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Archive for the ‘Oklahoma’ Category

Food Friday: Social Capital

I’ve heard about Social Capital for a few years, they had huge watch parties for the Thunder games over the summer. On a trip downtown I decided to stop in and see what they were about.

It was about lunch time on a Saturday afternoon, so it wasn’t real busy. First thing I realized right off the bat, this isn’t really a restaurant. It’s more of a gathering place with a bar and food. All the tables are for multiple groups and even seating areas for more of a gathering than dining. We ordered off their limited menu, a shrimp taco, pork belly taco, and nachos to share. The food was delivered quickly. We both loved our tacos, lots of flavor and great taste. The nachos were the true star of the show. The chips were made from flour tortillas and the white queso was amazing.

Like I said, it’s really not a restaurant but a great place to gather with friends and family. I love the fact that it is built in an old service station that dates from the 1960’s. Before that the area was residential and a house was on that site as late as the 1950’s. As the area turned industrial, more homes were replaced by businesses. Now almost all the homes are gone as are many of the businesses. Across the street there is the beautiful Scissortail Park. I will give them 5 strips of bacon, they do have good food and a huge beer menu.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Jobe’s Country Boy Drive-In

El Reno is known for onion burgers, there are several restaurants in town that specialize in them as well as an Onion Burger Festival every May. Jobe’s had been a mainstay on Route 66 for years but had closed for a while. Now it’s reopened, serving up those famous burgers.

We stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. At first it was quiet and we were the only diners in the building but as time went on, the place filled up. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger on sourdough with a side of chili cheese tots while Big K got a Western Char Burger and chili cheese fries. The orders came out pretty quickly and the food was amazing. My bacon cheeseburger had a beef patty, fried to perfection with onions. Several strips of thick bacon, jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato along with a thousand island dressing all piled high on the toasted sourdough. It was just how a onion burger with bacon should be done. The tots were great as well, the chili had a great flavor with lots of meat. Big K loved his Western Char Burger, also a onion fried beef patty with bacon, American cheese, onion rings, and homemade hickory char sauce. Said it was one of the best burgers he had eaten in a while and to be honest, he eats a lot of burgers. He also loved his chili cheese fries as well.

Jobe’s Country Boy Drive-In originally opened in 1958 by JR Jobe. It served travelers on Route 66 until 2015, when it closed. The building was several different businesses before reopening as a restaurant again in 2024. Now ready to serve adventurers rediscovering Route 66 for its 100th birthday, Jobe’s is a great small-town diner with good onion burgers. I give the 5 strips of thick bacon.

Address: 1220 Sunset Dr., El Reno.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, Route 66

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Food Friday: SAT Asian Seafood

About a month ago a new seafood restaurant opened on NW Expressway. SAT Asian Seafood is originally out of the San Antonio area but have expanded to Oklahoma. I gave it a few weeks before we tried it out.

Located in the old Red Lobster, we stopped in on a quiet Friday night. I love all of the decorations, the light up lobster as you enter is just fun. We were seated quickly and had a server immediately. My one downside is this restaurant does specialize in seafood boils. I’m just not a fan, so that limited the menu for me pretty quickly. We ordered crab rangoon and mozzarella sticks to start while we looked over the menu. The appetizers came out pretty quickly and were good. I got the fried shrimp basket while Big K went with the fried catfish basket. These were pretty run of the mill fried seafood baskets. The shrimp were huge but nothing really special. Big K loved his catfish.

Service was great. SAT Asian Seafood is ok but their fried menu didn’t hit it out of the park for me. I’m giving them 4 strips of bacon because the service was good.

Address: 4243 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: China King

I love a good Chinese buffet. Hunan Wok in NW Oklahoma City has been my go to for almost 30 years. There are a few that have gone that I loved and a couple still around that I enjoy. One I hadn’t tried yet is China King on North Penn near Memorial, so on a Friday night we decided to check it out.

Located just in front of the Walmart, the parking lot wasn’t very full so maybe a red flag but we’ll see. We were seated immediately but there were very few diners. The buffets were full of steaming food, so we tackled them. The had so many of my favorites- General Tso’s chicken, seafood casserole, sweet and sour chicken, fried shrimp, egg rolls, crab rangoon. I liked most of it. The chicken was a bit dry, even the gooey General was tough. The seafood casserole needed something, just couldn’t place what it was. Even the crab rangoon was a bit flavorless.

Now the service was incredible and friendly. The restaurant was clean. I feel like if they improve the food, they might get more business. So I’m going to give them 3 strips of bacon, just for the service.

Address: 13220 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Billy Sims Barbeque

I am a lover of good barbeque. Some brisket, pulled pork, sausage, or hot links, don’t care, I like it all. As strange as this comment might seem, it is hard to find in Oklahoma City. Yeah, we have lots of burger places but really only a few barbeque joints. Billy Sims Barbeque has been around for a while. I stopped once and wasn’t impressed but was in the mood, so I thought I would give them another try.

On a quiet Saturday night, we stopped in for dinner. The place was empty, so it didn’t take long to order or get the food. I just went with a sliced brisket dinner with loaded potato salad and mac and cheese. The brisket was good, not overly flavorful though. I did need the hickory barbeque sauce to liven it up. The Loaded potato salad was excellent, tangy with bacon bits. The mac and cheese was edible. Not my favorite but not as horrible as a frozen diet lunch I had a few weeks ago. I absolutely hated their bread, it could have been buttered on both sides when they toasted it, too dry. Big K got a combo dinner with sliced brisket and hot links with the same sides as well. He liked the brisket, thought the hot links were good but not too spicy.

Billy Sims is a football legend in Oklahoma. He was a running back for the University of Oklahoma from 1975-79, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1978. He went on to play with the Detroit Lions for a few seasons before retiring after an injury. In 2004, he opened with the first location in Tulsa. Since then the franchise has spread to six states. I will give them 4 strips of bacon. It wasn’t horrible but could be so much better. There are 22 locations in Oklahoma, with 12 more in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.

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Barbeque in Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: City Bites

It has been hard to find a good locally owned sandwich shop in the Oklahoma City metro. Yes, we do have a few but they are scattered all over town. One that I keep forgetting about it one that has been in the metro for years, City Bites. Well no more forgetting for me since one has opened close to the house.

They are actually a popular sandwich chain here in the metro. Our visit on a Sunday morning proved that they bring in the customers. I ordered an egg salad sandwich with a small side salad while Big K went with an Italian also with a side salad. The order came out quick and I was impressed immediately. Both sandwiches were huge and the side salad was a perfect size as well. I tackled the salad first, it was good. Fresh veggies with a good amount of ranch so I don’t have to taste the fresh veggies. Then I started in on that sandwich. I love a good egg salad sandwich and this was one of the best that had crossed my lips. The egg salad inside was perfect and it was placed inside two pieces of buttery, toasted sourdough bread. I loved every bite. Big K got his Italian on jalapeno cheddar bread and it was good as well. Stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies, he loved it. Said the best part was the fresh bread, hard to find a good sandwich with fresh bread. We had a great visit and I will be back more often.

City Bites has been around since 1986. It was started by a group of brothers as a way to get some extra income. Their whimsical interiors make them memorable as well as the food. I actually ate at the first location, located in Bethany, back in the late 1980’s with my dad. I liked them then and have eaten at some of the other locations over the years. But like I said, I also forget about them because there wasn’t one close to my house. With the recent opening of their newest restaurant on Memorial at Rockwell, I don’t have far to go. They will now be in a regular rotation, especially when I just want a good sandwich. I’ll be giving them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1430 N. Santa Fe Ave., Edmond; 3601 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Edmond; 2005 E. 2nd St, Edmond; 1804 S. Broadway St., Moore; 425 E. State Highway 152, Mustang; 2001 W. Main St., Norman; 6801 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 2804 NW 122nd St., Oklahoma City; 7020 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 13425 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City; 7701 S. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City; 211 N. Robinson Ave., Suite 120, Oklahoma City; 3939 N. MacArthur Blvd., Warr Acres; 700 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon; 2603 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee; 3570 N. Woodlawn, Suite 500, Wichita, KS.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant

Always looking for something new, Big K discovered Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant while looking at the internet one night. It has been on North MacArthur for over 5 years but it was a first for us.

Located in a small strip mall just south of NW 50th on the east side of MacArthur, the welcoming Hispanic girl painted next to the door lets you know there is authentic Mexican inside. It was quiet for a Friday night and we were seated quickly with chips, salsa, and queso brought out immediately. After looking over the menu, I decided on beef enchiladas while Big K ordered chicken Milanesa. We had a nice time enjoying the chips and trying their salsas, there were two different kinds, one a bit spicier than the other. The chips were fresh and warm, light and crisp. Both dinners were served on huge plates, mine had three enchiladas with beans and rice while Big K’s had the chicken with beans, rice, and potatoes. I loved every bite. The enchiladas were stuffed with fajita meat, seasoned perfectly, and covered in cheese sauce with cotija cheese on top. The beans and rice were also quite good. Big K’s chicken Milanesa was interesting, chicken, lightly breaded and fried. It was like a Mexican version of schnitzel. I had a bite and really enjoyed it. The potatoes that came with the meal were also good, sliced thin and fried with just a bit of seasoning. Next trip I’m going to get this for my dinner as well.

Since we were there on a Friday night, there was live music. The singer they brought in was incredible, he had such a lovely voice. The service was outstanding and the decor is beautiful. Overall I’m giving Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4802 N. MacArthur Ave., Warr Acres.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: OK Ramen & Sushi Bar

For the past few years I have heard about a great sushi place in Moore. I don’t get to the southside of the metro often and when I do it’s to go to Norman. So I was excited to learn they were going to open a location just a couple miles from me in NW Oklahoma City.

We went on a Friday night just a few weeks after their opening. We were surprised to be the only people there. They brought complimentary tempura crab stick stuffed with cream cheese. I have had this a other sushi restaurants in Oklahoma City and love it every time. Thiers was just as good, if not better than what I’ve had in the past. We ordered a shrimp roll, sunny land roll, OK special roll, and Thunder roll. Didn’t take long for us to get our food and wow was it amazing. The shrimp roll was tempura fried, was really delightful. The sunny land roll was topped with coconut which gave it a sweet crunch. The OK Special roll had a bit of a spicy kick to it. The Thunder roll was awesome as well with lots of crunchies on top.

Overall, we loved OK Ramen & Sushi Bar. We were stuffed when done and the waitstaff was amazing. We will definitely be back soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 13325 N. MacArthur Blvd, suite 10, Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria

I would never expect to find some of the best pizza in Oklahoma in the small town of Chickasha but here we are. In an unassuming building on the east end of historic downtown Chickasha sits Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria.

We had been walking around the downtown area, it was getting hot and we were ready to sit down for lunch. We found the pizzeria and decided to try it. We started with the mozzarella sticks. These came out pretty quick and were pretty good. But the real star of the show was the Italian pizza we ordered. Didn’t have to wait long for this delightful treat to come out. A thin crust pizza with Alfredo sauce and lots of salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and banana peppers. Every bite was full of flavor. The pizza was also easy to pick up, the thin crust didn’t get soggy. This was truly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in Oklahoma.

The service was great as well. The staff was friendly and we never had empty cups. The building is historic as well, built in 1940, it was originally a Trailways Bus Depot. The dining room area was a covered loading area until sometime after 2007, when it was enclosed. Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria looks to have been in Chickasha for many years, for a while under the name BJ’s Pizza. So if you are in Chickasha, check them out. I’ll give the m 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 208 W. Chickasha Ave., Chickasha.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Blue Moon Chinese Restaurant

I have been by Blue Moon Chinese Restaurant at least a thousand times over the years but never stopped. Once again another place I should have tried earlier. This isn’t a Chinese buffet (which I do love the buffets), this is a real sit-down family style restaurant.

The atmosphere from the time you walk in is different, immediately hit with a calm. It was a casual environment, very laid back. Plus the decorations in the building were beautiful and calming as well. We had to start the order with their famous egg rolls. We had both heard about the egg rolls and the fact they have won best egg roll in the metro area several times. Truthfully they lived up to their reputation. Full of cabbage and pork, really good. We also tried their crab rangoons. These were also good. Loved the crisp with the creamy crab cream cheese filling. For my entree, I got the butterfly shrimp. These are shrimp, wrapped in bacon and deep fried in a tempura batter. They were huge and tasted wonderful. I actually had to bring some home because they were just so big. Surprisingly, they reheated nicely as well. Big K got the Cantonese chicken. This is cut up chicken with carrots and onion. He really loved it and cleaned his plate. The also brought out fried rice served family style. This fried rice was so good. I could have eaten it all by myself. It was perfect. Family style in Chinese food means it’s for everyone at the table to share.

I wish I would have tried this place much earlier, it is now in my rotation of favorites. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1320 S. Broadway, Edmond.

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Food, Oklahoma

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