Thought it would be interesting for people to highlight some of their favorite bars and restaurants that might be a bit overlooked or forgotten about due to the constant stream of new places.

Here are some of mine:

Yuzo. Perhaps my favorite restaurant in all of OKC. I really like the bar and beer selection and their happy hour food menu is excellent and reasonable.

3Sixty. They have expanded the bar area all the way to the windows, so you can go up any time after 4PM and grab a table with a view, have a drink and order from their bar menu which is more than reasonable. The restaurant itself is very good IMO and suitable for a nicer occasion without breaking the bank.

Slaughter's Hall. Absolutely love the setting as it feels more like Brooklyn than OKC. Great patio, extensive beer list and pretty much everything on their menu is very good.

Rococo on Penn. This place is a real gem. Love the cozy bar area, another place with good happy hour food selection. Everything I've had there has been quite good and the staff is great.

Have not been to the other 3 for lunch but I agree with Slaughter's Hall.... Was over there for lunch the other day with one of the owners of Black Mesa and when we walked in there was just one table seated and while we were there I think one other person came in..... I would say it's the location but I know The Wedge right down the street is always packed. So I can't say that.

Rococo on Penn. This place is a real gem. Love the cozy bar area, another place with good happy hour food selection. Everything I've had there has been quite good and the staff is great.

This is sooo close to me, and I have still never been. I'll put it on my list to go soon.

Bell Isle Brewery. It could use a remodel, but the food is really good.

I would like the second the suggestion for Rococo on Penn! Came in here to say that. Glad it's already on the list :)

Gaberinos in Norman. Simple menu and very friendly staff. Good prices on all food and they even have a deal where you can get a take home and bake lasagna. My wife and I go there at least once a month.

With all the new bars/restaurants in walkable environments these days, I can definitely understand some of the older trendy suburban places being overlooked. I have gotten to the point where if I am going to be drinking, I don't even want to deal with driving and its nice that you can now do that in OKC. I like places like Belle Isle Brewery (excellent atmosphere there) but you cannot walk there so you either have to drive or take an uber. It's the same deal for other places on NW Expressway like 3Sixty and Groovy's.

I am surprised to see Slaughter's Hall listed here as it was extremely popular back when it opened. Hopefully the new STAG is as successful as WSKY was when they allowed smoking and that business overflows into Slaughter's Hall.

I want to add that I hope places like the Flea and the Union at Sosa can hang on until the number of people living in that area catches up. I have a feeling that is why the Fat Dog didn't make it.

Places fail for a million reasons.

The Flea has a sweetheart deal, did most the work themselves and survived for quite a while with not much business. Now it seems they've hit their stride a bit.

Fat Dog spent a ton of money on a place they didn't even own. They never had a strong identity and quit after only a year or so.


There is so much competition now places have to constantly be adjusting, trying new things, promoting themselves, etc. Even a decent start out of the gate is not nearly enough; have to sustain it over the longer term.

Had dinner at 3Sixty last night, a beautiful, foggy evening with the full moon peeking through gaps in the clouds. A pretty quiet house as one would expect on a rainy weeknight. An apprentice server was on her first night (she left Jones Assembly because they had too many servers and nobody was making money in tips), and there were no specials due to a new chef in the kitchen, but the experience was very good. We were immediately seated, our service was attentive & professional, food was served promptly, and it was good. We had tuna and salmon, a cocktail and glass of wine. The bathroom was clean but the TVs were not turned on above the urinals (that's a strange thing to write!).

Picassos On Paseo

In addition those that have already been named I'm always nervous about Patrono staying open whenever I go in, but hear that its very busy at times so I may just be going at odd hours. I also hope Esca Vitae succeeds and that its wholesaling business keeps it afloat. I would have put Savings and Loan on this list prior to its demise. I'd be shocked if Powerhouse isn't doing really well, but I think their pork chile verde is some of the best food in the city and until it starts winning all sorts of awards I'll consider it underrated!

Lastly, not food related, but I hope the new(ish) ownership of TRADE Men's Wares succeeds for its own sake and to prove that more locally owned/small mens clothing stores can succeed in OKC.

Powerhouse kills it. Go late on a Friday or Saturday night and they often have huge crowds, especially in the nicer months when they have DJ's and/or live music.

And they stay pretty busy during weekends in general.

They could probably use a bit more business during the week but that's true of almost every place.

Lastly, not food related, but I hope the new(ish) ownership of TRADE Men's Wares succeeds for its own sake and to prove that more locally owned/small mens clothing stores can succeed in OKC.

How recently did TRADE change ownership? I might give them another try if recent. earlier in the year the guy promised to order shoes for me TWICE and never did and I ordered them online for a better price.

Powerhouse kills it. Go late on a Friday or Saturday night and they often have huge crowds, especially in the nicer months when they have DJ's and/or live music.

And they stay pretty busy during weekends in general.

They could probably use a bit more business during the week but that's true of almost every place.

Agreed. I'm there more than I should be and don't think and wasn't trying to say their business is struggling, merely that their pork chile verde (and all of their food, really) is deserving of even higher praise than it already receives. Especially compared to most "bar food" around town.

Agreed. I'm there more than I should be and don't think and wasn't trying to say their business is struggling, merely that their pork chile verde (and all of their food, really) is deserving of even higher praise than it already receives. Especially compared to most "bar food" around town.

100% agree with that.

It's one of my favorite dishes in all of OKC and I get it almost every time I go.

Patrono and Yuzo might be the two best restaurants in town. Hope both are doing well.

Patrono is a place I should have mentioned as well.

Only been a couple of times and tend to forget about it myself.

I went once and it was really good. There are just so many places now, it's hard to get to everything.

Picassos On Paseo

I think this place is doing just fine. Always a wait for Sunday brunch and busy weekend nights.

Patrono is a place I should have mentioned as well.

Only been a couple of times and tend to forget about it myself.

The couple of times I have tried to go...there were no reservations available.

GRUB, on Sooner Road at I-40. This may not qualify for this topic as it’s nearly always packed for the lunch rush, but I think it is still very much under the radar for most. Crispy chicken sandwich with side of Mac and Cheese....

John Curtis brought a for real restaurant to an area that tends toward fast food and chains....and a number of others have followed suit of late....

GRUB, on Sooner Road at I-40. This may not qualify for this topic as it’s nearly always packed for the lunch rush, but I think it is still very much under the radar for most. Crispy chicken sandwich with side of Mac and Cheese....

John Curtis brought a for real restaurant to an area that tends toward fast food and chains....and a number of others have followed suit of late....

+1 for GRUB

GRUB, on Sooner Road at I-40. This may not qualify for this topic as it’s nearly always packed for the lunch rush, but I think it is still very much under the radar for most. Crispy chicken sandwich with side of Mac and Cheese....

John Curtis brought a for real restaurant to an area that tends toward fast food and chains....and a number of others have followed suit of late....

Curtis is also the owner / manager of 3Sixty.

Picasso is doing just fine...

Bella Vista in SW 58th and Western. I get why people don’t go there, cause of the location and what it looks like from the outside, but holy crap is this place good. Hands down my favorite Italian place in the metro.

Bella Vista in SW 58th and Western. I get why people don’t go there, cause of the location and what it looks like from the outside, but holy crap is this place good. Hands down my favorite Italian place in the metro.

Thanks for the reminder to give this place a try.

Bella Vista in SW 58th and Western. I get why people don’t go there, cause of the location and what it looks like from the outside, but holy crap is this place good. Hands down my favorite Italian place in the metro.

It's on my list for underrated places. Outside appearance and menu could scare anyone away. Also heads up, you're probably taking a box with you on the way out.

Fuze? :rolleyes:

good call on 3Sixty...had nothing but good experiences there

I'd also say Joey's, although I'm sure their lunch business pays the bills. It's dead a lot for dinner but still my #1 OKC joint

The Pritchard is worth mentioning as well. One of my favorites in OKC, but has not been relatively empty the last few times I've been... both during the week and weekends.

I'm gonna have to take a different tack and mention collectively the various Mexican mom and pop places around the Metro, expspecially on the south side. So very much better than the chain Tex-Mex places or fast food drive-thrus. And for a special treat, seek out the Mexican frozen treat and snack places. Their nuance with frozen, fruit and chocolate is beyond astounding.

Holy crap - that reminds me I'm overdue for a Chamango.....

We really like the Viceroy Grill in the Ambassador Hotel. We have been there twice this summer and it's really good we are the only ones there. Wonderful wine selection too.

Barry's grill/ old fashioned burger on N May

Barry's grill/ old fashioned burger on N May

Really? We live right around the corner from them and it'd be convenient, but the Yelp reviews are very off-putting...

Really? We live right around the corner from them and it'd be convenient, but the Yelp reviews are very off-putting...

We live nearby and tried it once a couple years back. Nothing memorable about their burger, imo. Too many good burger places in town, so we never went back.

We live nearby and tried it once a couple years back. Nothing memorable about their burger, imo. Too many good burger places in town, so we never went back.
I'd agree with that sentiment. It wasn't bad, but wasn't great either. Once I found Patty Wagon up the street I never went back to Barry's.

Barry's grill/ old fashioned burger on N May

We go to Barry's almost every Saturday. If you want an old fashioned burger this is the place. If you want a fancy hamburger with lots of sauces and toppings there are other places.

Well after trying Muu Shabu in Edmond last night and thoroughly enjoying the food and shabu-shabu experience a lot..... Muu Shabu definitely belongs on this list.

They may do better for lunch, or on weekends, but it was pretty slow on Tuesday evening.

I can see how it can be a bit intimidating to the non-foodie and some chopstick skills definitely help but I would hate to see us lose a place like this.

Bella Vista in SW 58th and Western. I get why people don’t go there, cause of the location and what it looks like from the outside, but holy crap is this place good. Hands down my favorite Italian place in the metro.

Great couple that owns the place. No liquor license but the food quality, quantity and price make this place a go to. BTW...They have a private room that can be reserved and makes for an inexpensive private gathering if you need one

We really like the Viceroy Grill in the Ambassador Hotel. We have been there twice this summer and it's really good we are the only ones there. Wonderful wine selection too.

We ate there for our anniversary and it was excellent. Visiting the O Bar upstairs for nightcap makes for a great romantic evening

Great couple that owns the place. No liquor license but the food quality, quantity and price make this place a go to. BTW...They have a private room that can be reserved and makes for an inexpensive private gathering if you need one

I see a lot of BYOB there.

They are about the food. The tables and chairs came from Western Sizzlin, I am pretty sure, but I have not had a bad burger there. It is always freshly made when I order it. The fries are cut with the skin on.

I wasn't really impressed by Patty Wagon. They were rude and took forever. Maybe they have improved, but I won't go back there.

Haven't had patty wagon in quite a while but I always thought they made a solid burger. And definitely never had anyone that was rude to me there. Need to put them back into the rotation at some point. It's just so hard with so many good restaurants in the metro. Hopefully they can hold their and compete.

Speaking of good restaurants, anybody know why nic's grill would have been closed yesterday? Definitely the best burger in town and my wife and I hadnt been by in quite a while. Decided to pick her up for lunch yesterday and drove over there only to find out they were closed. Sign in the window said to head over to Nic's place in Midtown. I assumed since that's where all his cash is probably tied up and things haven't started off so well, he is trying to focus on getting that place together.

I'm gonna have to take a different tack and mention collectively the various Mexican mom and pop places around the Metro, expspecially on the south side. So very much better than the chain Tex-Mex places or fast food drive-thrus. And for a special treat, seek out the Mexican frozen treat and snack places. Their nuance with frozen, fruit and chocolate is beyond astounding.

On this point, can anyone recommend any places on the south side that do tacos really well? I've had some really great ones out west (NV, CA, etc) that use:

Double corn tortillas
Pinto bean layer
Sour cream
Mix of onions and cilantro
And your meat of choice (cabeza, lengua, Al pastor, etc)

It's all done in Subway style layout where the clerk builds the taco right in front of you from the various ingredients.

And they whip it together like an assembly line and the end product tastes amazing. I don't know what this style is called if it has one so I'm trying to describe it as best I can. The tacos are usually just small enough that you probably need 2 to be full.

This is the website for one of the places out in LV that I love that serves this style.

http://lostacoslv.com/Menu

As far as fix it in front of you, this place does that and it's the real deal.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-michoacana-oklahoma-city?utm_source=ishare

Sour cream is usually available in OKC Mexican owned restaurants, but it's for us Gringo's. Double corn tortillas are generally standard at Hiispanic owned places.

As for the pinto layer, you have to request it some places. Try Taqueriea Rafitas or Hugo's Taquizas. Ask for them as you like them. Same with Taqueria Los Desvelados or Taqueria Los Tropicana. All awesome.

I'm gonna have to take a different tack and mention collectively the various Mexican mom and pop places around the Metro, expspecially on the south side. So very much better than the chain Tex-Mex places or fast food drive-thrus. And for a special treat, seek out the Mexican frozen treat and snack places. Their nuance with frozen, fruit and chocolate is beyond astounding.

Care to name a few? I'm near midtown/NE OKC and I didn't even know there were Mexican places that did frozen treats! A list of your favorites would be much appreciated.

These are in my current Mexican rotation:
El Taco Loco (food truck at NW 39th and Penn in Angles parking lot)
Taqueria Los Comales
Taqueria Los Desvelados
Hugo's Taquizas
Taqueria Rafitas
El Asadero
Taqueria Durango

For frozen treats try:
Neveria la Fuente de Michoacan
Neveria la Azteca
Elotes el Compa Chuy

Went to El Fogoncito on Saturday night and it was so delicious. Definitely deserves more business, imo.

Went to El Fogoncito on Saturday night and it was so delicious. Definitely deserves more business, imo.

I crave their Al Pastor!

Their in-house chorizo was the best I've had in OKC.

Their in-house chorizo was the best I've had in OKC.

Agreed.... The chorizo is really good as is everything I've had there..... Only complaint I have is they only use a single tortilla for their tacos and they really need to be using two because one falls apart to easily.

Stone Sisters Pizza.

Stone Sisters Pizza.

This place is great. Better than hideaway's pizza in my opinion.

This place is great. Better than hideaway's pizza in my opinion.

I really need to try it. Very easy to forget about.

I really need to try it. Very easy to forget about.

It's pricey due to the ingredients they are using but I thought it was a pretty good pizza.

The 10" Every Man's Dream I had was over $20 after tax but it made two meals for me too.

Every Man's Dream Pie - Spicy classic red sauce, Lovera's Diavola Caciocavera Cheese, dried onions, habaneros, fresh garlic, "grass fed" pepperoni, house "pasture" pork sausage, "grass fed" ground beef, "pasture" bacon, red onions, sliced jalapenos, house made "Hair on your Chest" Sauce

^

That sounds right up my alley!

^

That sounds right up my alley!

It was really good and just the right amount of heat to make the tongue tingle but not blow out your pallette.... I'm not generally a fan of the flavor of habanero but it worked for me on this pizza.

Stone Sisters Pizza.

i need to give this place another try... went not long after they opened and wasn't impressed with their pizza... really admired their enthusiasm, though.