Far Western Tavern

Sunday night is date night at our house. The Far Western Tavern is a "destination" restaurant in Guadalupe. We have never been. It has announced that it is moving to Orcutt in the near future. The news carried a story about a new chef joining the restaurant. One of the founders was killed in an automobile accident earlier this year. He was about 92. He had been one of the founders of the Santa Maria Rodeo, one of the best in the nation and is a much revered person in the area. We tried the restaurant out last night. It is a real throw back in time. You expect to see Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty walk through the dining room doors. You enter through a side door into the "saloon" part of the restaurant. It is in an old hotel with the second floor being banquet space. The saloon is comprised of a very large almost 270 degree wrap around bar. There are a few tables and a smaller banquet room near the bar. You enter the dining room through the bar. The dining room is pretty dark with a squishy carpet, chairs on roller wheels and stuffed cattle heads on the wall. The drapes are made of cowhide and the windows have a smear of dust all over them. The atmosphere is dark and you expect there to be a lot of smoke from smokers (of course there isn't). We stuck to their specialties of rib eye and fillet mignon. The meal comes with everything from antipasti with fresh salsa, shrimp cocktail, baked beans, salads, choice of potatoes and vegetables. The food was delicious with steaks cooked perfectly but I have to admit the atmosphere was a little spooky.