Come and travel Oklahoma with me.

Food Friday: Chicken Foot

October 15, 2021

There are a lot of choices for good chicken sandwiches- you can go the safe route of Chick Fil A, or the spicy local Nashbird. But I discovered a new challenger for the best chicken sandwich throne, Chicken Foot. I had heard so many of my friends loving this place that finally over the summer we stopped to try it and we’ve been back several times since.

They not only have a great chicken sandwich but the whole bird, half bird and tenders. I haven’t tried anything but the sandwich, I get the basic chick, mostly because of the bacon on it of course. It’s really good, I get it fried (not grilled). Has a good crunch on the breading with moist chicken inside. Served on a soft brioche bun with cheddar cheese and bacon. My husband is more adventurous and has gotten the sticky chicky and habanero hot. I try a bite each time, pretty good but not my style. Now the trip we made with Mae before she went to college, she got the tenders. I was lucky to get a bite and the chicken was like on the sandwich.

As good as their chicken sandwiches are, I enjoy two of their menu items more- the Okie poutine and the hot cinny bun. First I’ll start with the poutine, this is an Okie version complete with cream gravy. I’m not a fan of brown gravy ( I have a rant about brown vs cream gravy but I’ll share that some other time ), so I’ve never tried the original Canadian version of a poutine. This version is really good, the fries are crisp as are the bacon pieces. The cream gravy mixes well with the cheddar cheese on top. It comes in a huge tray with enough for the whole table. I have also tried the honey butter my biscuits, they were good as well. Light and buttery, good to share with the table as well.

But I need to take a whole paragraph to describe the hot cinny bun. I have had lots of cinnamon buns in my life time. Many have come from the Pillsbury roll, seriously I was in my 20’s before I realized they didn’t always come in the little tube. Since then I have had many homemade cinnamon rolls including the good ones from Okarche. These are the best I’ve ever had- first of all, the roll is huge, I’m not joking, huge. It comes on it’s own platter. It’s right out of the oven, so still steaming hot with the best warm buttercream icing that I have ever tasted. There is so much icing that the huge roll is swimming in it. The roll itself is buttery and gooey with the right amount of cinnamon. I love this roll so much I might not ever be able to eat them out of the tube again.

Located in the new Chisholm Creek entertainment district in NW Oklahoma City at Western and Memorial, just southwest of the Kilpatrick turnpike. It sits up against Memorial Road, right east of the pond. There is a giant fiberglass chicken that sits between the building and the pond. There is indoor and outdoor seating, so good for anytime of the day. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address:1316 W Memorial Rd, Suite 100, Oklahoma City.

Basic chick sandwich
Okie Poutine
Hot Cinny Bun

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Oklahoma

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Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

October 14, 2021

On a crisp Saturday morning we decided to take off and road trip out old Route 66. This is always a beautiful drive, heading out west from Yukon, past the small town of Banner, into El Reno. From there keep going out west, past the farms and valleys, listening to the rhythmic thumping of the original Portland concrete. I love going down the Bridgeport hill, with the South Canadian River valley spread out in front of you as you glide down the incline. There is a small piece of original pavement where it swept to the left to go across the Pony Bridge. Past the crumbling Hinton Junction, with a quick stop at Lucille’s Provine Service Station, through Weatherford, then into Clinton. Lots to see on the way here but I am here to talk exclusively about the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.

Opened in Sept 1995, this is a nice stop to learn about the history of Route 66 though the state of Oklahoma. Through the black double doors, the first stop is the building of the highway. Not just pictures but the actual tools used are on display. Smudge pots and surveyors tools that show how rough the building of the highway was back in 1926. The next display is of a service station. These were vital along the route back in its heyday. So many cars would fail along the trip, the service stations were a life line for those who had car trouble. Another display shows bus lines and freight transit along the route. Then into a replica diner, just like today, you needed to have a place with good food to sit and relax. Next up is a hippie painted VW Bus, to show how the route was used by their free spirits. Then onto the decertification of Route 66 and its resurgence over the past 25 years.

This is a really cool place to visit. Takes about an hour to go through but you learn a lot about the history of Route 66 through Oklahoma. I love seeing the pictures of what the road looked like not only during the building of the highway but of the years following. The museum also has plenty of static displays inside and out of life as it was on the old route. Of course the heyday of Route 66 was from the 1930’s to the late 1950’s. As the road was bypassed by Interstates 44 and 40 in Oklahoma, many sections of the old highway were left abandoned. Oklahoma does still have over 400 miles of Route 66 still drivable and I’ll talk about that some other time.

The Oklahoma Route 66 museum is a nice stop to get out of the car, stretch your legs, and learn about the old road as it meanders through the state.

Address: 2229 W Gary Blvd., Clinton.

Reproduction of an old gas station on Route 66
Reproduction of an old Ford used to take Oklahomans to California in the 1930’s
Old VW Bus
Diner moved to the museum site

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Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Yo Pablo Tacos and Tequila

October 8, 2021

First I started to see billboards with a new place coming to Rockwell and NW 122nd called Yo Pablo, then after it opened, I had friends raving about this place. So one Saturday night over the summer we stopped to see what it was about. To be honest, our first trip wasn’t that great. The music was way too loud, lots of ingredients were sold out so there were items you couldn’t order, and even thought the queso was good, there weren’t enough chips to dip. I decided that I would let them find their feet and try them again later. Well I had that opportunity last week.

My second visit was much better than the first, everything on the menu was available, so I ordered the chips and queso along with 3 tacos- quesabirria taco, braised pork belly, and sweet chile shrimp. The chips and queso were up first, this time there were plenty of chips along with a note on the wall that stated if you need more they were free. So at least that problem was fixed. The chips were thin and crispy, lightly salted and perfect for dipping into that delectable queso. This queso is so good I could eat it everyday and not get tired of it, thick with just enough spice to it to give it a bit of a kick. If you go for anything, just get the chips and queso. Now to the tacos, with my love of bacon, I really wanted to like the braised pork belly but it was my least favorite of the 3. I found it to be a bit dry and tasteless, really disappointing. The sweet chile shrimp was much better, plentiful shrimp mixed with black bean and corn salsa. Lots of flavors exploding all at once, it was good. Last up was the quesabirria taco, this was more of a traditional soft taco. This has beef birria with a melted cheese inside. I really enjoyed this taco as well, the beef with lots of cheese was more of what I’m used to in a taco.

As I said in the beginning my first visit wasn’t great but it was also a Saturday night, my second visit was a Friday afternoon so it is a different atmosphere. I’m not sure if they still have loud music at night, so be warned it might be hard to hear if you visit. Also keep in mind I’m not one to complain about loud music, I’ve always said “If it’s too loud, you’re too old” but in a restaurant setting I like to be able to speak with others at my table. Service was good both times, no issues there. I was only visiting the location at Rockwell and NW 122nd, there are 4 other location in the metro to visit. I’m going to give them 4 strips of bacon.

Address: 6728 N Olie Ave., Oklahoma City; 12305 N Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City; 1200 West Covell Road, Edmond; 3325 S Boulevard St. Unit 175, Edmond; 745 Asp Ave., Norman.

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Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Zac’s Cajun Kitchen

October 1, 2021

If you have been reading my stuff for a while you might remember how much I loved Bigheads in Edmond. So in 2016 when they closed I was devastated, I loved their food. I tried a few other places that come close but none quite as good. Then I learned in early fall of 2019 that Bigheads was coming back but under a new name- Zac’s Cajun Kitchen.

Opened in October of 2019 at a new location of 12600 N Pennsylvania Ave in Oklahoma City, they have all the old favorites plus some new menu items. The shrimp po’boys are still excellent served with those extra crispy fries. They also have po’boys with chicken, catfish, crawfish, and new to the menu, soft shell crab. We have also tried many of their starters- my personal favorite is the fried jalapenos. Breaded and deep fried, served up with homemade ranch. The fried pickles are just as good, fried the same way also served with ranch. Another favorite is the shrimpnado, breaded and deep fried shrimp wrapped in bacon and served on a stick with house bbq sauce. The shrimp egg rolls are also excellent, huge shrimp wrapped in an egg roll wrapper served with house sauce. They do have burgers and street tacos as well as different seafood boils, I also love their pasta dishes. The Mardi Gras pasta is delicious, fettuccini with blackened shrimp, chicken, and bacon with a decadent alfredo sauce.

Their food is outstanding and their service is as well. The owners, who are also Sooners as well, are some of the nicest people you will meet in the business. Their passion for good food, and doing good for the community as well, shows when you walk in the door. So stop by and give them a try, who knows, you’ll probably see me sitting in the corner with a po’boy. They get 5 strips of bacon from me.

Address- 12600 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City.

Shrimp Po’boy
Shrimpnado

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: The Fat Okie’s Best of 2021

September 10, 2021

Since things have been so difficult for all of the small locally owned restaurants, I hope to help them out with the first Best of The Fat Okie. Now there are still lots of places I haven’t gotten to yet, but these are my favorites so far. Some of these I have written full reviews, some I haven’t gotten to yet. Check their websites or call to find out hours and locations. Many have moved or have gone to different hours.

Happy eating!!!

Best Pizza-

Hideaway Pizza

Falcone’s Pizzeria

Empire Slice House

Best Chinese Food-

Hunan Wok

Best Hamburgers-

Billy Burger

Patty Wagon

Tucker’s Onion Burger

The Fixx

Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler

HD’s Onion Burger

The Cow Calf-Hay

Sid’s Diner

The Mob Grill

Ron’s Hamburger & Chili

Best Cajun Food-

Zac’s Cajun Kitchen

Cajun Corner

Best Chicken Fry Steak-

The Lokal

Del Rancho

Cheever’s Café

Kendall’s Restaurant

Best Mexican Food-

San Marcos Mexican Restaurant

Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant

Casa Perico

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

Big Truck Tacos

Ted’s Café Escondido

Yo Pablo Tacos & Tequila

Best Mediterranean Food-

Gyro City

Baba G’s

Simply Falafel

Let’s Do Greek

Jerusalem Mediterranean Cuisine

Best Italian Food-

Venezia Italian Ristorante

Victoria’s Pasta Shop

Best Sushi-

Nhinja Sushi & Wok

Volcano Sushi Bar & Hibachi

The Sushi Bar

Ichiban Sushi Bar & Poke

Creek Sushi & Poke

Best Desserts-

Roxy’s Ice Cream Social

Freezing Cow

Aloha Shave Ice and Coffee Shoppe

Dolci Paradiso

Best American Food-

Café 7

Stray Dog Café

Pub W

Freddie’s Steak House

Rock Café

BlueJ’s Rockin’ Grill

Philly Homa

Cal’s Chicago Style Eatery

Chalk

Bricktown Brewery

Lemonade House Grill

Best Chicken Sandwich-

Nashbird

Chicken Foot

Best Indian Food (from the country of India)-

Taj Cuisine of India

Gopuram Taste of India

Mt. Everest Cuisines

Best Breakfast-

Sunnyside Diner

Hunny Bunny Biscuit Company

Polar Donuts

Route 66 Donuts

Hatch Early Mood Food

Best Barbeque-

Smoked Out Barbeque

JoBawb’s BBQ

The Pig & The Butcher

Clark Crew BBQ

Best Hot Dogs-

Doggie Style Hot Dogs

Diamond Dawgs

Category:

Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Casa Perico

March 26, 2021

I drive past this restaurant everyday, in an old Braums building on NW 63rd Street. Every time I think, “You know, I need to try this place.” Took me 4 years but we finally stopped a few weeks ago and now I wish I had stopped earlier, this place is outstanding.

Since it is in an old Braums, it is small inside but they do have patio for outdoor dining. Of course they have the typical Tex-Mex menu, so I went with my favorite chimichanga. They have a large selection of sides so along with my rice, I tried some Mexican corn. First thing that was served were the chips with salsa and queso. Perfect starter for my first trip, the chips were light and buttery. The queso was thick and creamy with just enough kick to give it good flavor. Next up was the main course, the ground beef chimichanga was deep fried to a golden crisp. It was a good size but not too large, I could actually finish it without asking for a to-go box. The ground beef and cheese mixed inside quite well with a bowl of sour cream sauce for pouring over or dipping. The rice and corn were equally good as well.

The service was great, food was prepared quickly and the chips and queso were replenished frequently. Since I no longer eat fast food Mexican, I will add Casa Perico to my list of favorite Mexican places along with San Marcos and Chelinos. They do have a second location near Quail Springs Mall, I just haven’t visited it yet. I happily give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4521 NW 63rd St., Oklahoma City; 12219 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler

January 29, 2021

Johnnies

Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, a straight up burger place that has been in business for almost 50 years. It is my favorite backup for when no one can decide what to eat for dinner. I’ve been going to Johnnie’s for well over 25 years now, been to many of the different locations. What I like most is the consistency in the food, you know that bacon cheeseburger will be the same when and where ever you are in the metro.

My go to location is on NW Expressway, of course. Originally built in the early 1980’s as a Mexican restaurant, Johnnie’s moved into that location in 1992. It was closed in 2018 for a complete rebuild. It was a tough few months for me to not have it so close, but they reopened last year with a brand new place but with the same great food.

My favorite burger is the bacon cheeseburger. You can tell the difference when hamburger is cooked over a flame, just gives off a taste that you can’t get from a skillet. So the flame brings out the flavors of the meat, so you have a juicy and smoky taste that excites your taste buds. They cook the bacon to perfection, not too crisp or limp. The burger is then set off with shredded cheddar cheese, that you can also have melted onto the burger if you choose. A touch of real mayo and the burger is one of the best in town. We always order a plate of large onion rings and a large plate of cheese fries for everyone at the table to share. The onion rings are hand breaded with a light batter that is crispy. Just a touch of salt and these are the best in town. The cheese fries are just regular fresh cut French fries smothered in melted American cheese. They are just wonderful with all of that cheesy goodness.

They do serve more than burgers, there are frankfurters, salads, sandwiches, and platters with chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken. But to be honest the burgers are so good, I never try the other items. There are also homemade pies as well, I’m always too stuffed to try them. The service is always good and the food served quick. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Locations: 6629 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City; 2652 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City; 421 W I-240 Service Rd., Oklahoma City; 13900 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City; 33 E 33rd St., Edmond; 1700 Shedeck Pkwy, Yukon; 2305 S Telephone Rd., Moore.

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Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Taj Cuisine of India

January 22, 2021

It’s always a good idea to step out of your box and try something new, so while driving around looking for something different to eat my husband suggested Taj Cuisine of India. I’ve only tried Indian food once before and liked it, so I was up for trying it again.

We stopped on Saturday night around 5p and the place was empty, but there was plenty to choose from on the buffet. I tried almost everything but only remember my favorites. The two most surprisingly good items they had were the vegetable spring rolls and spinach pakoda. The spring rolls were small but packed lots of flavor in them. Normally vegetable spring rolls just taste bland but these had a flavor that was unique to them. I can’t explain it but they were really good. The spinach pakoda was also a surprise in just how much I liked it. The leaves of spinach are covered in a chickpea flour and fried. It was like eating large spinach chips, crispy but good for you. They also serve onion pakoda, it was more of a flour ball with onion in it. Also good but didn’t excite me like the spinach pakoda. Their lemon rice was really good as well, basmati rice lots of different spices with just a touch of lemon. The chicken biriyani was another favorite, chicken cooked with basmati rice and different herbs. I also tried the chicken tikka masala, chicken in a tomato based sauce. I really tried to sample a bit of everything but I will not eat chicken still on the bone, so there were several chicken dishes I didn’t attempt. I also can’t remember the names of everything I did try, I did my best to remember what I liked best.

The service was great but since they were serving buffet, the employees had to handle all of the food. It is an odd experience to tell someone what you want and have them get it for you. I’m ready for buffets to be able to present food like normal. The only drinks were bottled water, so no soft drinks or anything. Now they were good about making sure you had plenty to drink but it was still odd. The downside was everything was served on styrofoam plates with plastic forks. I wasn’t a big fan of that either.

So overall I will give them 4 strips of bacon for the food. I’ll go back and when I can get my own food, I might up that rating.

Location: 1500 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Nashbird

January 15, 2021

So if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that there are a lot of burger places in Oklahoma. Recently there have also been a lot of chicken places popping up as well. I just was introduced to one of my favorites just a few months ago. As mentioned in the past, my husband works in Edmond and likes to try new places for lunch. He discovered the Edmond location, tried it, and loved it. So now it was acceptable to take me to try it as well.

Located just off Broadway on E 5th Street on the bottom floor of a modern building is seriously one of he best restaurants for a chicken sandwich. The interior is light as you walk up to the desk to order. There is plenty to choose from on the menu, you can go with a chicken sandwich or chicken baskets with either tenders or still on the bone. There are also four heat levels or if you don’t want anything too spicy, two breading flavors. I went with a Nashvillain- a chicken sandwich on a brioche bun topped with bacon, onion rings, ranch, and mac and cheese. Since I wasn’t in the mood for heat I tried the buttermilk ranch breading and I wasn’t disappointed. The chicken breast is coated with the buttermilk ranch mix and fried to perfection. Now if you’re not sure about mac and cheese on a chicken sandwich, set your concerns aside this is a great topping to this sandwich. The mac and cheese pairs nicely with the chicken and when the bacon and onion rings are added, just brings all the flavors together in each bite. This is one of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve had in years (since the chain PDQ left the metro). I had fries for my first visit which were good but went with the mac and cheese the second visit. This is the same mac and cheese on the sandwich and it is equally delightful by itself as it is on the sandwich. Creamy, lots of cheese for the pasta to soak. My husband had the same sandwich but with some heat to it, he went with the kickin temp. I tried a bite and it has a good spice to it, not too hot but enough to keep your taste buds alive.

To start with we had both the starters- fried pickles and fried mac and cheese. As good as the sandwich was the starters are better. The dill pickles are cut lengthwise and fried up crisp for a nice appetizer. The mac and cheese is almost the same as the side with the addition of bacon bits into the mix, then fried. Both are served with ranch and exceptionally good, the highlight of the trip (and remember I really liked the sandwich as well). Nashbird does sell frozen drinks, haven’t tried them yet but it’s on my short list. They also have wraps, salads, chicken tacos, and baskets with just chicken. Overall I recommend Nashbird, the food is great as is the service, they totally deserve 5 strips of bacon. They do have 2 other locations in the metro area- Norman and downtown Oklahoma City.

Locations: 1 NW 9th St., Oklahoma City; 17 E 5th St., Edmond; 214 E Main St., Norman.

Category:

Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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2021 Goals

January 11, 2021

So if you’ve been reading me for a while, I try to support local restaurants whenever I’m out. I really prefer them to the big national chains. If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that the small local businesses are what makes our economy thrive. I’m not going to get into the politics and debate over what has occurred over the past few months, what I am going to do is focus more on these small restaurants who need our help. I’m going to spend 2021 going to as many locally owned restaurants as possible and get the word out about all- the good and the bad. If you have any suggestions, just comment on my Facebook page and I’ll check them out. Also go back through my previous posts, you’ll find some great suggestions and I do update each restaurants status. So get your taste buds ready as I go out and test the waters to see if a restaurant is worth your time and money. Let’s eat our way through 2021 and help keep our small businesses afloat.

Category:

Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, Oklahoma history

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