West of Pecos Brings Quirky Old West Fare to The Mission

By Tamara Palmer Wed., May 16 2012 at 12:45 PM

Categories: Opening, Palmer

Tamara Palmer

West of Pecos currently uses dorado for whole fish fajitas.

West of Pecos (550 Valencia) opened May 15 in the completely transformed Bombay Bazar space. The former Indian ice cream parlor and market would have never conceived of a Texas longhorn skull as the centerpiece, but it's a perfect touch for this new Old West restaurant from Dylan MacNiven, who also pilots the two locations of Woodhouse Fish Co. with his brothers.

The menu features large plates ($15-22) meant to be shared family style, with twists on classic Southwestern comfort fare like ribs, carnitas, steak, and albondigas. The fish fajitas ($22), for example, come to the table with a whole fish -- in the case of the current offering of dorado, baring menacing teeth and all.

Tamara Palmer

Green chile cheeseburger, served in a flour tortilla.

It wouldn't be a Southwest spot without liberal use of green chile, so here it pops up in skillets of macaroni and cheese ($7) and a huge cheeseburger that comes cleverly cloaked in a flour tortilla, a combination that works with surprising ease. With a focus on mezcal and whiskey, drinks aren't dainty here -- in fact, they're likely to knock you on your keester as swiftly as the food will.

The dining room, divided in two big sections, seats about 100, which made a walk in a breeze even on opening night. For now, the front door is still unfinished and looks like a construction site, but don't let that decoy deter from checking out a promising new place.

Follow us on Twitter at @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.