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.
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.
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.
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.
I don’t normally review chain restaurants but there have been a couple that have come to Oklahoma City that I think are pretty good. If you are a fan of Korean chicken or if you have never tried it before, bb.q Chicken is a great place to try.
We stopped in on a blustery Saturday afternoon. Cold and hungry, we ordered cheesy chicken bites and onion rings to start. These came out quickly. The cheesy chicken bites were good but not overwhelming. The onion rings were perfect and came in a huge basket, way more than I was expecting. The were light with a great taste. For the chicken, we tried the cheesling and Gangham style. I was blown away by both. Now I do always get my chicken boneless, I’m one of those strange people who hates bones in their food. The cheesling was my absolute favorite. Not only crispy fried chicken but with a sweet cheese powder all over the breading. I loved every bite, and it held up later as leftovers. I also loved the Gangham style. It had a bit more heat to it but not bad at all. The crisp fried chicken was covered in a black pepper sauce with garlic and onion. They come in huge portions so it’s easy to share.
The service was great and the atmosphere was nice. They are right in the middle of a strip mall north of Quail Springs Mall. This chain was started in 1995, by a chef in Seoul, South Korea. There locations not only around the country but around the world. I was excited about their food and plan on stopping in again for more juicy but crisp fried chicken. I give them 5 strips of bacon.
A casual restaurant in the Oklahoma City metro to not sleep on is Louie’s. I’ve been a couple of times and the food has always been solid.
I’ve had their burgers many times. One of my last visits I had The Joker burger. This burger isn’t a joke, seasoned patty topped with spicy mac and cheese, bacon, and cheddar jack cheese. Big and juicy with lots of flavor. Since I enjoyed the burger so much, on my next visit I tried their straight up mac and cheese. Same spicy mac and cheese topped with chicken, bacon, cheddar jack, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. So good, creamy with not too much heat. The weren’t stingy with the chicken or bacon either with plenty of both to mix well with the pasta and cheese. I have tried a couple of the appetizers as well. The fried pickles are good, love the type of dill pickles they use. My favorite are the fried green beans. Just love the way they taste, just a bit of a kick to them. Both are served with their chipotle ranch with is also quite good. For some reason, every time Big K goes with me, he gets the beer battered fish platter. He really likes it so I won’t complain too much.
There are lots of Louie’s around. They are part of the Hal Smith Restaurant group which owns a lot of local chains in the metro. I give them 5 strips of bacon. They’ve always been good and consistent with good service.
Address: 1640 N. 9th St., Broken Arrow; 1389 E. 15th St., Edmond; 813 E. A St., Jenks; 6007 SE 15th St., Midwest City; 1601 S I-35 Service Rd., Moore; 3750 W. Robinson St., Norman; 301 W. Boyd St., Norman; 1201 NW 178th St., Oklahoma City; 9401 N. Lake Hefner Parkway, Oklahoma City; 7216 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City; 9101 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 720 S. Main St., Stillwater; 6310 E. 101st St., Tulsa; 1600 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon.
I have never been a tea person. I don’t mind the sleepytime tea when I need to relax but other than that I don’t drink tea. I don’t like sweet tea either, just never has impressed me. But I am starting to enjoy the Asian milk teas that have popped up around town recently.
A new addition to NW Oklahoma City is Koala Tea. Opened just last year, this is a great new place to stop in for not only a milk tea but they also offer smoothies as well. On my first visit, I tried the wintermelon milk tea with boba. I really loved it, the flavor was like a brown sugar tea. I’m really torn on boba, it can be good and add to the drink but I did eventually get tired of them. Good thing is you don’t have to get boba in the milk teas. I’ve tried more of their teas over the past few months and really have enjoyed all of them. Recently I did get a chance to try their smoothies. I went with a strawberry smoothie. It was awesome as well. Lots of strawberry and very “smooth”.
They do offer small treats at times but they are mostly a drink place. There is plenty of place for small groups to sit and have some drinks while chatting. Or you can just stop in, grab a drink and read. Great service as well, they are so helpful. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.
Address: 4236 NW Expressway Suite 112, Oklahoma City; 10400 S. Western Ave., Suite 6, Oklahoma City.
I have been wanting to visit Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe for quite a while, I love Mediterranean food and get excited about trying restaurants offering it in the metro. Now Nunu’s has been around for a while but is still a great family-owned place to visit.
We went early on a Saturday afternoon, happy we did get there before noon because the place did get busy real quick. I ordered the beef kafta over hashwa and Big K got the sampler plate. You order once you get inside the door, then you take a seat. The guy taking the order was really nice and knew everything on the menu well. It didn’t take long for the food to come out. My meal came with beef kafta, hashwa, tabouli, pita and hummus. So now I will break that all down for those who aren’t familiar. Beef kafta is Lebanese ground beef with different spices added, usually parsley and onion. It is cooked over a fire and served in different forms like a meatball or on a kebab. Hashwa (hashwah) is Lebanese as well. In Arabic it means “stuffing”, basically it’s rice with ground beef, pine nuts, and possibly some veggies (depends on the cook). Tabouli (tabbouleh) is Mediterranean, basically how it’s prepared depends on which version the cook wants to make. There is no one recipe for tabouli, you can get a different version at different restaurants but it can have parsley, tomato, onion, bulgur wheat, mint, with olive oil and lemon juice. Hummus is also Mediterranean and basically consists of a few ingredients, mashed chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. It’s usually served with pita. The tabouli was outstanding, lots of flavor. The hummus was so smooth, seriously some of the best hummus I’ve ever had. It worked well with their pita, which was made in-house. The beef kafta was juicy with lots of flavor. I was also blown away by the hashwa, first time I had tried it and I was in love immediately. The flavors just came together perfectly. Big K’s sampler platter came with beef kafta, chicken kebob, cabbage roll, hashwa, tabouli, hummus and pita. He loved everything. He agreed that was some of the best hummus he has ever eaten. He liked the beef kafta and hashwa as well, thought the chicken kebob was tender and flavorful. He was totally in love with the cabbage roll, said it was one of the best he ever eaten.
We also took home a sampler of Mediterranean desserts complete with baklava made with both walnut and pistachio, and pistachio cookies. This sampler was great as well, loved every bite. The best part of Nunu’s is that they do have a market attached, so you can take home some of that good hummus and pita. The service was outstanding and the staff was incredibly friendly. They are passionate about their food. I give them 5 strips of bacon and ready for another visit.
New Mexican restaurant opened on the Highway to Hell, I mean NW Expressway a few months ago. I needed to let the new wear off before I visited, but finally stopped in to try them a few weeks ago.
The brightly decorated building sits on the north side of NW Expressway between Meridian and MacArthur. The inside is more colorful than the outside of the building, with flower chairs and bright paintings. We were seated quickly and had a chance to survey the menu. We knew we had to try their queso fundido. It came out quickly with chips and salsa. I loved every bite, the cheese was perfect, melty with lots of peppers and chorizo. I also loved the chips, light and crisp. Our entrees also came out quickly. I ordered cheese steak burritos. This was interesting, just as it says, a cheese steak inside a burrito instead of bread. I really liked it, the beans and rice were also good. Big K ordered the burrito chipotle. This is a huge burrito stuffed with chicken, rice, beans, and corn with a chipotle salsa on top. He loved every bite. I tried it and loved the chipotle salsa on top.
They are well known for their specialty alcoholic drinks but I’m not much of a drinker. So I didn’t try any this time, maybe the next visit. This location has done well enough that a second location is about to be opened on Memorial west of May. It is already getting attention with the bright pink paint that has been added. Overall we had a great visit and looking forward to trying more of their menu. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.
Every once in a while I like to have a sweet treat, Boom Town Creamery has become a favorite in Edmond. I had heard about their first location in the Uptown district of Oklahoma City but to be honest, I don’t get down there often. They started in 2021 on NW 23rd street to great fanfare and have been very popular. In summer of 2023, they moved to Edmond taking over the former Dolci Paradiso location on 5th Street.
This location is a bit closer to home, so much easier to access. I’ve stopped in several times and always have a great experience. Their ice cream is made in small batches with several flavors available. They can serve the ice cream in a come or cup, or if you are adventurous, a flight. They also have pints to take home. They do have several flavors, I have tried the chocolate tornado, cherry goat, cookies and cream, and cookie butter. They are all smooth and flavorful, you can’t take a bite without tasting the add-ins, which is a good thing when it comes to ice cream. What I have loved the best with every flavor is the consistency of the smoothness, it is more like a frozen custard than ice cream.
Service is great and there is seating outdoors, so you can enjoy the evening if you go at night. It is a bit small inside but it seems most people went outside or just left entirely. There is a park right across the street, so that is an option as well. I give them 5 strips of bacon.
Address: 17 E. 5th St., Edmond; 605 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City; 10740 S. May Ave. #116, Oklahoma City.
The Fat Okie 