Drove by this weekend and notice signs up for Kaisers American Bistro to replace Grateful Bean. Don't really care for the name and I hope they don't ruin the concept. Just got a NewsOK daily headlines email and they have this video about it. Appears it will be run by the owners of Picasso's on Paseo.


http://newsok.com/kaisers-american-bistro-coming-to-midtown/multimedia/video/593292594001

Sadly, all my experience with Picasso's has been negitive. I love the building they are in but I have lost all desire to go there due, essentially to Kim's attitude. I would love to start going to Kaiser's again, but not if she or her minions are creating the FEELING of the place.

I love Picasso's, the food has been outstanding.

I love Picasso's, the food has been outstanding.

Agreed. Their food, dollar for dollar, is some of the best in the city. Kim can be a little brusque, but don't let that dissuade you from a great joint USG. WHat was it Kim did that you found irritating?

Shawn was the chef that started up The Wedge. I think he came from Deep Fork. Very talented and yep, the price is great. Hope he can do the same in Midtown.

I realize that my issues are not those of others and if I were going to answer it should be in a PM. She might be utterly delightful if we had started off on different feet, so to speak. Publically I can say that I had hoped that their sevice would improve over what Galileo's had slipped to, but my two visits were not pleasant and I have decided that Kim's sulliness rubs off on the help. All the help acted like they were under the whip. That is just plain sad to me. Again, I love the ambience of the building itself.

I'm just glad to see an Oklahoma City institution saved and somebody willing to do what it takes to keep it alive and growing.

Most of my experiences at Picasso's have been very good. I must say I had kinda hoped for a different concept for the Kaiser's locale, like a diner with beer and wine or something. Still, this will probably be a successful operation and I'm excited it's being utilized so quickly.

Drove by this weekend and notice signs up for Kaisers American Bistro to replace Grateful Bean. Don't really care for the name and I hope they don't ruin the concept. Just got a NewsOK daily headlines email and they have this video about it. Appears it will be run by the owners of Picasso's on Paseo.


http://newsok.com/kaisers-american-bistro-coming-to-midtown/multimedia/video/593292594001The name does seem a bit conflicted at least from a cultural (?) standpoint. Kaiser is Austrian/German, Bistro is French but wait ... it is American???

Other places combine words from different ethnic backgrounds too, so not that unusual, but can still be confusing.

Understand that Kaiser a nod to the original tenant of the building (Kaisers Ice Cream). Doug has a short entry and some pics over on his blog
http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/vintage_kaisers.htm

I too agree that the name was a bad choice and question the concept. I am however excited about patio seating and that they will probably be open past 5pm unlike Grateful Bean was. The article in today's Oklahoman sounds like the owner kind of rushed the first opportunity that came about, even though other restaurant groups were interested once they knew it was available.

So glad someone will keep that beautiful building going! Actually, we are happy about the name, as so many of us who were around in the heyday of Kaisers still refer to the building by that name, regardless of its current name.

As for the mixture of names implying different foods--i.e., is it German, French, or American--so what? It will be its reputation for excellent food and service at a good price that will bring in the customers.

Awesome, I think picassos has been a great success and is one of my favorite spots for drinks and food on a week night. I think they will be a good fit in the neighborhood and a bistro is perfect for that gem of a building. Now I'm just praying it will be open late!

mentioned in the newsok article is Hot Dog Park on Classen. not familiar with it. Where is this located? Thx.

Hot Dog Park, near 30th and Classen on the east side.

I am curious to know why the owner of that building said it is no longer available to be leased. Anyone know if it has been leased and who leased it?

He has a lease pending...

The Hotdog park building is awesome inside, any knowledge of who the new tenant will be?

Hot Dog Park is the ridiculous Jeep-on-a-stick along Classen..


I'm just glad to see an Oklahoma City institution saved and somebody willing to do what it takes to keep it alive and growing.

Yes--definitely awesome that they are keeping Kaiser's alive.

So glad someone will keep that beautiful building going! Actually, we are happy about the name, as so many of us who were around in the heyday of Kaisers still refer to the building by that name, regardless of its current name.

As for the mixture of names implying different foods--i.e., is it German, French, or American--so what? It will be its reputation for excellent food and service at a good price that will bring in the customers.

Well, the food may be great but why throw out a potential point of confusion at the very beginning? You have to get the people in the dorr to begin with. Some may be curious enough to find out exactly what they mean while others may think "if they are that confused on their name, is my order going to be right"? LOL

Its all good, and the owners are welcome to call it whatever they want. And definitely applaud the nod to the history of the building. And it sounds like they are keeping the exterior and Kaiser signage as well. Loved the keeping of the name when the turned retail space into residential (The Montgomery, a nod to the former tenant Montgomery Wards?). Stuff like that.

I just want to know if it will still serve amazing ice cream concoctions.

Spartan....Think so, the Oklahoman article said they are keeping the soda fountain and will still serve "ice cream and frozen treats"...also they will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Planned opening "by October".

Keeping the soda fountains and decor was one of the requirements to lease.....

Keeping the soda fountains and decor was one of the requirements to lease.....

this seems weirdly limiting.

Why do you say that, the soda fountain is what makes the place, take that away and you've got nothing. I don't think ALL decor had to stay, just the soda fountain area and some of the historic pictures on the wall. Not limiting at all, especially considering they are adding patio seating.

Spartan....Think so, the Oklahoman article said they are keeping the soda fountain and will still serve "ice cream and frozen treats"...also they will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Planned opening "by October".

Sweet

They are still not open yet. There signs say Opening September 2010 (maybe they should take them down or replace with Opening Soon)

The name does seem a bit conflicted at least from a cultural (?) standpoint. Kaiser is Austrian/German, Bistro is French but wait ... it is American???

Other places combine words from different ethnic backgrounds too, so not that unusual, but can still be confusing.

Understand that Kaiser a nod to the original tenant of the building (Kaisers Ice Cream). Doug has a short entry and some pics over on his blog
http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/vintage_kaisers.htm

And Bistro, of course, is a Russian word meaning "quick." Legend has it that in the early 19th century, when the Russians briefly controlled Paris, Cossacks would walk into sandwich shops yelling "bistro!" to get sandwiches. Soon, Parisian shops wanting to sell to these invaders posted signs outside reading "Bistro" to attract business.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7012/kaisersmenu.png

Ate there last night after the Ghouls Gone Wild Parade - NOT IMPRESSED.

Before the parade the place was dead (understandable). After the parade there were people inside for about 45 minutes, but were in no way slammed. Always at least 1-2 tables open. McNellie's (across the street) had a line out the door for a bit.

The inside was nice, but looked identical to how the interior has always looked. There was a full bar.

Nobody greets you at the door (would be a nice touch for a new place). You have to find your own seat (and somebody to clean the table in our case). No wait staff (you have to order at the counter). Nobody brings you your drinks (they hand you empty plastic cups you fill at the soda fountain). They call your name and you get your order from the counter. Nobody checks on you. No napkins at the table. No silverware was offered (had to ask). And, the mustard, mayo and ketchup are in just three bottles sitting on the counter where you get your food and you add it yourself (if you even happen to notice it).

We had the Kaisers Big Bison burger. It was not bad. "Big" is an exaggeration. Certainly not Irma's quality or size. My wife and I usually share a non-fastfood burger and are full enough to get to the next meal. Not in this case. We also had the kettle chips. They were room temperature and nothing special and no sauces to go with them and could have been store bought. Fries looked average but didn't try them.

Also had a chocolate malt. It was okay to as good as Braum's. Not as big as you used to get from Kaisers and no metal tin served on the side with the leftovers.

Here's the real kicker though (IMO)..... The prices.....
$10 for a tiny and only decent burger you had to order and pickup at the counter and add your own mustard/mayo and comes with unimpressive chips or fries.

A regular soft drink you get yourself is $2. If you want them to squirt some vanilla etc. in it the price goes to $4.

Malts - $6. One scoop of ice cream (and we are talking a modest scoop) - $5!!!!!!!!!

Not sure if these were just prices for the parade (if so, I'm even less impressed with the place) or if they are just goofy.

Looks like a fail.

unfortunate

I went there for lunch on Thursday and had a completely opposite experience.

I've been there. If you like Picasso's, you'll like Kaiser's. If you don't like Picasso's, you won't like Kaiser's.

I went there for lunch on Thursday and had a completely opposite experience.

Maybe you can do a review and fill us in then.......?

Looks like a fail.

So one person writes a bad review after it first opened and it's already a failure?

The menu does seem kinda pricey. The only $10+ burgers I've seen in OKC were at Republic Gastropub and were worth it (and might have not even been $10, but rather $8 or $9 maybe, I forget). I'm not sure Kaiser's can command the same prices that the Gastropub, a very cool place, can. Especially with self-service.

At Nic's you can get a burger, fries, and a drink for under $10. Just check out the line going down Penn..

I agree, a $10 burger (bison is prob more expensive), $4 coke and $5 single scoop ice cream is going to put a lot of people off (even if it is the best on the planet)...and for those prices, it would have to be exceptional to justify

Especially with Irma's right across the street. If it were me, I'd try to come up with a menu that had some unique items not found at McNellie's or Irmas, since both have fairly ardent followings. If ice cream is going to be the piece de resistance, make it well worth a visit.

The ice cream and shake prices have gone way up since it was the last reincarnation of Kaiser's a few months ago.

The only hope I give it is that the menu that night was obviously printed specifically for that event. So, maybe they expected a huge rush and scaled the options down (and the prices up). Problem is, there was no huge rush (I was out front before the parade and inside within 3 minutes of the end of the parade and stayed for over an hour - by the time we left it was dead again).

If they did do an 'event menu' with limited options and higher prices then I think that was a huge mistake. Don't welcome yourself to the neighborhood by screwing your customers (they will talk).

I'm not against high prices just to be against them, I eat at several middle to upper priced venues on a regular basis (Red Prime, Cheevers, 501, etc.). I even eat at Picasos and love it. However, at Picasos the food tastes much better and it is full service. If I'm paying $10 for a small burger, I expect service that rises higher than McDonald's.

Another thing I didn't like was they allowed a homeless man to wander around inside asking people for money to buy something to eat. All the front staff were aware of him. That said, one of the people in my group is much more compassionate/tolerant about those things and gave the man some money and even refilled his drink for him (I try and surround myself with people with better qualities than myself, hoping it will rub off). If I ate there very often I might find myself having to bum money to afford their prices too!

I may swing by and do lunch this week and see if its any better.

Yeah, Steve, please, some details..... were the prices and selection as limited? Did they provide any service? Do they have a lunch crowd?

I agree with Bates, hopefully it was an event only menu, however even if it was it was a huge mistake to welcome yourself to the neighborhood by screwing people over. They do very little advertising if at all for Picasso's, and I'm guessing the same for Kaisers. Also seems like they missed the boat with the concept of the place not revolving more around icecream, and soda options and the price on soda and ice cream is absurd.

I went for lunch, and the prices were slightly lower - though I admit they do hit the ceiling of what I suspect the market will tolerate (and yes, my guest and I paid for our meals).
I thought the food quality was exceptional, far better than what was being served there previously, and being a stickler for historic decor, I appreciated the renovation and clean-up maybe more than you did - it's much more respectful of the building's history than, ironically, the Grateful Bean was (and the owner of the Bean is still the building's owner, Pete Schaffer, who is very protective of its history).
I suspect they really weren't ready to open for dinners yet and they might have made a mistake by trying to force it for the parade. They just opened a week ago, quietly, so I can't say they do or don't have a lunch crowd yet. I'd say they filled the tables once when I went, but no turnover.
As always, I'd advise against judging any restaurant based on it's first couple of weeks. If one did so, Big Truck Tacos would have been a goner...

So Steve, would in your opinion are the prices fair or high?

They lost me at the $4 dollar sodas.

If one did so, Big Truck Tacos would have been a goner...

I agree with that. BTT was not good when it first opened (small portions, higher prices, no air conditioning, no seating, and food was just okay). Now its on my regular haunt list - though I admit I drive by more than I stop by based on the line. If its out the door I don't bother. Also, if you don't like them (or just want to share constructive criticism of them via social media) think twice. They (and their ravenous fans) will respond and you'd better have thick skin. I experienced it and so did another lady (her back and forth was mentioned in the Journal Record of all places).

I read a couple of online reviews that would indicate what I feared - the menu on parade night was just an attempt to limit the options and gut the customer's wallet. Online reviews indicate a full menu and prices about a dollar or so cheaper per item. Several people expressed those prices are still too high but the quality of the food is good.

Tried to see a menu on their website, but the site is still just in name only (not smart in this day and age).

Gouging parade folks is probably not the best way to build a following for a new restaurant ... surprising they wouldn't know any better if that's what they did.

Not the best way to meet the neighbors.

They're pretty green in this business still. I hope it works out for them owning two relatively new restaurants.

Picasso's is fine, but from what Kaisers sounds like, I don't even want to give it a chance. Man I wish Good Egg would have gotten a hold of it.

I ate there. The burger was good, but milkshake was unbelievable. It didn't blow me away, but I didn't think it was terrible either. Slightly overpriced, but still a great environment for a burger and shake.

Does anyone know if the $4.00 sodas include refills? I think it's important to note that the $4.00 sodas include sugar Coke and Dublin Dr. Pepper, for both of which soda afficionados are usually willing to pay a bit of a premium. You can't really compare them to standard HFCS-laden sodas, and the Dublin Dr. Pepper probably can't really even be compared to sugar Dr. Pepper since it is made using the original Dr. Pepper formula. What are the comparable soda prices at Pops? I've heard they carry Dublin Dr. Pepper.

On parade night there were no refills on the $4 sodas.

Does anyone know if the $4.00 sodas include refills? I think it's important to note that the $4.00 sodas include sugar Coke and Dublin Dr. Pepper, for both of which soda afficionados are usually willing to pay a bit of a premium. You can't really compare them to standard HFCS-laden sodas, and the Dublin Dr. Pepper probably can't really even be compared to sugar Dr. Pepper since it is made using the original Dr. Pepper formula. What are the comparable soda prices at Pops? I've heard they carry Dublin Dr. Pepper.

POPS or Market C sell them for $2 a bottle. Keep in mind though Grateful Bean also sold original formula phosphorous soda's much cheaper, like $1 something or $2.

[humming Pixies tune]"Gouge away. You can gouge away." [humming Pixies tune]

A blurb in the Oklahoman had this:


...a menu of seven burgers, ten sandwiches, seven salads and five soups for lunch plus five appetizers and entrees for dinner. ... Diners order at the counter during lunch service, while lights dim for full-service dinner.

OK, I went there for lunch again today. I thoroughly disagree with those who say that gouging that has occurred. Yes, they do charge $4 - for the old fashioned syrup based sodas from the soda fountain. The regular soda prices have free refills and are within line of what's being charged at restaurants run by Good Egg and other respected downtown restaurants. Likewise, the menu prices are pretty much in line with what's found at Paseo Grill, Irma's, McNellie's, Sage, Iron Star, Deep Deuce Grill, etc. ($8 for burger and fries) . In fact, Brian, no offense, but I didn't see any burgers priced at $10 and only one at $9. Most were priced at $7 and $8 - and again, it included fries. Not sure what Brian meant by the burgers coming with nothing on them - that was not the case on my visit. The quality is far better than before, they've done a good job cleaning up the building and classing it up while respecting its history, and overall, I think there are just some people who tend to be extremely harsh on new restaurants and I'll let others decide if those voices have stirred up this thread as well. The lunch service is done as it was at the Grateful Bean - you order at the counter - and the dinner service involves ordering at the table. I told the owner of the restaurant about this thread and hopefully he'll chime in on his own, cite some menu prices, answer questions, etc.
As an aside - I just checked the menu at Chilli's, and the pricing is almost identical (the quality is not).

Thanks Steve, I will give them a try soon.

Steve, I hope this wasn't an example of your 'investigative journalism' at work and you were just overcome with delicious ground meat nirvana.

Did you actually read what I posted or just make it up to fit your post?

First I posted a pic of the actual menu from the night I attended - it clearly shows all sandwiches and burgers priced at $10.

I then followed that post up with...

Online reviews indicate a full menu and prices about a dollar or so cheaper per item. Several people expressed those prices are still too high but the quality of the food is good.

As for your comment...

Not sure what Brian meant by the burgers coming with nothing on them

I'm not sure what you meant by falsely attributing that statement to me!

I said the mustard and mayo were in bottles on the counter where you pick up your order. That is a far cry from "nothing on them."

I also clearly pointed out that the burgers come with your choice of fries or chips.

You can disagree that gouging went on, but they clearly raised their prices and lowered their menu options in anticipation of a captive audience.

So please Steve, use some facts to show where (if you were wagging your finger at me - which since I was the only one called out it appears you were) I was "extremely harsh" on this new restaurant.

I have a hard enough time defending things I actually say without worrying about defending things falsely attributed to me by journalists.

So they have regular soda for $2 and the old fashioned soda for $4? Is that correct? Steve in fairness I wouldn't compare the place to Chili's, it's not really the same type of concept. I noticed when I drove by at lunch today that they recently installed some black iron fencing around the exterior for additional outdoor seating.

Brian, I'm pretty sure the menu you posted was a special event menu.

This seems like a communication breakdown. Steve, I believe the "gouging" discussion related to charging extra for the special event when no one had been to the restaurant.

Brian, I'm pretty sure the menu you posted was a special event menu.

I got that. And even posted a followup indicating a broader menu with lower prices. The menu from that night is simply evidence they took advantage of the special event. Some people probably have zero issue with that, I personally do. I also seriously doubt ANY of the surrounding restaurants raised their prices for that night.