AMlRIcAN Around the Comer 11 S, Broadway 341-5414 Bennigan's 1150 E. 2nd 341-8860 Bunny's Onion Burgers 733 W. Danforth Rd. 216-9580 Deltsr C& 3301 S Boukvard 341-0400 .GoMieL Patio GiD 5 E 9th 348-1555 Henry Hudson's ?&2100 E. 2nd Street 359-6707 Hillbillee's Cafe 206 E. Highway 66 Arcadia, OK 396-2666 Home Plate Hot Dogs 122 East 2nd Street 340-2777 Jimmy's Egg 2621 & &adway 3110-6611 Jahnnie's Charcoal Broiler 33 E 33rd h t 348-3214 &B Spc~eGrin 70 112 E 15th Wt 715-9090 Plaza Grill 930 E. 2nd Street w-4722 ~AR-B-Q Cannon -B-Q 2925 E. Waterloo Rd. 340-1161 Firehouse - vbegue 617 S. Bmadway 340-6107 Jby43&d'1555 S, Kelly 340-2144 - m'sRib 216 S. Santa Fe Avenue 340-7427 CHIMER Blue Moon Chinese 1320 S. g'-dway 340-3871 Caf6 De Taipei 603 S. Broadway 216-9968 China Stat 1601 S. ,adway 348-2788 China Wok 1315 E. Danforth 341-2329 Dot Wo Chinese Seahod 64E. 33rd 341-2878 Hunan House 2nd & Santa Fe 330-1668 Mandarin Express 511 S. Broadway 341-8337 Marbo Chinese 1708 E. 2nd Street 341-8816 Panda House Chinese 1803 S. Broadway 348-6300 W o Chinme 16317 N,Santa kAm 359-2012 CDNTINENTAL Wt! 501501 S. &dd 359-1501 Panera Bread 1472 S. Bryant Ave. 844-5525 DELI Cafe Broadway 108 South Broadway 348-7887 Coyote Co. 1710E. 2nd Street 359-2293 Founrain Oaks Station 201 Meline Dr. 33Q-5101 Hobby's Hoagies 222 S. Santa Fe Amue 348-2214 Jason's Deli 78 E. 33rd 330-1663 Java Dave's Coffee 9 S. Broadway 340-1693 McLaRn's Pantry 3210 S. Bouled M8-2336 Tragrid CafC 214 S. Smta k 340-8956 ITALIAN IktIhi's Restaurante Q GdI 801E. Danfinrh 368033 Cascata Ristorante I+o 801 Signal Ridge Rd 216-9880 Garden Pizza 2311 W. Edmond Rd. 330-0088 Itdim Kitchen Waterloo Rd & 1-35341-7300 h&mo93 Pizzeria 119 N. Uni mity 341-4447 Orhello's 1 S. Bradway 330-9045 Pepperoni Grill 3300 S. Broaaway 330-4516 Pepperoni Station 15th&S. Broadway 340-5050 JAPAN€$€ Royal Gardens Japanese 1801 S. Broadway 340-3398 MEXICAN Alvado's 1000 E. 2nd 3594?860 -tro's Modcan Resta1~8nt200 S. Smta Fe Avenue 348-4639 Enrique's 706 S. Broadway 844-2388 Pepe's 1701 S. Broadway 348-2504 Poblano Grill 840 W. Worth 216-9494 $€A~ooDPearl's Cqjm Kitchen 834 '.or& 65-CAJUN $TEAK &devad Steakhouse 505 S*Bo&d 7152333 Lottinvilles Woodgrill 900 S. Kelly . 341-2244 .Mackie McNear's 1600 E. 2nd Street 341-7602 Petroleum Club North 100 N. Bd~y,~~ 216-9991 Scmw Pe &tde Co, 3830 S. Brosdway 844~0909 Sd's 3601 S Bdy478-1784 Twelve Oaks 6100 Midwest ~lvd.EDMONDCONVENTION AND 340-1002 $WEETI Full Cup 300 W. Edmond VISITORS BUREAU Road 216-9767 Marble Slab Cream- 3601 S. Broadway 4784025 . Red V&et 825 E, 2nd St., Ste. 100 WB~2824 E. 2nd Street 3304127 Edmond, OK 73034 8brlup'~Fmzm Custard 801 S. Broadway Phone: 405/34 1-4344 330-1991 .The Ultimate Cheesecake 202 S. Website: wekite*kecom Snta Fe 359-8308 E-mail: cwwhite@otisite*k.com LOUISA McCUNE Editor in Chief

LAURA RISINGER, FELLERS WTINGAND ADVERTISING GROUP, Art Di~ctor,STEFFIE CORCORAN, Senior Editor ANDREA LOPEZ WALKER, Associate Edi~r;BRANDON SHELTON, Designer BROOKE DEMETZ, Project Coordinator;HMTHER HARKINS and RYAN MARIE MENDENHALL, EditorialResistants; EVELYN KLOPP, EditorialIntern

MIKE HARVEY, Circuhtion and Marketing Dimtor; COLLEEN MCINTYRE, Proddon Manager; KIM RYAN, Account Ececutive; BRIAN BROWN, Account Ekecutive; SAND1 WELCH, GnaphicArtist; LISA BRECKENRIDGE, Accountant; BECKY ISAAC, WceManager; KATHY FUGATE, Circulation Assistant

JOAN HENDERSON Publisher

FRANK KEATING, Governor

Okkaboma Touriswr and Recreation Department Y JANE JAYROE, Cabinet Secretary LT GOV. MARY FALLIN, Chair, Tourzjm andRemation Commbsion ROBYN BATSON, STAN CLARK, JOE HARWOOD, BOWLEE, JOE MARTIN, JANIS RICKS, HAL SMITH, and SIDNEY SMITH

The Oklahoma Today Guide to Cabs & is a supplement to Oklahoma Today which is published six times a ear by the State of Oklahoma Oklahomo Tourism and Recreation De rtment 15 North Robinron ~uik100 Oklahoma City OK 73h2 For advertisin a wbscriitions call (405 521-2496or 8001 %-1795. A oneyear subschption cosfs' $17.95per in the united States. u.! cop ri ht O 2603 by Oklahoma Today. kepmduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Visit Oklahoma Today on iehernet at oklahomatodov.com.

Today

A Supplement to Oklahoma Toduy

Come On In, Sugar 4 our fifty-six selections: Good ol' Oklahoma Ready to take a trip? Editor in chief Louisa service, hospitality, and quality. McCune prepares you for a calorie-filled, BY BROOKE DEMETZ & NICOLE EMMONS gastronomic journey across Oklahoma. Celebrity Chow Down 44 Kiss These Grits 6 Where does your favorite well-known native If you've ever wondered what makes a cafe go to gobble up some good Oklahoma or great, look to these classics for the cookin'? State celebrities dish about their answers. Nine hungry writers made their favorite places to dine Oklahoma-style. , way to twelve hot spots for COMPILED BY timeless dining across the BROOKE DEMETZ state. Whether you're crav- ing a tall stack of flu@ pan- Check, Please! 46 cakes or a gravy-drenched a """ Troubled by ltipping? chicken-fried steak, one of Gratuity got your these noteworthy restau- bills flappin' and your rants is sure to satisfy. calculator nappin'? Our PHOTOGRAPHY rip table qdguide will BY TOM LUKER show you the way to sawy tipping and ensure Resource Guide 28 that you never Iagain leave your hard- Hit the road, Jack! Before you head out to working server shortchanged. our featured cafes and diners, check out this BY ANDREA LOPEZ WALKER comprehensive guide. Remember When 52 Black Book 31 From today's retro burger joints to senti- Strap in tight for an Oklahoma adventure mental days of yore, we take a nostalgic filled with burgers, fries, and coconut pies. look back at the earliest diners. We've scoured the state to scope out the BY ANDREA LOPEZ WALKER best down-home cooking this side of the Red River. Though the menus vary, there Cover illustration b Bruce Eagle* Inset and opposi* fiamburger King is one thing you're sure to find at each of in Ada. Photography by Tom Luker. CONTENTS I OU KNOWTHE DRILL TAKE ASWAT AN OPEN BOm, Ysettle in to a plastic-coated menu, glance first at the dessert - suite certain, brings a round of ice water (remember when you didn't have to order water, it just magi- cally appeared on the table?). - ' Here, a respectable cup of coffee costs less than C a dollar. The fried okra is a local favorite. Save some room for the coconut pie, the waitress tells you. Welcome to the great American restaurant. Once you've digested the Oklahoma Toddy Guide to Ca$s & Diners, our scrumptious, bite-size homage to this institution, stash it in the glove box of your favorite weekend getaway car: The issue is designed for the Route 66 traveler, the chicken-fried steak aficionado, and the Oklahoma tourist. We believe this guide to Oklahoma's historic and most popular cafes and diners should wind up tattered and torn, with grease stains every few pages. Use it like you would ; a cookbook-as a tool. To be sure, Oklahoma's diner culture is less aluminum railcar and more small-town Main Street with a red dirt twist. Members of the cast include farmers, teenagers, senior citizens, and local business folk, all coming together to break bread-and eggs-not just for the tasty morsels but the good company, too. Restaurant owners know their business is more than quality food at a fair price. They take pride in knowing each customer by name and cultivating relationships with new ones. With this special edition, Oklahoma M y celebrates these surviving enterprises, many entering their seventh and eighth decades of operation. The next time you venture into a locally owned cafe, take a moment to acknowledge its very existence, a feat in a world of corporate fast food. Remember its uniquely American charms, its local history, and its impact on your own Oklahoma experience. IYour belly will thank you. f~=&,Ediicr inChid Oklahoma Today's WEEKEND GETAWAY SWEEPSTAKES 4 packages! 4 chances to win! Drawing will be held October 1, 2003.

Renaissance Hotel in Twodnightstay downtown OKC Dinner for two at Bricktown's Mickey Polo Grill Mantle's Steakhouse Complimentarypasses to the Gilcrease Complimentarypasses to the Oklahoma C City Museum of Art Complimentarypasses to the Cowboy R: DoubleTree Hotel in

downtown Tulsa % Complimentary Sunday brunch for two Morning Inn Complirnentarydinner for two at the Avalon Supper Club I I 8 dinners, and nightlywine and cheese Complimentarypasses to the Philbrook a All the peace and quiet you can imagine Museum ; ID' mi 3

GILCREASE MUS mi A i5 OMahwna City Ylrrw of M m- STLAKHOUSS 4 RENAISSANCE' b TULSA. DOWNTOWN -\ Chicken-fried steak, scrambled eggs, and a steamin' cup of joe are never routine at these twelve establishments. .Each holds a special place in the hearts and bellies of

'Ihave customers who are seventy years old, and they remember the day find other places like this," Khosravani says. we opened. People like something to You go to other , and after five remind them of the old days.' minutes the waitress comes up to you, and vou order. She doesn't really talk to you." Not so at Beverly's. If Khosravani or her - I close-knit staff sees a regular pulling into the parking lot, that person's drink is certain to AKE ONE STEP INTO BEVERLY'S be on a table before he or she hits the door. TPancake Corner, and you will likely find Sometimes Khosravani will even phone cus- yourself nostalgic for a time you might not tomers she hasn't seen for a while, just to make even remember. sure everything is fine. The trappings of this venerable diner- When Khosravani bought the diner eigbt black and red vinyl booths, a strip of red years ago, she was only partly familiar with neon above the , the redolent charms of strong coffee and a sizzling-hot open grill-are a testament to greasy-spoon greatness, a slice of Americana unfettered by cholesterol counts and smaller portions. Talk about comfort food. Beverly's practi- cally invented the phrase. Restaurant owner Renee Khosravani knows most of her regular customers, many who have frequented the place since the days of Elvis, Eisenhower, and I Love Lucy. "I have customers who are seventy years old, and they remember the day we opened," says Khosravani. "People like something to remind them of the old days. Everything's served like the old days. It's just the price [that has] changed." That sort of tradition entails service a far cry from the herd-'em-in-and-out aesthetic of many chain restaurants. "You can't hardly

Beve s Pancake Comer, located west of Penn%uare.Mal in Oklahoma City, is the sole survivor of the ori inal Beverly's Chicken in the Rough franaises. its history. "We really didn't know we had erly's Pancake Corner whipped up its first a gold mine," she says. breakfast, and 1956.The couple's influence While it has undergone several renovations extended beyond the borders of Oklahoma: over the years-a paint job here, new cooking With the help of one-time partner Randy equipment there-the Oklahoma City eatery Shaw, they ran more than 150 Beverly's is essentially the same place once operated by Chicken in the Rough franchise restaurants Beverly and Rubye Osborne. throughout the nation. Now deceased, the Osbornes were pio- The only survivor of the Osbornes' former neers of restaurant chains, opening eight empire, Beverly's Pancake Corner offers the diners in the city between 1921,when Bev- same food that made the chain a success: a smattering of Mexican entrkes, the bigger-is- Opened in 1921, Beverly's is said to be the first franchised restaurant in the country. better ethos of the Big Bevburger, and the Original owner Rubye Osborne often signature in the rough. And of printed her rtryon table hnts for cur tomers to ta e as souvenirs. course there are the pancakes.

10 1 OKLAHOMATODAY 'I can close my eyes and see myself coming to this restau- rant with a cane in hand... lenjoy every minute of it.'

"We make our pancakes from scratch," says Khosravani. "We have people come from miles around just for the pancakes. A lot of people say we have the best." Memorial and huseum They keep coming, those flapjack aficiona- National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum dos whose childhood memories are inexorably 3klahoma City muse^ of Art I tied to this eatery, drawn by the comforting Tulsa: Philbrook Museum of Art truth that some things don't need to change. Gilcrease Museum Some of Beverly's regulars remember coming Tulsa Air and Space Museum here with their grandparents after church. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Now, those same people bring their own Bartlett Center for the Studio Art: grandkids. Khosravani adds that the stream Norman: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museurr of familiar faces includes a growing number of Natural History of teenagers, saying, "It takes only one time Firehouse Art Center for somebody to come here and fall in love University of Oklahoma with this place." Cuthrie: qational Lighter Museum Khosravani expects to see those young 3klahoma Frontier Drugstore people grow up and maybe even bring Museum their kids. Scottish Rite Masonic Tel Coweta: Mission Bell Museum Elk City: National Route 66 Museum Bartlesville: Price Tower Arts Center Nearby Woolaroc Ranch Ardmo~ Sreater duseum Military Lawton: Fort Sill Museum Geronimo's Gravesite Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

"I can close my eyes and see myself coming 3klahomc to this restaurantwith a cane in hand," she says ------..- -we-. -- with a broad smile. "You know, the restaurant Ward: tloiling Springs State Park business is hard, no matter what. And I Nearby Alabaster Caverns enjoy every minute of it." rn State Park - ward is the quintessential small=towndining experience. ALIUNG INTO THE POLLY ANNA "We get quite a few travelers who stop in WCafe in downtown Woodward is like to eat and end up just looking around," says entering the pages of Life magazine, circa owner Lyndon Williams. 1950:A row of coat rack-festooned booths The Polly Anna, which began as a candy lines one wall of the deep, narrow building, store across the street before moving to its while a bar and barstools occupy the other. present location in 1928, has been in the Friendly waitresses dole out steaming coffee Williams family since 1953.The cafe has and first-name conversation to a cast of long served up the traditional homemade regular customers, which in Woodward fare preferred by the hard-working farmers includes most everyone. and ranchers of the area. But there isn't anything clichtd or kitschy You won't find any nouvelle cuisine here, about this northwest Oklahoma icon. Its but you will find a jumbo onion burger special, decor, service, and food are a reflection of liver and onions, blueberry pancakes, biscuits its seventy-five years serving up great food and gravy, and of course, chicken-fried steak. and a folksy atmosphere. Everydung on the menu is homemade.

12 OKLAHOMATODAY .-z &r; ', Like its food, the Polly Anna's dCcor is pure Americana. D I N

"We do it the hard way," I says Williams. "We have a I different special every day. People like our homemade chicken and noodles, and we make all our own pies." The esteem in which locals hold the Polly Anna's food is evident not only by its loyal customers but by the rack of blue ribbons. The cafe consistently has won the Woodward News "Best of" competition. It's The Polly Anna Cafe is a popular spot for Woodward residents. almost a foregone conclu- sion every year that the best breakfist and Like its food, the Polly Anna's dCcor is burger categories will go to the Polly Anna. pure Americana. Old signs, local art, and Williams, who took over the restaurant historical photographs take up most of the eight years ago from his father, Al, never available wall space. expected to come back to +e fdybusiness. "I really had no idea of the history of the A geology degree from Oklahoma State Uni- place until we started getting old newspaper versity landed him jobs in Oklahoma City clippings and ads," says ~diams."Seeing all and Lawton before he and his family moved that stuff is pretty neat. It gives me a sense of back to Woodward. just how long this place has been here." "My dad wanted to retire, so we decided to move out here and take over the cafe," says Williams. "We redecorated, expanded the menu, and it's beep growing ever since." Like all good cafes, Williams says most of his business is from word-of-mouth and repeat diners. "We've got all the locals and our regular group of old-timers who show up every morning to drink coffee. Plus we get a lot of seasonal business from hunters, area sports tournaments, and tourists." By Michael Wallis i

14 / OKLAHOMATODAY A culinary landmark known around the globe thank to the revival of Route 66, the Metro Diner in Tulsa i glitzy, neon throwback to the past.

I NYONE WITH A HANKERING FOR Asushi or quiche need not set foot in the Metro Diner. Situated in the shadows of Skelly Stadium on the shoulder of Eleventh Street (the alias Route 66 uses in Tulsa), the Metro serves only genuine stick-to-the-ribs road chow. Every day of the week, the Metro caters to locals as well as coast-to-coast travelers and international road warriors. Standard fire at this always-busy diner ranges fiom chicken- hied steak and piping-hot meat loaf' to burgers so juicy it usually takes a handfd of napkins compares to the past four and Wyears spent to get through a meal. at the Metro." "Lots of Tulsa regulars come here, but Sitting either at the counter, in a booth, we also get many customers fiom Germany or on a vinyl and stainless steel chair, patrons Norway, France, Japan, and who knows where are serenaded by an endless stream of oldie- else," says Jim Rowenhorst, who, along with but-goodie tunes. They alsobave plenty to wife Sandy, owns and operates the sleek, shiny gawk at while their food is being prepared. aluminum diner. The array of vintage road memorabilia and The second owner since the Fifties-style kitsch includes photographs of classic cars Metro opened in the early 1980~~Rowenhorst and movie stars, road signs, a gas pump, has years of restaurant experience under his antique television sets, and'kven the rear end belt. "I've handled everything from fast food to of a '57 Chevy with tail fins. fine dining," says the Iowa natk, "but nothing Nothing at the Metro is instant except the service. Creamy shakes and thick malts The neon li hts of the Metro Diner draw in hun ry %ute 66 travelers and those a are handmade and served in tall soda glasses. liitle c%ser to home. More than forty-five employees create the fun atmosphere and Cobblers and cakes are exceptional and so are tasty platters at the retro restaurant. the pies, espedialy the coconut cream topped with toasted meringue and coconut flakes. Breakfast is served all day long. Besides the ever-popular , entrkes include the fried chicken, liver and onions, and a host of sandwiches and blue-plate specials. If anyone leaves the Metro Diner hungry, they have only themselves to blame. By Steffie Corconn

At Shortcakes, a great meal is a sure thing anytime. HIS IS COWBOY COUNTRY, WITH Perkins, have owned Shortcakes since August Tmore orange per square mile than any 1984. Higgins' best guess is that their restau- other place in Oklahoma. Stillwater's "orange rant, originally called Waffler's, has been and black goes with everything" credo per- at the same location "for a long time, meates Shortcakes Diner, an unobtrusive but twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight years fantastic-and fantastically cheap-grub- maybe," he says. berie on Main Street. Hgpsyfi-equent presence may motivate A step inside reveals a fast-moving staff Shortcakes exdent wait sd"They better be frantically throw- fiiendy" he says. ing eggs and "If they don't have ; on sizzling grills, fun workmg here, . '6 supplying orange ' they don't need to

menus to patrons, be here." Indeed, t t' and keeping watch , the thirty-person-: * 1 over something or ' strong staff has ready f other on the stove. I smiles, can-do spir- Meanwhile, cus- its, and "anything tomers, top-lit by YOU want, vou get" OSU light furtures and crammed into orange booths and counter stools, concentrate cakes has managed to avoid the frequent turn- on removing food from their plates. A resilient over standard among college town businesses. . philodendron hangs from the ceiling. "They've all been here between five and ten "That same old plant has been here years," Higgins says of his staff. "The top nineteen years," says owner Glen Higgins. twenty-five have been here a long time." At "It's had everything in it from 'coffee to ciga- one time or another, each of the six Higgins rette butts, and it still grows." children, now all grown, and one grandson Higgins seems to know nearly everyone have hustled hash browns at Shortcakes. inside ("We're kin to about everybody in Such courtesy and longevity benefits town," he says). He and wife Gayla, both of patrons, who pack the local landmark. The

The staff has ready smiles, can-do spirits, and 'anything you want, you get' attitudes. Shortcakes' customers are as varied as the menu. Called a 'mixed mess' by owner Glen Higgins, they range from Stillwater students and fclculty to locals and area travelers. restaurant seats thirty-eight, though Higgins The place is entirely free of culinary prej- has seen as many as sixty-some standing- udice. No Shortcakes waitress will raise an pressed fork-to-fork. eyebrow if you want a with It takes but one meal to understand how French toast, patty melt with hash browns, Shortcakes could have three hundred regu- or shrimp basket with a strawberry . lars: Higgins and his st& serve up heaps of Having seen every combination from likely food at prices that wont require the services to downright disgusting, eat what you want of a financial planner. The Number 8, a.k.a. is their philosophy. ,,, country breakfast, is a case in point: two Maybe eat what you want when you eggs and hash browns, choice of meat, and want is more accurate. Whether a hankering waffle, short stack, or French toast for $4.95. for a chili cheeseburger on the way to work A Number 49, large a tall stack with steak, comes with Texas toast I befo~.e the and choice of potato for the evening nev vs, all same amount. 4 sixty-three Inenu But Shortcakes' prices can't itemeand infi- compete with the tasty food. The lite variations-are biscuits and gravy (Number 28) fea- railable twenqT-four ture the flaest, lightest white gravy hours a day. that ever topped a carb. Customers rave about For big helpings of Cowboy pride and the Number 48, chicken-fried steak with that great food, don't miss a trip to Shortcakes same celestial gravy. Diner in Stillwater. ml

BLUE PLATE 1 17 -uFzEQ,,Q~Z~IPI This diner is small in size, large in quality. ~mmmwrlllar

USTOMERS COME TO HAMBUR- 1 Cger Inn for two reasons: because they always have or know someone who has. The diner, located in the heart of Ardrnore just

, north of Main Street, has been on the same '- ' block since it opened in 1938. Owner Sandy Brooks knows that a success- ful diner must maintain a standard if its clien- , ' . tele is to stay happy. &tention M detail mkes +more% am;' ':, ?'L;y "This place is allabout history," says Brooks. . burger Inn a standout. The d~nerserves , - . "We've uied to keep everydung the same." hand-pattedburgcsrs and hand-cut fries. The gray checkered tiles covering the better known to some patrons as "angel cakes." floor of the tiny establishment lead to seat- The process for preparing the housflapjacks ing for thirteen patrons, fifteen if you count begins twenty-bur hours ahead of time. "It's the high-top table, a recent addition. But the definitely unique," says Brooks. "People either counter is where the regulars sit. really like them or they don't." "You can see marks &om every plate that Wbat most patrons can agree on are ttik has been on that counter," says Brooks. burgers. The most well-known and best-sell- 1 In the sixty- ing is the Regular. It's a small but spd four years that patty often ordered in multiples. Brooks says, "Sometimes people eat four or five of them." has been in busi- And sometimes, they come from quite a dii- ness,sevenmers tance. "We'll get call-in orders from Dallas for have held the fifty burgers," says Brooks. "Or a trucker will deed, but not come by and pick up twenty-five for the drive." much else has Truck drivers aren't the only ones who can't changed. Brooks wait for a burger: 35 percent of Hamburger lses many of the Inn's business comes in over the phone. -.ecipes created by Food aside, Hamburger Inn is about tradi- original owners tion. Brooks considers the job-and main- I EmenandLillian taining the diner's past-&. "If I'm having a bad day, I see my custom- One of those ers and cheer up," says Brooks. "History has recipes is the carried this place, and I'm just trying to keep IInn's pancakes, it that way." ml The couple raised and educated four children from the fruits of their labors at the restaurant. "Our customers advertise for us," says co-owner Dana Burgess, who still works the kitchen with Shizuko and manages daily chores. "We cared for the place and our cus- tomers, and it has cared for us in return."= I 1

Dininghere is Qzrr a family affair By David C. Lon ANY A GLUTTONOUS CHEESE- Mburger chomper will attest to the Burgess Grill in Lawton as having one of the best burgers in southwest Oklahoma. While its menu includes sandwiches and popular specialties such as beef fried rice, the burgers are the star attractions here. In addition to a variety of hcyburgers, for the A Casual Restaurant adventurous burger hound, there's the Hodge- and Bakery podge, which includes cheddar, American, 1 7408 N. May Avenue Swiss, and mozzarella cheeses, bacon, guaca- (405) 840-3047 mole, grilled mushrooms, and onions. I Lawton diners can thank Shizuko Burgess for the satisfaction. In 1962, she and her late husband, Robert, bought a downtown

diner called Mike's Grill and, later that year, Sunday changed its name to Burgess Grill. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dana Bur ess and her mother Shizuko own this $mily-named diner in Lawton. I

BLUE PLATE 19 @ At this favorite Norman Jahaunt, poets mingle with CP.~eclectichurchgoers clientele.for an

.By,&Iam Buckley Cohen

EHIND THE DOOR, NOT FAR FROM erboard-floored restaurant that, if legend is to Bthe Mardi Gras beads, a slightly dog- be believed, has fed the populace of Normq eared sheet of paper is taped to the wall of for a full century. v The Diner in Norman. Given the number of W~thflavorfd fire like Eggaritos and the slightly dog-eared pieces of paper that adorn Mexi Scram, Amspacher and cook Juan Herrera The Diner's walls, this one would be easy to have built a loyal crowd of breakfist regulars. miss. But there's something about this par- At lunch, the booths are packed with attorneys, ticular posting that draws the eye: who flock fiom the nearby courthouse for Frito acrid,fiom thegrill pies, Santa Fe burgers, and off-the-menu fivor- grease settles on my glasses ites like tamales and meat loaf. boy! these eggs are great "Ode on a Grecian Urn," it's not. But in a university town like Norman, where even the two-eggs-over-easy crowd is thick with would-be bards, an order of huevos rancheros is all it takes to bring out the closet versifiers. And for these fork-toting poets, there is no muse more powem than Mark Amspacher. For the better part of the last decade, Amspacher has served up diner standards hated on Notman's Sh.eet, Diner serves its diierse $ktele a mix of breakfast with a Tex-Mex flair in his neon-lit, check- and lunch d~shesIn a retrP atmosphere.

20 1 OKLAHOMATODAY 'It's the antithesis of what most restaurants strive for these days.' i

the grill while a train whistles as it crosses - 1 Main Street a couple of blocks to the west. There are at least four kinds of hot sauce on every table, and every booth and seat at the counter is full. A queue of hungry people spills out onto the sidewalk, awaiting eggs, "It's the antithesis of what most restaurants bacon, and whatever else the doctor didn't strive for," says 0.Gail Poole, a Norman artist. order. And right next to them, unnoticed, "They all try to be cute and upscale. The Diner hangs another haiku: is just plain, good, solid food." line snakes out the door hey!yozl, waitingfor my booth Owner Mark Amspacher is considered one of Norman5 more colorful characters. don't drool on my food

' Garden Will kk"eY#rr Specid I Occasion a little More Wild! I .';i 280Seat Auditorium '/'. Meeting Rooms $3Audio/Visual Capabilities oaunoa~ and Night vents 2101 Norhat50th St.

Canopy Banquet ~tkm(Capacity of 120) .';i Picnic Caterings of 100 to 15,000 Contact our Grou Sales Office a+405/425-0889 to book your event or for information.

BLUE PLATE 21 L At the H----m Rock CaS, happy customers are a priority for owner Sloan Crabtree-Ketch.

ROVEN HISTORY AND GOOD EATS. but what lies within remains simple, a few PDiners find both at the White Rock Cd6, wooden tables and chairs and worn barstools a seventy-five-year-old Guthrie landmark At for counter dining. The interior is more spa- the edge of downtown, the diminutive concrete cious than in earlier days, thanks to a 1998. building makes an unlikely but striking com- remodeling. Still, 65 percent of the restauranL1 panion to its historic Victorian surroundings. customers avoid delays entirely: They call in "If you want to get fat, this is the place," and take out. says owner Sloan Crabtree-Ketch. Crabtree-&t& bodRita Cooks tried- White Rock diners have been throwing and-true chili recipe and retained several orig- waistline caution to the Oklahoma wind inal menu items, including onion burgers, since 1927, when Enid's Robert Gertz opened hand-cut flies, and homemade brownies. a chain of restaurants under the same \ That's not to say she hasn't added personal name. In 1996, four years her popular touches. Freak Piea cut-open bag of longtime owners Bob and Rita L Dorito's smothend with chili, torna- Cook retired, Crabtree-Ketch toes, lettuce, cheese, onions, and took the helm at the White 8 sah4mki to the Hut, Rock, where surprisingly few k a 197Os-era local things have changed in sev- enty-five years. k served the Time has weath- ered the namesake B The mild, fksh salsa with white rock on the Plots of cilanm is pure crabtree- building's exterior, Ketchaswell.

22 OKLAHOMATODAY Famous out-of-townersDustinHoffman, Tom CAFES-. Cruise, and RickySkaggs have dined at the White Rock Cafe inGuthrie. DINERS.-. - - I. .

Locals, especially downtowners, fre- buzzes during fall and winter. Part of the quent the place almost every time the door's reason may be the extensive comfort food unlocked. "I know what they're gonna eat offerings: creamy banana pudding, hearty before they get in the door," says Crabtree- chili, smothered chicken breast. Ketch. Famous out-of-towners Dustin Hoff- According to the cafe's menu, "The cuisine man, Tom Cruise, and Ricky Skaggs have is carefully designed to 'make your tongue slap dined at the White Rock as well. your brains out.'" At the White Rock Cd4 in Though always busy, the White Rock Guthrie, that's sweet misery indeed.

Your Life Just Got Ea Upgdto PIKEPASS for first* non-stop travel on Oklahoma Tmp You'll save time. You'll save money. And you'll say bon voyage tco tollbooths! Customers old and ew can always find perch at Coweta's Green Parrot Cafe. By Sheilah Bright

EN THE GREEN PARROT CAFE opens the door at 6 a.m. "That closed sign wopened on Coweta's Main Street in doesn't mean a thing. If customers see my the 1940s, its namesake, Bill, hung around truck out there, they'll come in, and I'll feed in a cage and entertained customers as they them," she says. waited for hamburgers hot off the grill. Booths line the wall, but some folks favor the thirteen red stools at the counter. Daily specials like homemade beef and noodles, Swiss steak, or liver and onions are posted on the board behind the counter. Fried chicken is served every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and every other Sunday. Wednes- days feature pork chops, and if meat loaf isn't offered on Thursdays, Johnson hears about it. Service is swift, and customers some- times slide over in the booth to make roo^ Bill listened to the ranchers who stopped for strangers. The cafe's overall hospitality by early for fiied eggs with hash browns, proves that the Green Parrot lives up to its biscuits and gravy on the side, and watched unofficial motto: "You're never alone at the with excitement as the schoolkids flew in the Green Parrot." ma door to grab a quick burger or grilled cheese. A devoted owner and appetizing daily spe- Too bad Bill couldn't keep his beak shut. cials endear customers to the Green Parrot. "They had to take the parrot back home because he developed a foul mouth," says Milana Johnson, who came to work as a wait- ress in 1976and bought the cafe nine years ago from Colleen and Wesley Hopping, whose father, Wesley, had started it. Today &pa"ots perch in every nook and cranny as customers pay tribute to the Green Parrot and its reputation as a friendly, small- town cafe. Cast-iron skillet cooking is its claim to fame, and Johnson says, "Ninety-nine per- cent of folks don't use a menu." Breakfast is served anytime after Johnson

24 1 OKLAHOMATODAY 1 GetalegupatElk ~ 1 City's Route 66 dins:

VEN AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE Eafternoon, hungry travelers find their way to the Flamingo Restaurant in Elk City. Owner Mickey Brower, ready for his afier- TQ& stre dad in, pd noon shift, takes a position behind the stove. Comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans, he'll likely be cooking up chicken-fried steaks and rnade- from-scratch Mexican food. "The Flamingo is a unique place," Brower says. Employees like to stick around; the newest one has been here nearly six years, many of the waitresses, more than thirty. Cus- The National Route 66 Museum tomers grow attached, too. Some regulars eat three meals a day here, and others who came generates quite a bit of busi- as children now bring their kids. ness for the Flamingo. Brower has owned the restaurant since 1988. Original owner Phillip Bell oversaw the Flamingo from its birth in 1961 until health-problems forced him to turn things over to Brower, then an Enid hotel owner whose fither-in-law ohed the Best Western Elk City Inn across the street.

Stephanie Harrison, a Flamingo waitress for nearly six ears, says she enjop the different peopL she meets on the lob.

BLUE PLATE I 25 Pies and bur ers deli t at McAlester'sfieIdTown afe. By Sheilah Bright

in her, that's what makes the difference in the burgers," Sims says. That burger magic stirs powerful feel- ings around these parts. Folks pack the place Monday through Friday for "McAlester's Best Hamburger,"so named by the McAlester Dem- ocrat last year. A group of seventy-fiveprisoners and guards at the nearby penitentiaryvoted for the cafe's cheeseburgersand fiies ($3.30) for last year's Chrisunasdinner. Although restaurant rookies in the begin- ning, the Sims family learned the ropes fiom former owner Oma Glenn. The cafe has had OBODY CAN REALLY PINPOINT several names and owners since opening in Nthe secret of the $1.60 hamburger at the 1930s, but its recipes have remained the the Old Town Cafe in McAlester. But Linda same. (Sirns even worked with a seasonedpie a Sims,who bought the cafe in 1989with her maker for three months to learn the secret3 husband, Dwight, believes the power may lie that keep customers coming back for more.). with the seasoned veteran in the seventy-year- "The two most important rules?" says old kitchen. And that old girl isn't talking. Sims. "Don't uy any fancy dishes and never "I think that grill has so much character change the way we make the burgers." BN

(405)447-6200 Norman, OK

26 1 OKLAHOMATODAY OLKS SAY NEXTTO THEIR OWN Murphy's is most famous for its hot Fchurch, Murphy's is the place to visit in hamburger, an eight-ounce patty served with Bartlesville. That reverence is easy to explain. and gravy. Siding steaks come in a During its fifty-six- ear reign as king of close second. The working- man portions that the working man's cafe, Murphy's Steak House built the business still crowd the plate. has earned a reputation as a true survivor, Murphy's garlic salad dressing, developed reopening after a 1969 fire and a 1982 tor- by Lorene Murphy and her sister, Ruth nado. The classic restaurant bucks the trend Smith, remains a guarded secret despite years of salad ban and fi-uit plates, proudly serving up of customer requests. mountains of meat swimmhg in riven nf Mnct nf the cooks and wait staff have brown gray been on the job for more than Sure, there are a few (--m L ten years. There's a ten- low-cal menu items, but person counter with swivel most folks come to Mur-C stools and enough booths phy's to indulge in its "gravy all to seat about ninety cus- ?I over" specials and leave with an tomers, so the steak house 6J "I don't need to eat again for three stays consistently busy until - I. days" attitude. 'L its 11 p.m. closing. Call-in .? "Nobody walks away from here Jorders picked up at the to-go hungry," says Travis Murphy, who manages window make up a third of its business. the restaurant for his father, Paul, whose par- Most nights are pretty packed, but ents, Melvel and Lorene, started it in 1946. Murphy's has a reputation for getting folks "We believe in great food, excellent service, in and out in good time. Don't let the crowd and generous portidns." waiting at the door scare you. It's just part of the dining experience. Customer service his operating rinciple, Murphy's manager Travis Murph pays "I don't try to act like I own it," Murphy close attention to patron requests. says. "This belongs to the customers."

BLUE PLATE 27 RESOURCEGUIDE

~bve~lv;sPancake Corner '36-Flamingo Rastmumnt - 21 15 Northwest Eqresswaj Okh- \ 201 0 West Third Street, Elk Ci9 homa City Accepts credit cards but no per- Accepts all forms of payment. Smoking sonal checks. Smoking and nonsmoking. and nonsmoking. Open seven days a week, Open weekdays 6:30 am. to 3 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Opens an hour later on weekends untii 4 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Sundays. Closed Thanksgiving and Christ- and Christmas Day. (405) 842-3614 mas Day. (580) 225-3412 fej]Burgess Grill Green Parrot Cafe 617Southwest C Avenue, Lawton. - 11 1 North Broadway Street, Accepts cash only. Entirely nonsmoking. Coweta.Accepts all forms of payment Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to except Discover and American Express. 6 p.m. and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant is too small to have a smoking Closed some holidays, depending on the section, but smoking is allowed. "Custom- day of the week. (580) 355-7473 ers are respectful, sitting toward the back and under the vents," says owner ,. Milana Johnson. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. (918) 486-5418

1 amburger inn 7North Washington Street, Ardmore. Accepts personal checks. Smoking and nonsmoking. Open Tuesday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiv- (4213The EastDiner Main Street, Norman. ing, and Christmas. (580) 223-7440 Accepts local checks, but not credit cards. Smoking throughout. Open Monday Metro Diner through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and S3001 East Eleventh Street, Tulja. weekends, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed all Accepts major credit cards but no checks. holidays. (405) 329-6642 Smoking and nonsmoking. Open Sunday

28 1 OKLAHOMATODAY ,%- ': , Old Town Cah 644 North Main Street, McAlester. Accepts personal checks. Smoking and nonsmoking sections. Open weekdays only, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (918) 423-4258

Polly Anna Cafe 902 Main Street, Woodward. Accepts personal checks. Entirely nonsmoking. Open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed July 4, Thanksgiv- ing, Christmas, and the last week of July. (580)256-9037

Shortcakes Diner 219 North Main Street, Stillwater. Accepts checks from a Stillwater bank. Smoking throughout. Open 2417, almost 365 days a year. Closed from Christmas Eve at 6 p.q, until Christmas through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and at 10 p.m. (no kidding). (405) 6241057 Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. White Rock Caf6 (918) 592-26 16 114 South Division, Guthrie. Accepts personal checks. Murphy'sSteak House Smoking throughout. Open Tuesday d1625 Southwest Frank Phillips through Friday for lunch from 1 1 a.m. to Boulevard, BartZesvih. Accepts personal 2 p.m., dinner Thursday and Friday checks and all credit cards except Discover from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. and Diner's Club. Smoking throughout. to 9 p.m. Closed holidays. The owner takes Open six days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. several weeks off during the summer, so call Closed Mondays, Easter, July 4, Thanks- ahead. The cafe will reopen every year giving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas no later than the second week in Day. (918) 336-4789 September. (405) 282-0027

GETTING THERE 1 29 OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

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Outdoo Adventure! DINER'S - 3 E- Source: American Diner Museum

5..- r, - P

Ada Altus mashed potatoes and gravy Family-owned for Home of the Eddie's Burg- and chicken-fried steak for two generations, Fol- er, Eddie's Old Time Catk the last fifty-two years. gers Drive In has boasts one of the biggest 221 South Main Street. offered Ada locals burgers in the state, made (580) 363-3904. some of the best with somewhere between hamburgers and fries threequarters to a 111 Buffalo -since 1935. 'We like to pound of beef. W~thtwo A popular hangout for lo- think we give 'em good locations in Altus and a cals, Harper Country service and good food," rockin' 1950s and 1960s Kitchen carves up k" says owner Jerry Folger. theme, Eddie's is a hit roast beef and He and his brother Jim, among locals. 1613 East breaded pork below, co-own the restau- Broadway and 2800 North chops. Manager rant. 406 East Main. Main. (580) 482-1373. Claudia Lemons (580)332-9808. knows a thing or Atoka two about restau- Atoka's Bledsoe's Diner rant life; she has has been in the community been in and out for almost sixty years, and of the business new owner Chi Wu isn't for forty years. about to change a thing. 712 North Hoy. Tourists and locals flock to (580) 735-2044. Bledsoe's for chicken-fried steak, hamburgers, or just Chandler to see what's on the daily If you're looking for buffet. "People love it," says some hometown count manager Annis Sanders. cooking, Granny's Coun- I "It's real good down-home try Kitchen is a statewide cooking." 2 19 North Mis- favorite. Owners Sue and sissippi. (580) 889-5 162. Jerry McGhee are known I for both their country- Blackwell fried steak and coconut Located on Blackwell's pie. The restaurant was Main Street, Bob's Grill listed by Route GGMag- has been serving locals azine as a good place D"~inition~ Diner: A small, usually ine nsive restaurant with a long counter and i C-A F E S- bodhs and housed in a buiT ding designed to resemble a dining car. Cafe: A , restaurant, or bar. Source: The American Heritage Dichonary of the English language, Fourfh Edition .,' DINERS

to eat on the Mother his family have served ba- cheeseburgers (the meat is Road. 9 17 Manvel Ave- nana split sundaes and the ground right in the restau-

nue. (405) 258-2890. "best chicken fry in Che- rant). 50 1 Choctaw Ave- , cotah." 722 North Broad- nue. (405) 224-9912. Checotah way. (9 18) 473-5 144. Checotah's 69 Diner has Claremore a wall decorated for every Chickasha Jim and Dolores Els type of patron. From Owner Daren Cook began opened Hugo's in 1995, antique collectors and washing dishes at age serving breakfast and churchgoers to farmers twelve and now owns the lunch platters with more and cowboys, owner Larry place. J&W Grill has food than most people Jennings aims to please been a Chickasha estab- could eat in one sitting. his clientele. For nearly lishment since 1957 and is Located east of downtown, eight years, Jennings and known for its fried-onion the forty-seat restaurant has

AU-you-canqat Ribs or Caijish, Eri. and Sat. We cater any size 1 group or budget. Ottr bumpet , fwilities accomohte zoo.RV md bus parkintj availabk.

1 301 W. Broadway

csh-cu tfries and botnenlade p 1 and Picttics to Go availabk!

BLACK BOOK I 33 I

% build our va own 'dniny cat. &net, You'll need a6out $AO,OOZ That includes cedi oj land, bullding d development, and Litcken egu+ment. 'g

a collection of more than to add to Linda's extensive I Durant I two hundred license plates. porcine collection. But I Located in an old I 8 11 East Will Rogers Boule- save some room before you barbershop in a residen- vard. (9 18) 34 1-2927. pig out: A big bowl of tial neighborhood, Bob's blackberry cobbler is what Sixth Street Cafe is a hid- Clinton keeps the locals coming "I try to make sure we back. 9 15 North Osage. - make everyhng the abso- (918) 534-1252. lute best," says W Down- town Clinton owner Ann Duncan Newcomb. She and her hus- Two pancakes, two sau- band Carlos own the cafe sage links, two strips of I den gem for the traveler. I and adjoining Gifi Gallery, bacon, and two eggs is Open for lunch and din- drawing business from lo- the morning special at ner, the cafe is known for cals and tourists alike. 500 the Grill Cafe. Owner its catfish, deep-fried in Frisco. (580) 323-2289. Jone Skrogstat, who has peanut oil. 1115 North worked at the cafe for Sixth. (580) 931-9987. Dewey thirty-seven years, also You can bring a pig decora- will sell you a homemade Edmond tion to "the pig palacen- pie. 835 Main Street. Fifieen-year owner Char- Rick and Linda's Cafk- (580) 255-4034. lotte Worsharn calls her

Jack Daniels World Barbeque Grand Champion. Two-time American Royal International Invitational Grand Champion.

All-you-can-eat RIBS on Friday. All-you-can-eat BRISKET on Saturdaj OPEN M0N.-SAT. 11AM TO 8PM 14th €T Y~nxpcr-t PO~CIIC~ty OK 74601

34 1 OKLAHOMATODAY I ~CAF'ES- =&C; I-: DINERS downtown Edmond burgers and catfish to Around the Coiner Res- homemade bread pud- taurant "a meeting place." I says, "We're just trying She's served her special - - chicken-fiied steak, biscuits to do our best to make and gravy, and homemade a good meal at a good pies to just about everyone, I price." 721 South Main. from politician George Nigh to actor Wilford customers who often ask Brimley. 11 South Broad- for their popular Garbage Fort Supply way. (405) 341-5414. Omelet. "We're located off Grab a fiothy milk shake the beaten path," says ' and peruse the western El Reno Derek. "Word of mouth art at TJ's Diner. A Located along historic has been our best advertis- mainstay in the commu- Route 66, Johnnie's Grill ing." 4002 North Fourth. nity since the 1960s, TJ's in El Reno has been in (580) 233-4663. is the place where the business since 1946. But locals gathe; for Friday it's not just the grill's set- Eufaula night supper. 105 Broad- ting that has repeat cus- J.M. Bailey is a purist at way. (580) 766-380 1. tomers filling owner Steve heart. At J.M.'s Restau- Galloway's tables: An All- rant, his business for for- Frederhk American menu and mix- ty-seven years, Bailey uses For almost a hundred and-match to-go specials only Black Angus beef for years, there has been ,a keep business booming. the popular chicken-fried cafe on Frederick's main 301 South Rock Island. steaks. 1 15 Selmon Road. street. Now called the I (405) 262-472 1. (9 18) 689;9474. ID Cafe by owners A Enid Fairview Ron and Derek Wedel Homemade onion rings know how breakfast aren't the only thing should be served. For the cookin' at Fairview's Hi- last twenty-eight years, Way d$&$. For more than their 157-seat Enid res- forty y&rs, the cafe has taurant, Wee Too, has served up a little bit of served an eclectic mix of I everything, from ham- I 7 as far away as Italy and France. Owner Susie Wil- liams says, "Customers have supplied every one of them." Evidently, it's the chicken-fried steak, and Douglas Eog the pride themselves on offer- coconut cream pie, and small, nineteen-seat his- ing not only home-cooked homemade bread that in- toric restaurant features a chicken-fried steak, pan- spire the gifts. 129 West collection of Coca-Cola cakes, and apricot pie but Third. (9 18) 786-5085. signs and, as Douglas a comfortable, clean, fam- says, "Everything but frog ily atmosphere. 808 North Guymon legs." 109 West Floral. Main. (918) 489-5553. For nine years, the Swager (580) 335-3180. family of Yesterdays Grove Diner has been serving Gore The Koffee Kup Cafe up burgers, fries, shrimp, Jimbo's Restaurant in in downtown Grove has and prime rib amid a mu- Gore has been in the Sum- quite a collection. Circling sical tribute to the hits merlin family for the last the forty-five-seat cafe on of the 1950s, 1960s, and ten years. Brothers Ronald shelves and hooks are 1970s. Larry Swager says and Richard Summerlin 445 coffee cups from that 80 percent of their

Since 1925, Pete's Place of Krebs- Oklahoma's Lie Italy-has delighted diners with fresh, family- style Italian cuisine served in unselfish portions. Come see why Pete's Place has been an Oklahoma landmark for three generations.

+I;or~r&roups Banquet fki4ides up to 250

36 1 OKLAHOMATODAY made, even the salad dress- in the 1950s as the Long- ings and croutons. Locals Horn Cafk, owners Robbie rave about the twenty and Brian Bunyard have different pies, including preserved its 1950s appeal the butter-pecan-crunch with Coca-Cola memora- apple. 2001 Church Av- bilia and the only jukebox enue. (405) 454-2362. in town. 1000 West Main. business is hamburgers. (918) 650-9966. 1901 North Highway 64. Henryeita (580) 338-5813. Take a step back in time Hugo at Obee's Diner in Hen- Angie's Circus City Harrah ryetta and enjoy a recent Diner in Hugo has be- At the Checkerboard hit on the menu, deep-fried come quite a tourist at- Cafe, everything is home- Twinkies. Originally opened traction. For the last five

Visit the Riverside Cafe, n&tled in the h>toric Cobblestone Community of ~edicinePark, OK. Enjoy &ning I inside or outside on the beautiful deck overlooking Medicine Creek. Miatzition oj G Pines ~am6usgcz A three-ounce hamburger with cheese, mayonnaise, and veggies is a proximately 485 calories and 38 grams of fat. But don? fret: Hamburgers are an excel I' ent source of protein, zinc, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B. Just skip the fries, 540 calories and 26 grams of fat. Source: Oklahoma Dietetic Association

years, owners Randy and Mangum and onions. Popular with Angie Cooke have been Since 1928, the Ham- Midwest City High School serving Angie's special burger Inn has been a local students, 15th Street offers chicken-fried steak amid a favorite. Bonnie Parker and tasty burgers at fiordable collection of circus mem- her husband Sammy have prices. 1204 East Lock- orabilia. The Circus City been the owners of the es- heed. (405) 736-6575. Diner offers fun for all tablishment since 1996 and ages. 13 12 East Jackson pride themselves on serving Miami Street. (580) 326-2027. locals their popular onion I A year ago, owners Dave I burger, burgundy marinated and Sherry White opened ldabel steak, and coconut cream the Lil' mi?Express For a cup of java in south- pie. 124 South Pennsylva- as an extension of the eastern Oklahoma, Idabel's nia. (580) 782-5254. Lil' Cafd in Commerce. Gemini Coffee Shop is Now Miami locals enjoy the place to go. Since McAlester the Express' popular bris- 1999, the McCurtain Ga- How about a little food ket sandwich, chicken- I zette's readers have voted it for the soul? Eight years fried steak dinner, and "best place" for breakfast ago, owner Bob Burow soft-serve ice cream daily. and coffee. 42 1 South opened What About Bob's 520 East Steve Owens. Central. (580) 286-2900. with family and hn in (918) 542-4224. mind. Located on McAles- Lawton ter's Main Street, the res- Open seven days a week, taurant serves "a chicken twenty-four hours a day, fry that will knock your Leo & Ken's Truckstop socks off." 700 North Restaurant in Lawton has Main. (91 8) 423-5865. 2 been serving breakfast, fi E lunch, and dinner to truck- Midwest City ers and travelers for the last At 15th Street Grill, the Muskogee forty-one years. "We serve Thange is not something Where else but Paul's good food and a lot of it," from a 1950s horror Diner can you find a says owner Ken Rhoades. movie, but rather a double I scrambled-egg combo I 103 East Lee Boulevard off meat and cheese, open- 1with all the works accu- the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. faced, grilled onion burger rately dubbed the Trashcan (580) 357-8561. covered in chili, jalapeiios, Scramble?After twenty

38 1 OKLAHOMATOD years, Paul's-formerly the loin steak, and homemade the control tower build- Sugarloaf-has quite a fol- pies. (405) 364-9835. ing at Wiley Post Airport. lowing. "We're just every- (405) 787-7732. day folk," says new owner Okmulgee Paul Springer, adding that When owners Ric and Deb- Oklahoma City it's "one of those places bie Wade opened Kirby's Owners Arternio and Olga that serves everything bad Cafein Okmulgee e+t Luna recently opened the for you that tastes so years ago, they were in- Classen Grill for dinner. good." 1 114 West Broad- terested in offering custom- Now you can experience way. (918) 781-1309. ers a little bit of home cook- their howlingly good Coy- ing. A half-block west of .. ote Chicken Sandwich and Norman Okrnulgee's town square, their special strawberry cake If you're looking for a Kirby's most popular item until 9 p.m. Located off good value on home- is its Mamaw's Chicken Classen Boulevard, Classen cooked meals, drive or fly Salad, an original family Grill also features a different in to Ozzie's Diner. Lo- recipe brought to Okla- local artist wary two cated at Norman's Max homa by Rick grandmoth- months. 5 124 Classen Bou- Westheimer Airport, this er. 219 West Sixth Street. levard. (405) 842-0428. 1950s-style diner offers an (918) 756-8480. all-you-can-eat buffet, an Oklahoma City affordable eight-ounce sir- Oklahoma City Just norcof the Stare Imagine breakfast all day: Capitol, R.J.'s Cafk has

oven-baked omelets, mon- been serving state a ster cinnamon rolls, and lawmakers for sixteen fresh-baked bread. For al- years. Owners Rick and most nine years, David Jane Strack draw them and Joan Ackley of Annie in with their award-win- Okie's Runway Cdc?have ning chicken-fried steak, been serving Wiley Post homemade cherry cobbler, Airport patrons a variety and an extensive collection of foods from American of Oklahoma memorabil- to Tex-Mex. David says, ia. Rick says, "We have "People will sometimes approximately three hun- make the flight just to eat dred regulars, and we'll the food." First floor of see them on any given The .fit ptztett on G dim a 'hnch wa90n' wa5 in /88/. Source: American Diner Museum

day throughout the week." Pawhuska and cinnamon rolls, both 4221 North Santa Fe. The Bluestem Restaurant made right in the restau- (405) 525-2087. gives new meaning to the rant. Established in 1926, phrase "all in the family." the walls are lined with Pauls Valley With a loyal staff of friends photographs of Perry The Go-Getter Hungry and family, Mary Deckard's history. 625 Delaware. Man's Breakfast Plate popular restaurant has be- (580) 336-4646. (trust us, this is a ton come the place to eat if of food) is a popular you want homemade bis- item at the twenty-four- cuits, chicken-fried steak, or hour Vdey Cafe and Res- blackberry cobbler. 114 East Zpcent of diners taurant. If you visit dur- Main. (918) 287-2308. are t;ewned for a family I ing the evening shift, ask membor initials , for veteran waitress Ear- Perkins 22 percent are named 1 lene to take care of you. Wake up in time to (,the original owner I 262 1 West Grant Ave- have a Spanish omelet nue. (405) 238-933 1. from Prairie's Edge. This

Ponca City Don't bother asking for a measly half-order of French fries at GrandAvenue CafC, because owner Den- South Main. (405) nis Kinkaid won't give it to you. His heaping basket of fries requires a 111one- and-a-half pounds of raw Across from the potato. Have fun choos- ing from the selection of Kumback Lunch more than twenty sand- satisfies locals with wiches. 423 East Grand. (580) 762-2310. ny her diner staple, chick- en-fried st& 2 19 East The average age of . an Oklahoma cafe or Dewey. (9 18) 22441 90. dinar waitress is 34.5 wrs aid. I Seminole ' la Today C&S B Sand Springs Popular with retired golfers, w Survey Located downtown, the Ati's Place in downtown Buckstop Cafe Too hosts Seminole serves up a fa- a mix of locals and trav- mous Thursday special: elers who crave Beverly homemade chicken and ' Toney's great-tasting break- dumplings. Owner Paula Skiatook fasts served in large por- Moradi says, "We have In the spirit of their high tions. Be prepared to meet interesting customers," school mascot, Skiatook's the whole My:The staff among them, Woody Bobbie's Cafd featuresa consists of her four children, Guthrie's sister Mary Jo Bulldog Bmger: a ham- some of the grandkids, and Edgrnon. 317 North burger loaded with ham, her sister. 220 North Main. Main. (405) 382-0203. bacon, cheese, and all the (918) 2414848. fixin's'. Finish the meal off Shawnee with a pigce of red velvet Sapulpa Even though Hamburger cake. 2 19 East Rogers Bou- If you want something not King is known for its levard. (918) 396-98 18. on the RidsRoute 66 mouth-watering hamburg- Cafe menu, owner Glenda ers, locals don't ignore the Stillwater Rivett will see to it. Cus- homemade chili and pie. Vi Wilkins was ready to tomer service is her fa- Hamburger King has been retire in 200 1, but leisure vorite occupation. Home- in the same hilysince just wasn't for her. So she made mashed potatoes 1927, so be on the resumed her cooking at lookout for fifiy-seven- Mom's Place under pres- year vetera Willa ent owner T.K. Kincaid \ Macsas taking and keeps busy making her unique, traditional pies. ;witchboard. Order good ol' coconut 322 East Main. cream, or try more un- (405) 878-0488. usual flavors like cherry m ([L-l&-

chocolate and peach apri- P cot. 2110 South Main. (405) 377-2964.

Sulphur Source Oklahoma Today\ Sonny's in Sulphur is Cafes & Dtners Phone Survey so popular that a cus- tomer bought a house for Talihina scrambled eggs, sausage, owner Sherri Busby so she Located in an old down- green onions, and cheddar wouldn't go out of business. town movie theater, the cheese. With daily lunch This cafe can be found in gorgeous ceiling at Pam's specials and an experi- an early twentieth-century Diner almost distracts house and is known for its hungry patrons from the peach cobbler. 1301West popular catfish fillets and Broadway. (580) 622-4455. 1 patty melts. 304 Dallas. (918) 567-2051.

Tulsa enced st&, you won't be Dig into Brookside by surprised by its popular- Day's specialty, the Mur- ity. 3313 South Peoria. rito, a burrito stuffed with (918) 745-9989.

I W*~ROUS Catering I HtckDrpwkas Service I . ~ 71 7 E. Highland~ ~ : 405/273-8704 est. June5,1930 ' NWM:320 Porter Ave. I 405/364-0600 est. No". 5,1992 I 1

42 OKLAHOMATODAY Tulsa 1927, this establishment Stafford. 1119 East Davis At Ollie's Station Res- has been serving up great Road. (580) 772-8808. taurant, twelve zooming meals for more than sev- model trains are sure to en- enty years. 319East 11- Weleetka tertain the kids while you linois. (918) 256-9053. Although there is no street enjoy a slice of cheesecake. address and just a highway 4070 Southwest Boulevard. Weatherford exit, the twenty-four-hour (918)446-0524. While partaking of a juicy Cowpokes Cafe is a pop- fried-onion burger at The ular stop for Interstate Vinita Grill, check out owner 40 travelers. For an afier-

Follow the red neon "Eat" Bill Lindsey's wall full , dinner treat, savor a slice sign off Route 66 to Clan- of autographs, including of homemade pecan pie. ton's Cafe. Owned by Governor Frank Keating Exit 231 off Interstate 40. the Clanton family since and astronaut Thomas l? (405) 786-9202.

oklahomalsmost authentic ~e& restaurant. Our executive chef prepares 40 1710 S. GRANT CHEROKEE, OK 5801596-2882 different specialities to perfection. Sample our selection of German Beers, brewed on the premises and enjoy live music Thurs.-Sat. For reservations call 405/799-7666 I L\ 3401 S. Sooner Rd. 1 Moore, OK 73165 # (6 miles south of 1-240) I

tsy";w Closed Monday.

BLACK BOOK 1 43 Tim Blake Nelson Currie Ballard Karen Keith Actor/Director Historian-in-Residence, Tulsa Media Personality "Nelson's Buffeteria in langston University "Brookside by Day packs Tulsa. Of course, folks will "Woody's Steaks & BBQ, in the crowds for the best assume family affiliation, six miles west of Langs- breakfast in town. The om- but there is none. Nel- ton. He prepares one of elets are full of goodies." son's has been a Tulsa the finest steaks I have institution for far longer eaten in Oklahoma. Real Eddie Sutton, OSU <

than I have been alive." nice portions, and the ser- Men's Basketball Coach * vice is superb. Stell's Res- "There is a restaurant out Cindy Chupack, taurant in Oklahoma City in Seiling called the Main Executive Producer of is soul food at its finest. Street Diner. I ran into that HBO's Sex and the City My mother carried me place a few years ago, "Growing up in Tulsa, I to Stell's when we first and they have tremendous loved Goldie's Patio Grill moved to Oklahoma." hamburgers. I love coce F for the neverending sup nut pie-they make as ply of pickles on the table Jim Bumtti, Cohost good a coconut pie as I and the delicious ham- of Discover Oklahoma have ever eaten. burgers. I also have a soft "The Lunch Box in down- spot in my heart for a little town Oklahoma City. It family-run drive-in called has the best corned Shaw's which still has the beef sandwiches. Quite most consistently mouth- a range of clientele and E -AYY.watering cheeseburgers, a fellowship table where I

LO MATODAY "For breakfast, The Diner eater, went to My Favorite come in around 4 a.m. to on Main Street in Norman. Place in Moore. For lunch, make the coffee. Good, It reminds me of smalhwn a Del Rancho steak sand- home-cooked breakfasts, Oklahomq and they have wich in Moore is hard fantastic chicken-fried great eggs and bacon." to beat. And for some steak. and ~ie.too." down-home cooking and a full belly, Barry's Chicken Ranch in Norman is the place to go."

Bob Burke Afforney/Author "Leo's Bar-B-Que in Okl homa City is an old ser. vice station that has incredible barbecue. !, I have been eating 4,there for thirty years. g They are also known 3 for their strawberry ba- nana cake." A User's Guide to Tipping U'VE FINISHED YOUR FLAPJACKS, Y"wolfed down your hash browns, and even made room for two eggs over-easy. After grab- bing your check from the linoleum tabletop, you make your way to the door. But wait! Is that a sigh you hear from behind? Is it your 1 waitress? Could it be that you forgot the tip? What once was considered icing on the top of an already s&cient paycheck is now considered the lifeblood of a wait staff salary that averages around $2.13an hour. Not only do the gratuities round out a server's salary, but they ofien must be sharedwith busboys and hostesses. Don't forget, a 15 percent tip is considered stan-

dard fare, whiie 20 percent gratuity is for a job well , done. Ifyour meal costs less than $10, conventional wisdom says to leave $2. One suggestion for easy figuring?In most of Oklahoma, simply double the tax amount. Thought your service was below standard? Rather than stiffing your server, consider a subpar tip of ten percent. The difference will be noted and your server will still be able to pay the rent. -Aadrea Lopez Waker

46 1 OKLAHOMATODAY

Old t2mnm-yRestaurant The best '"a :. Gambino's Pizza Daily lunch buffet and Gemfood this side of Munich! Come Tuesday night buffet. pizza, khsalad in for our German Schnitzel dinners and ":' bar, pastas, sandwiches, and appetizers. ~4th %hnitzel mushfllsin 5 Family dining or cany out. Located on Dine in a Bavarian setting. Open Tues,. - Hwy. 1100, (918) 489-2828 Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. 15920 S.E. 29th ~t,(405) 390-8647. iuthrle Granny Had One Step back in time to a Davenport Victorian setting with wood flours and tin Dads Bar-BQne We re well mown tor zeilings. Steaks, burgers, breads baked our BBQ! Great chicken fried steak. hily Call to reserve your Christmas party Full menu available, daily specials, an+ today 113 W Harrison, (405) 282-4482. daily buffet. Catering available. 706 N. Broadway, (918) 377-2289. Guymon Eddieb Steakhotwe & Seafood Serving Elk City U.S.D.A. Choice aged hand cut steaks, '0-W meL'nche~n '~'"'1 including fresh seafood, nice wine selection, and soup served daily in our two-story house on old Route 66. We're famous for oul full bar. 4001 Village Shopping Center, chicken avocado sandwich and French [SSO) 338-5330. silk pie. Open Mon.-Sat. Gift shop: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p-m. Tea ~oom:11. a.m. tc Hamah 2 p.m. 610 W Third, (580) 225-7028. ~h~k~o~dCefe & A taste ~f the city out in the country. Come for Erick 3ur homemade desserts and breads. The Elm Hause Offering relaxed dining, some of our best dishes are chicken-fried excellent beverages and delicate desserts ;teak and salads. Open in a comfortable and unique environ- 1030 a.m. to 2 p.m. 2001 Church Ave. ment. 515 E. Roger Miller Blvd.. (580) :40!5) 454-2362. 526-3912 The ~afrerT Come in, sit a spell, and Heavener enjoy th e authentic cowboy cuisine and Downtown Cafe Open 24 hours. All rustic western decor. Generous portions. major credit cards accepted. Daily buffet: MOB.-Sat.7 a.m. to 9 p.m.,Sun, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Owner: Thelma Cope 3 p.m. 118 W. Roger Miller Blvd., Exit 7 Come by and see us! 119 E. Ave. C. on 1-40,, (580) 526-3332. [918) 653-2296.

T BEGAN IN 1872. THAT WAS THE and warm smiles, everything a traveler might Iyear Walter Scott of Providence, Rhode need to continue his journey. Island, served night-shift mill workers hot Today, the diner has come to mean some- coffee and sandwiches from the back of his thing else. A welcome throwback, a place covered freight wagon. That evening, the where, if even for a moment, the clock turns diner was born. back to 1872.The essentials-refuge, warmth, Sleek and narrow diner cars eventually and sustenance-remain the same. replaced wagons. By World War 11, the restau- -Andrea Lopez Walker ran~-~ositioned Beverl Grill, shown above in 1949, was such as Route 66 and U.S. 1-became havens locate8at 209 West Grand in Oklahoma Bottom right: The Star Cafe, also in for the weary driver. Diners offered fresh pie gzkhomaCity. Lek A soda ierk inCordell. 52 1 OKLAHOMATODAY

weekly travel sho

What to try Who to know Where to eat Where to go

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Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. Tulsa's KOTV-6, Oklahoma City's KWTV-9 and Lawton's KSWO-7 lntegris Health's Discover Oklahoma is also shown on cable channels in Woodward, Lawton, Stillwater, Ponca City, Edmond, Fort Sill, and Cox Communications in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Check local listings.