1211 Battleground Ave
Greensboro, NC 27408
(336) 792-1999
Exterior View
Bar with 90 Single Malts, 60 Bourbons, 18 Irish Whiskeys, 17 Gins, 12 Cold Draughts, 36 Bottled Beers, 2 Cask Ales, 12 Wines
Dining Area 
Dinner Fish & Chips - $19.75
Dinner Shepherd's Pie - $18.95
This is a review of a restaurant that has a United Kingdom themed menu called The Marshall Free House located in North Carolina in the city of Greensboro. We visited last Saturday, around 2:30 pm. Their sanitation score is currently 95% which is excellent. Walking into the restaurant we were immediately very impressed with the woodwork, interior decor, two bars and it's large size. We were greeted by the host who took us to our booth and served us chilled water. The restaurant had only about four groups of people when we arrived. Later, the waiter came out to greet us dressed in a kilt. Graham is from England and he told us a bit about the restaurant's concept and it's food. I ordered the Shepherd's Pie and Hubby ordered the Fish & Chips. We shared a bit of each with each other since we were anxious to try them both. We also ordered two Diet Cokes which were served shortly after he took our order. We would have loved to try something from the bar, but we don't drink alcohol prior to 5 pm.
I expected some bread & butter and or salad while we waited due to the high price point, but neither is offered. Thankfully, the food came out quickly and it was brought out by the manger. The Fish & Chips that Hubby ordered came out very hot. I was overly anxious to try the fish so I burnt my tongue a bit. It was so incredibly delicious, the best I've had outside of England. It wasn't greasy, it was perfectly cooked and the flavor of the batter was traditional English. If you are ever in the UK, I insist you order Fish & Chips since they are to die for! But until then, I highly recommend you order them from this restaurant. The tarter sauce was awesome! From what I could tell it, it had mayo, lemon and some other ingredients that made it the most perfect tasting tarter sauce. The lemon came with netting on it so that when you squeezed it over the fish the seeds wouldn't fall out. I've only seen that at very expensive restaurants before. The chips aka french fries were a bit on the soggy side, which I prefer but Hubby doesn't normally. He actually liked them and I loved them. It also came with mushy peas which doesn't sound appetizing, but I assure you they are scrumptious. I have been craving their fish and tarter sauce ever since. I hope to go back very soon, so that I can order this dish and Hubby will be lucky if I share any with him. At $19.75, they are the most expensive fish & chips I have ever had by far. The lunch version is $13.95 which is more in line with the price range I expect to pay for this dish. The lower price is only available before 3 pm Tuesday through Friday. They are closed on Mondays. So head on over there then, if you can, so that you can get the lower price.
The Shepherd's Pie didn't have the traditional ground lamb or beef, but instead had pulled pieces of lamb off the shank. Along with the lamb it had peas, carrots and corn below the mashed potatoes. This was such a large portion, it could easily be enough for two people since it has so much lamb in it! If you live close enough, you could take half of it home for another meal later. I have to say I prefer my Scottish Mum's version. I prefer more crispy mashed potatoes peaks on top and not so much lamb but instead more vegetables. Also, I prefer ground beef or ground lamb which is the traditional version that British families make at home. This version is more like a stew which is extremely filling. It would be especially good in the winter since it immediately warms you up. It's priced at $18.95 which isn't too ridiculous considering how much lamb they give you. It's bargain priced at $12.95 for lunch. Perhaps it's a smaller portion during lunch which would be perfect since there is no way you could eat the dinner portion and go back to work and be very productive. This dish is perfect for someone who loves lamb's strong flavor.
Prices are quite high on weekends and evenings, though there are a few items that are lower in price such as the Chicken Sandwich for $13.65, Corned Beef Sandwich for $11.95, The Burger for $13.25 and the Four Cheese Grilled Cheese for $10.95. They also offer High Tea from 3-5 pm Friday through Sunday. Prices for High Tea range from $5.95 to $16.95 depending on size. In addition, they have several very tempting appetizers and some traditional UK breakfast dishes. They offer salads and soups, the most tempting of which is the Guinness Beer & Sharp Cheddar Soup! Last but not least, they offer a couple of Indian curry dishes which you might find strange on a UK menu. If you aren't aware, British families serve Indian food on a regular basis. The Indian immigrants to the UK had an impact on their meals long ago. Chicken Curry & Rice was a regular part of my childhood diet cooked by my Scottish mother and also enjoyed by my English father. I highly recommend you give this restaurant a try and if you can't decide what to order off the menu, try the Fish & Chips! After you visit, come back and let me know your thoughts by commenting below!
UPDATE - May 2016, we visited for lunch to order their Fish & Chips that we normally love and it was horrible. The fish was so thin and small and it was overcooked, greasy and dried out. The chips were so overcooked and dry I couldn't eat them and there was so little fish we left hungry. The mushy peas and the tarter sauce didn't taste the same as before and were subpar. We were extremely disappointed and we will never return. So sad and disappointing! Even the water smelled bad. My husband asked the waitress to smell it and she agreed it smelled bad. Her response was "thank you" and she left with the glass of water. Such an odd response, we were stunned! She didn't bother to offer another beverage nor inform management. Management was no where to be found. Service was horrible even though she only had a couple of customers. My Diet Coke was never refilled and it took them twenty minutes to deliver the food to our table. They only had a couple of customers in the restaurant, so I can not understand why it took them so long to make our food! Also, they were running the fireplace on a hot day with the A/C running, so odd and a waste of electricity. Here's a picture of the food and the fireplace.
I expected some bread & butter and or salad while we waited due to the high price point, but neither is offered. Thankfully, the food came out quickly and it was brought out by the manger. The Fish & Chips that Hubby ordered came out very hot. I was overly anxious to try the fish so I burnt my tongue a bit. It was so incredibly delicious, the best I've had outside of England. It wasn't greasy, it was perfectly cooked and the flavor of the batter was traditional English. If you are ever in the UK, I insist you order Fish & Chips since they are to die for! But until then, I highly recommend you order them from this restaurant. The tarter sauce was awesome! From what I could tell it, it had mayo, lemon and some other ingredients that made it the most perfect tasting tarter sauce. The lemon came with netting on it so that when you squeezed it over the fish the seeds wouldn't fall out. I've only seen that at very expensive restaurants before. The chips aka french fries were a bit on the soggy side, which I prefer but Hubby doesn't normally. He actually liked them and I loved them. It also came with mushy peas which doesn't sound appetizing, but I assure you they are scrumptious. I have been craving their fish and tarter sauce ever since. I hope to go back very soon, so that I can order this dish and Hubby will be lucky if I share any with him. At $19.75, they are the most expensive fish & chips I have ever had by far. The lunch version is $13.95 which is more in line with the price range I expect to pay for this dish. The lower price is only available before 3 pm Tuesday through Friday. They are closed on Mondays. So head on over there then, if you can, so that you can get the lower price.
The Shepherd's Pie didn't have the traditional ground lamb or beef, but instead had pulled pieces of lamb off the shank. Along with the lamb it had peas, carrots and corn below the mashed potatoes. This was such a large portion, it could easily be enough for two people since it has so much lamb in it! If you live close enough, you could take half of it home for another meal later. I have to say I prefer my Scottish Mum's version. I prefer more crispy mashed potatoes peaks on top and not so much lamb but instead more vegetables. Also, I prefer ground beef or ground lamb which is the traditional version that British families make at home. This version is more like a stew which is extremely filling. It would be especially good in the winter since it immediately warms you up. It's priced at $18.95 which isn't too ridiculous considering how much lamb they give you. It's bargain priced at $12.95 for lunch. Perhaps it's a smaller portion during lunch which would be perfect since there is no way you could eat the dinner portion and go back to work and be very productive. This dish is perfect for someone who loves lamb's strong flavor.
Prices are quite high on weekends and evenings, though there are a few items that are lower in price such as the Chicken Sandwich for $13.65, Corned Beef Sandwich for $11.95, The Burger for $13.25 and the Four Cheese Grilled Cheese for $10.95. They also offer High Tea from 3-5 pm Friday through Sunday. Prices for High Tea range from $5.95 to $16.95 depending on size. In addition, they have several very tempting appetizers and some traditional UK breakfast dishes. They offer salads and soups, the most tempting of which is the Guinness Beer & Sharp Cheddar Soup! Last but not least, they offer a couple of Indian curry dishes which you might find strange on a UK menu. If you aren't aware, British families serve Indian food on a regular basis. The Indian immigrants to the UK had an impact on their meals long ago. Chicken Curry & Rice was a regular part of my childhood diet cooked by my Scottish mother and also enjoyed by my English father. I highly recommend you give this restaurant a try and if you can't decide what to order off the menu, try the Fish & Chips! After you visit, come back and let me know your thoughts by commenting below!
UPDATE - May 2016, we visited for lunch to order their Fish & Chips that we normally love and it was horrible. The fish was so thin and small and it was overcooked, greasy and dried out. The chips were so overcooked and dry I couldn't eat them and there was so little fish we left hungry. The mushy peas and the tarter sauce didn't taste the same as before and were subpar. We were extremely disappointed and we will never return. So sad and disappointing! Even the water smelled bad. My husband asked the waitress to smell it and she agreed it smelled bad. Her response was "thank you" and she left with the glass of water. Such an odd response, we were stunned! She didn't bother to offer another beverage nor inform management. Management was no where to be found. Service was horrible even though she only had a couple of customers. My Diet Coke was never refilled and it took them twenty minutes to deliver the food to our table. They only had a couple of customers in the restaurant, so I can not understand why it took them so long to make our food! Also, they were running the fireplace on a hot day with the A/C running, so odd and a waste of electricity. Here's a picture of the food and the fireplace.
I need restaurant suggestions since we just moved to the area. So please comment below! I have several more restaurant reviews in the works, so be sure to stop by again soon or subscribe to my blog. If you are ever in the Raleigh area, check out my restaurant reviews before you go simply by visiting my Restaurant Review Pinterest Board and clicking on the photo of the one you want to read about. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to claim your Free Graze Box.
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