Has anyone heard of Pachinko Parlor? I hit the drive thru at Johnnie's on May/Memorial at lunchtime & there was a sign in the window advertising it. There's also an ad on their facebook page about it. Apparently Johnnie's is dipping their feet into the Sushi pond. Yes, I said sushi. As best I can tell, it's a venture owned by the same folks that owns Johnnie's, and the chef is someone from Sara Sara Cupcakes. Their location I think is next door to Sara Sara, at 1 NW 9th.

Looks like they're going for a new twist on the traditional sushi style and not all of it is going to be seafood/Japanese based. For instance, they're going to have an Italian roll that's "marinated Portobello mushroom, green onion, goat cheese, chive-ginger pesto." Prices seem reasonable, most rolls are cheaper than what you pay at Sushi Neko.

Pachinko Parlor - SushiOkc.com (http://www.sushiokc.com) - supposed to be open sometime this month.

Yes, it's the place next to Sara Sara. Supposed to be good stuff.

Very cool. I checked out the menu on their page, it looks good. Lots of things I'd like to try!

Will they have Pachinko machines as entertainment. If not, why are they using the name?

This place sounds really good!

Will they have Pachinko machines as entertainment. If not, why are they using the name?
I was wondering the same thing. I took a look at the menu and it all sounds fantastic. I'll have to try it for lunch one day.

Is ti already open?

It wasn't open the last time I drove by last week. I agree the menu sounds great. Can't wait!

Will they have Pachinko machines as entertainment. If not, why are they using the name?
Yes they have Pachinko machines, quite a few from what I understand. I dont think they are supposed to be officially open for another week.

Looked open tonight. I think they were enjoying the overflow from Taco Tuesday at Iguana.

Man, NW9th looks amazing now compared to what it was.

I went there tonight... it was great... will definitely return for more sushi.

Ate lunch there today. Awesome food, great staff, nice decor. I give it a double thumbs up!

A sushi place in Oklahoma City called Pachinko Parlor?

Awesome. Now I can open my BBQ joint in Takasaki called 'Indian Truck Stop and Casino'.

We went there last night and got a billion rolls. We were greeted by the owner on the way in... He is part owner of the PP and he also owns Johhny's burgers.

1) The place looks great. Inside and out. I think dining outside in the spring and summer will be awesome. A train came billowing down the track during the meal, literally 20 ft away, it wasn't too loud, it was just good urban atmosphere.
2) The wait staff is top-notch. Our waiter used to work at 105 Degrees and knows how to interact with customers very well. If I owned a restaurant, I would steal this dude.
3) The rolls were waaaaay more creative than Neko, Osaka, Saia, Samurai and Tokyo.

The only slight improvement would be to keep the rice at room temperature so it isn't so hard. It was only very cold rice on a couple of the rolls.. not a big deal, but an important detail.

We had:

Merle Haggard
Bruce Lee
Mr. Roboto
Philly Cheesecake
Seoul 2 Seoul
Crab Rangoon
“Yoshimi”
“Japanese Guac”

An old fashioned cocktail made with Japanese whiskey (who knew?!). A "cherry coke" made with some Japanese vodka.. Some sake.

We will definitely be patrons of this place.

The Sports Animal is broadcasting from there today. :)

JohnDenver, I was there last night, as well, and enjoyed it, too.

The crew there seemed friendly enough but there's just something about ordering Asian food from an entirely caucasian staff that just seems odd to me.

Sort of like watching a stock car racing event full of Asian drivers. How good can it be?

Sort of like watching a stock car racing event full of Asian drivers. How good can it be?

Real good. That Viet guac was delish, and the zombies on the screen in front of the bar were hilarious. (black and white vintage horror movie)

The service was truly above and beyond.

Took this tonight.

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5772.JPG

been there several times. great unique food. the steak and eggs is really good. all the staff seems really helpful

How about that car?

Finally got to eat there this past Friday night. We got there about 5:55pm. We didn't even know it, but our waiter was kind enough to tell us happy hour is from 4-6pm and all rolls are half price and to get our order in by 6pm.

I had the Philly Cheesesteak Roll and the Mexican Roll (forget the name) with chorizo. I highly recommend that roll, but both were great, although I didn't know it at the time, but if you're going to get a non traditional roll I'd recommend the rice paper instead of nori (seaweed).

Tsk tsk metro! :wink:

http://www.okctalk.com/food-restaurants/20872-pachinko-parlor.html

threads merged. -M

I have been there and it is awesome!! Their fried green beans are the best in town and very different from how you normally get them. I just purchased a Wimgo daily deal ($7 for $14) and I'm going again this week. I can't wait.

$20 of food for $10 at Pachinko Parlor https://deals.eataroundokc.com/offer/pachinko-parlor/?utm_source=Eat+Around+OKC&utm_campaign=5e88200781-EatAroundOKC+Deals02102011&utm_medium=email


* Even at 50% off I'd never eat there again.

Finally got to eat there this past Friday night. We got there about 5:55pm. We didn't even know it, but our waiter was kind enough to tell us happy hour is from 4-6pm and all rolls are half price and to get our order in by 6pm.

I had the Philly Cheesesteak Roll and the Mexican Roll (forget the name) with chorizo. I highly recommend that roll, but both were great, although I didn't know it at the time, but if you're going to get a non traditional roll I'd recommend the rice paper instead of nori (seaweed).

A Philly Cheesesteak Roll???? A MEXICAN roll??? What the heck?

Can someone recommend a restaurant in Oklahoma City that offers Japanese food?

I'm glad this was bumped. I find the name of their current special, "The Shake, Rattle and Roll," to be particularly insensitive.

I'm glad this was bumped. I find the name of their current special, "The Shake, Rattle and Roll," to be particularly insensitive.

Really, reading your post I was thinking 'hypersensitive.'

The asian spaghetti was the grossest thing I have ever tasted at a restaurant. My companion got the pad thai and was equally unimpressed. She had two of the eataround deals. We used one that night and she gave the other away the next day. Their non-traditional rolls are intriguing, but the chances of me ever stepping foot in that place again are not good. The mixed drinks were decent though.

The asian spaghetti was the grossest thing I have ever tasted at a restaurant. My companion got the pad thai and was equally unimpressed. She had two of the eataround deals. We used one that night and she gave the other away the next day. Their non-traditional rolls are intriguing, but the chances of me ever stepping foot in that place again are not good. The mixed drinks were decent though.

Same here. Been there probably 5x and every time I swore it was my last. I only go if I'm dragged there by others in our party.

Had dinner tonight at Tokyo Sushi Bar. Always good, and they're raising money for earthquake/tsunami relief.

A Philly Cheesesteak Roll???? A MEXICAN roll??? What the heck?

Can someone recommend a restaurant in Oklahoma City that offers Japanese food?

Ichi-ban in Tulsa. :(

This is Pachinko Parlor's last day of business.

Their callous insensitivity from almost two years ago finally comes back to bite them in the ass.

This is Pachinko Parlor's last day of business.

Their callous insensitivity from almost two years ago finally comes back to bite them in the ass.

Good lord

I hope that this setback for The Johnnie's Family (ref. first page o' posts) doesn't affect their great hamburgers nor their fabulous excursion into the delights of Gelato . . .
(Giovanni's Gelato . . . right next to Custinos II . . . which is apparently not far from Custinos III)

This is Pachinko Parlor's last day of business.

Their callous insensitivity from almost two years ago finally comes back to bite them in the ass.

Huh? I definitely missed something....

This thread is a fun read.

I am also very sad to see Pachinko Parlor go under. I will miss having lunch there most Fridays, and finishing my meal with chai creme brulee. I hope Rick and Eric have good plans for their other ventures this year. :)

This is Pachinko Parlor's last day of business.

Their callous insensitivity from almost two years ago finally comes back to bite them in the ass.

I hate to hear this. This was a very good restaurant and OKC has lost something unique weather you or I liked it or not. My job/brain is restaurant marketing throughout Oklahoma but I also have spent quite a bit of time in St. Louis, KC, Dallas, Chicago and the twin cities and still haven't come upon a restaurant like Pachinko. The idea behind Pachinko was to be an intelligent, interesting and adventuresome dining experience. From the viewpoint of someone who cares about OKC's culinary art scene, we lost something.

I've dined there several times with a silent partner of the restaurant and a couple of times on my own. I loved it even though I knew I might not love everything I ate. I went in knowing that I was going to have an interesting and unique dining experience in OKC that reminds me of things I'm seeing in other larger markets. I was afraid it was a little bit ahead of what OKC could handle but since it was backed by a larger group they could piggyback marketing to some extent. The problem is that the customer who is a regular at Johnnies Charcoal broiler and listens to The Sport Animal are not the same kind of people who are going to eat much sushi, much less unique sushi in a upscale atmosphere. Their marketing strategy was flawed but I hoped that the location and stability of a large group backing could keep it going until enough adventuresome and in tune OKC people could keep it going. I personally tried to turn them on to how to attract frequent and upscale diners but they had a QSR burger mentality so I did all I could do. That doesn't mean I'm still not disappointed though.

Well whatever happens I hope if another restaurant takes that space that they can make use of the really good patio.

We hate that this is gone. It was unique atmosphere and with some unique offerings.

While I've had some of my favorite meals in OKC there, I've also had a few of my worst. Unfortunately, their cuisine was very hit or miss and even had a wide degree of variety as to what would end up on your plate if you ordered the exact same item. I was once told by my server that the sushi chefs actually did not like sushi at all and wouldn't eat their own product. This became evident several times.

I enjoyed their very creative and inventive approach to things, but their execution was just off.

I was afraid it was a little bit ahead of what OKC could handle.


It wasn't.

They used to advertise HEAVILY on the Sports Animal, and the last time they were on (which was fairly recently) it sounded really scattershot, some of the things just didn't even make sense, desperately trying to appeal to someone/anyone to give them a try. Drove to that location once (no intent to actually eat, just out running errands and went that way) and when I saw where it was, I surveyed the area and thought it'd be an immense pain to access on a regular basis, so didn't think much for its long term prospects...

Suspect the cupcake craze won't be far behind...in fact, didn't SaraSara sell out recently? (sorry, guess that's a thread hijack)

They used to advertise HEAVILY on the Sports Animal, and the last time they were on (which was fairly recently) it sounded really scattershot, some of the things just didn't even make sense, desperately trying to appeal to someone/anyone to give them a try. Drove to that location once (no intent to actually eat, just out running errands and went that way) and when I saw where it was, I surveyed the area and thought it'd be an immense pain to access on a regular basis, so didn't think much for its long term prospects...

Suspect the cupcake craze won't be far behind...in fact, didn't SaraSara sell out recently? (sorry, guess that's a thread hijack)

Question, why would it be an immense pain to access on a regular basis?

And didnt Sara Sara open a store in the mall? Must be doing alright.

Question, why would it be an immense pain to access on a regular basis?

And didnt Sara Sara open a store in the mall? Must be doing alright.

sara sara now has 3 locations ..

Question, why would it be an immense pain to access on a regular basis?

And didnt Sara Sara open a store in the mall? Must be doing alright.

Yeah, I saw that they opened in a mall, but I thought their intent was to be a downtown thing. Maybe not. Just had heard they were bought out, don't know any more than that, and don't know if opening a mall location is indicative of success these days. I'm personally of the opinion that the greatest days of the $6 cupcake craze are behind us, and the result is going to be a load of cheap bakery equipment coming up on Craigslist et al in the next few years as more of these places shut down...

As far as the "pain" comment, just an observation; parking, access, just doesn't look particularly inviting for someone not living in walking distance. Just my opinion, of course. No offense!

They were located in the trendiest restaurant corridor in the city, and they failed. The location, and their building, were their biggest strengths.

They were located in the trendiest restaurant corridor in the city, and they failed. The location, and their building, were their biggest strengths.

Opinion noted. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. Peace.

Ate there probably 6 times. Never had a great meal, but did have a couple of okay meals - and even one or two terrible ones.

Loved the building, loved the location, loved the idea - just never took to the reality of the place. Not surprised to see it go, but its a shame as it was liked by some (but obviously not by 'enough').

Trying to say Oklahoman's weren't 'ready,' 'sophisticated' or 'cool' enough for it though is pretty laughable.

I plan on being at West tomorrow night, and try to get the scoop on why Pachinko really shut down, guys. :)

The Johnnies guys keep trying different dining concepts but none have seemed to have worked so far except West (is it still doing OK?). Pachinko Parlor was the most recent failure, Charlie Newton's before that, and another I think before that. In the meantime, their core brand - Johnnies Burgers - is getting flanked by lots of newcomers: Smashburger, S&B, Tucker's, Irma's to name a few.

I personally know the the ownership/management at West (and Pachinko, etc.), and from what I've heard West is staying afloat. They always have a very busy holiday season, which is disproportionately busy, and that more than makes up for their slow times. West is doing very well, and so far as I know, will continue to be in business. I'm not sure what happened with Pachinko, but I'll be finding out more tomorrow.

It certainly wasn't for everybody.

We enjoyed the atmosphere & bar as much as the food. It wasn't for sushi purists.

I had always wondered if they had enough table tops to make it. Without the patio, they just didn't have a lot seating to even be busy

I'm really glad I wasn't blessed with a palate as discerning as a lot of folks in OKC. Apparently, I enjoy pretty crummy food. I ate here numerous times and never once thought my food was anything less than yummy. If they failed because of mediocre food quality then OKC needs hire a full-time recruiter to bringing 5 star restaurants because this city has some serious foodies. :)

Let me give you an example then. Their Bruce Lee roll, (eel on spicy tuna) was one of my favorite things ever. Trouble is, sometimes, the hotness would be just right and other times, depending on the day, it'd be absolutely overpowering. You don't order eel on spicy tuna just to taste an overwhelming amount of sriracha sauce, and to be told by the waiter that the cooks don't even eat sushi or like it, well, that explained everything, but was a less than satisfactory explanation.

I'll miss the place because I truly enjoyed some of their offerings, but can really understand why they failed.

I was at West tonight and the folks there are pretty "zipped" about why Pachinko Parlor was closed. But, I want to use this opportuinity to shoot down some rumors that have been floating around here because of this board. First, West, Pachinko Parlor, and Sara Sara Cupcakes have NOT had the same ownership. In fact, there was one partner of Pachinko who had 12 percent ownership, and he was not a part of West or Sara Sara. Sara Sara is also owned exclusively outside of Johnnie's or any of their other concepts. All is well at West (they are doing really good right now I was told); and Sara Sara is fine, too. I personally know the girl who was the Assistant Manager at Pachinko, and she does not know why it closed.... they are keeping it rather confidential from everyone at West. But, West and Sara Sara and Johnnie's are all doing very well.

Yep. And there's still more to this story.... this thread will likely be proven to have been pretty much full of holes, with the only accurate statement made being that Pachinko Parlor on Ninth Street did indeed close.

I'll add one other thing. I was originally supposed to have lunch at Pachinko on Friday, like usual. I had to go out of town for business and missed it. I found out they weren't even busy that day.

Too bad that it didn't work. As a fan of sushi, I was never overwhelmed by their fish. I think the "sushi for people who don't like raw fish" concept was a limited one. I do appreciate the effort and the atmosphere there was pretty cool.

Starting to worry we have too many sushi restaurants as it is. It's almost a cliche. Haven't been to Go-Go yet, but I've heard great things.

We need so much more variety than sushi, slightly above average Mexican, and hamburgers. Hopefully a creative operator will step in and utilize Pachinko's cozy space.