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A Festive Setting, Indoors and OutA Review of K. Pacho, in New Hyde Park
ATMOSPHERE The main dining room at K. Pacho features a chandelier, Persian rugs and red lighting.
By JOANNE STARKEY
Published: April 6, 2012
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AS restaurant transformations go, it was a quick one: After Two Steak and Sushi Den, an expensive, well-regarded steakhouse in New Hyde Park, closed its doors on Jan. 1, the establishment reopened on Feb. 10 as K. Pacho , a rustic, casual Mexican spot with lower prices. The owners — Jay Grossman, John Guirguis and Ray Sidhom, who also run Four Food Studio in Melville — are the same, as is the executive chef, James McDevitt.
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Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times
MEXICAN The sea bass Veracruz, served over chorizo rice.
Kathy Kmonicek for The New York Times
K. Pacho opened in February in the space once occupied by Two Steak and Sushi Den.
Josh Cook, a manager, speaking by telephone after my visits, described the restaurant as "casual, approachable and fun, with fun the primary word." It certainly describes the place, especially on Sundays, when there is live mariachi music.
K. Pacho has lots of atmosphere, starting with a gargoyle statue bathed in red light at the entrance. It features a huge bar with plenty of lounge areas, four high tables with booth seating and three long, communal tables. The main dining room has wooden rafters strung with red lights, distressed-wood tables and wooden chairs. A crystal chandelier and a few Persian rugs are elegant touches. The unisex bathroom has a circular banquette in the center.
In a second dining room called the Back Room, open on Friday and Saturday nights, family-style meals are served for groups of six or more at $49 a person, including sangria.
The service has its rough spots. On my first visit, one of my tablemates, getting into the spirit of the place, offered to buy a round of margaritas. When our waiter heard that three people would indulge, he suggested a pitcher. It was a bum steer: we didn't make a dent in it and nearly fainted when we got a bill for $58. (Neither the pitcher nor its price was listed on the beverage menu.) The same night, a diner drinking cola received a refill without asking for it and later found it listed on the bill. The waiter apologized, said it was a mistake and removed it.
We started the meal with guacamole, which was not made at tableside and was not customized for us. It was way too spicy for three of the four people in our group. The accompanying house-made chips were great, however: thin, crisp and warm.
The salads were huge, made for sharing. We liked the spinach salad, with its red onion, orange segments, cubes of crunchy jicama and warm chorizo vinaigrette. Strangely, there was more romaine in the salad than spinach, even though the lettuce was not mentioned on the menu. The avocado Caesar salad was a disappointment. I had hoped for chunks of avocado; instead it contained avocado purée, which diluted an already bland dressing.
We gave high marks to an appetizer of crispy calamari garnished with coriander and mango, resting on swirls of chili aioli. Another opener, retro-style tacos (the kind you grew up with), featuring ground beef, shredded cheese and lettuce, arrived without the advertised sour cream. We had to request it and were glad we did: it improved the dish, as did the salsa the waitress brought along with it. The quesadillas were standard fare.
The entree-size tacos featured slow-roasted pork, crispy bass or braised short ribs. We tried the fish tacos topped with spicy cabbage slaw and liked them: they were crunchy and tasty. We had a choice of soft tortillas or hard corn shells, and we ordered the hard shells; the current menu offers only the soft tortillas.
Some other good entrees were creamy white sea bass Veracruz with roasted tomatoes, olives and capers set on a bed of tasty chorizo rice, and red chili pollo with tender chicken under a mantle of red chili sauce.
The menu highlighted a barbecue platter called Mexi-Q, served to two or more people at $24.95 a person. It had its ups (succulent, crisp-skinned roasted chicken, delicious grilled jumbo shrimp and tender baby back ribs) and downs (dry, tough sliced sirloin steak and grilled, out-of-season corn).
I would not suggest going to the Back Room for the family-style meal. Though we didn't try it, it contains most of the dishes that disappointed: the guacamole, the bland avocado Caesar salad and the mixed-bag Mexi-Q.
The desserts were wonderful. The best was a chocolate tortilla pudding served warm, starring milk chocolate, brown sugar and caramelized bananas with vanilla ice cream on the side. The flan was silky smooth and the coconut tres leches cake buttery and moist.
There were a few duds on the menu and an equal number of service flaws, but there was still enough good food and drink at K. Pacho to set a festive mood. One night, some patrons kept their party going even after they left, singing and dancing in the parking lot.
K. Pacho Cocina and Tequila
1270 Union Turnpike
New Hyde Park
(516) 358-2222
kpacho.com
WORTH IT
THE SPACE Large, spirited, atmospheric Mexican restaurant seating around 230 people in two rooms and the bar. Complete wheelchair access.
THE CROWD Young and animated, with lots of big groups. Some children, especially on Sunday. Service was uneven.
THE BAR Long bar with 15 stools, two lounge areas with banquette seating and low tables, and a third seating area surrounding a fireplace. Full bar. About 90 tequilas, ranging from $5 to $75; 18 beers, including a dozen from Mexico ($5 to $25); no wines by the bottle, but nine by the glass ($7 to $9), and sangria ($8 a glass, $28 a pitcher).
THE BILL Dinner entrees, $17 to $29, with a family-style meal served in the Back Room for $49 a person, including sangria. Most appetizers are priced in the teens. Prices are a bit high for this type of restaurant. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted.
WHAT WE LIKED Crispy calamari, spinach salad, sea bass Veracruz, red chili pollo, fish tacos, chocolate tortilla pudding, flan, coconut tres leches cake.
IF YOU GO Lunch: Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner: Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight. Closed Monday. Reservations are taken only for parties of 8 or more.
RATINGS Don't Miss, Worth It, O.K., Don't Bother.
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