Oklahoma City 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.

This month’s pick, Macy’s Pancake House, was actually recommended by one of our shady-lovin’ readers. The only thing is, Macy’s Pancake House was sold, and the name changed. It is now 44th Cafe Pancake House. Nonetheless, there is shadiness and tastiness to be found here.

It’s time once again to bestow the honor of “Shady Restaurant of the Month” to another questionable establishment serving good food to Oklahoma City’s food adventurists. There were several nominees that had compelling arguments as to why they should be chosen. But this month’s winner is 50′s Cafe.

A Family Affair holds its own amongst OKC’s soul food restaurants with great food, tremendous value and, of course, brilliant shadiness. If you’re looking for all-you-can-eat soul food goodness, this might just be the place for you.

As the wife of the creator of Oklahoma City’s shady restaurant series (Andrew), you can imagine how often I have been pulled into strange, scary, and unsafe eateries. Sometimes I get tired of all these weird places and just want a pretty little sandwich on a non-disposable plate.

Just past the quaint, but well kept, downtown Yukon grain elevator and old-fashioned brick buildings is the best “west side” barbecue anyone could ask for.

Once you get in the vicinity, it’s easy to spot Barry’s and its giant, green sign with a picture of a burger on it. Though the food may not be as remarkable as the sign, it’s still a good, quasi-shady burger place worthy of your attention if you’re in the area.

Just the name of Big Johnson’s Highway Grill and their world famous trucker burger was like music to my shady-loving ears. I was anticipating my lunch all morning. Unfortunately, the burger and the rest of the lunch fare left a lot to be desired at this wonderfully shady location.

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.

Boulevard is a hit to the wallet, but one worthy of a birthday, an engagement, an anniversary or any other big event worth celebrating. Most of us can’t afford to eat at Boulevard Steakhouse every day, but hey, it’s not everyday food that they’re serving.

I’m sure BrewHaHa is a nice place at other times of day, but in the morning, it’s crazy boring. I got here at 6am and I was the only one here. It’s now about 6:45am and I’m still the only one here. The selection of food items is extremely minimal.

Brown Suga Cafe wants to, as they put it, “put a little class in your soul.” Through their northwest Oklahoma City location and their slightly upscale presentation, they bring one of the world’s tastiest cuisines, soul food, within reach of those on the northwest side of town.

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 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.

They’ve got a great atmosphere and they deliver contemporary cuisine in a cool part of town. Still, I’m just not sold on Cafe Nova being one of the premier spots in Oklahoma City. When you’re a higher-end restaurant charging a premium for every plate, you’ve got to stand up to a much greater degree of scrutiny, and I think Cafe Nova falls a little short.

This review isn’t about revealing new truth, but rather about offering a reminder to us all. A reminder that all-you-can-eat seafood buffets located in Oklahoma City are likely not your best bet for quality dining.

Caesar’s Grill brings shady elements, and not so shady elements, to deliver a total Oklahoma City restaurant package that gets mixed reviews.

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.

I know, March came and went without a Shady Restaurant winner, but I’m making up for it with a strong April recommendation brought to me by a loyal Shady reader. There may be shadier places in town, but Choice Cafe definitely combines great taste with plenty of shady surroundings and snatches up this month’s award.

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.

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.

The biggest fans I have found of Coney Island are my kids. Though the food doesn’t really excite me, it’s not that bad and its worth choking down a few mediocre hot dogs to build some memories with the family at this piece of Oklahoma City nostalgia.

Coolgreens brings an innovative concept of fast, fresh, healthy food served up in an environment focused on being environmentally sustainable. My lunch party enjoyed our visit and our food. Check out our review and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Ever really craved a hot dog? You know, a real hot dog, like you would get at the carnival, or ballpark, or that hot dog you remember from your childhood? I do.

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.

Falcone’s may have expanded from just one tiny storefront to three locations, but the pizza is just as good as ever. Better yet, there’s probably tons of stuff you never took the time to try.

It’s not that the food is bad, it’s just that everything they do makes me think they don’t really even care about the food. The focus seems to be on other things. Disagree? I’d love to hear your perspective.

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.

In the world of shady dining, most often you are simply celebrating the small things like not getting hepatitis or learning a new gang sign. But Florence’s gave me a reason to celebrate the glories of skillet fried chicken and real gravy all served up in a wonderfully shady atmosphere.

Aside from the obvious dangers of consuming fatty foods wrapped in pastry and deep-fried, I can’t say anything bad about this place. There’s no doubt that tasty, unique morsels can be found inside including pies for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

The ultimate stars of this restaurant are the spicy potato stew ($6.95) and Chef’s Specialty ($10.95) — aka “goat” stew. One would be hard-pressed to find tastier potato or goat stews even among the larger Korean communities in LA or New York.

Inside the bright orange, East-side shack with hand-painted, large, graffiti-esque, exterior signage heralding “Fish” and “Donuts,” you’ll find Geronimo’s. It’s a wonderfully shady place with a very simple, tasty and inexpensive menu.

Since I feel it is my duty as an American to notify the public when my lunch time adventures cause me to stumble across a tasty hidden treasure, then it would also be my duty to inform the growing legion of Shady Restaurant fans of those places they should avoid.

I’ve had the pizza at Hobby’s. I’ve had the spaghetti. But if you’re going to Hobby’s Hoagies, do yourself a favor and get a sandwich, because it’s one of the best you’ll ever have. For those who love cheesesteak, Hobby’s serves the best around.

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.

When I first saw Iron Starr’s outdoor sign declaring it was an urban barbeque restaurant, I was immediately intrigued. It’s the only place I know where you can experience the unique taste of urban barbeque in Oklahoma City. Of course, this causes me to ask, “what exactly is urban barbeque?”

Deep in the heart of Capitol Hill lies a little known gem of a restaurant called Jamie’s Grill. Although the line spilling out into the street on a Friday around noon would argue that it’s hardly “little known.”

Sometimes I get in the mood for a taste of “old” Oklahoma City. You know, someplace that’s been around forever that has maintained a loyal, local clientèle. For this past birthday, we decided we would try Jamil’s Steakhouse since it originated in the same decade I was born – the 60s.

That’s right, I’m going out on a limb and claiming Jimmy’s as the best chicken fried steak in town. But that’s not the only thing that’s good here. Jimmy’s is all around family friendly, work lunch friendly, and very friendly to your stomach and taste buds.

One of my favorite things in life is a really good burger. One of my other favorite things in life is lunch. Every now and then I get real crazy and think, “I wonder what would happen if I had a really good burger at lunch?” That’s when I head to Johnny’s.

JT’s Bar-B-Que is tops for pork ribs, but get there early for lunch. The line stays long and seating is limited. If you’re not a “rib-eater,” go for the smoked chicken and don’t forget the blackberry cobbler.

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!

Have you ever wondered what “soul food” is? Visit Mama E’s and they will be glad to educate you. If you have never had soul food you are missing out on a passionate art form, tasty food, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Attention Shady Restaurant lovers everywhere. From the makers of Max Pollo comes Oklahoma City’s newest burger and taco joint … Max Burger!

I’ve been itching to post this review of Meiki’s Italian American for quite some time, but I have struggled with how to describe the place even though I’m in there about every other week or so. The best categorization I can come up with is “diner-style Italian.” Diner-style describes the atmosphere more than the food, and here’s what I mean by it.

If price is no barrier, then I suggest giving Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse a shot. Despite a few very minor quibbles, I think everything I ate there was delicious and well-prepared. It may only be for special occasions for most of us, but it will certainly help make your occasion more special.

Neighbors Cafe in Oklahoma City is a pleasant surprise and not just for the over-50 crowd. They do a lot of business, and they even offer a few healthy menu items which is pretty rare for a diner.

If you can manage to score a place to sit (which requires arriving early), you are in for a treat at Nic’s. As I left my first Nic’s burger experience, I was wiping tears from my eyes, realizing that my life had just been changed.

I finally decided to try North Fork Bar and grill. It sits on what I call “chain restaurant row” on Memorial. North Fork filled the building that Applewoods used to occupy.

Is there any restaurant in Oklahoma City that you will drive completely out of your way just for the cookies? Ingrid’s Kitchen is that place for us. They specialize in great German food, but their deli sandwiches and desserts are also fabulous.

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.

Sara Sara is not your everyday bakery. The design is stark and modern, like an Ikea full of baked goods. Located downtown, they’ve definitely got a chance to become part of the neighborhood and they’re off to a great start.

Green Goodies is a specialty cupcake shop with organic, vegan-friendly, and other offerings for those with special dietary needs. Though their pricing is higher than the other shops we’ve reviewed, they bring a unique approach that is worth your attention.

The first thing I’ll say about Cuppies & Joe is that you should go to Cuppies & Joe. Why? Because Cuppies & Joe is a great place to hang out. A cozy atmosphere, free wifi, plus tasty cupcakes, pies, and ridiculously inexpensive coffee and espresso might just make you a regular.

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.

Overall, I think Lushberries might just have the best fro-yo in town with quality, unique flavors (including a couple of sorbets) and a huge selection of toppings. On the other hand, their pay-per-ounce pricing is a little higher than other leading contenders so is it worth it?

Passionberri is a decent fro-yo option with quality ingredients and competitive pricing. It may have been the first to bring the fro-yo craze to the metro, but its limited selection of flavors and toppings combined with a non-pay-by-the-ounce pricing model could leave it vulnerable when compared to other options arriving on the scene.

Fourteen flavors, ample toppings and a pay-per-ounce system at $0.36/oz make Orange Tree a solid fro-yo option. Plus, if you’re in Edmond, this may be your only option, at least for now.

Pink Swirls is a strong fro-yo contender, with eight organic, nonfat, live culture fro-yo flavors, a huge selection of toppings, and a self-serve set up where you create your own cup and simply pay by the ounce. And if that’s not enough, they have a sushi bar too. That’s right … sushi and yogurt. You know you’ve got to try it.

I recently got to check out one of Oklahoma City’s newest restaurants. Red Prime Steak is a new upscale steakhouse brought to you by the folks behind Cheever’s and Iron Starr. I love their first two restaurants so expectations for this new place were high.

Oma’s Pantry is a food lovers paradise. Where else in town can you get a wide variety of imported cheeses, spices, imported meats, treats, as well as fresh pastries, soups, and sandwiches?

If anyone till missing Seinfeld, I have just the answer for you. Head down to Papa Angelo’s and you’ll think you’ve walked right into a Seinfeld episode. Plus, the food is great. They don’t serve anything they don’t eat!

Pappy’s food is unlike any other diner I have visited in Oklahoma City. Sometimes you just need a good fried pork chop. Pappy’s Diner fulfills that need. It also fulfills your need for fried veal cutlets, chicken fried steak, meatloaf, goulash, catfish, and burgers.

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.

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.

What happened to that Mom n’ Pop pizza joint we all remember? I found one at Pizzini’z Pizza. After trying it, I’m a fan of the food, service and very competitive prices — not to mention the pinball machines and standup arcade games.

I enjoyed my lunch at Prairie Thunder but was even more intrigued by this restaurant’s dedication to the art of making bread. Come along with me on a tour of this very unique artisan bakery, located in the heart of Oklahoma City’s midtown area.

Primo’s offers an extensive menu that I enjoy exploring each time I visit. It may not be fancy or exotic, but its a solid place run by Oklahoma City locals with quality ingredients and good value.

R-Way-Cafe is in a very diner-esque building and has breakfast, lunch and dinner. I went into it hoping it would be a great place. It wasn’t all that bad, but to enjoy it, I think you have to stick with the breakfast or the burgers.

The Red Brick Restaurant brings southern-style country cooking to downtown Oklahoma City. Although the food is decent, I was a little disappointed with the limited menu options and the fact that I couldn’t seem to find anything healthy to try.

[PLEASE NOTE: We have learned that the Red Moon Cafe is closing or may already be closed]. The Red Moon Cafe and Bakery in Oklahoma City serves a creative variety of tasty food all day long. But the bank-lobby atmosphere and the inconsistent and even frustrating service could use some improvement.

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.

Republic brings another beautiful, contemporary space to the Classen Curve area. Its amazing technology makes it great for sports-watching and its beer selection makes it great as a pub, but we’re checking out the food and, in that area, Republic can hold its own as well.

When Andrew and I visited Rococo, there was one thing that stood out above everything else — east coast style. If you are from the East coast, I’d imagine Rococo would feel a lot like home. If you’re not, Rococo is still worth your attention for its great strength — fresh seafood.

Sage offers unique dining, a convenient gourmet market and mini-deli, a pretty nice bar and some pretty good desserts choices. Aside from sub-par service with a large group, I can’t offer much complaint.

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.

If I lived in or near the Paseo, I would go to Sauced because it’s a neighborhood kind of place. But I don’t live right there and I don’t know that Sauced has enough to pull me back for another taste. The food is fine. It’s OK. It’s good. It’s just not memorable.

I found Shartel Cafe to be a solid, neighborhood family restaurant. They have something for all tastes and something for just about any time of the day.

I have found everything I like in a restaurant at Sophabella’s – comfortable atmosphere, consistent and classy service, robust, flavorful food and great Tony Bennett-esque music. It’s the kind of place you can go to on a dressy date, but feel just as comfortable popping in after a day at the mall in jeans and a sweatshirt.

Steve’s Rib is peculiar in that of its two restaurants, one is a sit-down place with a hostess and bar and the other requires you to stand in line and tell the worker what you want. Oddly, I’d rather avoid the fancy Steve’s Rib (located in Edmond) in favor of the comfortable and guile-less location in northwest Oklahoma City.

Starting today we will start highlighting the Shady Restaurant of the Month. This will be a monthly award given to that restaurant with poor lighting, bad curb appeal, questionable clientele, dangerous parking lots, but good food.

There literally is one table and it’s placed right in the midst of an industrial kitchen. You and a group (up to eight) watch the chefs prepare and serve you a custom-created meal course by course. It’s a fun journey and, as far as we know, there’s nothing else like it in Oklahoma City.

The low pricing and larger (by onion-burger standards) burger size make Robert’s a definite contender for your onion burger patronage. The only trick is finding a place to sit in one of only 14 bar stools which seem to most always be filled.

In case you didn’t know it, Oklahoma City (specifically, El Reno) owns the world of onion fried hamburgers. If you’ve never tried one, you should. To help you out, I’m starting a review tour of the best places in town and kicking things off with one of the originals, Johnnie’s Grill.

You’ll likely need several showers and a car deodorizer to rid yourself of the onion smell after eating here, but … come to think of it … who wouldn’t want to smell like onions. Bunny’s Onion Burgers recently changed ownership but their tradition as a part of Oklahoma City’s onion burger landscape lives on.

Little Mike’s Hamburgers in Oklahoma City is second in our onion burger series. Try this one for a “neat-eating” onion burger with diced, rather than sliced, onions.

Be aware, The Shack doesn’t look like much from the outside. In fact, it looks a lot like, well … a shack. It is definitely off the beaten path, and people driving by likely wouldn’t think of the building as a prime restaurant space. But what the space lacks aesthetically, it makes up for in taste.

The Wedge could easily be described as “upscale” pizza, but not because of outrageous prices (though if you’re looking for cheap eats, look elsewhere), but because of outrageous quality and innovation. The wife and I lunched here recently and found favorites all over the menu.

Anytime I am asked about finer dining options in Oklahoma City, I will report that Tom and Jerry’s Steak and Fish Grille is near the top of my list. It is fine dining but not too expensive or snooty. They have diverse menu options, and they can customize their service to adapt to your schedule.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: we’re sad to say that the Turquoise American Bistro is now closed and as far as we can tell, it is not returning.

Hidden on the south end of Norman, just pushing on the edge of what we consider the “Oklahoma City area,” is a fine dining surprise. It’s a bed and breakfast that serves a beautiful dinner with a side of relaxation.