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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma City’

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.

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Food Friday: Babble Coffee & Boba Tea Bar

I love trying out new coffee shops and to find one close to home is a bonus. I guess Babble Coffee and Boba Tea Bar has been in it’s location at Hefner and Rockwell since 2017 but I never noticed it (and truthfully I’m at that Crest once a week). So I picked a nice late morning to get some writing done while sipping a coffee and enjoying a croffle.

They have a huge menu so it took me a few minutes to decide what I wanted but after I did order, I got my food quickly. I had an iced peppermint mocha latte with a Oreo croffle. The iced coffee was good, I really enjoyed it. The croffle was amazing. Basically a croffle is a combination of a croissant and a waffle. I loved mine. It was served warm with lots of whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and an Oreo on top.

This is a really good place to go if you need to work in silence, now there were plenty of other people coming in but everyone stayed quiet for the most part. The had lots of coffees and teas on the menu, I could visit everyday for the next year and not try them all. They also had more than just the croffles to eat, such as chicken nuggets and French fries. I loved the quiet atmosphere as well. The space is large enough to meet with friends but not be too overwhelmed by others. I will give them 5 strips of bacon, on a croffle of course.

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Food Friday: Sunnyside Diner

sunnyside diner

There are getting to be quite a few good places to enjoy breakfast in the Oklahoma City metro and one that has several locations around town is the Sunnyside Diner. Now they have been around for several years. The first time I visited was years ago at their location downtown. Since then they have expanded to 4 more locations. 

I have known for years you will wait to get in so it has limited my visits, I just don’t have that kind of patience. But on a recent cloudy Saturday afternoon, we decided to have a late breakfast. Now even at 12:30p the place was still packed but we got lucky, there was a table for 2 still open. We ordered quickly, a cinnamon roll to share, with Big K getting a Cajun breakfast platter and I got a mushroom feta bacon omelet with a side of hash browns. Now here’s where I will be a bit critical, I know they were busy but it shouldn’t have taken almost 30 minutes for us to get our food. We weren’t in a hurry so we didn’t make a big deal of it. The cinnamon roll came out first, as we asked, and wow was it good. Sitting in a warm pool of icing, this was an excellent treat for us to try. The cinnamon wasn’t overpowering and the icing had more of a buttery vanilla taste than buttercream. We had just finished it when the main course came out. I really enjoyed the omelet, stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, and bacon topped with feta. It was cooked perfectly and had an interesting mix of flavors. The hash browns were also good, a large serving browned just right. Big K loved the mix of Cajun flavors in his platter, which had potatoes, eggs, and chicken along with veggies.

Their menu does have plenty of other options such as burgers and salads. They also have a bar, to help you get through the day if needed. There are 5 locations around the metro, I have visited two of them- downtown and north MacArthur. Both have been busy with every visit and usually the food comes out quicker. The server was incredibly nice and kept us updated on what was going on, so hopefully this was a one time problem. I will still give them 5 strips of bacon for consistency. 

Address: 916 NW 6th St., Oklahoma City; 824 SW 89th St., Oklahoma City; 9148 N MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City; 7 E 2nd St., Edmond; 10904 N May Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: Sizzle N Spice Kebab Grill

I love to try new food from different parts of the world. Since I don’t have the time or money to travel out of the country, I like to try the new places that open here in Oklahoma City. 

Sizzle N Spice Kebab Grill in NW Oklahoma City has been open for a few years but I just recently had a chance to visit. There menu is Halal Pakistani food that is different from the typical Indian food that I’ve been used to eating. I went on a Saturday afternoon for their grand lunch buffet. Now I have to admit, I didn’t do the correct journalist thing and take notes on everything I tried, so I don’t have the names for several of the dishes. I will tell you everything that I did sample was great. I went back for several things because they were so good. I also know that their buffet changes each week, so just because I tried something doesn’t mean it will be there the next time. The one constant they have is their naan, it was truly amazing. Soft and warm with some butter. They had several meat dishes, not just chicken but beef that were so good. 

The restaurant is in a strip mall on north May Ave and is a bit small inside. They do have the buffet at other times but the Saturday buffet is supposed to have the most of their menu to try. They also have a regular menu you can order from anytime. While we were there, it was really busy but the service was great. Give them a try if you’re up for different foods, 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 15001 N May Ave., Suite H, Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: Anton’s Craft Kitchen

There are so many burger places, pizza parlors, and TexMex restaurants in the Oklahoma City metro so going into Anton’s Craft Kitchen is a different experience. Yes they have burgers and sandwiches, but there is much more to discover on their menu. 

When you enter the building you are greeted by Anton himself, who is more than happy to seat you and tell you the specials of the day. He will also help you navigate the menu, just in case you have any questions. He took our drink orders and left us to look the menu over. Now I had heard that the spinach & eggplant dip was amazing so I wanted to try that. It came out quick, a plate with the dip and two huge, warm buttered pitas. He told us how to break up the pitas into strips that can then be dipped. The reviews of the dip were right, it was great. This warm cheesy dip it paired perfectly with the buttery pitas, made for an excellent appetizer. On my first visit I got the mushroom swiss burger. This was a solid burger, plenty of sauteed mushrooms paired with swiss and a tangy craft house sauce. On my second visit I went for Roses chicken and shrimp over rice. This was awesome as well the craft sauce had a bit of heat to it but it worked with the chicken and shrimp. Now Big K has tried their chicken parmesan and the dish called green olives. He loved them both, the chicken parmesan was crispy served on a bed of homemade mashed potatoes. The green olives is chicken breast served with a lemon sauce and plenty of green olives over rice. He thought both dishes had a unique flavor.

So definitely try Anton’s Craft Kitchen, it is totally worth a visit. The spinach and eggplant dip is worth the trip but definitely try out their burgers and entrees as well. I will give them 5 strips of bacon along side their dip.

Address: 2610 W Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: The Chuck House

I love a good chicken fry steak. One of my favorite foods and a state food of Oklahoma. I’ve had good ones all over the state, so I feel like I’m kind of an expert on them. The Chuck House in Oklahoma City advertises themselves as the best chicken fry steak in the state so I thought it good to check them out.

We headed to their location at NW 10th and Meridian early on a Saturday night. Got right in with no issue and placed our orders. Everything was served quickly. I was super excited but that was soon replaced my disappointment when I realized that the mashed potatoes were runny. Since I didn’t actually see them come out of the box I can’t say for sure but they sure tasted like the bland flakes from the box mashed potatoes. No flavor whatsoever, had an almost soup like consistency. The cream gravy covering them wasn’t much better. Just way too runny with no flavor at all. On to the steak. It was kind of small for a chicken fry but ok. It was good, tender, the breading wasn’t bad but it was covered in that awful gravy, so it really took away from the steak. Now Big K had their ultimate steak sandwich, which has grilled onions, cheese, and bacon. I had a bite and really liked it.

Overall I’m going to give them 3 strips of bacon. So many things could be improved and if I visit again, I’ll get the steak sandwich instead. They were friendly and service was good. The only other downside was the location, not exactly the best part of town so if you go please be careful.

Address: 4430 NW 10th St., Oklahoma City.

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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 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 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 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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