Best of OKC

Best of OKC 2021: Food & Drink

Best local craft beer

Bricktown Brewery
several metro locations

Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW 4th St
COOP Ale Works, 4745 Council Heights Road
Prairie Artisan Ales, 3 NE 8th St.
Stonecloud Brewing Co., 1012 NW First St., Suite 101

Best local tap room

Stonecloud Brewing Co.
1012 NW First St., Suite 101

No matter what style of beer you prefer, Stonecloud does it well (and often better than anyone else, according to Oklahoma Gazette readers). Its taproom on the first floor of the historic Sunshine Cleaners building is cozy and inviting with its lengthy bar and plentiful taps. The brewery has also recently opened to the public on the weekends its Lager Lounge with eight taps. Even though it took first place in the best taproom category here, there’s also plenty of packaged beer and growlers. Their recent addition of both classic styles as well as runs of delicious experiments like their Jam Jam series give continuous reasons to drop by the taproom.

Angry Scotsman Brewing, 704 W Reno Ave.
Prairie Artisan Ales, 3 NE 8th St.
Roughtail Brewing Co., 320 W Memorial Rd
Vanessa House Beer Company, 118 NW Eighth St.

Best cocktail (and the restaurant/bar that serves it)

Lunchbox at Edna’s
5137 Classen Cir.

Disco Nap, Jones Assembly, 901 W Sheridan Ave.
Fineapple, Zuma, 1201 N Western Ave
Paloma, Powerhouse, 1228 SW 2nd St.
Peach Bellini, Cookies on Western, 2304 N Western Ave.

Best breakfast

Cafe Kacao Latin Cuisine
3325 N Classen Blvd.

Jimmy’s Egg, several metro locations
Neighborhood JAM, several metro locations
Sunnyside Diner, several metro locations
Syrup, several metro locations

Best brunch

Cheever’s Cafe
2409 N Hudson Ave.

Originally the florist shop belonging to the first baby born in the newly-minted Oklahoma City, Cheever’s Cafe retained her married name when it opened for business at the turn of the century under new ownership. The flowers in the display case have been swapped for desserts and wine bottles, but the flavor of the building has remained intact. There isn’t a weak link on the menu, whether you drop by for brunch, lunch, dinner or a cocktail, so it’s unsurprising that Cheever’s is voted OKC’s best restaurant. 

Cafe Kacao Latin Cuisine, 3325 N Classen Blvd.
Neighborhood JAM, several metro locations
Pearl’s Oyster Bar, 5641 N Classen Blvd
The Jones Assembly, 901 W Sheridan Ave.

Best late-night eats

Empire Slice House
several metro locations

Beverly’s Pancake House, 3315 Northwest Expy
Guyutes, 730 NW 23rd St.
Ponyboy,423 NW 23rd St.
Powerhouse, 1228 SW 2nd St.

Best burger

The Garage Burgers & Beer
several metro locations

Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler Express, several metro locations
Nic’s Grill, 1201 N Pennsylvanie Ave.
S&B’s Burger Joint, several metro locations
Tucker’s Onion Burgers, several metro locations

Best taco

Big Truck Tacos
530 NW 23rd St.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, several metro locations
Hacienda Tacos, several metro locations
Mexican Radio, 1734 NW 16th St.
The Fried Taco, 308 NW 10th St.

Best sandwich shop

The Mule
1630 N Blackwelder Ave.

Lee’s Sandwiches, 3300 N. Classen Blvd.
N D Foods, 2632 W. Britton Rd.
Neptune Submarine Sandwiches, 3301 N. Classen Blvd.
Someplace Else A Deli & Bakery, 2310 N. Western Ave.

Best barbecue

Clark Crew BBQ
3510 Northwest Expy.

Back Door Barbeque, 315 NW 23rd St.
Earl’s Rib Palace, several metro locations
Iron Star Urban Barbeque, 3700 N. Shartel Ave.
Swadley’s Bar-B-Q, several metro locations

Best pizza place

Empire Slice House
several metro locations

Hideaway Pizza, several metro locations
Pizzeria Gusto, 2415 N. Walker Ave.
The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen, 1004 N. Hudson Ave., Suite 106
The Wedge Pizzeria, several metro locations

Best steakhouse

Cattlemen’s Steakhouse
1309 S. Agnew Ave.

Boulevard Steakhouse, 505 S Boulevard, Edmond
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, several metro locations
Ranch Steakhouse, several metro locations
Red PrimeSteak, 504 N. Broadway Ave.

Best sushi

Sushi Neko
4318 N Western Ave.

GoGo Sushi Express and Grill, several metro locations
The Sushi Bar, several metro locations
Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, 7516 N Western Ave.
Yuzo Sushi Tapas, 808 N Broadway Ave.

Best seafood

Off The Hook Seafood And More
125 W Britton Rd.

Hefner Grill, 9201 N Hefner Pkwy.
Pearl’s Oyster Bar, 5641 N Classen Blvd.
Seafood Party, 3417 N Classen Blvd.
Trapper’s Fishcamp & Grill, 4300 W Reno Ave.

Best restaurant with vegan or vegetarian menu options

The Loaded Bowl
1211 SW 2nd St.

Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo
Sala Thai, 1614 NW 23rd St.
Taj Cuisine of India, 1500 NW 23rd St.
The Red Cup, 3122 N Classen Blvd.

Best restaurant or bakery with gluten-free options

La Baguette Bakery & Cafe
7408 N May Ave.

Green Goodies, 5840 N Classen Blvd #5
Holey Rollers, 3010 Paseo #101
The Loaded Bowl, 1211 SW 2nd St
Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo

Best dessert restaurant, shop or bakery

Pie Junkie
1711 NW 16th St

Ingrid’s Kitchen, 3701 N Youngs Blvd.
La Baguette Bistro & Cafe, 2100 W Main St, Norman
OKC Sweets, 7306 N Western Ave.
Raspberries n’ Creme, 7606 N May Ave.

Best Mexican restaurant

Ted’s Café Escondido
several metro locations

Azteca Mexican Grill, 4024 N May Ave.
Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant, several metro locations
Poblano Grill, 13593 N May Ave
San Marcos Mexican Restaurant, several metro locations

Best Latin restaurant (not Mexican)

Cafe Kacao Latin Cuisine
3325 N Classen Blvd.

1492 New World Latin Cuisine, several metro locations
Cafe Antigua, 1903 N Classen Blvd.
Cafe Do Brasil, 440 NW 11th St., #100
La Brasa, 1310 NW 25th St.

Best Italian restaurant

Gabriella’s Italian Grill
1226 NE 63rd St.

Bellini’s Ristorante & Grill, 6305 Waterford Blvd., suite 100
Flip’s Wine Bar & Trattoria, 5801 N Western Ave.
Patrono Italian Restaurant, 305 N Walker Ave.
Vito’s Ristorante, 7628 N May Ave.

Best Western European restaurant, not Italian (Danish, English, French, German, Irish, Scottish, Spanish, etc.)

La Baguette Bistro
7408 N May Ave.

Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St.
Ingrid’s Kitchen, 3701 N Youngs Blvd.
Royal Bavaria, 3401 S Sooner Rd.
Sean Cummings’ Irish Pub, 7628 N May Ave.

Best Mediterranean restaurant

Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe
3131 W Memorial Rd.

Basil Mediterranean Cafe, 211 NW 23rd St.
Cous Cous Cafe, 6165 N May Ave.
Mediterranean Imports & Deli, 5620 N May Ave.
Zorbas Mediterranean Restaurant Bar, 6014 N May Ave.

Best Indian restaurant

Sheesh Mahal
4621 N May Ave.

Gopuram Taste of India, 412 S Meridian Ave.
Mt Everest Cuisines, 1169 E 2nd St, Edmond
Saffron Cuisine of India, 3627 N Portland Ave
Taj Cuisine of India, 1500 NW 23rd St.

Best Eastern Asian restaurant (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese)

Pho Lien Hoa
901 NW 23rd St

Grand House Asian Bistro, 2701 N Classen Blvd
Sala Thai, 1614 NW 23rd St.
Thai House Restaurant, 500 NW 23rd St.
VII Asian Bistro, 2900 N Classen Blvd, suite G

Best new restaurant to open after 8/1/20

Ted’s Tacos and Cantina
600 NW 23rd St., suite A

Chicken Foot OKC, 1316 W Memorial Rd., suite 100
Rendezvous Pizza, 27 E Sheridan Ave.
Sunset Patio Bar, 401 Northwest 10th St., suite A
Venn Pizza on Britton, 915 W Britton Rd.

Best fine dining restaurant

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
several metro locations

Cheever’s Cafe, 2409 N Hudson Ave.
Ludivine, 320 NW 10th St.
Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo
Vast, 333 W Sheridan Ave., 49th Floor

Best neighborhood bar

The Pump Bar
2425 N Walker Ave

In a city known for its weather extremes by the season, day and sometimes even the hour, the success of a mostly-outdoor bar and restaurant was far from guaranteed, but Hailey and Ian McDermid have turned this former gas station into one of the most successful and popular spots for nearly a decade. With a large slate of revolving taps, wide swath of canned and bottled selections as well as signature cocktails and a fabulous menu with extremely reasonable prices, it’s no wonder a diverse cross-section of the city calls The Pump its neighborhood bar.

51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St.
Cookie’s, 2304 N Western Ave.
The Flea, 733 NW 4th St.
The Other Room, 3007 Paseo

Best new bar to open after 8/1/20

Kindred Spirits
1726 NE 23rd St., suite C

The perfect symbol of the burgeoning renaissance of northeast OKC, Kindred Spirits blew onto the bar scene this year with a cocktail menu that gives everyone a run for their money. Even though it was voted best new bar by Oklahoma Gazette readers this year, the food — crafted by Chaya Fletcher, formerly of Urban Roots, and whose vegetables are sourced from local Black-owned farms — are not to be slept on either.

Lamp Post Lounge, 919 N Virginia Ave.
Solo’s Park and Pub, 13310 Pawnee Dr
Sunset Patio Bar, 401 Northwest 10th St., Suite A
Zuma, 1201 N Western Ave.

Best patio dining

Hefner Grill
9201 N Hefner Pkwy.

FRIDA southwest, 500 Paseo
Solo’s Park and Pub, 13310 Pawnee Dr.
The Jones Assembly, 901 W Sheridan Ave.
The Mont, 1300 Classen Blvd., Norman

Best diner

Sunnyside Diner
several metro locations

Beverly’s Pancake House, 3315 Northwest Expressway
Jimmy’s Egg, several metro locations
Metro Diner, 3000 W Memorial Rd., suite 109
Sherri’s Diner, 704 SW 59th St.

Best restaurant

Cheever’s Cafe
2409 N Hudson Ave.

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, several metro locations
Redrock Canyon Grill, several metro locations
Swadley’s Bar-B-Q, several metro locations
The Jones Assembly, 901 W Sheridan Ave.

Best chef

Kevin Lee, The Jones Assembly
901 W Sheridan Ave.

Andrew Black, Black Walnut, 100 NE 4th St
Kurt Fleischfresser, Vast, 333 W Sheridan Ave.
Jeff Chanchaleune, Goro Ramen + Izakaya, 3000 Paseo
Mani Raju - Taj Cuisine of India, 1500 NW 23rd St.

Best pre- or post- event spot to grab a drink

The Jones Assembly
901 W Sheridan Ave.

Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd St.
Social Capital, 517 S Hudson Ave.
The Mont, 1300 Classen Blvd., Norman
The Pump Bar, 2425 N Walker Ave.

Best LGBTQ+ bar or club

The Boom
2218 NW 39th St.

Frankie’s OKC, 2807 NW 36th St.
Hilo Club, 1221 NW 50th St.
Partners, 2805 NW 36th St.
Tramps, 2209 NW 39th St.

Best national or regional restaurant*

Chick-fil-A
several metro locations

Charleston’s Restaurant, several metro locations
Chili’s Grill & Bar, several metro locations
Panera Bread, several metro locations
Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar, several metro locations


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