Tucker’s menu pays homage to the kind of simplicity that made In-N-Out Burger famous. I like the approach. It makes them efficient and allows them to stay focused on quality. Plus, I just happen to like their burgers. A lot.

Red Prime Steak continues to thrive in downtown Oklahoma City offering a high-end experience worthy of attention for a special night out. We’ve updated our review, originally published in October of 2007, with a new perspective from Sarah who recently visited for the first time.

There’s a new food truck in town serving up some tasty burgers and fries. And in case you’re wondering how to find it — just look for the bright orange.

The only thing I don’t like about Pepe Delgados is that it’s so far from my house. Of course, that makes it a special treat to visit. And that’s my bottom line — it’s a special place, standing out from the crowd with a very fresh and affordable approach to Mexican food.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the slider concept but Home Run Sliders has given me reason to reconsider. They provide some great pricing options and the taste of everything I’ve tried makes it hard to deny them the credit they are due.

With friendly service, a comfortable atmosphere and tasty Guatemalan dishes creatively prepared and presented, Cafe Kacao is a great addition to the Oklahoma City restaurant landscape and a must try for weekend brunch.

With a limitless selection of specialty hot dogs, Mutt’s offers something you won’t find anywhere else in Oklahoma City. Whether you’re looking for value or the chance to splurge on something eccentric, you’ll definitely want to try Mutt’s if you haven’t already.

As one of the only places in the Oklahoma City area serving fresh (not dried) pasta, Victoria’s offers some excellent, no-frills dishes at great prices in a quintessential college-town environment.

Now with two locations in Oklahoma City, Rococo continues to provide a unique dining experience that’s worth your attention. We’ve updated our original review of Rococo with new perspectives and thoughts. Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments.

The Kamp family has been a part of the Oklahoma City food scene for over a century. Now they’ve made a new mark on our landscape with Kamp’s 1910 Cafe offering quality sandwiches, soups, salads and homemade baked goods alongside a full-service coffee bar in downtown OKC.

It’s not often I get so excited about a new local find, but this one is special. Signature Grill delivers amazing food with an impressive attention to detail in an intimate yet vibrant atmosphere. And, while pricing is higher-end, they deliver great value compared to other fine-dining options.

Though Oklahoma City has a wealth of Thai restaurants to choose from, Thai Stop has a unique place in our landscape as a limited-service Thai option. With good prices, good portions, and quality ingredients, I think Thai Stop is definitely worth a visit.

It’s a bit difficult to find, but make the effort to discover Urban Bistro and you’ll be rewarded with some fresh, quality food in a quiet and comfortable atmosphere. Plus, you’ll be able to impress your friends with your knowledge of a place they never knew existed.

I didn’t find anything amazing at Holley’s, but I did find some good food in a comfortable atmosphere at a pretty good value. It may not be worth a drive across town, but if you’re in the area, Holley’s BBQ is worth a stop. And when you make that stop, I recommend you try the pulled pork.

I’m pretty smitten with the new Nhinja Sushi and Wok. I love the bright, fun concept and the focus on making things family and kid friendly. While the sushi I had was good, the thing that will be bringing me back is the Kung Pao Chicken I had and the other wok dishes I can’t wait to try.

(Originally published November 2007) – When I first saw Iron Starr’s outdoor sign declaring it was an urban barbeque restaurant, I was immediately intrigued. It quickly became and has remained a favorite. Now, a few years later, we’ve revisited this popular post and added a few updates.

Their consistent hours (open early and late), extensive menu, quality food, friendly service, and free hot tea make Pho Thai Nguyen a favorite of mine. Whether your a Pho veteran or never had Pho before, Pho Thai Nguyen is definitely worth a try.

With their original location at NW 10th and Rockwell and upcoming expansion to Memorial near Sante Fe, Taqueria La Original is bringing a great, authentic taqueria experience to north-siders. Plus, their meats have a lot to offer. This one is definitely worth a try.

Hearing about a cafe that cooks up fresh-made burgers and hand-cut fries gets my attention every time. Hearing that the cafe exists inside a gun range pretty much guarantees I’m going to check that place out.

Inca Trail gets a solid recommendation from me. The food is good, well presented, and unique. The atmosphere is casual and comfortable but with a touch of class. The value is pretty good, especially at lunch where they offer many of their favorites at discounted prices. And the service has been extremely friendly both times I’ve gone.

I think everyone should try Pachinko Parlor. There’s nothing else like it in Oklahoma City and that, to me, is reason enough to give it a shot. Just be sure to leave your expectations at the door. Whether you love sushi, hate it, or have never had it, you’re going to need to remove your pre-conceived ideas of what sushi should or should not be and let Pachinko surprise you with their very unique spin.

The lunch experience at Paseo Grill is a great value, in my opinion. You get their lush atmosphere, quality service, and very good food at a reasonable price. I personally haven’t been for dinner (yet), but I have heard from many who love the fine dining experience they offer at night.

Don’t let the goofy name fool you. This is one serious burger. Fresh, never-frozen top quality angus beef hand formed into thick patties and griddle-cooked to a crusty exterior and juicy interior. Pair it with hand-cut, thin-style curly fries that come with free refilles (that’s right!) and you’ve got one of the best burgers in the city at a pretty good value.

Usually, when I hear as much buzz about a restaurant as I’ve heard about Bobo’s, I start to wonder if the food can really live up. But after trying Bobo’s for the first time, I no longer have that concern. They serve up a very unique meal and very unique experience and, yes, the chicken is just that good.

I enjoyed visiting both Leo’s BBQ locations. I was taken by the friendly service, the atmosphere, and the hickory-smoked flavors — flavors that lingered on my clothes long after I had departed. Oh, and there’s cake with every meal, too!

We continue our series from last year, examining yet another option for fro-yo goodness. Fruiti Yogurt in central OKC offers quality fro-yo along with a few unique advantages.

If your car survives the treacherous parking situation, you’ll enjoy checking out Flatire Burgers. They may not be the best burger in town, but the variety of their menu choices and the fun atmosphere are definitely worth your attention.

There are some things we really like about Picasso and those things by themselves are enough to warrant a trip out here to give them a try. Plus, there are sure to be lots of good things on the menu that we didn’t try. Still, the fact that about half of our choices fell short makes it less likely I’ll be making Picasso a regular stop.

Saturn Grill was one of the first restaurants reviewed here on EatAroundOKC.com back in November of 2006. After trying their new location on Memorial Road, I thought it was time to revisit this local favorite. Take a look and leave your thoughts about Saturn Grill in the comments.

The food at Sala Thai is solid, though perhaps not exceptional. Still, the thing that keeps me going back is the great value of their lunch special which lets you sample a vareity of interesting dishes for a great price.

For some, City Bites might be a little ordinary and mundane, but for me, growing up just blocks from the original location when it opened in 1986, City Bites represents a lot of what is great about quality, local restaurants.

You cannot find another restaurant in Oklahoma City currently that offers anything remotely close to what 105degrees is offering. It’s worth your attention if for nothing more than giving homage to the bold effort its ownership has made in bringing this concept to our city.

Trendy atmospheres and pun-filled names seem to set suburban Pho places apart from their Asian district counterparts. Pho-Bulous won’t replace Pho Hoa as my favorite Pho joint, but I still found their unique broth and other offerings intriguing enough to warrant your attention.

Though there are some things I’m hoping they will change, Big Truck Tacos is definitely worth your attention. After all, taking something as awesome as a taqueria-style taco and sprucing it up with culinary creativity is very exciting and unique for Oklahoma City.

A quick glance at the slightly run-down exterior of Classen Grill and you won’t be expecting much more than an average greasy-spoon. Try the food, however, and you’ll most likely be impressed.

If Chalo’s Tacos were just a taco truck, I’d say go to Taqueria Sanchez. If it were on the south side, I’d say you have lots of other options to try. But as it is, I say if you’re located in northwest Oklahoma City and looking for a true taqueria where you can sit down and eat with friends, give Chalo’s Tacos a try.

I felt that the food here exhibited a bit of extra care and attention that I wouldn’t expect at a concept-driven place. So, I think they’ve got a shot at overcoming the polished, concept stigma and really providing something special.

PLEASE NOTE: Bodensee Frozen Custard is no longer in business. // I’m not sure the value of Bodensee’s $5 lunch combo (which I’m told is available all day) can be beat anywhere, by anyone. The food may not be all that unique, but it is fresh, healthy, tasty, and delivered at prices that beat most fast-food chains. Plus, they have terrific, hand-crafted custard.

Please note: Buddha Tao is no longer in business. // Buddha Tao does a lot of things very well, but prices itself at the level where they really need to do everything extremely well. So, while it brings a unique and quality offering to the Oklahoma City restaurant landscape, we’re a little unsure on whether that offering is worth the price tag.

I have to admit, I have a bias against fancy-schmancy hotel restaurants. It just seems like all too often they are trying to be fancy for fancy’s sake. So, it was with low expectations that I gave the Park Avenue Grill a try. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of their chef.

Perhaps you remember the Iguana from its old location on Western Avenue. I remember eating there several times and noting its uniqueness. Now it’s back and continuing to provide an interesting alternative to Oklahoma City’s standard Mexican food places.

So, just because I run a website about Oklahoma City restaurants, it doesn’t mean I’m thoroughly versed in every type of cuisine. There’s still much to be tasted. Indian food is one such frontier for me. So, I recently began my journey in earnest into Oklahoma City’s Indian food landscape. I started at Gopuram Taste of India and it made a good impression.

PLEASE NOTE: Gaijin Sushi is no longer in business // The moment I noticed Gaijin Sushi’s bright awnings going up on a storefront downtown, I was intrigued. But being a sushi novice, I invited Andrew and Greg to try it with me and to provide their more experienced sushi insights for this review. Together, we discovered that Gaijin provides a creative and non-traditional sushi experience in an urban atmosphere.

It’s got fantastic lunch specials. It’s got a lovely weekend brunch. It’s affordable, healthy, unique and located in midtown Oklahoma City. If you haven’t been to Cafe Do Brasil, I highly recommend you try it. If you’ve tried it already, leave a comment and let us know what you think.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Mexican restaurant that offers fresh fruit as an alternative to rice and beans. I have to say, I like it. When I saw it on the menu, I knew that Chica’s was unique.

This one’s a “must try.” In fact, you may want to stop reading right now and make your way to Bella Vista. It’s is a small, humble, family-run, home-cooking Italian restaurant where the food is incredibly fresh. I have not experienced anything else like it in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City is blessed to have a thriving Vietnamese population and a concentration of Pho restaurants in our Asian district. If you’ve never tried Pho, it’s time to get acquainted with this inexpensive, healthy, hearty, tasty and unique meal. Pho Hoa is a great place to begin.

Deep Fork is highly regarded by most everyone I know as one of Oklahoma City’s best restaurants. Yet, I had never been there until recently. Now that I’ve tried it, I can tell you that Deep Fork fires on all cylinders with great atmosphere, great food, great service, and even something unique — the chance to have a chef choose your meal for you.

The very first time I dined at Cheever’s, I knew I had found something special. After stepping inside and getting my first taste, I was hooked. Cheever’s really delivers on everything I love about local dining.

The Red Pin Restaurant and Bowling Lounge opened recently in Bricktown, bringing an upscale spin on the traditional bowling alley. I was intrigued by the Red Pin’s claims to offer gourmet food alongside the bowling experience, so I had to check it out. When I did, I found a unique and interesting experience, but one that is more about concept than it is about cuisine.

It’s finally here! Now, I know Chipotle is a chain and this site is about local Oklahoma City restaurants, but I make a very emphatic exception to my “no chain” rule when it comes to Chipotle. Read on to find out why. Plus, I offer you my guide for experiencing the best Chipotle has to offer.

The CousCous Cafe is a pretty new place and just getting up and going. I finally got over to try it and I have to say, I haven’t been this excited about finding a new place in a while. I highly recommend you check it out.

The thing I like most about it is that it’s different from most other Mediterranean or Greek places in Oklahoma City. Mediterranean Deli goes well beyond the standard “gyro and fries.” The menu is small, but it offers a chance to sample a great number of simple Mediterranean specialties.

Zorba’s has recently made a big splash by opening a new location on North May. I tried out this new location and discovered that their recent move has resulted in a severe case of schizophrenia. Zorba’s can’t decide if it wants to retain the small, fast food, rough-around-the-edges feel of its roots, or morph into a modern, full service restaurant. The problem is that this indecision results in a sub-par experience all around.

On first glance, Snow Pea appears pretty sub-standard. Even in the realm of cheap, fast Chinese restaurants in OKC, Snow Pea comes off a little less interesting than most. Yet, I still recommend that you try Snow Pea for two very good reasons.

Irma’s is a fairly well-known restaurant around the Oklahoma City metro. On this trip, I visited their new OKC Midtown location to take on a special mission. I wanted to find out if their famed "no name" beef is really better than the rest.

The Grand House is a large, well established restaurant in the Asian district of Oklahoma City, and it provides just about the nicest Asian dining experience I’ve found in the city. I highly recommend it any time, but in this post, I want to focus on their most unique niche offering, dim sum.

How do you know if you’re eating at an Okla-mex restaurant? Here’s my simple test. Do they include chips, salsa, cheese sauce, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and sopappias as a part of every meal at no extra charge? If so, it’s Okla-mex.

As I’ve said before, I much prefer local restaurants. But I’ve got to give credit when a chain restaurant really goes above and beyond. In the case of Panera Bread, I feel like I pretty much owe them some recognition considering that they’ve given me thousands of hours of great office space, virtually rent free.

Just about everyone around here has heard of the Cattlemen’s Restaurant and it’s widely known as one of Oklahoma City’s best local dining experiences. But maybe not everyone has tried it for breakfast. And if you haven’t, you should.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? For me, it’s Pad Thai. Of all the Asian food varieties, Thai is my favorite, so you can understand why I have spent a good amount of time trying many of Oklahoma City’s Thai restaurants. So far, Thai Kitchen is winning.