The wait is over - go West (North Western)

[MikeOKC]

The following is from the review 'The Wait Is Over: Go West"

It took David and Rick Haynes about two years to unveil the crown jewel of their growing restaurant empire.

The wait for West was well worth it.

Using the space where Iguana Lounge was born and Magnolia Cafe stood for years, the Haynes brothers have constructed skyward on the sturdy foundation their father built with Johnnie's Charcoal Broiler.
~
But before you ever take a bite of food at West, you'll be dumbstruck by the interior — especially if you ever happened into the Iguana in its late stages. The remodel is worthy of a TV reality show. The brown, tan and concrete interiors with fixtures carefully textured with acoustic-friendly fabric create a setting where J.R. Ewing would've been proud to tip a scotch, but with a patio where shirt-ambivalent Matthew McConaughey wouldn't be afraid to hold a bongo recital. True Western chic, the atmosphere is classy yet casual with enough edge for the kids to ride without scaring away the parents that put them through college.
~~
And the food I've tried has been spot-on. The steak sandwich was juicy and rich. The veggie platter was a seasonal mix over a bed of plump couscous. I sampled the tenderloin and had to be restrained. The vegan nachos with their “cashew cheese” were a revelation.

The complete review: http://mood.newsok.com/the-wait-is-o...#ixzz18FPh0ytd

[jbkrems]

I went earlier this week... it was pretty good, but I want to go back and try some different items.

[OKCMallen]

Pricey for the entrees other than pastas. Alcohol prices, as expected, are astronomical. ($5 for Coors Light draft. Insulting, really.) I had the sweet potato fries as a split appetizer. The dipping sauce, a remoulade, was really good. The bowtie pasta with smoked salmon, also really good. Neither was just terrific, but both really good. The bowtie pasta with salmon had a light cream sauce. Portions were just right (not too much, not too little) and the flavor on the pasta was subtle. I could have used more oomph, but that's a personal preference.

Interior is really cool. I'd like to hang out there, but it's definitely on the high side of average cost. Worth it for above-average dinners or if money is no object.

[jbkrems]

I would add that some of the appetizers are also over-priced. I ordered the chicken quesadilla, which was somewhat bland, for $9.00, and I didn't think it was worth it for the price. I did think the salmon entree was reasonably priced, as was the dessert. I did not think very highly of the dessert quality for the peach tart, and I want to try the chocolate pudding, instead.

[kevinpate]

Seems to me that in general terms appetizers and salads have been going up more rapidly than entrees. I've wondered if it might be due to folks eating lighter and focusing on apps and salads and foregoing entrees. Never been a game plan for this particular carnivore, but I do have several friends who eat way lighter now than before.

[jbkrems]

I thought the price points on their soups and salads was good. I would pay $9 for a quesadilla app if it was really super good... problem is, theirs was not and was bland. Plus the flavor profile was not the same as the menu described... it was over-priced for the quality; they should have charged $7 or $8 for that.

[icecold]

Seems to me that in general terms appetizers and salads have been going up more rapidly than entrees.

This has become one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate that I have to spend $3.95, sometimes more just to get a side salad. Mark-up on that is absurd.

[okclee]

What is the story for the building being demolished behind West?

Noticed yesterday that the demo workers were tearing everything down behind the West location.

[john60]

($5 for Coors Light draft. Insulting, really.)

This exact same thing stood out to me after my experience there. It is a small thing, and shouldn't be a big deal, but it just irks me. I really do think West has the most expensive Coors Light in Oklahoma City.

[OKCMallen]

This exact same thing stood out to me after my experience there. It is a small thing, and shouldn't be a big deal, but it just irks me. I really do think West has the most expensive Coors Light in Oklahoma City.

Here here. It shouldn't be a big deal, but that is an absurd price for a Coors Light draft. I'll expect to pay $5+ for a craft beer, a COOP, a Hoegaarden, etcf. But not for Miller Lite, Bud Light, or Coors Light. It will, seriously, discourage me from returning.


Plus, I just don't have much personal use for that type of restaurant/price point. Either we go out big (RED), or we go out cheaper (RePUBlic, Iron Starr, Iguana Grill, Picasso's, etc). I don't want to go spend $70 on a plain ol' dinner for a random night.

[BBatesokc]

Went there today for lunch with friends. First thing we noticed is they have no parking. We had to park on the street and the place was only 1/4 full at 12:30pm. We asked where people park on weekend nights when its busy and the waitress said they park across the street and walk.

The decor is really nice though and the waitstaff was very pleasant.

I ordered the Johnnie's Theta - came with a side (got the whipped sweet potatoes) for $9. It was really good and much better than Johnnie's. (see photo)
A friend got the Johnnie's Caesar with fries - $9. He really liked it. It was huge, and a huge mess.
Another friend got the tenderloin sandwich with mac and cheese - $12. He said the meat was tough and the sandwich just fell apart and had to be eaten with silverware. But he said the mac and cheese was excellent.

We also had some sweet potato fries to share for $5. They were very tasty.

Overall the lunch and atmosphere were pretty good and I'd definitely go back.

I would add that some of the appetizers are also over-priced. I ordered the chicken quesadilla, which was somewhat bland, for $9.00, and I didn't think it was worth it for the price.

The thing that shocks me is that a chicken quesadilla is considered an appetizer? More of an entree to me. I hope anyone ordering one is sharing it.

[jbkrems]

The chicken quesadilla indeed was bland and over-priced. It also was not large enough to be considerd an entree at West. But I have since returned to West and ordered the pork tenderloin, which was delicious and also the tomato basil soup, which was pretty good, but needed to be strained a bit more, so I did not care for the texture, although the flavor was good.

[Dustin]

Now THATS a burger!

[onthestrip]

I went last week, here are my thoughts:
The menu is all over the place. Averaged (maybe some a buck too high) priced apps, soups and salads for the area, then several pastas ranging from $11-14. But then it goes to entrees that are a la carte and priced very high. Seared tuna and salmon were about $20 and then you had to order a side, this is just way too much. I ordered the organic half chicken which came with two sides already and was only $15, seemed reasonably priced and was good. Then they offer a filet that was $34 without a side as well. I can get much better filet at about the same price at the Ranch or I could get the $25 fixed price menu filet from Red Prime complete with an app, side and dessert. I just didnt understand their menu. One person could go there and spend $11 on a pasta and their date could drop $40 on a steak and side. Most apps and entrees should be priced $1-4 cheaper, not to mention the $5 coors light.

As far as the building: Beautifully done remodel, especially on the exterior. The inside was nice as well, however I was hoping for more of a bar-ish type atmosphere. A little louder and more TVs would have been great. I say this because it would be great to have an alternative to Republic. With the business that Republic has done, I would think someone would try to mimmick their atmosphere and setup. We are a big league city now with 82 televised Thunder games a year and many OSU/OU events too, more TVs at places would be great. Im tired of only having Republic and Buffalo Wild Wings to choose from. Ill go back some Im sure, but not as much as I was hoping. It looked like the patio was nice and they might be a draw but I was somewhat disappointed overall. Keep in mind though that these are my just my selfish, sport-watching opinions.

@BATES There is a parking lot behind Panera that appeared to be dedicated to West.

[BBatesokc]

@BATES There is a parking lot behind Panera that appeared to be dedicated to West.

that's the "across the street" I was referring to.

I think the lack of TV's and high domestics is a sure sign they don't want that crowd. I used to work the food business back in my bartending days and often a restaurant would intentionally raise the price on domestics to keep people from turing the place into a 'bar.'

Personally, I'd put another TV at the bar and run Happy Hour Specials with reasonable apps and domestics until 6:30-7pm and then raise the prices and cut the TV's after that.

I think i'm the flip side of you OnTheStrip. I personally can't stand BWW or other traditional 'sports bars' - too loud, too crowded with meat heads and often crappy food.

[onthestrip]

I think the lack of TV's and high domestics is a sure sign they don't want that crowd. I used to work the food business back in my bartending days and often a restaurant would intentionally raise the price on domestics to keep people from turing the place into a 'bar.'

Personally, I'd put another TV at the bar and run Happy Hour Specials with reasonable apps and domestics until 6:30-7pm and then raise the prices and cut the TV's after that.

I think i'm the flip side of you OnTheStrip. I personally can't stand BWW or other traditional 'sports bars' - too loud, too crowded with meat heads and often crappy food.

Never have heard of that method regarding high priced domestics. Sounds like it would work. I dont drink much domestic these days anyways and Im not just a bar diner. I like fine dining and there are many of those types of places around that stretch of Western. I just want a few more options of these gastropub type places. Somewhere that I can sit at the bar or booth, watch a game on TV or at least have it on in the background, drink good beer and eat good food that is reasonably priced, all in a smoke free enviroment...thats all Im looking for, a couple more of those.

[BBatesokc]

RePUBlic is probably my favorite for that type of atmosphere. They obviously fill a much desired niche. The decor in West is actually what I thought the new 501 would look like.

[OKCTalker]

It's been covered here also: http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=23386

[metro]

@onthestrip, not to nitpick. But prix fixe is $35 at Red Prime, not $25.

[BBatesokc]

@onthestrip, not to nitpick. But prix fixe is $35 at Red Prime, not $25.

And is an excellent meal to share, making it very affordable to eat there!

[OKCMallen]

Went back on Saturday, and likely won't go again. It's jsut so average, the price is too high. I had a "medium rare" ahi tuna entree that was cooked pretty much the entire way through, which made it border on kinda weirdly gross. We were all splitting bottles of wine, so that jacked up the cost of course. Booths are better than tables- you get the feeling you're fairly crowded at the tables.

Best part of the meal were the sweet potato fries and remulouade (sp?).

To their credit, I didn't complain about the entree because it was busy and didn't want to make the table wait, so I didn't give them a chance to make it right. But when you spend $70 after tip, you expect a certain level of food. The service was fine.

This is a place for old rich people to feel young and chic, and young and chic people to feel old and rich.

[BillyOcean]

^^^^^^^^
I have eaten there 3 times now hoping for it to be a new regular spot as it is so close to my home, but i come away with the same thought each time.....the food is slightly above average, with not alot of flavor and never as warms as it should be. I have wanted to go back for a happy hour, but that may change as I am not paying $5 for a domestic draft.