REVIEW: Go West Restaurant and Saloon
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
When Go West Restaurant & Saloon was looking for a new chef to execute its “contemporary cowboy cuisine,” it found the person it needed in a most logical spot — Austin, Texas.
“My kids had graduated from high school, and I was looking for a change when the Go West opportunity came up,” chef John McEachern said. “I’ve been a chef for 18 years, and my background is with white-tablecloth restaurants. This seemed like an interesting opportunity.”
McEachern, who has been at Go West almost a year, said he has not tried to totally make over the menu.
“I took what we had here and tried to give the dishes more levels of flavor,” he said. “I did a lot of fine tuning.”
We stopped in on a recent weekend night. The dining room was packed, so we took seats at the bar, a move that turned out well. We met Peter, a terrific bartender who also served as our waiter, and Dennis and Barbara, an interesting couple from the Skiatook area who said they dine regularly at Go West.
We shared an appetizer of fried green tomatoes ($9) and a Caesar salad ($5) while waiting on our entrees — chicken and dumplings ($16) and buffalo meatloaf ($17).
The appetizer featured a stack of three fried green tomatoes with melted buffalo mozzarella between the slices and shredded mozzarella sprinkled on top. The tomatoes sat in a pool of smoked tomato vinaigrette.
The Caesar had a traditional preparation, and Go West gave it a twist with a small side of black beans and roasted corn. The whole thing was topped with a Parmesan crisp.
Chicken and dumplings did not represent a classic preparation. The plate held a grilled chicken breast, wilted spinach and gnocchi (small potato dumplings) in a cream sauce. All three items had a sprinkling of cilantro, a bit of an overkill for us.
The meat for the meatloaf came from Fioravanti Bison Ranch near Wagoner. The meatloaf was seasoned with what tasted like chili powder, covered in mushroom sauce and served over roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It came with a side of grilled squash and pepper medley.
A basket of breads, including pieces of jalapeno cornbread, was complimentary.
Among new dishes coming soon on a new menu is fajitas with fries and cowboy beans.
“That’s how they serve them in south Texas,” said Aila Heiskanen Wimpy.
Aila and husband Johnny have owned Go West for two years. Aila also runs the Catering Kitchen, a separate business that operates out of Camp Loughridge.
Go West also caters to individuals and businesses.
The new Go West menu will include 10 lunch items for $9.99 each and a daily special for $6.99.
When weather permits on most Friday and Saturday nights, customers may take advantage of the cowgirl valet and ride a horse from their cars to the restaurant entrance.
To learn if the valet is operating on a specific night, go to tulsaworld.com/gowest and join Slim’s email club or visit the Go West Facebook page.
The dining rooms have a Western theme; a log coffee table in front of the fireplace in the bar dining area holds copies of Western Horseman and American Cowboy magazines.
The restaurant is just a few blocks past the turnoff from Interstate 44 to old Route 66. Turn in front of Bob Hurley Buick GMC to reach the access road to Go West.
Find more restaurant reviews in Thursday's Weekend magazine or tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks.
GO WEST
RESTAURANT
& SALOON
6205 New Sapulpa Road, Sapulpa
918-446-7546
Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; dinner, 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; accepts all major credit cards; dinner reservations recommended.
Associated Images:
Steak, mashed potatos and sauted veggies from Go West in Sapulpa. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
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