The West Table gets major props for trying to bring something different to Lubbock, at least in its setting and atmosphere. With large windows and an open kitchen, the restaurant has a nice minimalist and modern feel to it, complemented well by the decor and tableware. The noise level is moderate but never obtrusive, and the preference in attire leans towards dressy, though weekday lunches see more of the business casual crowd. Service is attentive, prompt, and courteous, with the staff showing familiarity with the menu items, and doling out friendly quips every now and then about how good the food is.
Our first time here was for dinner, and the food was delicious. We had the braised duck thigh with buffalo fried rice and sweet chili sauce, the braised beef short ribs, and the char-broiled beef filet. The meat in each dish was seasoned perfectly and paired nicely with the respective accompaniments; our only issue was with the portion size of the short ribs being on the smaller side for something on a dinner menu. For dessert, we had the apple fritters and the lemon-cranberry bread pudding, both of which were also quite good. The fritters tasted like bite-sized apple pies, and the pudding was nice and warm, with enough tartness to balance out its richness.
At brunch, we had the lobster omelette, a couple of cappuccinos, a key lime and strawberry napoleon, and a strawberry-chocolate bread pudding. The omelettes were cooked well, but were not especially remarkable; one of them also came with some garnish, while the other had none at all - this was only something we noticed, and was not really a problem. Like the omelettes, the desserts were conventionally good; this bread pudding, however, was heavier than the one we had tried before, but the napoleon was light and tart. One thing we would like to see is a little more variety in the brunch offerings, either by changing some of the more traditional brunch items, or by adding a couple more dishes to choose from.
We tried lunch here on a weekday, and were pleasantly surprised to be offered bread and butter while we waited for our food this time; while tasty, the bread would have been better had it been served warmer, as it was a bit hard and crusty. We started out with the BBQ quail, which came on a bed of vegetables, and was quite good, albeit slightly heavy on the tomato flavor.
The wait for our entrees was a little long, but the kitchen and staff remedied it completely by acknowledging and apologizing for the delay, and bringing out a complimentary appetizer - fried goat cheese croquettes with a strawberry-jalapeno jam - to hold us over. It was a really nice gesture on their part, and the croquettes themselves were great, with the sweet and spicy jam going wonderfully with the goat cheese - there's a good chance we'll order this the next time we're here.
We got the rest of our food shortly after, a Cuban sandwich and a petite beef filet. The sandwich was good, but its pairing with plain white rice struck us as slightly odd; we had expected some kind of seasoning or flavor in the rice, though the menu didn't indicate how it would be prepared. The petite filet was served with two pieces of steak, one of which was cooked medium-well, the other medium-rare. Since the request had been for medium, the inconsistency wasn't a huge issue, but again, just something we noticed. Our review of lunch here would be remiss without mentioning our server, Chestnut, who was incredibly friendly and funny, and made every effort to ensure we were happy with our food and experience.
The West Table is located in a promising part of downtown Lubbock and we would love to see other establishments (coffee shops, bakeries, etc.) follow suit soon. Depending on the time, seating can fill up quickly, as it seems to be a popular place for business lunches. It's possible to be seated right away for lunch and Sunday brunch, but it would be best to make reservations for weekend dinners. Hopefully, in the next few months, some of the restaurant's smaller issues can be ironed out, because it has quite a bit going for it. We'll definitely be coming back to try new dishes! read more