Atmosphere: If the inventors of T.G.I. Friday's had grown up in England, they might have come up with something like this raucous theme pub, where walls are covered in soccer flags, old beer signs, painted "views" of Parliament Square and old castles. There are three rooms: a library-style dining area, the large main bar and a rear game room with darts and pool tables. All are filled with large flat-screen TVs; no matter where you sit, you can watch several at once.

The heavily lacquered back bar area is louder and has more standing room, making it convenient for the groups of 20- and 30-somethings who pack in at happy hour or show up late on Friday and Saturday, when a DJ spins dance music and Union Jack's becomes a pseudo-nightclub.

Drinks: There's a decent selection of English beers lurking amid the Bud Light and "Union Jack's Ale." A pint of Fuller's ESB is $6; though you can upgrade to a 22-ounce draft for $2 more. I was happy to see half-liter bottles of Ruddles County, a traditional ale.

Food: American bar food (wings and burgers) meets British pub grub (shepherd's pie and fish and chips).

Happy hour: There are daily specials, such as half-price appetizers until 9 p.m. Wednesday and half-price burgers during Monday's trivia night. Thursday's happy hour draws the biggest and liveliest crowds: Selected beers are $1 from 4 to 5 p.m., with the price rising 50 cents an hour until hitting $3 at 8. Appetizers are $2. And three times during the evening, the bar holds drawings for trips to Puerto Rico, Jamaica and other sunny destinations. No wonder the place is packed.

What people are saying: "I like the atmosphere a lot, and I like the half-price burgers on Mondays," says Tom Harris, who recently moved from New York to Ballston. "On the negative side, the trivia seems too easy."

-- Fritz Hahn (March 6, 2009)