional British pub at restaurant standards: hand-rolled pastry pies, slow-cooked fillings, considered sides, and the kind of regional British cooking the format demands.
What to Order
The steak-and-ale pie — the dish the kitchen is built around. The mushroom pie for the diner who wants the vegetarian alternative. Mushy peas and chips with the proper malt vinegar.
The Format
The dining room is small, comfortable, and unmistakably British in its register. The bar handles a long evening; the dining room takes pies seriously.
Best Occasion: First Date
Pleasant House is a quiet Pilsen first-date win. The British register is distinctive; the pies provide shareable conversation; the price point allows a return visit. The Pilsen address handles a post-dinner walk.