Updating my review as we revisited.
We sat next to the table Edward Blake wrote the first prospectus on, apparently. The front foldout of the menu has a bio of the founding owner Edward Blake, so I studied the menu intently. Unfortunately this is where all the cool history anecdotes end and the food is just mediocre pub fare. While the inside of the house has a thirties ambience, the menu could not be more sports dad. Sandwiches, salads, finger foods. Our double date decided that we would have the chicken wings and nachos for starters. The melted cheese and chili were served over kettle chips which was a pleasant surprise. The wings were alright and probably the highlight of the meal for being not overly breaded yet still crispy. They were spiced enough to not require the honey garlic or hot dip we paired it with.
Our mains were all super greasy and bland. I had ordered the stout beef pie and it tasted like frozen vegetables had been stewed with powder gravy, swimming with gnarled pieces of tendonous minced beef cutoffs. It was served with a blob of mashed potato that resembled a D cup boob. I don't know why I'm making that comparison--it's convenient and was shaped that way?
I had no problems with the service however. The waiters were attentive and fast.
----
First visit: went here with my partner and his colleague, who had gotten a promotion at Blakes (lol). We had reservations and waited for half an hour, the host had sat other parties of 4 and whenever he walked by, seem to utter something incomprehensible and brush past us. We didn't protest, but the waiter seemed to make excuses about the other parties he sat without reservations. We ended up going to the keg.