Bring Your Appetite for Mesquite Grilled Variety,
But Leave Your Six-Shooters at Home
alking into Pecos Grilling
Company on a Saturday night
is a bit like walking into the
saloon at Dodge City. Entering the restaurant, which features fine dining with
a Texas twang, you will first encounter a
full bar that is a popular watering hole
where Tomball, Magnolia and Waller
locals share fellowship with visitors from
The Woodlands, Spring, the FM 1960
area and other 'far-flung' communities.
(The restaurant closes at 10 p.m., but
the bar closes, "when we get through
having fun.")
But whether you are a regular or not,
you can count on an ample, delicious
meal followed by a unique, signature
dessert (and you will probably order
dessert whether you have room for it
or not – they are that good). Pecos is a
great place to take the family; the sheer
variety assures that everyone will find
something that suits them.
Despite its high ceilings and fixtures
and floors of dark wood, the atmosphere
is semi-casual, a little more noisy than
hushed, with contemporary country
music playing in the background. It is
somehow reminiscent of the founding
days of Tomball when the lumbermill
was the principal employer in this neck
of the woods and the law of the land
was, "come as you are."
Dodge City sheriff Fred Sembera is
often in attendance (when not busy running his other business providing home
security). He is gracious and affable, and
soon enough
will
know
you by name.
Managing partner and executive chef Chuck
Buenger has a
team of attentive staff, making sure every
guest leaves
satisfied and,
more importantly, unable
to eat another
bite.
The offerings at Pecos cover all the staple items,
yet there are enough unique items that
it would never be confused with the
menu from any other restaurant. The
truth is, almost all of the menu items
are unique. Between Fred and Chuck
the culinary inspiration is in ongoing
development, and they are frequently
testing a new idea in the kitchen. The
most popular of these will eventually
make it onto the menu.
Fred, his wife Barbara, and Chuck
founded the restaurant in February,
2004. An entrepreneur at heart, Fred
wanted to get into the restaurant business, but didn't have the industry background needed to assure a successful
start-up. Barbara Sembera is also an
entrepreneur; she owns a local State
Farm Insurance agency. As luck would
have it, Fred was introduced by a restauranteur friend to Chuck, who at that
point had more than a decade of experience in restaurant management. "Fred
brought a new perspective to the restaurant business," Chuck said, adding that,
"I had been in the restaurant business
for so long that, in a sense, I had on
blinders. Fred would suggest a new idea
that I might have previously ruled out.
Now I was asking myself, 'why the heck
can't we do that?'"
By this process, the two have created a
restaurant that attends to all the things
that influence the choices people make
about where to eat. The only hard part
about visiting Pecos is deciding what
to order. Some of the regular patrons
are still working their way through the
many entrees, not having decided on a
favorite. Others have made their choice
and order it faithfully. One such customer is auto racing legend A. J. Foyt, a
resident of Waller who makes frequent
sojourns to Pecos for the "World's
Greatest Ribeye" (as it says on the menu,
"A. J. Foyt's Favorite Steak"). The item,
described as "mesquite-grilled, hand cut,
well marbled,
and most flavorful," is even
accompanied
by Foyt's signature to leave no
doubt as to the
authenticity of
the endorsement.
As true citizens of the
state of Texas,
the Pecos folks
know exactly
how to prepare
steak. No matter which cut you prefer, this grilling company demonstrates consistent
skill when it comes to the deceptively
simple process of grilling beef. Other
selections include Mesquite Smoked
Ribeye, Center Cut Filet, Filet Mignon
(Bacon Wrapped), Porterhouse (TBone Heaven), Choice Top Sirloin and
Chopped Steak. After 4:00 p.m. they
also offer First Class Prime Rib, slow
roasted and carved to your order.
Chuck and Fred each have signature beef entrees that
keep patrons coming back. Chuck's Famous Pot Roast
is "quietly" cooked overnight "while Chuck is sleeping."
Fred's Famous Beef Tips is made from sirloin, slowcooked in its own seasoned gravy, and served over noodles
or rice.
The seafood selection is plentiful. One of the best selections is the Shrimp Brochette. They take eight jumbo
shrimp, stuff them with a sliver of poblano pepper and
a wedge of jack cheese, then wrap them with a slice of
bacon and grill them over mesquite. (They will also fry
them on request.) The Shrimp Brochette is served with
either scampi butter or barbecue sauce – we highly recommend the latter, as it creates a medley of flavors that is
simply outstanding.
From their mesquite grill they also serve up farm-raised
catfish filets, Mahi Mahi, Atlantic salmon, and jumbo
gulf shrimp. Pecos also offers tilapia with artichoke dill
sauce, pan sauteed rainbow trout, fried shrimp, and their
variation of shrimp scampi. Called Shrimp Rafael, eight
jumbo shrimp are sauteed in scampi butter and served
over rice primavera with roasted garlic cream sauce.
Pecos has created a new version of an old favorite
chicken dish, which they call "Coo Coo Chicken." They
take an eight ounce chicken breast, grill it Hawaiian style,
and serve it on a bed of rice with a grilled pineapple ring
(sounds familiar so far, right?)... then they top it with
julienned red peppers and roasted coconut, and drizzle it
with a coconut rum sauce.
If Hawaiian is not to your taste, the Cozumel Chicken
provides a lively alternative from the mesquite grill. The
fajita marinated dish is covered with homemade salsa,
melted pepperjack cheese, avocado, sour cream, chives,
tomatoes, and lettuce.
Those who prefer their chicken closer-to-home may
opt for Grandma Gladys' Chicken and Dumplings or
prepared fried or mesquite grilled. There are many other
entrees; worthy of mention are Center Cut Pork Chops,
Sun-Dried Tomato Fettucine, and Lasagna.
Pecos has an ample selection of appetizers, soups and
salad, and sandwiches from which to choose. Tthere is
also a lunch menu.
At last... dessert! Delicious Mesquite Grilled Banana
Pudding, and Pecos' Brownie Meltdown (worthy of its
title). As you eat dessert you will be thinking, "Life is
good." Beyond doubt, the desserts at Pecos are good.
For variety, a fair deal, a square meal, and a convivial
atmosphere that reaches both toward the old west and
new world elegance, Pecos Grilling Company is an establishment of merit. Leave your six-shooters at home, bring
your appetite, and prepare to enjoy a really good dinner,
Texas style.