Sherlock's Pub... Texas Style

Any time I am in a different city, I like to search out if there are any Sherlockian spots of interest, much to chagrin of my wife and daughter.  On a recent trip through Texas, I discovered that there is a regional chain called Sherlock's Baker Street Pub and Grill.  Lo and behold, there was one right down the street from our hotel in Arlington!

I can only speak to the Arlington location, but from what my friend in Austin told me, they seem to be pretty similar in each city.  When I first came across the Google result, I expected a quiet pub that served fish and chips.  Like a true detective, I didn't do any more searching than that.  So I was surprised to find Sherlock's to be a large restaurant in a strip mall.  We walked in to the sounds of Bon Jovi and plenty of sports on the TVs around the bar.  

Once my initial shock wore off, I could see a lot of Sherlockian touches.  The main bar/restaurant is an odd mash up of sports bar and Victorian theme.  The Baker Street signpost and leather sitting chairs offset the Golden Tee machine and Corona banners.  The walls are covered with memorabilia, ala Applebee's, but it is all Victorian themed.  The wall decorations included old newspaper headlines, Victorian style pictures, and lots and lots of books (Okay, most of them were Reader's Digest condensed classics, but give the place points for trying).

My family settled into a booth and checked out the menu.  I had mixed opinions about the place, but the menu does not fall into this category.  Not being too hungry, we kept it simple: a bacon cheddar burger and Watson's Chicken Tenders (My daughter is seven.  Every new restaurant is a chance to have more chicken tenders.)  Both meals were great!  Like I said, we didn't get too adventurous.  On a return trip, I would've liked to try the London Platter or Baja Tacos, but we left full and happy.  Being a sports bar, there was an extensive drink menu, but the wife and I stuck to tried and true favorites: draft beer and margarita.  

While we waited for our food, I convinced my daughter to walk around the rest of the building so I wouldn't seem like an oddball looking at all of the decorations by myself.  The dining area is a nice, large space, with more seating outside on a patio.  A nice touch was a British phone booth that had been turned into a phone charging station.  I expected that to be the end of it; and then I saw the game room!  The Sherlockian/Victorian theme is completely abandoned once you pass into this room, but there are scores of pool tables and dart boards, with the walls decorated with British rock bands.  Another room off of the game room has a large stage and seating for the bands that play the bar each weekend.  

All in all, Sherlock's Baker Street Pub and Grill was a nice surprise.  It clearly wasn't the quiet British pub I had imagined, but for a sports bar, it was a nice place.  If I lived around one of the locations throughout Texas, I could see it being a spot I would frequent with friends (and maybe my daughter because she LOVED the chicken tenders).  If you find yourself in Texas, I would recommend checking it out if there's one in near you.  But listen to the Great Detective, and don't overdo it with the alcohol.