Even though The Public House at the Alexander has the same menu, friendly service and tasty grub as its older, more established sibling south of town, the two are, well, different.

The main dissimilarity between them is the space at the newer location feels too much like a warehouse with its high ceilings and concrete floor. The black and white photos of the Alexander Film Co., the original tenants, do enhance the decor, just not enough.

As previously noted, the menu is the same at both places. I purposely ordered items I’d never tried at the original location. We started with locally sourced pretzel knots ($10). The two in our order were tan in color, shimmered with a buttery coating, dusted with coarse sea salt and served with house-made queso and spicy mustard. The creamy, slightly piquant, white queso was excellent and perfect for dipping pieces of the airy but chewy pretzel knots. The mustard was average by comparison.

The bill of fare includes a lot of sandwiches, a few salads, some handhelds and what’s called “Knife and Fork.” The Colorado Cheesesteak ($17) was exceptional. Shaved steak bathed in melted cheddar cheese, including some of the house queso, with grilled onions and green chile filled a hoagie roll. The meat was tender, but it was the combination of the cheese and chile that made this a palate pleaser.

Sandwiches come with a choice of standard sides, including slaw, pub fries and side salad. Premium sides include Brussel sprouts, asparagus and onion rings. The latter were a $1 upcharge and were disappointing. They were appropriately crunchy, but the coating overwhelmed the onion flavor.

Pot roast ($23) seemed out of place on the menu but I decided to give it a try. It was served with homemade mashers and came with a choice of asparagus or Brussel sprouts. Thick, rich red wine-base demi-glace hid the substantial serving of beef that had been cooking for so long it easily shredded and didn’t need cutting.

The skin-on mashed potatoes had just the right amount of gravy; the roasted Brussel sprouts were impressively glazed with balsamic vinegar which further enhanced the grilled onions and bacon bits — of which there were many. This is the way the minicabbage look-alikes should always be prepared! (Of course, they are only part of the cabbage family and not, in fact, diminutive versions.)

Perhaps it isn’t fair to suggest I have a favorite Public House location, but I do. I like the energy of the always-busy original. At the Alexander, the scene was just too restrained. I know this might seem like a weird observation, but the tables were far apart from one another. Yes, it was easier to converse without having to raise voices. However, the result simply illustrated how big the place is.

There’s also an outdoor patio and an even larger dining room besides the main area. This is simply a large place. The rich history of the Alexander deserves to be preserved. I just would like to see it combined with the vibrancy that exists at The Public House’s other location.

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The Public House at the Alexander

Pub fare

Location: 3104 N. Nevada Ave.

Contact: 719-375-8495; thepublichouseco.com

Prices: $10 to $23

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Colorado Cheesesteak.

Other: Gluten-free and limited vegan options available.