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The Westside Local opened in July amid lots of buzz. Managing partner Troy McEvers had worked at the popular Free State Brewery in Lawrence, and he introduced Rick Martin, another Free State Brewery veteran, as Westside's consulting chef.
McEvers took over an empty storefront space near the corner of 17th Street and Summit, adding another locally focused restaurant to the hilltop that's already home to the Blue Bird Bistro, Fervere Bakery and the Los Alamos Market y Cocina (where, last time we checked, patrons were going through more than 500 pounds of homemade menudo every weekend; The Pitch named Los Alamos "Best Mom and Pop" in 2007). The Westside Local space was beautifully designed, with shiny hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and an interesting selection of works by local artists. And it was the perfect time of year to debut an outdoor beer "garden" (actually an enclosed beer patio, but no less charming).
I heard gushing from some diners who paid early visits, but I also heard reports of a few faults that have continued to haunt the place. And now that the restaurant has been open for two months, those faults are the kinds of problems that need to be corrected now.
There are so many reasons to like the Westside Local, I feel guilty about pointing out the little problems — well, a couple of them aren't so little — that have yet to be fixed. It's a restaurant with a lot of potential and just a handful of annoyances. But as a friend of mine, a restaurant-industry veteran, pointed out after dining there once: "First impressions are everything, especially in a bad economy. And Westside Local's staff just doesn't give a shit."
There is some question as to who is actually running the kitchen at this point. Martin designed the current menu and has received a good deal of positive publicity for it. McEvers has told me that Martin, who is still employed at the Free State Brewery, has not "made the transition" to full-time executive chef at the Westside Local.
It seems obvious to me that the rangy, bearded McEvers — artist, designer, beer enthusiast — clearly wants to put his own imprint on the restaurant, and maybe that extends to the culinary side of the venue, too.
In designing his menu — an array of bistro-meets-brewhouse dishes — Martin may have been inspired by traditional saloon fare from the 19th century. Back when neighborhood taverns competed for business by offering snacks or free lunch spreads — cured meats, salty cheeses, hard-boiled eggs — the food was a loss leader, but it encouraged patrons to drink more.
The Westside Local's snacks — or starters, if they're preludes to bigger meals — include versions of those saloon standards: really excellent deviled eggs drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette, sardines and pickles, and a charcuterie plate (not elaborate, but it does include a dollop of Braunschweiger, that delectable, soft smoked pork-liver sausage, and paper-thin slices of pink La Quercia ham, "the American prosciutto"). If there were a heavily mustachioed bartender in a starched white shirt manning the ridiculously tiny bar, the Westside Local would have the whole retro thing down.
"They just need a good bartender," my friend Truman complained after he requested a very dry martini and was served a cocktail with so much sweet vermouth, he said, "I could marinate a turkey in it."
Truman and I were dining with Sharon, Ross and Carol Ann; Truman and Ross both sent their martinis back. I'm not convinced that it was the bartender's fault, however, because the waitress seemed clueless about the nuances of a dry martini.
"Maybe most people who come here just drink beer," Ross said as he looked over the lengthy list of ales and beers. "Most of the dishes here can be paired with beer. The food menu doesn't even mention wines."
None of us drank wine that night, although it might have tempered Truman's big fat mouth as he complained, loudly, that his dinner of braised rabbit was overcooked and not hot. I took a taste and agreed that the lukewarm lapin was a little stringy, although the sauce, an autumn-inspired creation of apples, onions and leeks, was extraordinary.
Ross had ordered that night's special, which turned out to be another splendid fall dish: a hash of chopped vegetables (mostly potatoes) with bacon, topped with a fried egg and a generous spoonful of satiny hollandaise sauce. "If it were hot," Ross said, "it would be outstanding. And I wish it had been served with some kind of bread."
His dish needed the grilled baguette slices that came, inexplicably, with Carol Ann's pasta: two oversized, plump, round ravioli stuffed with sheep's-milk cheese and blanketed with an exceptional roasted onion cream.
Sharon nibbled on a salad of sliced beets, arugula, fennel and fresh grapefruit, while I enjoyed every luscious bite of a seared salmon burger made with wild-caught coho and roasted onions. I ordered the dish in spite of our server's incompetent description, which made it sound like a low-rent crab cake.
That night's desserts, created by young pastry chef Jessica Rector, were excellent: a slightly tart but intensely delicious deep-red sorbet made with raspberries and blackberries, and a contrived layered confection, heavily dusted with cinnamon and called tiramisu. Tiramisu it wasn't, but as an ersatz Napoleon, it was very tasty.
I sampled two of Rector's finer creations on another visit after an excellent lunch — a flawless meal, actually — that included what might be the city's best BLT, on grilled Farm to Market sourdough. That afternoon's sweets included a silky cantaloupe mousse in a tuile cookie cornucopia and a tiny chocolate cake — smaller than a cupcake, even, heavily frosted with a fresh blackberry icing.
That day I dined with Bob, who proclaimed the Summit burger — made with ground rib-eye — the finest hamburger he had ever tasted. And the garlic fries? Fantastic! The service was perfect, the energy of the pretty dining room was soothing and comfortable (unlike the wooden church pew I was sitting on, which was torture). That day, the Westside Local felt like the year's most promising new restaurant.
It's just up to McEvers and his staff to live up to that promise.
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Hello Pitch readers! Just want to inform you that the Westside Local has gone through a few behind-the-scenes transformations, and we've worked out many of the kinks referred to in this article. Please come by and chat with the new owner, try the menu designed by our new chef, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the Beer Garden. And even if it's not with us, Keep it Local!
The problems addressed in this review are very accurate and have not been fixed two months later. Having locally grown and produced menu items is a fantastic idea, but the Westside Local cannot seem to keep up with demand. There were only three sandwiches on the menu that night; the salmon burger and chicken sandwich were noticeably absent. Additionally, the waitress mentioned several other items that were no longer available. More variety is needed if they want to survive.
I ordered the Westside Roastbeef sandwich, a hot item served with au jus. My sandwich arrived after 45 minutes and managed to be two types of cold; the most noticeable being that it was never heated thoroughly and the second that the heated areas had been sitting idly for some time. The cheese looked and tasted like a crayon that had been through the dryer in a pocket and discovered a week later. I ate two bites and sat there trying to get the attention waitress; twenty-five minutes later she finally stopped by. By then I had lost my appetite completely, so I asked her not to bring a replacement. My husband's burger inexplicably came on a standard bun, rather than the brioche the menu indicated. The owner came over and apologized for my sandwich and offered to buy my dessert, which I declined. Our server officially stopped caring about us completely after the sandwich debacle (which I felt we handled really well).
On the plus side, we did enjoy a nice cheese and fruit plate that we hand-selected from their Localities menu. Each item is only $2, and while the servings of cheese were quite generous, the apple was about enough for drink garnish. The beer selection is amazing and worth the trip, but beware if you are hungry.
The problems addressed in this review are very accurate and have not been fixed two months later. Having locally grown and produced menu items is a fantastic idea, but the Westside Local cannot seem to keep up with demand. There were only three sandwiches on the menu that night; the salmon burger and chicken sandwich were noticeably absent. Additionally, the waitress mentioned several other items that were no longer available. More variety is needed if they want to survive. I ordered the Westside Roastbeef sandwich, a hot item served with au jus. My sandwich arrived after 45 minutes and managed to be two types of cold; the most noticeable being that it was never heated thoroughly and the second that the heated areas had been sitting idly for some time. The cheese looked and tasted like a crayon that had been through the dryer in a pocket and discovered a week later. I ate two bites and sat there trying to get the attention waitress; twenty-five minutes later she finally stopped by. By then I had lost my appetite completely, so I asked her not to bring a replacement. My husband's burger inexplicably came on a standard bun, rather than the brioche the menu indicated. The owner came over and apologized for my sandwich and offered to buy my dessert, which I declined. Our server officially stopped caring about us completely after the sandwich debacle (which I felt we handled really well). On the plus side, we did enjoy a nice cheese and fruit plate that we hand-selected from their Localities menu. Each item is only $2, and while the servings of cheese were quite generous, the apple was about enough for drink garnish. The beer selection is amazing and worth the trip, but beware if you are hungry.
I couldn't agree more. Great spot, food has possibilities but the waitstaff are at best lazy and at worst assholes. They apparently never learned that waiting tables is a pay for performance job.
I've been there several times, had several different waiters and have yet to have good service. Decent once but never good.
I couldn't agree more. Great spot, food has possibilities but the waitstaff are at best lazy and at worst assholes. They apparently never learned that waiting tables is a pay for performance job. I've been there several times, had several different waiters and have yet to have good service. Decent once but never good.
i really despise this place, they not only disrespect everyone that comes in the door, they beat their pets, hate the environment and even think that walmart is unamerican. i would say anyone would be better off simply going to, at the very least, someplace that has heat lamps and microwaved burgerlands.
i really despise this place, they not only disrespect everyone that comes in the door, they beat their pets, hate the environment and even think that walmart is unamerican. i would say anyone would be better off simply going to, at the very least, someplace that has heat lamps and microwaved burgerlands.
this place has a beautiful interior; after that it is a downhill experience to nowhere. Do not expect good service, decent drinks or hot food. The owner hasn't a clue about what makes a restaurant tick and this ignorance is ladled out to the staff by the bucket-load. It will not be in business a year from now--just an unpleasant memory.
this place has a beautiful interior; after that it is a downhill experience to nowhere. Do not expect good service, decent drinks or hot food. The owner hasn't a clue about what makes a restaurant tick and this ignorance is ladled out to the staff by the bucket-load. It will not be in business a year from now--just an unpleasant memory.
I could not agree more with this review. I went to Westside Local a few weeks ago and loved it. Then, for my friend's birthday, I suggested we go back. What a mistake.
First, our hostess, she of the "doesn't give a shit" variety, acted like we were crazy for not having made a reservation. Would we be willing to sit on the patio? Of course, as it was an especially lovely day. Then we watched as this woman sat table after table of patrons. All of whom received their food (some of whom had eaten and left) by the time our food arrived.
Before our food arrived however, the owner of the restaurant stopped by our table. When I informed him that our food was taking a very long time, he responded as follows:
1. This isn't a fast food restaurant
2. Americans (a group his Midwestern accent strong implied he belongs to) like to come to eat at the same time, silly Americans.
So, in sum, I'm an uncultured ugly American, unable to discern fast from fine dinning, encumbered by the bourgeois need to eat within a reasonable time of my ordering. This is not a way to assure repeat business.
Just because my ears are spacer-free, my arms are tattoo-less, and I'm not wrapped in scarves (i.e., I don't look like a Brooklyn hipster), doesn't mean I'm unfamiliar with how non-fast food restaurants operate or worthy of such a condescendingly delivered put down.
Other, less noteworthy issues continued: the proprietor offered to buy us dessert, which he never did, my sandwich arrived cold, and we had to wait an additional 15 minutes or so for our check.
Obviously the lunch rush is a hectic time. But a kind, not derisive, word from the owner, would have made all the difference.
I could not agree more with this review. I went to Westside Local a few weeks ago and loved it. Then, for my friend's birthday, I suggested we go back. What a mistake. First, our hostess, she of the "doesn't give a shit" variety, acted like we were crazy for not having made a reservation. Would we be willing to sit on the patio? Of course, as it was an especially lovely day. Then we watched as this woman sat table after table of patrons. All of whom received their food (some of whom had eaten and left) by the time our food arrived. Before our food arrived however, the owner of the restaurant stopped by our table. When I informed him that our food was taking a very long time, he responded as follows: 1. This isn't a fast food restaurant 2. Americans (a group his Midwestern accent strong implied he belongs to) like to come to eat at the same time, silly Americans. So, in sum, I'm an uncultured ugly American, unable to discern fast from fine dinning, encumbered by the bourgeois need to eat within a reasonable time of my ordering. This is not a way to assure repeat business. Just because my ears are spacer-free, my arms are tattoo-less, and I'm not wrapped in scarves (i.e., I don't look like a Brooklyn hipster), doesn't mean I'm unfamiliar with how non-fast food restaurants operate or worthy of such a condescendingly delivered put down. Other, less noteworthy issues continued: the proprietor offered to buy us dessert, which he never did, my sandwich arrived cold, and we had to wait an additional 15 minutes or so for our check. Obviously the lunch rush is a hectic time. But a kind, not derisive, word from the owner, would have made all the difference.
We've enjoyed the food, but the service is positively weird Ten seconds after being seated we will be asked to place our drink order. Well, it is a "gastropub."
We would like to decide what we will be eating before ordering the drinks to go with it. Ok, got through that. Then the food and drinks come,. We will be eating, with still lots of food on our plates when a server will attempt to rip our plates and food away. Why on earth would a server take a plate full of food away while the diners are still eating it?! This has happened to us two time at the Westside Local. Give you guys some training, OK?
We've enjoyed the food, but the service is positively weird Ten seconds after being seated we will be asked to place our drink order. Well, it is a "gastropub." We would like to decide what we will be eating before ordering the drinks to go with it. Ok, got through that. Then the food and drinks come,. We will be eating, with still lots of food on our plates when a server will attempt to rip our plates and food away. Why on earth would a server take a plate full of food away while the diners are still eating it?! This has happened to us two time at the Westside Local. Give you guys some training, OK?
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