Its building and grounds are a fun tumble of retro elements that harken to 'Home on the Range” and 'Route 66,” making the Urban Cowboy Public House like no other place in the city.
Within the structurelong ago a stableexposed beams, brick walls, a repurposed wood bar, and dining hall banquettes backed by Southwest weavings bespeak a modern-day saloon. An outdoor patio, complete with fireplaces, blankets, cow skulls, and a permanently parked food truck, taps into the spirit of campfires and chuck wagon of the Old West. In good weather, a roll-up garage door connects the two.
The Lockeland Springs watering hole is the brainchild of Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks, co-owners of the Urban Cowboy B&B, a lodging beauty in the adjacent renovated Victorian. Keen eyes for style, Porter and Banks place as much emphasis on substance. In creating the unique gathering spot, they've assembled a top-notch team of chefs and mixologists to oversee food and drink.
Sidle up to the bar to find Brice Hoffman (former beverage director at Rolf & Daughters) and Matt Izaquire (from No. 308) shaking and stirring some powerful quaffs. We love how black pepper sparks the Basil Gimlet, how cognac deepens the P.H. Old Fashioned, and how Luxardo maraschino liqueur adds an aromatic sweet-sour edge to the rye-based Blue Collar cocktail.
Like the bar menu, the kitchen's roster is terse, but packed with creativity and taste. Most excellent hash slingers are chefs Tom Bayless (a veteran of The Catbird Seat and Bastion), Colby Landis (also of Rolf and Daughters fame), and Matthew Mosshart (formerly of The Turnip Truck), whose collective talents bring together seasonal ingredients and a wood-fired grill.
Snacks can be as simple as bread or olivesbut these dudes grill ‘em in beef fat, making them immeasurably better. Want something heartier? A bowl of Cowboy chili is a must-have. Slow-cooked, with the righteously spiced beef filling a vintage casserole dish, it's made complete with cornbread and a dollop of sour cream. Greens get their turn in the fire: A platter of hardy winter mix, scattered with pistachios, is ever so lightly smoked and bitterly delicious. The bird's the word, too, as in lemon-charred half chicken, napped in jalapeño chimichurri.
With seriously good grub, potent drinks, and an upbeat vibe, Urban Cowboy Public House follows the slogan of the namesake B&B: Arrive as Strangers; Leave as Friends.
1603 Woodland St, 347-840-0525; urbancowboybnb.com
