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Archive for the ‘Oklahoma food’ Category

Food Friday: Dan’s Pizza

After a long afternoon of investigating ghost towns and cemeteries in southern Logan county, we stopped for dinner in Waterloo at a small place called Dan’s Pizza. It was a good decision because they have a really good pizza that shouldn’t be missed.

Tucked in the corner of a small trip mall on the corner of Waterloo and Broadway in far north Edmond. It has just a simple store front, with tables and chairs inside. After we ordered our supreme pizza and cheese sticks, we got some Dr. Pepper from the fountain machine. Now it’s hard to find somewhere that has the right mix on their fountain machines but they did and that Dr. Pepper tasted really good. We had a chance to talk while waiting for our pizza, lots of people came in to pick up but no one else sat down to eat in. After a short wait our cheese sticks were served and the pizza not long after. The cheese sticks were great, buttery handmade crust with cheese covering the top. The pizza was similar, a thin handmade crust that had a hint of garlic butter covered with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, black olives, and green peppers. I was really impressed with the quality of the pizza for such a small place. The prices weren’t outrageous either, we got out with plenty of pizza left over for about $30.

Now I say that this restaurant is in the town of Waterloo, actually at this point it’s just a community but at one time it was a town. From not long after the land run until the 1930’s, Waterloo was a town. It is now part of Edmond. I will definitely be back to try their other pizzas as well. It is worth the drive. 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 121 E Waterloo Rd., Edmond.

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Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Cal’s Chicago Style Eatery

We live in Oklahoma, it’s hard to find good Chicago style food around here but Cal’s Chicago Style Eatery on NW Highway come close. I have been to Chicago a few times, I absolutely love Italian beef and sausage sandwich. My favorite comes from Portillo’s, which are all over the Chicago area.

At Cal’s, their Italian beef and sausage is very similar to that at Portillo’s. Served on a French roll, the beef has been shaved thin and has a great flavor with a touch of kick to it. The sausage buried under the beef provided all the heat to this sandwich. I had mine topped with sweet bell peppers that added a touch of sweetness to offset the spicy of the sausage. Now you can have the sandwich dipped in au jus, I haven’t in the past but did this time. I’m not going to lie, it is a mess to eat that way and I’m just not sure the au jus added anything to the taste. For a side you have several options, fries, onion rings, chili cheese fries or pickle fries. I have had them all and enjoyed everything.

I haven’t tried their other menu options, they do have Philly cheesesteaks and Gyro burgers. I really need to check those out sometime. But I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon, just for trying to bring Chicago to Oklahoma City.

Address: 7005 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City. At the NE corner of NW highway and Rockwell

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Texlahoma BBQ

Every year on my fathers birthday I try to have some barbeque in his honor. This year I wanted to try Texlahoma Barbeque in Edmond, it was really worth the fight with Edmond traffic.

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon when we stopped at their newest location on East Second Street, we had the place almost to ourselves. I follow them on social media and knew they had bacon burnt ends. Now just regular burnt ends are a treat, but everyone should know how I feel about bacon. You can order either a quarter or half pound, so I went with the half pound. I also got a dinner with sliced brisket and jalapeno cheese sausage with fried okra and mac and cheese on the side. Big K for the bbq nachos with pulled pork for something different. Our order came out quickly and we started on those bacon burnt ends immediately. So good!!! Just as you would expect, juicy and moist, with lots of caramelized bacon fat in between the meat. I could have eaten the whole thing without any help. The brisket was great as well, very juicy and could cut it with a fork. I absolutely loved the jalapeno cheese sausage, such a great flavor, not too spicy, more cheesy. The sides were good as well, mac and cheese was cooked perfectly, noodles not too soft and plenty of cheese. The okra was fried nice and crisp. Big K’s nachos were also good, the chips were thicker to hold the meat, the pulled pork was juicy and mixed well with the queso. Overall he loved them.

This was truly a great visit to Texlahoma, I’m ready to go back again. Those bacon burnt ends are worth it, I do need to note that they are only available Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So get up there on the weekend and try them out. 5 pieces of bacon burnt ends.

Address: 121 E. Waterloo. Rd., Edmond; 20802 E. 2nd St., Edmond.

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Barbeque in Oklahoma, Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores

Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores are everywhere in Oklahoma. Hard to find
a town of any significant size that doesn’t have a Braum’s. They are a mainstay
of Oklahoma, even to the point there is a Braum’s meter that floats around
social media in the winter that predicts how bad a storm may be. I’ve had
Braum’s many times and enjoy their ice cream. It was time for me to tackle a
review of their food.

I used to love a good Braum’s burger, their beef and bacon had a great
flavor to them. Last one I had was a few years ago, the burger was dry, the
veggies old, and the bacon too crisp. It was awful and I hadn’t been back.
Until last weekend, I just felt it was time to give them another chance. I went
to a location close to me. Usually it’s packed but was quiet when we stopped. I
got a straight up double bacon cheeseburger with fries and Big K tried a
special sweet n spicy gouda burger. They were quick with the order and
everything was correct. The fries were good like I remembered, crinkle cut,
nice crisp outside with a soft middle. I was surprised by the burger, I almost
didn’t want to like it at first but they made a really good burger. Bun and
veggies were fresh, the cheese melted nicely. The burger patties were a nice
size and had that good flavor I remembered. The bacon was perfect, not too
crisp with a smoky flavor. I was pleasantly surprised. Big K liked his burger
as well, said it was fresh and flavorful without being too spicy.

To finish off our dinner we had to have dessert, so we tried one of their
new cookie sundaes. The triple chocolate almond cookie looked good, so I got
one for the two of us to share. The cookies are on the bottom, then some hot
fudge, with two big scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream, topped by more hot
fudge and whipped cream. It’s big enough to be a meal in itself, that’s why we
shared. I’ve never had an issue with Braum’s ice cream, it’s always good. This
sundae was great, the chocolate cookies mixed well with the mint of the ice
cream.

I’m going to get a bit personal with Braum’s, in the 1980’s, when my family
was falling apart, my paternal grandparents would visit us at my maternal
grandmothers’ home in Norman. Grandpa always took us to the Braum’s at Flood
Ave. and Gray St. We loved his visits and getting either an ice cream cone or
milkshake. Now that Braum’s is a gas station but every time I pass it I have
that happy memory of being with Grandpa and listening to his stories.

Now for a bit of history, the first Braum’s stores opened in the Oklahoma City metro.  The grand opening for a half dozen stores was June 3, 1968, with plenty of other locations to follow.  In 1975, the dairy herd was moved from Kansas to Tuttle, you can still drive between Tuttle and Minco to see the herd.

Overall, I was really impressed with this visit to Braum’s might have start
going back. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon, as long as it’s their fresh
bacon.

Address: There are over 300 locations in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri, go to their website for exact locations.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Don’t Stress Meowt

About a year ago it was announced that Oklahoma City was about to get a cat cafe. They are a big deal in Japan, the first opening in 2005 with many more afterwards. In 2015, the fad finally came to the United States and now they are all over the country. It took a while to get the permits for Don’t Stress Meowt but they finally opened in May 2023.

We knew a visit was in our future since Mae declares herself “catgirl”, but with a busy summer it has taken us a while to get there. Now the cats are kept in a separate room from the food, and you need reservations to visit with the kitties. But you can just go in to enjoy the food and drinks in the cafe section. We decided against getting a reservation, seeing as how we already have 3 cats, we don’t need more. So we just went in to try out their small menu. They have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to drink along with light desserts from The Loaded Bowl. We ordered the summer special called Calico Kitten, a latte with caramel, chocolate, and white chocolate, we got ours iced but you can have it warm as well. Mae got a cat cookie and I tried a brownie. We took a seat near the cat room, so we could watch them while enjoying our food. Mae’s cat cookie was lavender lemon with pink icing, I tried a bite and it was good. The brownie was perfect, very chocolatey filled with chocolate chips. Our drinks were also really good, I hope they keep with calico mix on the menu. It had a rich flavor, the 2 different chocolates mixed quite well with the caramel. The whole time we were entertained by the cats in the next room, watching them play and drink from the water fountain.

This place is really good, the only downside I see with it is the parking situation. It shares a building with several other businesses and is hard to find parking. I went around the block 3 times before 1 spot came open. I have read on social media that the cafe owners are trying to work with the building owners to rectify the situation. Makes it hard to visit a restaurant when you can’t find parking. But other than that, the food and atmosphere were great, the service was wonderful as well. Now like I said earlier, you do need a reservation to go into the cat room to play with the cats. You make it online, and it does cost to help with the upkeep of the cats. All of the cats in the cat room are up for adoption through Safe Haven Animal Rescue, so if you do fall in love with one while in the room, you can take him home. Since the grand opening they have helped 31 cats find homes and I love seeing that number, hope it goes up more. Also, leave your own cat at home, this is only to enjoy the cats that are up for adoption in the cat room. A side note, they are doing so well here in Oklahoma City that a Tulsa location is in the works. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1900 Linwood Blvd., Suite 300, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Tacos Don Nacho

Forever I’ve been driving past Tacos Don Nacho on South Council, this is my usual route from my home in northwest Oklahoma City to my in-laws in south Oklahoma City. The parking lot is always full and I had been told my several people over the years that it was good. Finally Big K talked me into going and now I’m mad at myself for not stopping before.

Even at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, the place was packed but we were still able to find a table. Heads up, you do need to know a bit of Spanish to read the menu, but I’m pretty sure you can always ask. You order at the front counter, then find a seat. The complimentary chips and salsa were brought out quickly. the chips were those thin, light tortilla chips that I love and the salsa had a bit of kick to it. I ordered the Especial 3 Tacos with asada meat. This came out pretty quick as well, the 3 tacos are served in soft flour tortillas with salsa. These were amazing, I loved the taste of the meat, seasoned just right. The beans and rice were also really good, beans weren’t too runny and the rice had a hint of lime. Big K had a burrito plate with chicken. This burrito was huge, covered in red sauce and guacamole, with the beans and rice on the sides. He loved every bite.

We were so stuffed when we left, the food was so good and filling. It will definitely be on our list of favorite places now. Wish I would have stopped years ago. Now I understand why the parking lot is always packed. Definitely 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 3721 S Council Rd, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Rendezvous Pizza

I had never heard of Detroit style pizza until a few years ago, truthfully it has become one of my favorite types of pizza. There are getting to be a couple of places here in the Oklahoma City metro that have good Detroit style pizza and Rendezvous Pizza is one of them.

My first visit was last year, we went to their Bricktown location. On that visit we ordered Italian nachos, which were outstanding, and a meat lovers Detroit style. Didn’t have a long wait and everything was good. The only downside was it was in Bricktown, parking was hard to find. I was excited when a few months ago they opened a second location near Quail Springs Mall. This is much closer to me and being a standalone building, better parking. I visited that location a few weeks ago, the only thing I was disappointed about is the fact that the Italian nachos aren’t on the menu any longer. I have checked and the Bricktown location doesn’t have them either, not sure why they aren’t on the menu but I did miss them. So I ordered the fried mozzarella instead, this was really good as well, large flat patties of fried cheese. They don’t look like regular mozzarella sticks, more like a mozzarella hash brown. We got the meat lovers Detroit style again and it was just as good as the first time I tried it. Lots of meat with crispy cheese on the edges. Detroit style pizza is similar to Chicago style, deep dish with lots of cheese. They then put the toppings on, followed by the marinara sauce. It’s called Detroit style because it did originate in Detroit and was cooked in used (but cleaned) oil pans. This is why it’s a rectangle or square.

They also have New York style pizza as well, I haven’t tried it yet but need to. Service was good and parking was easy. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 27 E. Sheridan Ave., Oklahoma City

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Biglow’s Burgers

The whole purpose of my Food Friday feature is to bring attention to local restaurants. I really want to be able to give 5 strips of bacon on every review but I also know it’s not always possible. Biglow’s Burgers is an excellent example. When it first opened around the beginning of the year, I was excited. I had read reviews about the food truck and it sounded great. So on a cool Friday night we visited.

They had been open for about a month and I had heard about the issues they were having, I had hoped those had been worked out. It took 10 minutes just for us to place an order for dine in, and the cashier wasn’t exactly the nicest person, not even able to answer basic questions about the menu. So we took a seat near the back, the whole interior looked unfinished and the tables look like they had been used and abused. There we sat, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, then at 27 minutes someone realized they had forgotten to make our order. We were brought some complimentary egg rolls which turned out to be cold in the middle. And we continued to sit. By this time I had noticed that it was really cold in the restaurant, I don’t think they had the heat turned on. Finally after 40 minutes we got our order. The burger was just ok, I wasn’t blown away by it. The fries were awful, way too much salt. We finished and left. Back near the end of March we decided to try again, even though the hours on the building and online said they closed at 8p, the restaurant was dark. It was 6:30p on a Friday night and they were already closed. Some other potential patrons were sitting in their car nearby and told us that a very rude employee locked the door in their face when they tried to enter.

I’m giving them 2 strips of bacon, I hope they improve in the future but with 3 other really good burger places within a mile of the restaurant I just have no reason to attempt another visit.

Address: 12309 N Council Rd. Suite 1, Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: Barry’s Grill

You ever drive by a restaurant and think “I need to try this place”? I have done that for years driving by the big green burger sign for Barry’s Grill on North May Aveune. It even smells good when I stop next door at Bedford Camera, after years of thinking about it I stopped and truthfully I wish I hadn’t.

First thing I noticed when I walked in wasn’t the old time menu sign, it was the dirty unvacuumed floors. I got over it and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with a side of tots. The guy behind the counter took my order but didn’t seem friendly. As I took a seat I noticed a old musty smell that permeated the restaurant. The tables were clean but obviously had some age to them. The whole vibe was 1960’s cafeteria. The pictures on the wall were faded to blue and the “greenery” in between the tables was older than me. Before my burger was ready I took a quick trip to the bathroom, indoor outhouse is a good description. A couple minutes after I returned to the table my order was ready. It did bother me that the tray was sticky. The tots were just plain tots, nothing really special. The burger was the same, nothing special. The veggies were fresh and crisp and the bacon was cooked perfectly. It was just ok though. I wasn’t blown away, really along the lines of a fast-food burger. I finished my food and left. The odd smell was still there and really permeated my experience.

From my research, this business has been at the location since at least 1996. I think it does a good job attracting a lunch crowd not looking for anything fancy. Personally I don’t think I’ll return. I give them 2 strips of bacon.

Address: 3124 N May Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: The Fried Taco

If you haven’t been to the Edmond Icehouse Project, you are missing out on some good food. Not only is Woodward Pizza located in this complex but so is The Fried Taco. This small taco restaurant started as a food truck in 2019 and expanded into The collective not long after. In 2022, they opened their second location in the metro area in the newly developed Icehouse Project just north of Edmond Road (or 2nd Street) and west of the railroad tracks.

The menu is small and straightforward, you have different fried tacos plus a limited selection of quesadillas and empanadas. We started our visit with the white queso with chorizo. This isn’t just chips and queso, the chips are fried flour tortillas and the queso is a creamy blend of cheeses with onion, tomato, and chorizo mixed in. I love these chips, they have a different texture than corn chips and in this case the thicker chip is good. This last visit I tried their chicken bacon ranch taco and a ground beef and cheese empanada. The flour tortilla has been fried and shaped to hold ingredients just like a taco. The chicken mixed with ranch and bacon gave the taco a great taste that you just don’t always get from regular tacos. The crunchy tortilla also lends to the different flavor. I’ve had the brisket and the pork tacos in the past and they are good as well. I really think that fried flour tortilla just makes these tacos good. This last trip was the first time I had ever tried an empanada. It’s like a fried pie with savory ingredients such as beef or pork. I got a beef empanada, I love the flaky crust on the outside. The beef and cheese mixture inside was also good, very flavorful. To wash it all down I got a homemade coconut lavender lemonade. This is so refreshing, the coconut and lavender give the lemonade a smooth taste.

Overall I love the food and the atmosphere at The Fried Taco, you can eat inside in a purple room or take your food outside to sit on the patio. There is a play place for kids and plenty of games around for everyone. I have not been to their location in the Collective yet but would like to visit soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 119 W 2nd St. Suite 150, Edmond; 308 NW 10th (The Collective Food Hall), Oklahoma City.

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Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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