The Marshall Free House (CLOSED)

NOTE: The Marshall Free House has since closed. The same ownership launched The Traveled Farmer in its stead.


Located at 1211 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, The Marshall Free House offers upscale English pub fare for lunch and dinner. The restaurant includes two bar areas, outdoor seating, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces. A weekend brunch is offered as is a high tea menu.

If nothing else, my first visit to The Marshall Free House served as a testament to the value of experiencing things firsthand. High prices, inconsistent reviews, and a repeatedly delayed grand opening put me off giving this place a try, but in the end, I am more than glad that I did.

To start, the décor is quite impressive. It is easy enough to lay down some dark wood, low lights, and a beer sign or two and call yourself a pub, but The Marshall Free House really nails the details, waltzing right up to the edge of ostentation without crossing the line. The handsome bar areas, communal long tables, homey fireplaces, and other touches make for a comfortable ambiance. Seeing all this in person almost makes the laughably long time it took for this place to open a little easier to understand.

Service is another strong point. The tartan-clad servers are trained to give first-time patrons an introductory sales pitch, something I found overly showy but not altogether unwarranted. That aside, our server, Connor, was personable, knowledgeable, and made several helpful recommendations. Moreover, both food and drink arrived surprisingly quickly after our orders were placed: they run a tight ship here.

Speaking of food and drink, nothing we tried disappointed. An order of Scotch eggs had a great balance of textures (runny yolk on the inside, crispy panko on the outside), and my companion raved about the accompanying dill aioli. The menu offered a number of Anglo-Pub standards (bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, etc.) as well as a few intriguing sandwiches and other options (pork cheeks and pan seared salmon were both earmarked for future consideration). We decided to go classic, however, and did not regret it. My steak and ale pie may have been one of the best-smelling dishes I’ve ever had, and the taste was nearly its equal, tender beef, rich stew, golden brown crust, and all. My companion’s fish and chips, in addition to being absolutely huge, was also flaky and moist, well-breaded, and none too oily. A side of mushy peas, while texturally odd, was ultimately satisfying.

Should you favor a drink, The Marshall Free House is well-provisioned. If the 90-something varieties of whiskey are out of your price range (and they likely are), the beers – including several brewed right across the street at Pig Pounder – leave plenty to like. Our flight included two (Boar Brown and Banana Bread) that won me over, and I am nobody’s idea of a beer drinker.

The one blemish on what is otherwise an excellent dining experience is the pricing. While it is not outright thievery given either the quality of the food or the size of the portions, nearly $20 for fish and chips seems high no matter how much you dress it up, and other offerings are similarly steep. Abandon the pretense of dining at a pub and prepare to shell out for upscale cuisine, and you won’t get hit with sticker shock.

Even before it officially opened last year, The Marshall Free House had won its share of detractors. Prior to my visit, I was poised to place myself among their number. But the food, service, and atmosphere are simply too damn good for me to join the hatedom. I’ll be back.

8.25/10