The Brave Bull Charges Ahead

The titanic white structure--like three buildings joined in a long row--gleamed in the night. High on the floodlit walls it sported a dramatic pair of buffalo heads. “He-y-y-y,” said a guest, clearly rummaging through memory’s attic, “didn’t this used to be . . . Panchito’s?”

It sure did. Panchito’s, across the street from the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, was a landmark for ages, and the site was already a landmark long before there was a restaurant there--it had been San Gabriel’s original city hall. A massive, tree-like grapevine more than 150 years old grows in the central patio.

This history-drenched place has been extensively remodeled since the Panchito’s days. Now it’s the Brave Bull, and the walls in the main dining room are full of Old West memorabilia: bearskin, antelope skulls, cowboy gear, Native American crafts and a couple more buffalo heads. You can buy cans of buffalo and bear meat at a counter on your way in.

The buffalo motif is more than just decor. A couple of entrees are buffalo meat, and the waiters say it comes from the owner’s own ranch.

Besides the main dining room, this huge, rambling place encompasses a dark sports bar with a mirror ball twirling in the ceiling, a billiards room, two “smoker-friendly” patios, a couple of private dining rooms and a huge nightclub where there are blues concerts on Thursdays (on other nights, you might see people doing the two-step there on a dance floor about as big as a basketball court). The city of San Gabriel bought the property a couple of years ago, so the extensive parking lot is also a park-and-ride lot by day.

The original plan was evidently a steakhouse, and you can certainly get a steak, but the current menu, buffalo meat aside, is mostly Mexican with a California Cuisine accent. The first time I went, they were out of buffalo ribs and I disconsolately ordered sea bass, which turned out to be terrific. The fish was beautifully grilled and came with a mild ancho cream sauce. Even the vegetables were great: perfectly steamed carrots and squashes dabbed with butter (though the mashed potatoes were tepid).

Not all the rest of the Mexican dishes are in the same class, but they’re generally quite good: a moderately garlicky version of scampi made with big Mexican white shrimp; thin-sliced, chewy carne asada crusted with spices; chile rellenos with a rich cheese filling; steak fajitas on the traditional sizzling iron pan with a ramekin of rice, beans and salsa on the side. Even the swordfish Veracruzano, that glory of Mexican cookery so shabbily treated in L.A. restaurants, is worth ordering; for once, the sauce isn’t insipid.

But enough of that. You want to know about the buffalo meat. I haven’t had the fortune to be here when the buffalo stew is available (it involves ribs and beer), but the barbecued ribs are very good, more moist and meatier than you might anticipate. Apart from an elusive gamy flavor, they’re basically like beef ribs in a punchy, not over-sweet barbecue sauce. Buffalo burger, not listed on the menu, is often available and nicely juicy.

Still, the best thing on the menu is probably beef--plain old prime rib. It’s a thick slice of surprisingly tender, moist, flavorful roast, though you have to ask for horseradish.

So there’s no problem in the entree department. The appetizers are a less impressive lineup. (On the other hand, you don’t have to mess with them at all. The hot tortilla chips and roasted tomato salsa that you automatically get make a decent starter in themselves.)

The shrimp cocktail is all right--two big shrimp on shredded lettuce surrounded by an audience of decidedly lesser shrimp, all in a cocktail sauce with a good jolt of horseradish. The empanadas are doughy (hip California-type filling of black beans and corn kernels, though). The vegetable soup (tomatoes, carrots, potatoes) is fresh, if salty, but the crab cakes, which do seem homemade, aren’t terribly flavorful, and the ceviche is watery and dull.

The desserts, all made on the premises, could make up for anything. There’s a simple lime tart with a true fresh lime flavor. A cheesecake with strips of caramel sauce splashed around the plate. A brownie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and some bitter chocolate syrup. Above all, a chocolate mousse cake with three layers of cake and a whole lot of fudgy frosting.

There’s a wine list--even a decent house Chardonnay. In short, this is not just your average buffalo/California-Mexican place with an ancient grapevine.

BE THERE

The Brave Bull Steak House, Nightclub and Billiards. 261 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel; (626) 979-4950. Full bar. Parking lot. All major cards. Dinner for two, food only, $30-$52.

What to Get: shrimp cocktail, buffalo ribs, sea bass, prime rib, chocolate mousse cake.