Oklahoma City | The Fat Okie

Come and travel Oklahoma with me.

Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma City’

Food Friday: Koala Tea

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.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe

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.

Address: 3131 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Dulce Vida Tacos & Tequilla

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.

Address: 4825 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Boom Town Creamery

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.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Bricktown Brewery

For some reason I always over look the Bricktown Brewery. Not sure why, there’s a location close and they have good food. So on a quiet Friday night, I gave Big K a list of places I wanted to go try again, he selected Bricktown Brewery.

We were seated quickly even though the restaurant was busy. They have an interesting selection of appetizers, we went with the Watonga cheese curds. Didn’t take long for them to come out and wow, were they good. Lightly battered cheese curds, they had the perfect curd squeak and tasted great. Next up were the entrees, Big K got a Rodeo burger. This massive burger has cheddar cheese, jalapenos, bacon, and onion rings covered with Head Country barbeque sauce. He loved every bite. Said the burger was juicy and flavorful with a bit of a kick. I tried the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese as my sides. I consider myself a bit of a chicken fry steak connoisseur and this quickly became one of my favorites. The breading was light on the steak and the cream gravy complimented it perfectly. The mashed potatoes were good as well, they used real potatoes, not the flakes like some restaurants. As good as the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes were, the best part was the mac and cheese. This is a baked mac and cheese with a creamy sauce and breadcrumbs on top. This mac and cheese was truly some of the best I have found in Oklahoma City. They also serve it as an entree, I will be ordering it next time.

We had a great experience at the Bricktown Brewery and I really need to remember it is there so I can visit more often. Service was outstanding and the food was incredible. There are lots of locations around the state, so pick one and go. My visit was to the Memorial Road location and it was wonderful.

Address: 505 SE Washington Blvd., Bartlesville; 3301 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa; 1 N. Oklahoma Ave., Oklahoma City; 1150 E. 2nd St., Edmond; 3616 W. Owen K Garriott Rd., Enid; 45 NW 2nd St., Lawton; 5516 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 7301 SE 29th St., Midwest City; 415 W. Shawnee St., Muskogee; 1 Remington Pl., Oklahoma City; 1630 Sw 104th St., Oklahoma City; 4845 N. Kickapoo Ave., Shawnee; 11909 E. 96th St., Owasso; 9409 E. 71st St., Tulsa; 318 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith, AR; 2035 N. Rock Rd., Wichita, KS; 2142 N. Tyler Rd., Wichita, KS; 1221 Branson Landing Blvd., Branson, MO; 3030 S. Rangeline Rd., Joplin, MO; 2040 E. Independence St., Springfield, MO; 3111MIdwestern Parkway, Wichita Falls, TX.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Dado’s Pizza

We’ve both heard a lot about Dado’s Pizza over the past few years, it has been called the best pizza in Oklahoma City. I finally got to try them out a few weeks ago and even though I haven’t experienced New York pizza yet, this might be as close as I get in Oklahoma City.

It’s actually hard to find at first, stuffed in the middle of a strip mall. Dado’s Pizza is small, when you walk in you are greeted by a huge case with slices of pizza. You can get the pizza by the slice or a whole pie. Because Big K was hungry, we went with a whole pizza as well as an order of mozzarella sticks. Now the restaurant isn’t very big since many of their customers do take out, there is some outdoor seating, as well as a few spots near the door and in the back. We went to the back and waited for our food to arrive. It didn’t take long for the mozzarella sticks. These were big sticks that were almost a meal by themselves. Really good, lots of cheese pull. Then the pizza arrived. We went with the three meats pizza, loaded with sausage, bacon, and pepperoni. It was huge and meant to be eaten the way they do in New York, by folding it. To be honest, I’ve never eaten a slice of pizza that way but it worked. The crust was light, the crushed tomatoes weren’t overpowering. Loved the flavor of the meats, the only downside was I thought there could have been more cheese.

Overall we both loved it. I think next time, I’ll just get a slice or two and not a whole pizza. Maybe try some of their other varieties. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 10942 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Granny’s Kitchen

I’ve heard the hype about Granny’s Kitchen for a few years. I’ve heard how popular the Stillwater location has been and I have seen the crowds at their second location on Memorial at Penn. Never had the chance to try them out, until recently with the opening of a fourth location on NW Expressway.

Just a few days after they opened, we decided to stop in. The restaurant was busy but there were a few seats. We placed our order quickly, I went with the Oklahoma Omelet with hashbrowns and pancakes. Big K went all out and got the Nasty Granny. We really didn’t wait too long before the food came out. Wow, was it a lot of food. I knew the Nasty Granny was big but it took up the whole large plate. If you aren’t familiar with the Nasty Granny, it’s a huge chicken fried steak served over a halved biscuit with tater tots, bacon bits, ham pieces, crumbled sausage, onions, bell peppers, and cheddar cheese with cream gravy over all of it. No way I could have tackled this dish but it was perfect for Big K. He loved every bite. I did try a small bite, loved the chicken fry, was lighter than I expected. My Oklahoma Omelet was almost too much for me as well. This three-egg omelet was stuffed with beef, ham, sausage, and bacon with Monterey Jack cheese mixed in as well. It was so good, the egg brought the flavor of the meats together. It’s my new favorite omelet. The hashbrowns were good as well, they were just standard shredded potatoes fried to a golden brown. As much as I loved the omelet, the pancakes were amazing. The were so light and tasted just like the fair (if you know, you know). I really want to try more of the pancakes as well.

Just based on one visit I am totally impressed with Granny’s Kitchen. The service was great as well, no issues at any point. I’m actually ready to go back again, soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon, with a pancake of course.

Address: 7206 NW Expressway; 9101 S Pennsylvania Ave., Suite A; 2121 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 701 S Main St., Stillwater.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Charleston’s Restaurant

I never want to write a bad review, I always go into a restaurant with high expectations. 95% of the time everything goes great. Then there are times it doesn’t and this seems to happen to me every time I go to Charleston’s. My extended family is obsessed with Charleston’s, almost any time we get together, this is where we meet. Every time we gather there are problems, wrong orders, waitstaff ignoring the table, things like that. I actually stopped going to the gatherings because I was just tired of the drama plus the food is never good. What gets me is every time I pass a Charleston’s, they’re packed. Why? Has the food and service gotten better? I have been meaning to go back for quite a while now and guess what, an opportunity came up, another family gathering of course.

We all met on a Thursday right before the lunch crowd arrived, there were 9 in the party but they sat us in a corner that could only comfortably seat 6. That became a huge problem when the food came out, everyone had to pass plates down to the person who ordered. Our orders were taken and then we waited. I should have timed it but honestly it took forever. Not so bad since we were all catching up but still a bit ridiculous. Finally the orders came out, of the 9 people, 5 had their orders wrong. I wasn’t surprised. At least my order was correct, a hickory burger. Can’t get this wrong, right? It came open faced with burger and Canadian bacon on one side, shredded cheese on the other. The trick was to put the two sides together without making a mess. First bite revealed that the burger was dry. It came with barbeque sauce but it was still dry. The meat was dry, almost like a hockey puck. The cheese and barbeque sauce didn’t add to the burger at all. I also wasn’t impressed with the fries that came with it, just had no flavor even after being salted.

In the past on different visits over the years, I had tried their chicken fried steak, chicken strips, and pasta. I was never impressed with anything. Overall, once again it was a horrible experience. What got me is that as we were leaving, the place was packed. I wanted to go to each table and ask why were they there. Does anyone really like their food or do you just go there from habit? So many other places to eat that are better and cheaper. I’m giving them 1 strip of bacon.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili

For quite a while there’s been a commercial on local tv that is featuring different businesses in The Shoppes at Northpark (Northpark Mall for all of us old-timers). In that commercial they show some of the items on the menu for Ron’s Hamburger and Chili. Front and center is one of the best looking footlong hot dogs I’ve ever seen. I decided it was time for us to visit again.

All 3 of us got to go on a Saturday afternoon. Since you can get to the restaurant from the parking lot, you don’t have to walk through the mall to find it. As good as that hot dog looked, I decided to order a basic bacon cheeseburger. Miss Mae got the footlong hot dog without chili and Big K got the Polish special. We also got mozzarella sticks and onion rings to share. Everything came out pretty quickly and it all looked just as good in real life as it did on tv. First up were the baskets of onion rings and mozzarella sticks. The rings were great, the breading had a great taste as did the sweet onions inside. The sticks were the same way, bigger than most, they were good to share. My bacon cheeseburger was good. Nice solid burger with lots of veggies, cheese, and bacon bits all stacked on a toasted bun. Nothing fancy about this burger, just what you want out of a bacon cheeseburger. Now for that footlong hot dog, I had a bite, next time I’ll be ordering it only with chili. The bun was toasted, the dog itself had that good snap with a great flavor. Big K’s Polish special was interesting, spaghetti with chili and Polish sausage on top. It’s an interesting mix but we actually tried this dish in Ohio this past May. He really loved it, thought everything was cooked perfectly from the pasta to the chili.

We had been to Ron’s several times in the past, the most memorable visit was in 2010. We took my husband’s uncle to their former Edmond location to thank him for donating bone marrow to my father-in-law. The Edmond location is closed and this new location has been in Northpark Mall for about 2 years. The employees were really nice, even complimenting my daughter on her newly colored purple hair. If you are looking for a good burger, hot dog, or even something different like chili over spaghetti, check Ron’s out. They have lots of locations around the state. I give them 5 strips of bacon, preferably wrapped around that hot dog.

Address: 11956 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City; 1913 S Elm Place, Broken Arrow; 1220 S. Lynn Riggs Blvd., Claremore; 351 N. Air Depot, Midwest City; 130 W. 141st. St., Glenpool; 505 W. Main St., Jenks; 233 S. Adams Rd., Sand Springs; 9100 N. Garnett Rd., Owasso; 1440 S. Denver, Tulsa; 7119 S. Mingo Rd., Tulsa; 6548 E. 51st St., Tulsa; 8201 S. Harvard, Tulsa; 804 W. Rogers, Skiatook; 811 E. 6th St., Stillwater; 1105 W. Cherokee St., Wagoner; 18415 FM 1488 Magnolia, TX; 14257 FM 2920, Suite 210, Tomball, TX; 1702 S. Walton Blvd., Bentonville, AR.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Taco Empire

If you’ve been reading my food Fridays, you know that I love Mexican food. A new taco restaurant opened in NW Oklahoma City and I had to check it out.

We went on a quiet Friday night, there were quite a few people there but it wasn’t crowded. We shared a platter of steak nachos to start. Piled high with chips, steak, veggies, topped with queso. These were awesome, the chips were fried flour tortillas. The steak had a great flavor and was tender. These queso had a tang that I really enjoyed, brought out so many of the other ingredients. What I found funny is that when I ordered these, the girl asked if I liked spicy. Yes was my answer, she then explained that there were jalapenos on the nachos. The fresh sliced jalapenos weren’t that hot, they actually had a great fresh taste as well. Next up were our tacos. I got a fried shrimp taco and a quesabroso with steak. First of all they come in blue corn tortillas, different, added a bit of color to the plate. The shrimp was perfectly fried, covered in a spicy aioli that was delightful. The quesabroso taco was a blue corn tortilla with cheese fried onto it, then filled with steak and beans, topped with a guacamole. I don’t normally like guacamole but it was great mixed with this meat and beans on this taco. I also loved the tiny baked potato, it was covered in spices and easily eaten by hand. Big K had a fish taco and barbacoa taco. He loved both, said they were both quite flavorful.

Apparently Taco Empire had been a food truck before having a brick & mortar location. The restaurant is in a small strip mall at the SW intersection of NW 122nd and Rockwell. This is getting to be a good place to go if you’re a foodie. Several other restaurants have also opened in this area. A trip to Taco Empire needs to be on your list to try if you haven’t already. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 7000 NW 122nd St, Oklahoma City.