I *really* want to check out the Little Sahara state park. Oklahoma is full of these hidden gems of natural areas, but unfortunately just not as wide spread. So to Pete's point, yes they exist. Just depends what you are trying to get out of your experience that will decide how worth it is for you.

Forgot to mention Little Sahara for UTV/ATVs. UTV Takeover is going to be there in September.

I am not big on asian foods in general as I am a very pickey eater, so I am not a resource on the subject. However I am confused you couldn't find any Vietnamese food that you liked, Oklahoma City has a huge Vietnamese population and from what I have read some of the better, more authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the country, rivaling LA or SF.

Yeah, I used to live near Little Saigon in California... Nothing here rivals that for me to date. NYT or not. Like I said, found some great Korean in Dallas and exceptional Thai in Denver area. OKC may think they have restaurants that rival those places but not from what I've found to date.

There ain't no way.

check this list,

https://la.eater.com/maps/best-vietnamese-restaurants-orange-county-little-saigon

Freakn amazing food.

I really wish Oklahoma would have some urban, progressive small towns like Sedona and Moab. The towns of Medicine Park and Davis-Sulphur have the potential to become very vibrant and fun with the right vision and then are located near natural tourist attractions like Moab.

Heck, I would even go for some tasty Roach Coach OC foods. Fuzzy's isn't bad. Hacienda Tacos is pretty good actually. Italian, meh.

I like Hacienda Tacos. Now I have a hankering.

I really wish Oklahoma would have some urban, progressive small towns like Sedona and Moab. The towns of Medicine Park and Davis-Sulphur have the potential to become very vibrant and fun with the right vision and then are located near natural tourist attractions like Moab.

I could be wrong but those vibes are provided by trust funds. Perhaps we’ll get there if oil gets north of $120.

The food aspect of this thread sounds like a good friend of mine who moved here from Houston. It took me 5 years of dragging him to all sorts of places before he finally let go of the stigma that OKC is podunk and of lesser quality than any other large metro area. He now runs his own coffee shop and now touts himself as a local foodie.

I believe like most transplants that have no connection here, they have this idea that OKC is not a top tier city and that mindset actually clouds judgement of what are some top quality places. Even from my travels around the country and to Europe we have a large number of cultural establishments that would hold their own.

I'm going by my up to date experiences so far. I see no Korean (Please not Gogi Go), Vietnamese or Hispanic that has caused me to repeat visit to date. I like going out for food but am not seeing it here. Pizza? Yes, Hall's Pizza Kitchen is about the best I have have had. We've had some really good Korean food in Dallas.. but nothing to speak of yet here.

OKC may be lacking in certain types of cuisine or maybe not as good as some cities but I'd argue that our Vietnamese options are as good as any major metropolitan city.

Pho Lien Hoa
Pho Cuong
VII Asian Bistro
Magasin Table
Pho Ca Dao
Lee's Sandwiches
Quac Bao
Pho Tai Nguyen
Lido

And many more.

Speaking of Korean I miss Chae....

Speaking of Korean I miss Chae....

We've eaten at their new location many times before March, but not since then. It looks like they're still open, there's a FB post from 7/28.

I don't think many of the complaints on here are an OKC specific problem, but a suburban problem. it is just that suburbia makes up a lot of OKC.

Head to the core, walk to great restaurants, have a chance encounter with a stranger, become friends with someone on a bike ride. Live in a neighborhood with sidewalks, inviting front porches and no attached garages.

I've met interesting people from all over the world in OKC. I've never once felt left out for not going to church or not being married after 30. I didn't grow up in OKC so i didnt have a built in social group or advantage knowing a bunch of people already. There are tons of people who aren't obsessed with sports and aren't divorced with 2 kids by 23. You just aren't going to find them isolated in your car driving back and forth to work while living in Mustang.

Speaking of Korean I miss Chae....
You and me both. It was so good.

Yes, I know what Yelp is and I'm very aware of of the food scene here. I would say more than aware. Just nothing I've found that warrants a revisit. We used to go to Ted's Escondido and it's ok but got tired of that. Breakfast places, none of any quality. Coffee, yes, like Coffee Slingers. Bakeries, meh.. Vietnamese, none we could find. Hispanic, none. Heck, I would even go for some tasty Roach Coach OC foods. Fuzzy's isn't bad. Hacienda Tacos is pretty good actually. Italian, meh.

Be happy, like take it or leave it...?? LOL <smile>


This list. I'd be cross with the food choices too.

This list. I'd be cross with the food choices too.. 😂😂😂

OKC may be lacking in certain types of cuisine or maybe not as good as some cities but I'd argue that our Vietnamese options are as good as any major metropolitan city.

Pho Lien Hoa
Pho Cuong
VII Asian Bistro
Magasin Table
Pho Ca Dao
Lee's Sandwiches
Quac Bao
Pho Tai Nguyen
Lido

And many more.

Who serves broken rice? Nobody I’ve found. Who serves Vietnamese crepes/pancakes w/shrimp? No one I’ve found. Who makes those delicious meat on sugarcane sticks? No one I’ve found. There may be a strong Vietnamese presence in okc but restaurants are still lacking.

BTW, Lee’s sandwiches in Irvine by UC Irvine is much better than our local Lee’s.

Who serves broken rice? Nobody I’ve found. Who serves Vietnamese crepes/pancakes w/shrimp? No one I’ve found. Who makes those delicious meat on sugarcane sticks? No one I’ve found. There may be a strong Vietnamese presence in okc but restaurants are still lacking.

So, since the small amount of places you've tried doesn't have those particular items, you've made up your mind.

There are several restaurants that carry the first two and I"m sure the third as well.

Honestly, everything you post is how you've already decided that OKC sucks instead of saying, "Where would I find these items?" Rather, you make a sweeping and insulting generalization: "OKC restaurants are still lacking" while also admitting you've barely tried any of them.

If you really want answers to the questions you keep posing, a little graciousness and respect would go a long way.

So, since the small amount of places you've tried doesn't have those particular items, you've made up your mind.

There are several restaurants that carry the first two and I"m sure the third as well.

Honestly, everything you post is how you've already decided that OKC sucks instead of saying, "Where would I find these items?" Rather, you make a sweeping and insulting generalization: "OKC restaurants are still lacking" while also admitting you've barely tried any of them.

If you really want answers to the questions you keep posing, a little graciousness and respect would go a long way.

Feel free to offer suggestions. Like I said, I’ve been here almost a decade and haven’t found places I’d like to repeat visit. Would you want me to be fake and lie about my experiences? Or, you could inquire why I think the places I’ve visited are lacking? That’s another way to look at it.

When I lived in another state we had a guest of importance in our eyes who was from Hong Kong. We took him to our local Vietnamese restaurant we considered really good. After finishing we exclaimed, wow that was good. He replied, it was just ok. Rather than feeling hurt that he didn’t have our same view I was more interested in what possibility he could have eaten or restaurants he could have gone to that was so good. Later in life I could be more understanding of what he experienced.

Do you really want ppl to just say everything is great. No criticism is good? If I find something worth saying is great I will say it. That makes one’s comments worthy.

i mean it is tough when it comes to personal taste. you could take me to 10 top 10 high ens restaurants and i probably wouldnt care about any of them. i am picky and don't really have a refined palette. but i would never dog those restaurants or say they aren't good because I know my diet is "restricted" lol. . if the times makes a visit to your city to talk highly about your food there is definitely something there, even though i probably would personally disagree based on what i like

just like the camping we discussed up thread, maybe it's not what you want but it does exist.

BTW, Lee’s sandwiches in Irvine by UC Irvine is much better than our local Lee’s.


Given the first list and then this it just sounds like you enjoy (local-ish?) chains. I've personally found you'd have to go beyond the yelps and eaters to find the good stuff. Especially given the cuisines you selected.

Given the first list and then this it just sounds like you enjoy (local-ish?) chains. I've personally found you'd have to go beyond the yelps and eaters to find the good stuff. Especially given the cuisines you selected.

yeah, I pretty much like hole-in-the-walls... Mom-and-Pops... forget the fancy ambiance.. give me a park bench and I'm fine. When I lived in NY State, walk up window for a slice was great, more than great. In California, Roach Coach (said with affection) for some fantastic Mexican tacos and food, fantastic. Korean hole-in-the-wall for some amazing black bean noodles. Oh man, once lived near a college town in NY State... A place called Taco Don's IIRC.. Big time hole-in-the-wall, maybe 4 stools but damn that food was sooo good.. that was close to 40 years ago and I still remember it.

We really liked the BBQ Place out in Wellston (The Butcher Stand) until they got fancy and routed ppl in a line with one clinky register. Meanwhile the guys prepping the food are standing around waiting for orders. Good food, acceptable atmosphere, weird business practices... Open up another register guys... LOL..

OKC has some fairly good burgers but I think Cali beats them out. Fatburger and In-N-Out.. . Nics is pretty good.

California had Rubio's Fish Tacos, La Salsa Fish Tacos, Wahoo's Fish tacos.. Had some amazing California burritos on Huntington Beach. Hell, even Del Taco in Socal was good.

Anyway... I'm making myself hungry here... LOL.

Who serves broken rice? Nobody I’ve found. Who serves Vietnamese crepes/pancakes w/shrimp? No one I’ve found. Who makes those delicious meat on sugarcane sticks? No one I’ve found. There may be a strong Vietnamese presence in okc but restaurants are still lacking.

BTW, Lee’s sandwiches in Irvine by UC Irvine is much better than our local Lee’s.

I haven't had it (I'm vegetarian and haven't found Vietnamese cuisine to be the friendliest in that regard), but a quick search of "broken rice" on Yelp turned up at least 10 places citing it as an offering. Surely they don't all suck?

Here: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=broken+rice&find_loc=oklahoma+city%2C+ok&ns=1

If you want honesty I'll honestly say you come across as a pompous ass.

From the derogatory premise of your thread title to your dismissal of the suggestions you've been given.

I've mostly seen you mention chains when you do drop a restaurant name so I have doubts about how diligent your search has actually been over the last decade.

Finally food is subjective and there is no definitive best. It all comes down to personal preferences in what we like and don't like.

yeah, I pretty much like hole-in-the-walls... Mom-and-Pops... forget the fancy ambiance.. give me a park bench and I'm fine. When I lived in NY State, walk up window for a slice was great, more than great. In California, Roach Coach (said with affection) for some fantastic Mexican tacos and food, fantastic. Korean hole-in-the-wall for some amazing black bean noodles. Oh man, once lived near a college town in NY State... A place called Taco Don's IIRC.. Big time hole-in-the-wall, maybe 4 stools but damn that food was sooo good.. that was close to 40 years ago and I still remember it.

We really liked the BBQ Place out in Wellston (The Butcher Stand) until they got fancy and routed ppl in a line with one clinky register. Meanwhile the guys prepping the food are standing around waiting for orders. Good food, acceptable atmosphere, weird business practices... Open up another register guys... LOL..

OKC has some fairly good burgers but I think Cali beats them out. Fatburger and In-N-Out.. . Nics is pretty good.

California had Rubio's Fish Tacos, La Salsa Fish Tacos, Wahoo's Fish tacos.. Had some amazing California burritos on Huntington Beach. Hell, even Del Taco in Socal was good.

Anyway... I'm making myself hungry here... LOL.

Drive down S. May Ave and you'll find dozens of taquerias, probably on SW 29th and SW 15th too. El Patio tamales has great tamales, can't remember which street they're on though. Ted's is a ridiculous restaurant to base OKC's Mexican food on, it's lowest-common-denominator Tex-Mex (I'm sure I'll catch it for that comment). Also, Birrieria Diaz, Abel's, OSO, The Mayan, Big Truck (although the last time we got to-go tacos from there, the grease and liquid in them was overwhelming, so they're off our list for a while).

Burgers - try Patty Wagon, S&B, New State, and lots of other restaurants that aren't burger places but serve pretty good burgers (RePUBlic, etc.). If any of those aren't better than Fatburger and In-N-Out, then I dunno what to tell you.

Drive down S. May Ave and you'll find dozens of taquerias, probably on SW 29th and SW 15th too. El Patio tamales has great tamales, can't remember which street they're on though. Ted's is a ridiculous restaurant to base OKC's Mexican food on, it's lowest-common-denominator Tex-Mex (I'm sure I'll catch it for that comment). Also, Birrieria Diaz, Abel's, OSO, The Mayan, Big Truck (although the last time we got to-go tacos from there, the grease and liquid in them was overwhelming, so they're off our list for a while).

Burgers - try Patty Wagon, S&B, New State, and lots of other restaurants that aren't burger places but serve pretty good burgers (RePUBlic, etc.). If any of those aren't better than Fatburger and In-N-Out, then I dunno what to tell you.

Cool, thank you for that. Tried S&B and didn't like it at all, never heard of Patty Wagon.... or New State or RePUBlic... Tried Bricktown Brewery, burger was good but service not. When we get out of Covid I'll check out the others.

Cool, thank you for that. Tried S&B and didn't like it at all, never heard of Patty Wagon.... or New State or RePUBlic... Tried Bricktown Brewery, burger was good but service not. When we get out of Covid I'll check out the others.

Also take a lot of time and go through the restaurant forum on here, tons of knowledgeable people offering loads of information, way better than the standard "Great service, food rocks, 5 stars" Yelp review.

Cool, thank you for that. Tried S&B and didn't like it at all, never heard of Patty Wagon.... or New State or RePUBlic... Tried Bricktown Brewery, burger was good but service not. When we get out of Covid I'll check out the others.

you have lived here for 10 years and never heard of Republic ??

hmmmmm

If you want honesty I'll honestly say you come across as a pompous ass.

From the derogatory premise of your thread title to your dismissal of the suggestions you've been given.

I've mostly seen you mention chains when you do drop a restaurant name so I have doubts about how diligent your search has actually been over the last decade.

Finally food is subjective and there is no definitive best. It all comes down to personal preferences in what we like and don't like.

Nice !! Thank you.... someone who speaks their mind. Refreshing. I grew up in the days when guys would have differences, thrash it out, physically or verbally and become friends after. These days people dance around to keep from hurting someone's feelings... so exhausting and freakin boring. You won't hurt my feelings, at least we'd speak our mind and try to understand another's viewpoint.

I go by recommendations for restaurants and if it doesn't pan out, which most don't, I don't go back. Track record on the negative tends to wear on finding a good place.

you have lived here for 10 years and never heard of Republic ??

hmmmmm

Yep, not heard of them. Big Box?

Yep, not heard of them. Big Box?

Ok, Good Egg Group.. Been to Barrios, didn't like. Been in Kitchen 324 for some cinnamon rolls, it was ok. Haven't been to any of the others.

you have lived here for 10 years and never heard of Republic ??

hmmmmm

Ha, agree with you, that makes the 4th time, I think. :)

Ha, agree with you, that makes the 4th time, I think. :)

lol

lol

Har Har Har... Republic is supposed to be a high profile place here?

Cool, thank you for that. Tried S&B and didn't like it at all, never heard of Patty Wagon.... or New State or RePUBlic... Tried Bricktown Brewery, burger was good but service not. When we get out of Covid I'll check out the others.

Believe it or not, but La Baguette up on N May has one of my top burgers in the city. There is a place up in Edmond that looks promising, but haven't been able to get up there and try it. Another good burger is The MOB grill over in the Parlor OKC. They just switched to using the same bun as La Baguette. Also I feel like you can't go wrong with a good onion burger from Tucker's or Sid's out in El Reno. I am trying to throw some places out in Suburbia for you.

Believe it or not, but La Baguette up on N May has one of my top burgers in the city. There is a place up in Edmond that looks promising, but haven't been able to get up there and try it. Another good burger is The MOB grill over in the Parlor OKC. They just switched to using the same bun as La Baguette. Also I feel like you can't go wrong with a good onion burger from Tucker's or Sid's out in El Reno. I am trying to throw some places out in Suburbia for you.

Yeah, I haven't tried La Baguette before and didn't know they made burgers. Haven't heard of MOB.. what's the place in Edmond? Name?

Yeah, I haven't tried La Baguette before and didn't know they made burgers. Haven't heard of MOB.. what's the place in Edmond? Name?

Livegrass Butcher + Bistro

Livegrass Butcher + Bistro

I'd highly suggest this place. Granted I've only had one burger there, I'm making my way through their menu.

Oh, Cajun Corner.. That's a good one... dirty rice sometimes overly greasy/buttery but all in all, good stuff.