Review last updated October 12, 2007
Richmond Arms
The Richmond Arms is a great English-style pub. With an elevated bar area & a separate elevated darts area, a large main room, and a side room separated off by a double-sided fireplace, it's roomy and inviting, yet still manages to have dark nooks to hide away in. It has the wonderful dark wood paneling of the Red Lion, but it's missing the comfy red leather booths the Lion has.
Also, the food at the Arms is not nearly as good as Red Lion's. Which is not to say that it's bad, but the Red Lion's is just on a different level (in price as well as quality). The Arms just offers sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, and some standard English-style pub fare such as bangers & mash, fish & chips, cottage pie, and Scotch eggs, at very reasonable prices. The drinks are also a touch cheaper.
Also like the Red Lion, the Richmond Arms is popular, so we prefer to go during the day or on weeknights. And they both have a large patio in the front, but the Arms' patio is probably three times the size, with about 10 picnic tables and benches. They even mist the air out there during the summer, to keep it cool.
Unlike the Red Lion (yeah, sorry about the endless comparisons, but they really are kind of similar), the Richmond Arms has a sizable dart room. It also has more televisions, and a very large projection screen in the main room, so it's a better place for sports events. Now, if that makes you unhappy, don't worry - the big screen television isn't always on, and the staff is willing to turn down the volume on the televisions in the smaller rooms when you want to be able to chat in peace.
Also, the Arms has a jukebox. Not so at the Lion.
The menu claims that the Arms is the oldest "and original" English-style pub in Houston, established in 1979, and it shows off its English heritage, regularly showing European sports and offering what it says is the largest selection of British beers in Houston.
By:
Hilary
Address
5920 Richmond Ave Houston TX 77057 (map)
Additional Information
Phone number: (713) 784-7722
Directions
The pub is located just west of the Galleria area, on Richmond (unsurprisingly :)), on the north side of the street. It's a stand-alone building with plenty of parking towards the back.