Little Britain

The best fish n chips ever. Big servings, good prices. The cook will do anything you ask. Great service too. I absolutely love the scotch eggs but they don’t always have them. Even their Burgers are fabulous. Big and juicy. can’t wait till they get their liquor license! Love it, love it, love it.

I thought I had posted this before they closed, but I’ll submit it anyway so they know we miss them! Too bad the greedy landlord of the old location ran them out of their prime location.
I was very excited to see what looked like a true British restaurant nearby, after being saddened by the closing of Brits. I was very happy to learn the couple here previously owned Brits. Of course we ordered our old favorites from Brits: Sausage Roll appetizer, Shepherd’s Pie, Fish & Chips and homemade cheesecake for dessert. The fish was perfect. Light, crispy batter and the fish was firm and juicy. The shepherd’s pie was very flavorful, and extremely filling. It was hard to finish it all, but we managed to eat everything but one sausage roll. The fries were a bit crispy on the outside and very fluffy inside, with a nice flavor. The sausage was very good. It reminded me of breakfast we used to eat growing up, but a little spicier with a stronger flavor.

Dear Little Britain,
I want to try your restaurant, but your dishonest behavior prohibits me to become your customer.
Your «pretending to have kitchen repair» right before Groupon expired is just SHAMEFUL! You just lost probably 560 potential customers, and I am one of it.
I wonder when is your «kitchen repair TODAY» gonna be over? I bet, it will be repaired the day after your Groupon expired.
SHAMEFUL! SHAMEFUL!

Dear Little Britain,
The previous reviewer says most of what I want to say to you. Like them, we also tried and failed to use our Groupon at your restaurant.
I would like to add that not all Groupon customers are «cheap, greedy, and ungrateful». Some of us give high tips if we like the food and service. Some of us use Groupon to find out about and try new restaurants we haven’t been to, and then come back paying full price at the ones we like. However, you seem to have forgotten why you offered a Groupon in the first place, and now you have a lot of people who will leave you bad Unilocal reviews instead of good tips and repeat business.
I have asked Groupon for a refund, and annoyed about having wasted my time and gas to attempt to eat at your restaurant. I will certainly not come back.

We weren’t very impressed with the food. We ordered the banger bites which tasted like cold rubbery sausage, Shepard Pie which was just a bit too salty, and fish and chips which we were happy about. It was alright and it could have been better. I was disappointed that they did not serve beer although they have signs of beer brands all over the restaurant. Very unlikely that we would come back again.
If you are a Groupon customer, GOOD LUCK! I felt like the customer service was based on whether or not you’re paying the full price for the food or not. We walked into the restaurant and the first thing was to confirm whether we are Groupon customers, then the server insisted checking my groupon app to see if the deal was valid and unexpired. Service was really slow and we felt like we were nonexistent. When we got our bill, we were «taught» on how to tip because we «had to» pay gratuity based on the cost of food.

They would not honor a valid Groupon.
An hour of my life I’ll never get back.

An update now that I’ve actually tried the food. Apparently Groupon got to the owners and made them remove the weekend restrictions. I will say the fish & chips was good and the service was adequate; however I won’t return for the following reasons:
1. 100+ degree temperature outside /​no AC inside.
2. Right off the bat we’re told no bangers & mash, no sausage rolls, no desserts.
3. The house salad add on for $ 1.95 looks EXACTLY THE SAME as the $ 5.95 «British Greenery» salad.
4. No liquor license.
5. No free refills on soda /​only ice tea.

Anyone who says the fish and chips here are good needs to have their taste buds examined.
For much cheaper, go to fish king in glendale instead.
The restaurant was so hot in this one hundred degree weather, the owner needs to stop saving pennies

Although the food was still good, my second experience here wasn’t as good as the first. I didn’t hesitate to purchase a groupon since my first experience was so awesome and delicious.
My friend and I decide to drive out to Pasadena, about 20 miles away from us, to get lunch. When we arrive at 2 pm, there was a sign on the door that said they weren’t going to open till 4pm (they were supposed to be open at 12). OK, a little inconvenienced, but we sucked it up and walked around to kill time. When we came back after 4pm, the door was still closed. The lady said they would open up in 30 minutes. OK, now more inconvenienced. So we wait since that’s the whole reason we came out there. When we finally go in and order 2 meals and 2 drinks, the waitress tells us we have to spend at least $ 30 using the groupon. Our total was at about $ 28, not including tax. So we buy an appetizer, which I didn’t think was that good, and was tiny and totally overpriced compared to their other menu items (like $ 8). On top of that, she wasn’t very friendly.
So we eat our food and enjoy it. When our bill comes, it’s $ 24, when it should have been about $ 9. Not only that but she told us that the tip was included. Last time I recall, the tip is optional depending on service. I told her our groupon was good for $ 30, and she was arguing that it was only good for $ 15, even though on the groupon it says «$ 15 for $ 30 worth of food.» After arguing, the bill was finally corrected to $ 9. When we tried to pay with our credit card, she says they only accept credit cards with a $ 15 purchase minimum. Are you kidding me? So now I had to walk to the liquor store next door and take out cash, which I was charged for.
I ended up spending more money in the end using the groupon. Although the food was good, I probably won’t be returning anytime soon.

The «Butchers Hook» mate!!! Homemade BANGERS imported from ENGLAND!
OK so we are the off the beatin’ path diners and frequent mom & pop restaurant shops and hole in the walls all over LA… so this English joint here is the bomb! Run by a woman who knows her stuff and her English husband.
Everything is shopped daily and yes get there late and much items on the menu are gone… rather eaten! We did the basic bangers and Mash for the lad Fish & Chips for my lass! The bangers were awesome and the brown gravy even better. The peas were a perfect compliment and the mash whipped to perfection. The presentation was nice as well not just dumped into one big mess as is sometimes the case. The Fish & Chips were crisp and light and the chips plentiful. Pass the vinegar!
Being a new place (formerly the Lucky Baldwin’s) there is no liquor license (yet ;)) but a store right next door… Brought over the Boddingtons and me lady had a glass of wine. Beer selection good wine not so good but bring your own! It’s all good.
We will definitely be back and this may be my go to place come winter here in cold north Pasadena…

CALL ME NIGEL
I parked by the carniceria Latina with the faded signs, walked past the black & white police cruiser, and left our gritty City of Angels to enter Little Britain. It was a small, humble place. Idealized pictures of London hung on the wall.
I ordered what I always imagined Brits stuff their faces with every day: bangers & mash (sausages and mashed potatoes). My sweetie harbors her own stereotypes and ordered the fish & chips. From the speakers blared songs by the Beatles, played over and over, feeding our UK vibe while chipping at the sanity of their kitchen help.
I don’t wanna face the fact that most Brits listen to American music and actually prefer eating curry. Sometimes, a guy from LA just wants to come here and feel English.
Bangers & mash are vulgarly fun to say, the ultimate comfort food, and I loved the version at Little Britain. I used to think sausages are sausages, but not after these. These bangers were delicious and, I dare say, fit for the Royal Family. You gasp, but I’m good friends with Prince Harry on Facebook. He keeps asking me to wire him money, but I’m not that wealthy and the best I can do is send him an invite to eat here.
As for the fish & chips, I tried some of my sweetie’s and thought it was awesome. However, the huge portion sizes of the deep-​fried fish and thick potatoes fries crossed her threshold — enjoyable became tedious. Perhaps they could do what Mexican joints do and offer combo plates.
Little Britain is a redux of Brits on Colorado Blvd which closed a few years ago. I’m rooting for this underdog to succeed because I’m sick of ramen, burgers, and dim sum. Eating here had me feeling very English, and I was humming «we all live in a yellow submarine» as we left the restaurant and walked to my car. I got in from the passenger side and uttered «bloody hell» upon realizing the steering wheel wasn’t in front of me.

I live equal distance from Little Britain and Lucky Baldwin’s and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Lucky Baldwin’s. At least not for the food.
The service was great and prices were very reasonable for the amount of food you’ll be getting.
The chips were fresh and tasty.
The burger was big and juicy.
The cornish pasty was the big winner of the night.
Fluffy and crispy with servings of mashed potato and Heinz baked beans. I was beyond satisfied. So was my boyfriend who began eating off my plate after his burger.
Best British food in Pasadena? Probably. Better food that Lucky Baldwin’s? Definitely.
I will be going back to try everything and can’t wait till they get their liquor license!

My accomplice and I wanted to get some food close by after a grueling day. Unilocal helped us again on this one, as we were from out of town. We decided to check out this place after seeing the good reviews here.
I got the fish and chips, and my accomplice ordered the Caprese Chicken. We were both satisfied with our meals. For my part, the fish was fried just right, it was juicy, and not oily at all.
There are a few suggestions I’d like to make, however, for improvement. I guess it would be great if they reduced the amount of chips that came with the fish, and enlarged the container of the tartar sauce. I didn’t finish my chips, and I wonder who would be able to finish that amount. And I wanted more tartar sauce for the fish, since after all, the fish was quite large too. I wouldn’t mind paying 12.95 USD for the meal, but I’d rather pay for things that I would definitely eat (not, for example, a huge amount of chips).
My accomplice also did not like how the Caprese Chicken was presented. There was a bed of mashed potatoes, and the chicken was laid on top of it, and the caprese salad was on top of the chicken. She preferred if they were presented not on top of one another on the plate.
Overall, we liked the place. The quality of the food was great, but it could use a few improvements here and there. If that happens, I’d gladly give this place 5 stars. But for now, I’ll settle for 4.

Where do I start!!!
Came here on a Friday night with my sister, wanted to try something different so we thought
why not British food. OMG! I am so glad we did.
I ordered the shepheards pie which was the freshest and greatest combo ever and the ingrediants
were so fresh! My sis ordered the cornish pasty and that crust was just so flaky and full of goodness.
The staff was very polite and on point, and I also overheard the waitress tell one of the other partons
that the cook /​owner buys the veggies everyday so its fresh! I will make this one of my to go spots
when Im in the area.

Love Little Britain! I don’t understand why this place isn’t packed. Prices are low ($ 4-​$ 9 for lunch). Food is amazing. The waitress is super sweet, almost shy. I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about with the bad service but I doubt they’d last a second in Alhambra. Ignore the naysayers in general, their low ratings don’t apply to the food anyways. The owner/​cook knows food. Soooo goood!
Ordered cornish pasty ($ 8.95). Beautiful, huge portion. It looks exactly like the picture. Pasty had a delicate buttery, flakey crust. It was a touch undercooked but you know what… who cares it was GOOD. Filling was peppery. Potatoes were fluffy. Gravy tasted like thanksgiving. I don’t care for beans but was enjoying myself so much I ate them anyways.
For the love of god, ask for dessert. Today they had banana cream pie ($ 5.95). It was a blind baked shortening crust with big chunks of bananas, smooth vanilla custard, fresh cream and raspberry sauce. WOW this pie was fresh. Rivals Pie n Burger, probably better. No, the best! Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu (and desserts).
I’m going back for dinner.

Little Britain has only been open since August 2011, the brain child of a husband and wife team who seem to have extensive experience in the food service industry already. They make opening a new restaurant look easy-​peasy. I say that because I am told that normally it takes at least a year to work out the bugs in a new place. But they wisely kept it small and manageable. So after just 4 months, they are putting out some great food and good vibes.
The menu features several British food items– Fish and chips, Shepherd’s pie, Bangers, Pasties (meat pies, silly, not those self adhesive thingies with tassels for «exciting stage performances or more private entertainment»). Clean your thoughts! Ah hem… so…The menu has other more traditional American menu items, too, sandwiches and salads, for starters.
The dining area is small, attractive, very clean interior, and friendly staff. Then there were the pictures of the royal family including Her Royal Majesty, the Queen. Put that together with some Beatles music and you forget you are in the heart of the Armenian neighborhood in Pasadena. Daring move, old chap!
Then, there is Chef Peter (owner), a transplanted Brit (yep, with accent to prove it) with a warm smile who commandeers the kitchen. He needs NO help from Gordon Ramsey.
So, on to the food.
Fish and chips. When I say one piece of fish, it is not just any average piece of fish, so don’t panic. The size of this «one piece» is like an entire filet from a very healthy fish who knew its way around the block. Huge, as compared to H. Salt (oh, vile place) and a million times better tasting in every way (fish AND batter). Light, crispy batter, delicately tender white fish, fried in good fresh oil, and served with some of the best fries I have ever tasted. The malt vinegar they have on the table is UK imported, and exceptionally good and smooth.
The shepherds pie. If I hadn’t tasted the fish first, I probably would have loved this. The mashed potatoes on top were nicely done, the meat filling, interestingly flavored with a light curry taste. It was good, very good, but I have to admit, I will never look at anything on this menu again, except maybe dessert. Fish and chips it will be, every time.
Service was good. Prices decent for what you get. Our lunch would have been $ 21, but Mr. B insisted on ordering yet another fish filet, a la carte, which rapidly vanished, and a bottle of malt vinegar to add to our pantry. Silly man. When do we fry fish, especially when we can come here?
So, the only let down was they had no desserts today. But rumor has it that the cheesecake is divine. And I have it on authority that it is homemade. Cool.
Yep, another good one to put on your bookmark list, Unilocalers. A five fork salute and Cheerio!

Little Britain is so quaint and cute.
The restaurant is immaculate and this includes the kitchen. The setup of the place allows you to see the kitchen from the dining area.
Also, the service was so warm and friendly.
Now on to the food:
The fish and chips were delicious. The dish comes with a huge piece of fish that is perfectly crunchy on the outside while still being moist and flaky on the inside. I asked for the chips well-​done as I like to pour an unhealthy amount of malt vinegar on them.
The shepherd’s pie was very comforting. There’s just something about meat and potatoes that makes the combination a quintessential comfort food staple.
Although Little Britain does not currently have their liquor license, you can BYOB with no corkage fee. (And there happens to be a liquor store conveniently located next door for you to pick up some Guinness). For those of you who refrain from indulging in any libations, they brew a mean cup of English tea.
I will definitely be back to try the chicken curry and order some more shepherd’s pie!

Moving them up to 5 stars.
Last night a friend and I went for dinner and had a fantastic time. He went for the sole purpose of trying out «The Queen’s fish and chips» that I’d raved about, and I decided to try something new … the chicken curry with basmati rice and mango chutney. He loved the fish and chips, and well, frankly I was AMAZED at the curry. It wasn’t a large serving, but it was perfectly seasoned and the chicken — OMW, I normally try to avoid white chicken breast meat like the plague due to it not being as moist and flavorful as dark meat, but Chef Peter’s experience as a head chef (Ritz in England I believe) paid off because I have to say his oven poaching method of preparing the chicken resulted in the most juicy and succulent chicken breast I’ve ever eaten in my life. Honestly, it was a work of art. My friend took a bite and, as a world traveller, said, «Oh yes, that’s authentic British curry, delicious.» I asked for an extra side of the mango chutney and once I added that to the dish it was stellar. This dish is prepared à la minute (made to order when requested), so it’s always going to be a super fresh-​tasting dish.
Our curiosity got the better of us when we arrived and we decided to try something that sounded weird, this cajun Icelandic cod and goat cheese mixture served on toast points. It sounds awful, but chef Peter came up with it when he opened this place (he used to have The Brit that many of you may remember) and we thought it was a delicious combo and scarfed every morsel.
We were so delighted with the meal that we decided to try dessert and I ordered the pumpkin pie (you never know what he’ll have made for dessert that’s going to be available). It had a generous amount of cinnamon and other spices, and was absolutely lovely.
I recently went in and ordered their plate of butter lettuce cups with choice of chicken curry salad or egg salad. Chef Peter had run out of egg salad, so he went in the back and made it up fresh for me, delicious!!! Another thing he does very well is beef gravy, which he prepares himself from scratch — no shortcuts here, and the flavor tells the story. I also like the English style grilled cheddar cheese sandwich on brioche. You should call to check, to ensure they are still serving, a full English breakfast on the weekend because that’s a very rare find in SoCal.
One can’t say that English food (or British food if you prefer) has a reputation for being the best in the world :), but I have to hand it to Chef Peter for opening this small unpretentious little place that has only one thing in mind — feeding you well. And its convenient location is super easy to get to, exit West 210 fwy at Allen and head north a block to Villa, where it sits on the NE corner (if heading East on the 210, exit Hill and travel east on the Corson fwy access road before turning left/​north on Allen).

British cuisine. Like what Gordon Ramsay says in his intro spiel for «Ramsay’s Best Restaurant», Britain wasn’t really known for its cuisine worldwide. Bangers, mash, peas, chips, meat pies… i was in the assumption that British food was just as dreary as its weather. However, after watching shows like «Kitchen Nightmares» and even «Top Gear», i’ve grown to like and appreciate the former colonial masters. i then began to start wanting to try some of these dishes that i so often hear on the telly
Last night, i was randomly browsing the latest reviews on Unilocal and someone had written something for Little Britain. The reviews piqued my curiosity so much that i decided to pay a visit this afternoon for an English lunch
The one review of the owner’s wife kinda spooked me a bit, but she was pleasant and welcoming. So was the owner himself. Both added in their suggestions and helped me (a totally non-​British person) to get acclimated to their world
i felt pretty hungry and ordered their fish&chips and their Cornish Pasty. i’ve had various versions of fish&chips but collectively, they were fried to bollocks. The ones offered here were the first to taste different. i also wanted to try their version thanks to Ruth K’s review and the mention of Her Majesty herself being an avid patron of their chips. i guess i could see why: the batter was light and airy (not overdone with oil), the fish was flaky and fresh, the chips had a nice potato bite and i loved the peas. i felt the peas were a nice contrast to the fried offerings of the fish and chips. i asked the owner-​chef as to why the addition of peas, and he replied, just because it’s been a part of English tradition since way back when. It wasn’t too salty either, and tartar sauce was the perfect addition of flavour
i randomly heard of Cornish pastys through «Top Gear» and was curious to try. Sounded delicious and when it came out, it was exactly (and then some) as what was described on the menu. Mind you, it’s my first pasty, but it was delightful. The pastry covering was just right and the filling (ground Angus beef, potato and veg) was savoury. The mash was buttery and pillow-​soft (great with the meat gravy) and i like beans, so no complains there either
To me, English food is hearty and honest. It might lack the flair and poshness of their Continental brethren, but it’s solid and comforting. i do plan on coming back to try their dishes. Very recommended~
Cheers!

Came back to Little Britain for dinner, this time towing my mum behind me. There were *plenty* of patrons for the evening, and I was really happy to see it.
Some new notes:
1) If you’re interested in dessert, ask them what they’re serving that day/​evening. I asked and was told that the evening’s dessert was a homemade cheesecake. I’m not a big cheesecake fan, but my mum LOVES the stuff, and so we ordered a slice to share.
Verdict?
Definitely a homemade cheesecake.
Definitely a freaking *delicious* homemade cheesecake.
Just a slice of plain cheesecake, a drizzle of a berry sauce on the plate, two squirts of whipped cream and VOILA! Tasty! The texture was perfect, the crust did not try to impose itself on you at all. Chilled, not overly sweet, and just delightful! A nice finish to the meal.
It’s a testament to how they are really interested in serving their customers good and tasty food, and I love them for it.
2) BYOB! … Little Britain still doesn’t have their alcohol license yet, but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic beverages. Either bring it from home, or stop at the liquor store next door and buy yourself some booze to sit down with. Guinness, anyone?
Dinner was a hit, and I was glad to see parties of 6+ shoving themselves inside. I remain a fan!