Firkin & Fox is good food, friends and fun!

The Firkin & Fox is Carson City’s English-style pub where the beer is cold, the food is hot, and the folks are friendly. Going with pop to the pub for a pint is tradition for a lad or a lassie in the old country. At Firkin & Fox, pub crawling isn’t just for the guys. Families and friends gather to lift a cold one and have some good honest food. Most of all, it’s a lot of fun!

Located on the lower floor of the historic St. Charles Hotel, directly across from Nevada’s state legislative building, Firkin & Fox is the place to meet for locals, visitors, and Nevada politicians.

If you stop in on a regular basis, “everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.” How do you know? They tell you so.

“So what’s a firkin?” I asked on my first visit. Many beer drinkers will know this, especially if they’re British. But for the rest of us, a firkin is a nine-gallon wooden keg with a metal spout. The fox in this case doesn’t run from the hounds. Like all good pub crawlers, he hangs out by the firkin.

At Firkin & Fox you can guzzle Ginness, Smithwick’s or Bass on tap in 16 and 20 ounces; all others are 16 ounces including New Belgium, Boddingtons, New Castle Brown Ale and more. Eleven of the sixteen draughts have their own specific glasses.

“Customers say the special glass makes the beer taste better,” said owner Jim Phalan, sporting a t-shirt with the motto, “It’s about Firkin time.” A line near the top of a New Belgium bowl-shaped glass indicates where the head begins. “Beer should be poured with just the right amount of head because the head adds flavor,” Jim explained.

Inside the restaurant, booths and tables are plush and cozy – all red velvet, wood and brass. Two bars, one with gaming, offer plenty of elbow room. In summer, the party moves street-side to a large patio, flanked with wrought iron rails and colorful flower boxes, stretching the length of the building along 3rd Street. For my money, this is the place to be on a warm summer night, hangin’ with friends on a Friday – good times, good food, good beers.

For starters, our table chose a spicy Frito Misto – crispy calamari, green beans and onions – served with a delicious Bourbon chipotle dipping sauce. Very tasty! For entrées we stuck to traditional pub foods: Tasty Bangers and Mash was served with a side of Coleman’s hot mustard, a must for those who like spice because English pork sausages are very mild; Steak and Mushroom Pie was rich and flavorful; English Fish ‘n’ Chips included crisp fried potatoes and Atlantic cod cased in a light, crispy beer batter made with Butler’s Amber Ale. This was lip-smakin’-good sprinkled, in the traditional English way, with dark vinegar. In England, you would find thicker, softer potatoes. But American’s like crispy, and these chips delivered crunch.

The Frito Misto and Fish ‘n’ Chips both arrived on parchment paper printed like a news sheet from The London Royal Times; fun to read while you eat.

Most folks will find something to like from tasty appetizers and hearty salads to sandwiches, burgers and franks, ribeye, salmon, and homemade chili. The chef whips up daily specials, and many items are weekly Firkin features: Monday, meatloaf; Tuesday, hearty beef stew; and so on. Fridays are fresh catch-of-the day; Saturday and Sunday, loosen your belts for prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. If you think wine is a better match with prime rib than beer, there’s a nice selection of good labels including Rombauer, Scott Harvey, Ferrari Carano, Chateau St. Michele, and Nevada’s own Tahoe Ridge.

The Firkin & Fox is an international chain with headquarters in Toronto, Canada where there are 30-plus locations. Twenty franchises operate in the United States. Carson City owner Jim Phalan and his well-trained, personable staff have made such a success of the business, he will soon take over management of another Firkin pub in central California.

If you’ve been there, you’re glad you came. If you haven’t, “it’s about Firkin time!”

Firkin & Fox is open daily from 11 a.m. For menu details, Happy Hours, special events and more, visit the website www.thefirkinandfox.com.