By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A new steakhouse with a Wild West theme will open on Vine Street at the end of July.
Hickok’s Steakhouse will be in the remodeled space that last housed Peter Mandy’s restaurant at 3402 Vine. It is set to open July 24.
The restaurant will serve steaks, seafood and fresh sides paired with more than 120 offerings of beer from around the country and a wall of hand-picked wines.
Operating partner Daman Hoar said his vision for the restaurant is efficient service with quality, fresh-made dishes.
Hoar has spent his entire career in food service, working in steakhouses and in fine dining in the Harris Casino system.
Hickok’s will offer steaks, including ribeyes, sirloins, porterhouses and bison, if the demand is there.
“You may pay more for it,” he said, “but it has to be good.”
The restaurant’s grill has a smoking tray. Hoar would like to source fruit woods for the smoker for what he contends is a milder smoke than the traditional hickory.
The restaurant also has a small-batch smoker. Hoar would like to try sarsaparilla-smoked chicken.
“It’s fantastic,” he said.
Hickok’s will have the ability to grind its own hamburger and cut its own steaks as well as custom bread appetizers and chicken fried steaks and chicken.
A cheese melter will allow Hickok’s to serve dishes, such as poutine, a Canadian dish made with gravy and cheese curds.
Hoar is a fan of seafood and expects to offer a weekly seafood special, which could include salmon, scallops, shrimp, halibut or sea bass.
Grilled oysters are a favorite Hoar picked up while working in Louisiana, and he hopes to offer them at Hickok’s as well.
The restaurant is equipped with a commercial steamer so it can offer lobster tails as an entrée or with a steak along with king crab legs.
Other offerings could include duck breast and veal. Sides could include creamed spinach, brussels sprouts, lobster mac and cheese, freshly baked bread, and hot one-pound potatoes.
The restaurant plans to source locally when able, including local pork and flour from locally sourced wheat.
The interior of the building is undergoing a complete renovation, using materials that harken back to Hays’ western heritage. The restaurant is working with the Ellis County Historical Society in attempts to reproduce some local historical photos for the restaurant.
Reclaimed barn wood from a granary in rural Kansas is being used on several walls of the restaurant.
The windows on the west side of the building were closed off to create ambiance and add privacy in the main dining hall, which will seat 40 and be available for private parties.
“We wanted to create an atmosphere you would want to eat in,” he said.
The restaurant will seat a total of 110 with both booths and tables. Hoar hopes to eventually add outdoor patio seating, which could provide seating for an additional 50 diners.
The wall dividing the kitchen from the dining area will include wine racks from which diners can hand-pick their bottles.
Some wine selections will be offered by the glass. Bar selections will also be offered. Selections will be dependent on customer demand.
Hoar said he wants to be a good neighbor to the residents and other businesses in Hays.
“We want to be another option,” he said.
The restaurant has a fairly large kitchen for the size of its seating area, and Hoar said he would ultimately like to add a to-go area in the rear of the building where diners could pickup family style meals.
Hoar anticipates the restaurant will employ about 40 people. The business is taking applications now and will begin hiring in earnest beginning the week of July 17.
