Spread Eagle Blackburn — Restaurant in Ribble Valley

As a large family group (18, I think), we failed to make the intended preorder. However, the wait to get the food was entirely acceptable. Having 2 coeliacs in the group (which had been advised), we are used to a little extra effort in the kitchen taking longer anyway.

Most of us had starters, as we were eating off the Supper Club Menu at £17.99 for 2 courses, which seemed a reasonable deal in this day and age. I loved the Mediterranean Medley, my wife was happy with her Ham Hock Terrine and others enjoyed the Creamy Garlic Mushrooms and Korean Chicken.

Surprisingly, their Specials Board wasn't communicated in advance but then didn't garner any interest anyway. The Sea Bass with Scallops and Pea & Courgette Risotto (despite adding £3 to the fixed price) was the most popular dish by far and was well presented - though portion sizes were visibly variable and rather modest. They were very, very different from the photograph on their website!

The Risotto was lukewarm and rather bland and the fillets, though the flesh was cooked quite accurately, had the skin a bit soft - as though it had been held, whilst the Scallops were cooked. These were a fraction rubbery on mine but not bad. I love the crunchy skin on a good sea bass but was disappointed. This plate could have been so much better.

Other diners were pleased with their large steak pies - and appreciation was offered for a decent amount of meat in the filling with pastry quite crisp and medium thick. 2 steaks were served spot on as ordered and well-liked, although the additional cost sauces were bland and a bit dry.

The major letdown was the Mixed Grill, where the meat was mostly overcooked to the point my brother-in-law couldn't finish his. It was made worse by an inedible mushroom sauce.

I wouldn't expect to have room for a sweet but found that I did - and loved the Rhubarb Sundae, which is a genuinely good dish. A couple of apple pies went down well also. The choice of drinks was wide and prices per pint were reasonable.

At the end, a discount of 15% was given to us all and we were not all sulking about the evening. However, the consensus was that we wouldn't return or...

A Christmas Dinner That Would Make Scrooge Rejoice

On December 6th, 2024, we braved the festive cheer and attempted to enjoy a Christmas dinner at [Restaurant Name]. We should have stayed home with a tin of beans.

The evening began with a starter of prawns in garlic sauce that were as raw as a polar bear's nose in December. It was a chilling introduction to what would become a gastronomic nightmare.

The main event, a roast turkey dinner, arrived looking more like a mass-produced, frozen meal than a celebratory feast. The potatoes had the texture of cardboard, the gravy was thinner than a politician's promise, and the turkey tasted like it had been injected with a synthetic, flavourless potion. Each bite was a depressing reminder that Christmas had lost its magic, replaced by a sense of deep disappointment and a nagging fear that we'd ingested a chemical compound not intended for human consumption.

The manager, bless her heart, was deeply apologetic and, in a gesture of true kindness, waived the cost of our meal. It wasn't her fault, of course. The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the chef, who appears to have a serious problem with… well, we don't want to speculate. But let's just say that his culinary creations hinted at a severe lack of both culinary skills and a sense of responsibility.

To put it bluntly, our Christmas dinner was a culinary catastrophe, an insult to the festive spirit, and a testament to the fact that even the most cheerful holiday can be ruined by a chef who seems to have mistaken a cooking pot for a petri dish. We'd recommend steering clear of this restaurant, unless you're a fan of raw prawns and synthetically flavored turkey. If you're looking for a Christmas dinner that truly lives up to its name, we suggest you stick to your own kitchen or a good takeout service. You've...

WARNING: SPREAD EAGLE BANS KIDS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY'S

After hearing such rave reviews about the Spread Eagle. We decided to visit. We called in and got a table in the bar.

We ordered some drinks and got some menus and my friends son went to get a kids menu from the bar. We were really hungry and were glad we had found it after traveling for nearly 20 minutes to get there.

We had finally chosen our food and then someone came over to get our order. Thank goodness we were starving and the food on the menu was making us even more hungry.

Then we were in for a big shock. The waitress was in fact the Manager and she informed us that we must leave immediately after we finish our drinks and we could not order food. Kids are NOT welcome on Friday or Saturdays for food. At first, we thought it was a joke. But it was not. She explained that if we had called, she would have told us that children are not allowed on these days. We tried to explain the the child was 12 years old and well behaved but she walked off. Families are in fact banned from eating on these days. As if this is ever acceptable in this day and age.

We were very angry but they didn't care. We went to the bar to complain and we asked a bar tender who the manager's name was, so we could complain, we were told that they do not give managers names.

We explained that we had only bought the drinks to go with our food and would not have bought them otherwise but were told, that was their policy and we were to pay for our drinks and leave. If you have a complaint, just mention the name of the pub, you don't need people's names. If you want to bring in your families, come back during week and you are welcome.

So if you have kids and want a nice family meal, steer well clear at weekends, you are NOT welcome.

Spread Your Eagle Wings and...