Your post reminded of a place somewhere on the Southside of OKC called Applewoods--can't remember its exact location. The OKC Public School District used this restaurant as well as one in Lincoln Plaza for a number of conferences; so did OKC-AFT (teachers). The food was really delivious--both restaurants had al la carte sections for desserts and fruit dishes.

Applewoods was great!

Your post reminded of a place somewhere on the Southside of OKC called Applewoods--can't remember its exact location.

Drove by the old Applewood's location at SW 3rd and Meridian the other day and my mouth started watering thinking about those apple fritters.

When I was going to college one of my fellow students was working in the kitchen there. It was a night class and often he would walk in after his shift with a warm bag of those fritters to share with us.... Needless to say he was the most popular student in the class.

I'm pretty sure it was in this building which was red back then...... https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4623571,-97.5995567,3a,75y,30.89h,93.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so-ckDdi9lBMRuwx4JcN2pQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Drove by the old Applewood's location at SW 3rd and Meridian the other day and my mouth started watering thinking about those apple fritters.

When I was going to college one of my fellow students was working in the kitchen there. It was a night class and often he would walk in after his shift with a warm bag of those fritters to share with us.... Needless to say he was the most popular student in the class.

I'm pretty sure it was in this building which was red back then...... https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4623571,-97.5995567,3a,75y,30.89h,93.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so-ckDdi9lBMRuwx4JcN2pQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

We looked at purchasing this property about six months ago but we couldn't get the numbers right. It is all warehouse space inside and they have added elevator to the second floor. It is a lot of sq footage but my thoughts were the footage on the 2nd floor wouldn't bring the same market rental rate as there were no windows except on end and difficult to access to use for storage so the numbers didn't make sense.

I found this photo.

I know the spot at Penn & I-240 used to be a Howard Johnson's.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circustime99.jpg

Would you say it is just west of Hooter's? Thanks, Pete! Any pictures of the building possibly? Nice to see the sign, at least. Appreciate the effort.

Applewood's was party central back in the old wildcatter oil days in the 80's. Lots of famous people spent lots of money there.

I just really miss the Harrigans on NWY Expressway/Highway, between MacArthur & Rockwell. The food was very good and the place was very popular.

That place, and Harry Bears.

Times move on, things change.


Harrigans was at Memorial and Penn too. Am I remembering there was one down off 240 also? We went to Harrrigans weekly.

Harrigans was at Memorial and Penn too. Am I remembering there was one down off 240 also? We went to Harrrigans weekly.

Yes... It was here on this empty lot

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3917191,-97.5497551,3a,75y,350.63h,72.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6ABjoAiUIswIfsvcx1mnuA!2e0!7i1 6384!8i8192?hl=en

Kind of old restaurant related. I don't know what made me think of this but when I worked at Casa Bonita in the 70s there was a group of us that always went somewhere after closing on Friday and Saturday nights. Usually we would get a bunch of to go boxes and fill them with a little bit of everything. Then we'd go to Chrystal's or Shakees and trade the employees there for pizza. I wonder if anyone at restaurants does that anymore.

Harrigans was at Memorial and Penn too. Am I remembering there was one down off 240 also? We went to Harrrigans weekly.

That's the one I always went to on Memorial. I loved their fried zucchini. I never ate zucchini before trying it there. Now I eat zucchini all the time. :D

Yes... It was here on this empty lot

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3917191,-97.5497551,3a,75y,350.63h,72.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6ABjoAiUIswIfsvcx1mnuA!2e0!7i1 6384!8i8192?hl=en

Close, but not quite; that's where Pioneer Pies used to be. Harrigans was one building to the west at 2203 SW 74th St, where the HEBCO building stands today. You can see the old Harrigans building if you look back in Google Maps Street View history to the earliest available street view from November 2007. The old Harrigans monument sign was removed sometime after May 2012. Only one location of this chain remains in business today, located in their hometown of Lubbock, TX.

I just really miss the Harrigans on NWY Expressway/Highway, between MacArthur & Rockwell. The food was very good and the place was very popular.

That place, and Harry Bears.

Times move on, things change.

Does any restaurant sell fried peaches now like Harry Bears had? And the dipping sauce?

I just really miss the Harrigans on NWY Expressway/Highway, between MacArthur & Rockwell. The food was very good and the place was very popular.

That place, and Harry Bears.

Times move on, things change.

As I recall, the menu at Harrigan's was like Charleston's is now, only about 10 years before that restaurant came about. Am I correct?

As I recall, the menu at Harrigan's was like Charleston's is now, only about 10 years before that restaurant came about. Am I correct?
Pretty similar menus.

As I recall, the menu at Harrigan's was like Charleston's is now, only about 10 years before that restaurant came about. Am I correct?

Charleston's was basically of a chain called Houston's. They had the BEST milk shakes .... super thick (they'd hold the glass upside down, lol.)

Kind of old restaurant related. I don't know what made me think of this but when I worked at Casa Bonita in the 70s there was a group of us that always went somewhere after closing on Friday and Saturday nights. Usually we would get a bunch of to go boxes and fill them with a little bit of everything. Then we'd go to Chrystal's or Shakees and trade the employees there for pizza. I wonder if anyone at restaurants does that anymore.

In the early days, there were what were called "Dinner Dollars" at Ted's Cafe... I think Kara came up with the name. It was a popular way to encourage staff in a slightly competitive way, and could also be "traded" to other desired eateries for equal measure :-)

Charleston's was basically of a chain called Houston's. They had the BEST milk shakes .... super thick (they'd hold the glass upside down, lol.)

Harry Bears did that too.

Probably was an expensive "five-dallah shake" in those days.

Whatever it cost, it was worth it. :)

17911 Just came across this 30 year old memento in my tool box. Loved the lunch "hot line".

Does anyone remember the name of the Mexican restaurant on the East side of Meridian, just north of I-40. I believe it was owned by Howard Johnson's, and was in the same building. My memory is not perfect, but I think it only lasted a year or two. I think it had a name based on the menu. They had a "build your own" fajita bar.

One thing I'm sure of, there was a Gilligan's Island pinball machine, so it was probably no earlier than 1991.

Does anyone remember the name of the Mexican restaurant on the East side of Meridian, just north of I-40. I believe it was owned by Howard Johnson's, and was in the same building. My memory is not perfect, but I think it only lasted a year or two. I think it had a name based on the menu. They had a "build your own" fajita bar.

One thing I'm sure of, there was a Gilligan's Island pinball machine, so it was probably no earlier than 1991.

I believe you are talking about Two Pesos.

I believe you are talking about Two Pesos.I think you're right. They had another store on NW Exp that a softball team I played for went to after every game for drinks. I hate to admit I rode my Harley home many times and couldn't remember it the next morning. Blessed that I and anyone I was near me on the road are still alive and well.

17911 Just came across this 30 year old memento in my tool box. Loved the lunch "hot line".

Was the the place that you paid a fixed cash dollar amount for whatever was served that day, and a dollar extra for a soft drink?

I think you're right. They had another store on NW Exp that a softball team I played for went to after every game for drinks. I hate to admit I rode my Harley home many times and couldn't remember it the next morning. Blessed that I and anyone I was near me on the road are still alive and well.

Yes, the Two Pesos location on NW Expressway was just west of Meridian on the South side of the road near where Braum's/Aaron Rents is now. If I'm not mistaken, it was more of a very early "fast casual" concept. They lost a copyright infringement lawsuit to Taco Cabana back in the early 90s which lead to their demise. https://www.quimbee.com/cases/two-pesos-inc-v-taco-cabana-inc

^

That NW Expressway Two Pesos location was on the south side of the street directly west of Braum's where the Weokie Credit Union is now.

I lived nearby at the time and ate there many times.

I believe you are talking about Two Pesos.

Yes, everything fits. Thanks!

wasnt there a Two Pesos where the deep fork grill was? Did Deep fork just use the same building or was it torn down and built a new?

Pretty sure Two Pesos had a 2 lane driven in as well.

It was a two pesos. I believe but others will correct me if I am wrong that it was the original building with remodel

It was a two pesos. I believe but others will correct me if I am wrong that it was the original building with remodel

That's a good question. I know it became Portobello's but I don't recall if it was the same building.

The article below is from February of 1988. It says that there were 4 two pesos planned for oklahoma city. the first was at 4528 nwx which is just west of meridian where there is currently a car wash. the second was 2125 sw 74th and that structure still stands as a pier 88 just west of i-240 and penn. as mentioned in this thread, the third was at i-44 and western where portabello and deep fork grill once were and the fourth was at i-40 and meridian.

17999

and this one is from july 1995 where the i-44 and western property was purchased and planned to be expanded into portabello:
18000

deep fork replaced portabello by october of 1997 and was a rebranding under the same ownership:
18001

It was a two pesos. I believe but others will correct me if I am wrong that it was the original building with remodel
It was indeed the original building.

The article below is from February of 1988. It says that there were 4 two pesos planned for oklahoma city. ...... and the fourth was at i-40 and meridian.

17999

The I40 and Meridian was a boomerang and is now Gopuram. I believe it is also the original building but less sure on this one. I had many 99 cent margaritas there

The I40 and Meridian was a boomerang and is now Gopuram. I believe it is also the original building but less sure on this one. I had many 99 cent margaritas there

ah yes, i went there plenty of times during college while that was boomerang. before that, wasn't it called 'bombay bicycle club' or something?

wasnt there a Two Pesos where the deep fork grill was? Did Deep fork just use the same building or was it torn down and built a new?

Pretty sure Two Pesos had a 2 lane driven in as well.

It always annoyed me they named it Two Pesos instead of Dos Pesos.

It always annoyed me they named it Two Pesos instead of Dos Pesos.

...and zwei pesos would have been right out. unless it was for an argentinian restaurant, of course.

Was the the place that you paid a fixed cash dollar amount for whatever was served that day, and a dollar extra for a soft drink?

Yep, a dollar extra if you had a drink and sometimes if you added a dessert. Just depended on Rick's mood that day, always a bargain !

This may have already been asked somewhere, but does anyone know what happened to Atomic Burrito? I LOVED that place. Even went to one in Tulsa. Then.....poof....they were gone.

This may have already been asked somewhere, but does anyone know what happened to Atomic Burrito? I LOVED that place. Even went to one in Tulsa. Then.....poof....they were gone.

i think this best summarizes it:
New life sought for Atomic Burrito (oklahoman.com) (https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2000/11/23/new-life-sought-for-atomic-burrito/62169465007/)

the last one in tulsa closed in 2005. i think the one in norman closed around 2001.

i really liked the food at the one in norman but part of that might just be nostalgia. freebirds kind of scratched that same itch for me but i didn't feel that it was quite as good.

This may have already been asked somewhere, but does anyone know what happened to Atomic Burrito? I LOVED that place. Even went to one in Tulsa. Then.....poof....they were gone.

I loved that place! I was introduced to Atomic Burrito in College Station some 20 years ago.

i think this best summarizes it:
New life sought for Atomic Burrito (oklahoman.com) (https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2000/11/23/new-life-sought-for-atomic-burrito/62169465007/)

the last one in tulsa closed in 2005. i think the one in norman closed around 2001.

i really liked the food at the one in norman but part of that might just be nostalgia. freebirds kind of scratched that same itch for me but i didn't feel that it was quite as good.

Atomic Burrito involved one of the same owners from the Two Pesos group, which was sued by Taco Cabana.

Years later, he was sued by Hopdoddy for essentially the exact same thing that shut Two Pesos down.

The Two Pesos on Western was out of business by the end of 1988. It sat unoccupied until Chris Lower and Kurt Fleischfresser opened Portobello in September 1991. They added the covered patio, which was the first place in town to have outdoor heat lamps.

All mentioned are great memories (posting to get the Supersonics story off the front page).

All mentioned are great memories (posting to get the Supersonics story off the front page).

I think the SuperSonics story is probably the biggest single accomplishment in OKC since WWII. I don't know why it would bother anyone.

These pages are from an Oklahoman restaurant section from 1977:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants1.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants2.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants3.jpg

Man, I miss the old Sleepy Hollow.

so... jamil's is like the keith richards of restaurants.

interesting about "el zocalo"... i guess the concept was tweaked and turned into texana reds.

Here is an interesting read about Jim Vallion of Val Gene Associates... Val Gene was the first major restaurant group in Oklahoma City.

Legendary restaurateur and entrepreneur Jim Vallion dies at 87 (oklahoman.com) (https://www.oklahoman.com/story/business/2018/09/17/legendary-restaurateur-and-entrepreneur-jim-vallion-dies-at-87/60501111007/)

These pages are from an Oklahoman restaurant section from 1977:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants1.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants2.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/1977restaurants3.jpgMan, this brings back memories!

J. B. Nimble's, The Yukon Mining Company, J. Isaac Grundy's, Zucchini's, and Joshua's General Store were all owned by a restaurant group headed by Bob Clift, who later went on to lead the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. J. B. Nimble's shut down a year or two after this ad and became a restaurant called Reuben Rugby's. I worked there on and off as a cook and assistant manager from 1983-1985 while I was in college and worked with a bunch of people from PCO, PCN, and PCW.

My first "real" job was actually at Joshua's General Store in Midwest City from 1978-1979 while I was in high school. That place closed and later became Chequer's. I spent a summer doing the renovation there working for a couple guys named Bob Sparks and Jeff Pennington. Good times!

^

Most of these places were along the NW Expressway corridor or near Reno & Meridian.

Now, many restaurants are either in the core or along Memorial Road.

Miss a bunch of those places, and at the same time several of them I only heard about; warm reviews or memories from the adults in my life. For instances Christopher's and also Tony's Via Roma. I was too young in the 70s to go to most of the fancy places my folks and other adults visited, and in fact I didn't live full time in OKC until 1986 (I grew up in Wichita), although generations of my family were from the OKC metro, and I visited often my entire life, spent summers here starting around 1979.

My amazing dad (R.I.P.) was a salesman and traveled often for business, and when he was driving all over Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, etc he used a CB radio to keep track of speed traps, and just for general entertainment. This was about the time of CW McCall's hit "Convoy," plus Smoky and the Bandit, etc, and CBs were super popular. His handle was The Hungry Peddler, in honor of the restaurant shown above, which was a favorite of his (and mine, because I got to eat there when I occasionally traveled with Dad). Seeing that ad gives me the feels.

Interestingly, in addition to Tony's Via Roma, there was also Tony Roma's (a ribs chain that still has some locations around) which was in the now-demolished Glenbrook Centre East at 63rd & Western. And Tony's Italian Specialties was on Penn north of 23rd where Rococo now operates catering and events. Three really good Tony's relatively close together.

Roma's occupied what had been Michael's Plum (which is a big story in itself; more or less OKC's Studio 54) and before it became Varsity Grill. I believe Brigadoon (which also had a downtown location in the 70s) was in the west Glenbrook building.

Christopher's was a big prom and Christmas formal destination when I was at Putnam City, as was the Chandelle Club atop Founder's Tower.

The Magic Pan was popular in 50 Penn when that building was full of high-end fashion clothiers during the 70s and 80s.

Chi-chi's was a big sensation when it opened on NW Expressway where TGI Friday's is (still!) located. There was another off I-240 on the southside.

As I mentioned, there were really only two types of restaurants during this era: steak/seafood nicer places and then theme restaurants. Very, very few ethnic food varieties; only a handful of Mexican places which is hard to believe (and at this time they were theme/chain restaurants too) and maybe a few locally-owned Chinese.

Drive-thrus were just starting to be popular but I know in the 70s it was really only McDonalds and then later Wendy's. Bonaparte's drive-in was a big deal on 39th but there weren't even Sonics back then. Braum's were tiny places with no thought of a drive-thru, as was Taco Bell.

And of course, people rarely ate out until the 80s and beyond. I grew up in what was very much the upper-middle-class area of OKC in the 60s and 70s and even in that socioeconomic tier most families would only eat out a handful of times a year, including carry out. It's crazy to think about; that wasn't that long ago and now people will eat out 2-3 times a day.

My family would occasionally get a carry-out pizza from Pizza Planet and maybe once a year would go to Nicolosi's at NW 10th & Meridian where they had personal pizzas. It was an incredible thrill as a kid to order the pizza you wanted just for yourself. Often, we'd all go out as a treat to mom on Mother's Day but that was about it.

By the 80s, most moms were working and everything started to change but there were still very few ethnic options, which we didn't really get here until after 2000.

I noticed today that the place where Eddy's Steakhouse used to be on N. Meridian is being remodeled. I saw no indication about what it will be. This place and Glen's Hick'ry Inn were my parents go to places to take us for steak.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/business/2007/11/22/eddys-steakhouse-closing-after-40-memorable-years/61669873007/

Wait, what? No Sonics in the 70's? Over in the ghetto Southside/Moore area the Sonics were essential to the 59th St and 12th St drags of the middle to late 70's

Wait, what? No Sonics in the 70's? Over in the ghetto Southside/Moore area the Sonics were essential to the 59th St and 12th St drags of the middle to late 70's

There were a few around but nothing like now. There was one on 39th too but everyone went to Bonaparte's.

now people will eat out 2-3 times a day.

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...Before I became unexpectedly semi-retired we were close. Between stopping for breakfast and/or lunch at a drive thru then meeting for dinner somewhere my wife and I ate out something like 20 times a week. Looking back now that we can't do that anymore it's kinda sad we spent that much money eating.

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

Frequency of eating at restaurants by age US 2022 | Statista (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1324941/frequency-of-eating-out-at-restaurant-in-the-us-by-age/)

But that statistic doesn't really account for ordering takeout / delivery. When I consider "eating out", personally, I consider that question as whether I paid for a meal to be prepared for me.
This survey considers eating out / takeout / delivery:
2023 Survey Reveals American Dining Out Habits | US Foods (https://www.usfoods.com/our-services/business-trends/american-dining-out-habits-2023.html)

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

I meant "some people eat out 2-3 per day": 1) coffee and/or muffin/burrito; 2) lunch break at work: 3) stop on the way home for carry-out or drive-thru.

I know tons of people who do this every day. And every drive-thru you go past has tons of cars.

I meant "some people eat out 2-3 per day": 1) coffee and/or muffin/burrito; 2) lunch break at work: 3) stop on the way home for carry-out or drive-thru.

I know tons of people who do this every day. And every drive-thru you go past has tons of cars.

Well no wonder we have such bad health stats in this country!