my wife and i will be going to bricktown for our anniversary this saturday. we will stay at the skirvin hotel. im thinking of having dinner at cattlemans...good choice? are there any really good but reasonably priced restaurants in the bricktown area that might be a better choice? also any fun things anyone can recommend would be great in bricktown area. will probably do a horse and carriage ride but from there im winging it,lol.

Okay, there will be people who disagree, but I personally think Cattleman's is a bad choice for anything other than lunch (and even then it can be 'okay' at best). Sure nostalgia overcomes many people and they want so badly for it to be a heavenly experience they simply refuse to acknowledge the reality (old place, often bland food, and really pathetic steaks).

If I was staying at the Skirvin and wanted steak, you really can't beat Red Prime and you can take a carriage if the weather isn't too bad. We often park and eat at Red Prime before an event at the Thunder Dome and then take a carriage to/from the restaurant.

Not all their entrees are expensive and unless you have huge appetites, you can share the $35 Pre Fix (appetizer, entree, side and dessert). Maybe order an extra side or salad if you need a little more food.

Other great choices in the area are 1492 (one of my favorites - think Mexican food - we love and always share the Taquitos De Camaron), many people like Cafe Do Brasil (I personally don't care for it) and its across the street from 1492 and only a few blocks from the Skirvin.

If its okay out (which it will probably be very cold) you can wander into Bricktown and most all the choices there range from 'good' to 'very good.' Personally, I'd eat anywhere in Bricktown over Cattleman's for dinner.

As for stuff to do in the area.... Might check and see what going on at the Thunder Dome or Civic Center. You can probably find tickets online or in person.

Downtown we like to visit the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (sometimes they have a film showing too) - This weekend is the Academy Award Nominee film 'Winter's Bone.'

A game of bowling at Red Pin and a movie next door make for a good afternoon/evening of fun in Bricktown too. Then end the night with dessert (my favorite is the ice cream ball at Red Prime), there is also Marble Slab, Peach Wave, etc.

You can rent Segways downtown too.

After dinner/dessert drinks can be had at numerous places that range from bars to night clubs. Most evenings the bar at the Skirvin has alot of people and the service is pretty good.

I donot dislike Cattlemen's, but for an anniversary dinner, I'd choose The Mantle in BT over it. Or Jamil's up on N. Lincoln (they may still have a before 7 pm special, not certain. Call in advance and let them know you're coming for an anniversary. You'll be treated even more superbly than their excellent norm.)

Others may disagree with the next choice, but I've never found the food lacking at Zio's or Falcones for moderate pricing, though I don't tend to consider them for anniversary nights. If we're not feeling particularly fancy, anniversary or otherwise, we've often enjoyed Crabtown's butcher paper tables and dump the bucket offerings.
I'm not big on crab legs and she isn't big on the sausage. But together, we are a happy pair.

I'm with Bates, Cattlemans is probably the worst place for a steak, and only survives off nostalgia. If you want the best steak in OK, go to Red Prime. As Bates said, the Prix Fixe is the way to go. Get truffle butter on your steak. I highly recommend the green chili Mac or asparagas for a side. Other good choices would be Ludivine, at 7th and Hudson, Cafe Do Brasil, - both in nearby Midtown or Trattoria Il Centro in the arts district. Bricktown is a tourist area, although all the options are better than Cattlemans. Definitely try to get dessert at Ludivine if you don't go to Red, then catch an independent movie at the Arts Museum.

Grab the credit card and treat the Mrs to The Melting Pot since it is an anniversary...Can get out if there for 75 bucks if you don't get the Big Night Out

Doubt you will want to do the carriage since it will be in the 20's sat night...I would suggest heading to Drinkz for some booze afterward

I forgot about Ludivine. That is on my list for something really different with the wife and/or friends. If your palette is picky be sure and check out their menu online first since it changes and can verge on the unusual. I hear it can be a bit pricey and the portions are not really sharable for most people. Still, would be a great special night place.

I like Melting Pot, but really only with a large group. Not really into cooking myself on an anniversary night. But, with a group you can easily pass 2-4 hours in this place having apps, entrees and dessert (all with drinks of course). I do however go with the wife to Melting Pot just for drinks and dessert.

I'm with the others. I've got a real soft spot for Cattlemen's, but I'm not sure it's a good fit for the evening you're planning. Most of the other restaurants mentioned (not sure about Ludivine - it's very, very different from other restaurants), would be a good alternative (Melting Pot, Red Prime, Mickey Mantle, The Mantle, Trattoria Il Centro, etc). Personally, Red Prime is THE PLACE my wife and I go to for our anniversary celebrations.

If you pick Red Prime - you need a reservation and I always ask for a private booth. They are great for special nights and very cozy and private - but they only have a few so you gotta call and get one early.

thanks so much for the advice on cattlemans and all the recommendations thus far. niether of us drink much if at all so that part is pretty much out for us. must be nostalgia for cattlemans and im glad i didnt and wont make that mistake,lol. personally, i love steak, the mrs. not so much, more of a chicken or shrimp person. is there anything different about the movie theater in bricktown rather than anywhere else? was thinking i had heard it was different. oh, by the way the skirvin is kid of a splurge for us, we usually go for like holiday inn or embassy but the old time nostalgia and rumors of haunting have us curious. wishing there was a thunder game this weekend at home as we are huge thunder fans and havent made a game yet.

The Bricktown theater is nice, but nothing special other than newer and cleaner than some and obviously centrally located. For a unique theater you'd need to get in the car and go to the Moore Warren. The film screening area at the museum though is nice and cozy. I avoid higher profile theaters like Bricktown for weekend evenings as it seems many people do not know how to conduct themselves in a theater and I have zero patience for cell phones, talking, and feet on the headrest next to me. You won't get that usually at the museum.

The Skirvin is cool, I find all the history and the ghost stories interesting myself. If you are looking for a nice place that is reasonably priced you probably can't go wrong with Mickey Mantels (which is a different restaurant than the similarly-named The Mantle). I'm thinking it might be the most economic value for a romantic evening. If you are thinking of something pricier, like $80ish for the whole ticket without drinks, like others have mentioned The Melting Pot is cool. The only thing I don't like about it is that I always feel like I've spent a bunch of money and just had junk food for dinner. You know maybe you could go there for desert instead and do like a small chocolate fondue. Anyway, other restaurants in that same price bracket for dinner would probably be Nona's, Red Prime Steakhouse, and Bolero. Nona's is a really fancy Euro-American cafe. Bolero is a tapas bar. It's Spanish/Mediterranean food where you both order several small dishes and they bring them all out and you share everything. If you're into sushi you could try In The Raw. You can get a boat of many different chef's picks and it isn't as expensive as you would think. All of those options are in Bricktown.

The Harkins in Bricktown is basically your standard theater. There are two things about it that are a bit different than some other theaters... one is that the Ciene Capri is their large-format screen, a lot of theaters in the metro are not that big. The other is that their food selection is a bit better than your standard theater. For example you can get chicken strips and Dippin' Dots there.

Hope that helps!

thanks so much for the advice on cattlemans and all the recommendations thus far. niether of us drink much if at all so that part is pretty much out for us. must be nostalgia for cattlemans and im glad i didnt and wont make that mistake,lol. personally, i love steak, the mrs. not so much, more of a chicken or shrimp person. is there anything different about the movie theater in bricktown rather than anywhere else? was thinking i had heard it was different. oh, by the way the skirvin is kid of a splurge for us, we usually go for like holiday inn or embassy but the old time nostalgia and rumors of haunting have us curious. wishing there was a thunder game this weekend at home as we are huge thunder fans and havent made a game yet.
For what it's worth, the Park Avenue Grill at the Skirvin is itself very special, great food and vibe.

I agree that Park Avenue Grill is another good choice.

Park Avenue Grill = average,over-priced food and poor service...

Soonerus=minority opinion (at least in my opinion. I know of a lot of people who say they love the Park Avenue Grill)

Soonerus=minority opinion (at least in my opinion. I know of a lot of people who say they love the Park Avenue Grill)

Possible a 'minority opinion' - but certainly shared by many others. Urban Spoon only ranks them at 76% (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/46/622456/restaurant/Downtown/Park-Avenue-Grill-Oklahoma-City) (which is not great). My wife works across the street and has to go there alot for business lunches and we've been there a couple of times for dinner. We won't patronize the restaurant unless we have no choice. I've never found it to be bad, but I've certainly never had an experience worthy of the price. Its not hugely expensive, but there are many other options that provide much better food and service for the price.

Currently on Urbanspoon Cattlemans is rated at 76% and Red Prime only slightly better at 80%.

I've never eaten at the Warren, but they have a wide range of food, and include the option to have dinner and drinks service during the show in the grown-ups only balcony.
Combining dinner and amovie is something I typically only do when a pizza and a telly are involved, but combining the two does facilitate a more open evening to visit a piano bar, a separate stop for dessert, or more time to relax back at your home away from home.

Urbanspoon has The Melting Pot rated at 75 percent.
Which, btw, I don't think is an accurate reflection. But that's the thing with Urbanspoon - overall, unless it's the hot new trendy restaurant with a cult following (Ludivine), it's typical to see good restaurants rated in the 70s. Just par for the game.

wow, so many choices!!!! i think now that we arent going to the cattlemans id like to stay in the bricktown area. im understanding that the valet parking is like 20 bux!! is that every time you take out your car? if so then ill leave it in and walk or spend the cash and take a carriage ride,lol. i had heard mickey mantles was real expensive.

Michael, if you're not drinking, that makes the meals at all of these restaurants all under $100 for a couple depending on what you choose, and if you go to Red Prime, you can the Prix deal for $35 each.

I hope the Skirvin improves their restaurant , it has been a big disappointment since it re-opened. Maybe with a change in management it will get their , I hope so...

Red, Mantel, Mickey Mantle's, Nonna's are all good choices. Cattleman's would be a poor choice for an anniversary .

thinking we are looking at red prime or mickey mantles for dinner thanks to everyones help. now we just gotta figure out something good to do. we will mill around bricktown a bit as we have only been there once. that will be early afternoon after we check in to the hotel. we are pretty simple people and dont really get into the arts so much. wife is leaving this all up to me so the pressure is on to show her a good time,lol. a movie and or bowling would be fun to her, she likes that kind of stuff so i best cater to her likes.

Michael Murphy's Dueling Pianos is A LOT of fun. And it's no-smoking. There's some shopping you can do - The Painted Door, Red Dirt Emporium, Bricktown Marketplace; Red Pin Bowling as you mentioned, great deserts at three or four places in Bricktown, the art museum may surprise you - it's Chihuly exhibit alone is very cool.

Park Avenue Grill = average,over-priced food and poor service...

Agreed.

the first time we went to bricktown we ate at toby kieths and liked it. she wants to go there instead so that will be where we eat.

Nona's is pretty good. I prefer it to Toby Keiths.

Toby Keith's can be a lot of fun and the food is good.

ive never heard of nonas, is it in bricktown also? what type of food?

Nona's is in Bricktown, yes, and it is European fare. I've only had dessert at dinner time, but have had good lunches there. It's a bit pricey, but they do have the Purple Bar upstairs, with cocktails and appetizers. I've always enjoyed a visit there.

ive never heard of nonas, is it in bricktown also? what type of food?

Nonna's is also in Bricktown, just up from Mickey Mantles on Mickey Mantle Drive (SW corner of Main Street). It has a wide variety of dishes from which to choose, and a beautiful bar to sit and enjoy cocktails or an appetizer before your meal. I've never had a bad meal there. A lot of thoughful planning went in to the restaurant design, so it's really quite beautiful and romantic. Desserts are freshly-made, and while they lean towards the more homespun fare (think pies, etc.) they are exceptional. Here's their webiste: Nonna's (http://www.nonnas.com/)

Red Prime is also a top pick, although the urban design could put off some people with more traditional sensibilities. Still, it's a fabulous experience and the food just cannot be beat. Definitely an "anniversary" kind of place, budget-wise. Here's their website: Redprime (http://www.redprimesteak.com/hotdates.php)

The last time I went to Mickey Mantle's I was sorely disappointed. Steak lukewarm (even though I like 'em practically crawling on my plate), and really just didn't feel like the quality was on par with past visits. Just seems like it's passed it's prime in some ways. They do have live music in the bar, however, so if you want live entertainment, that may be an option.

I agree with everyone that Cattleman's is great for the nostalgia factor, but really isn't a choice pick for quality when you compare it to other local offerings.

Nonna's is VERY good, but not a top choice if $$$$ is a deciding factor.

Been to Toby Keith's. Personally, the 45+ minute wait each visit was not worth it. Big and loud for a 'date night', but still pretty popular.

id love to keep t about toby kieths price range. $$$ could end up being an issue after all is said and done,lol.

id love to keep t about toby kieths price range. $$$ could end up being an issue after all is said and done,lol.

I guess it's all in the experience you want. If you want burgers, chicken fried steak fare in a loud, boisterous atmosphere, Toby's is your place.

If you want something more sedate and romantic, I'd go for Nonna's (can split a place and apps), or The Melting Pot (definitely unique).

If you want someting really urban funky with excellent food, go for Red Prime.

Your meal at Red Prime can easily top that at Nonna's since everything - all sides - are a la carte. Check out the menus in the links provided and see which suit you best.

I've not personally shared a dish at Red Prime, but on several occasions, my husband and I have gone to Mickey Mantle's and have shared a 10 oz filet and a side dish, and each had a soup or salad, and have gotten out for about $60. That's with no alcohol, of course. You add on a bar tab, and then you're adding up the bucks quickly. Sharing is a great way of enjoying a more luxurious experience while keeping easy on the budget, and in most restaurants, it's still plenty of food.

I can see a couple enjoying a fun anniversary evening at Toby Keith's - enjoy it Michael. Not everyone is into formal, subdued white table cloths and candles kind of nights. When my wife and I got married, we very purposely decided to make it into a party and did away with all the formalities. It was a great night.

I hear ya Steve....Wife and I normally hit Shogun's on special occasions...Not exactly romantic but it is our place and will continue to be as long as it is open and she keeps me around

thinking we are looking at red prime or mickey mantles for dinner thanks to everyones help. now we just gotta figure out something good to do. we will mill around bricktown a bit as we have only been there once. that will be early afternoon after we check in to the hotel. we are pretty simple people and dont really get into the arts so much. wife is leaving this all up to me so the pressure is on to show her a good time,lol. a movie and or bowling would be fun to her, she likes that kind of stuff so i best cater to her likes.

Red Pin is nice, you'd like that. Make reservations soon though.

the Mantle is the place you should go in bricktown .. great food and a great place for special occasions

I hear ya Steve....Wife and I normally hit Shogun's on special occasions...Not exactly romantic but it is our place and will continue to be as long as it is open and she keeps me around

That's our birthday celebration spot!

one option also last minute...maybe lunchwise would be mexican...loves me some fajitas!!!

one option also last minute...maybe lunchwise would be mexican...loves me some fajitas!!!

Just North of the Skirvin in Midtown is 1492. Good fajitas in a nice restaurant. Will need to drive or take a cab though as it is a little far too walk on a cold day.

In Bricktown you have Abuelos (good food but not my favorite), and Chelinos (totally overrated, casual, but popular).

Directly south of the Skirvin (right across the street) is Hot Tamale and Whole Enchilada. Don't know if they have fajitas or their weekend hours but the tacos at Whole Enchilada are very good.

If you're going to get out you might also consider going North to 23rd street and Big Truck Tacos (had lunch there today and my personal top pick).

you all are being such a big big help. i thank you so much!!!