Elephant & Castle Pub & Rstrnt   

Attached to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Center City, Elephant & Castle is one in a chain of restaurants with a half-realized imperial British motif that's expressed in both the decor and the cuisine. The most amusing component of the layout is the red, British-style phone booth outside on the 18th Street sidewalk. Inside, the pub/style restaurant serves British- and American-style breakfast, lunch and dinner items, including sandwiches, fish and chips, and fish or meat entrees. Dinner entrees are in the $11-$20 range. The bangers and mash -- sausages and mashed potatoes -- is one of the most popular items on the menu, maybe because it seems the most authentically British. Most diners also give a thumbs-up to the bar, which features British as well as American beers, and to the outdoor deck. Reservations are necessary for groups. Takeout and catering are available. Visa, MC, Amex, Discover and Diners Club are accepted. You'll have to pay for garage parking unless you're a hotel guest. -- David McKenna