Roadfood listings

[soonerfan21]

From today's NewsOK (and there's another good article on Hamburger America)

The seventh revised and updated "Roadfood” collection by Jane and Michael Stern (Broadway Books) was published this month. The couple have included 175 new listings and a total of 700 diners, barbecue joints, ice cream parlors and other eateries from coast to coast.

The Sterns, who've crisscrossed the nation many times to research their 40 books; the Roadfood column they write for Gourmet magazine; for the radio show "The Splendid Table”; and for their interactive Web site, Roadfood.com., have become the source to seek out wonderful food along the highways and byways of the country. The listings include what travelers want to know about signature menu items and interesting facts about each place that many guides tend to overlook.

Oklahoma listings among the 573 pages include Eischen's Bar in Okarche ("patronized by locals at lunch and is almost always crowded with pilgrims at suppertime”); Murphy's Steak House in Bartlesville ("If you picture in your head some sort of beef patty in some sort of bun, erase that image and consider this: pieces of toasted white bread spread out on a plate topped with a large hamburger that has been hacked into pieces, the burger topped with a mountain of french fries, and the french fries topped with a large spill of dark, beefy gravy as rich as Mexican mole”); and Kumback Lunch in Perry (the authors describe the pancakes, chicken-fried steak, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and sausage gravy, and meringue pies, all homemade, and call the eatery that opened in 1926 "a swell place to eat”).

Other Oklahoma stops that made the Sterns' book include Cattlemen's Cafe and Classen Grill; Cancun, Coney I-Lander, Hank's Hamburgers, Ike's Chili, Wilson's B-B-Q and White River Fish Market, all in Tulsa; Van's Pig Stand, Shawnee; Sid's Diner, Robert's Grill and Johnnie's Grill, all in El Reno; Jiggs Smoke House, Clinton; Clanton's, Vinita; Dink's Pit Bar-B-Que, Bartlesville; Hamburger King, Shawnee; Rock Cafe, Stroud; and the Meers Store and Restaurant, Meers.

Editors, researchers and an unnamed collection of food lovers helped compile "Where the Locals Eat: The 100 Best Restaurants in the Top 50 Cities” (Magellan Press, $11.95), a slim guide perfect for packing on road trips, published several months ago. Oklahoma City is included among the 50 cities.

Local standouts listed are Cattlemen's Steakhouse for best steak house; The Coach House for best contemporary restaurant; Jamil's Steakhouse as best Middle Eastern fare; Johnnie's Grill in El Reno as best diner; and Ted's Cafe Escondido as best Mexican restaurant.

Making the local top 100 were The Haunted House, Irma's Burger Shack, VZD's, Someplace Else Deli and Bakery, Bunny's Onion Burgers, Red Cup Coffeehouse, Old Germany Restaurant and Jimmy's Egg.

Addresses and phone numbers are included for the local top 10 eateries as well as brief details about the eateries and their menus.

Only telephone numbers are listed for the 100 best in each city.

[metro]

Cattlemen's as Best Steakhouse? We seriously need to start emailing all these food review companies and get Red Prime to take over that spot.

[EvokeCoffee]

So, when we were in Bozeman, Montana (sorry to keep bringing it up), they had a "Best of Bozeman" program. The problem was, it was the same winners, runner-ups, and third placers each time - mostly due to the fact that it was people's choice and only a few people voted.

I agree, Metro, about Red Prime. I just wonder what it takes for a new company to get into these types of rankings...

[soonerfan21]

I wonder if the "roadfood" would not apply to a high-class restaurant such as Red Prime? Perhaps they need several levels of steak houses. I also thought that maybe Red Prime wasn't open yet when the people were conducting their "road trip."

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I've never had a "great" steak at Cattleman's. Good steak? Sure. But not great.

And there's a big difference between "rustic" and "crappy old furniture"...They need to figure that out.

Red Prime....I didn't like the decor (nothing wrong with it, just not my style), but that steak knocked my socks off. Great stuff.

Oh, and Irma's? I feel about the same about their burgers. Ho-hum. Chili's has better burgers. So does Dan McGuinness and a host of other places.

[flintysooner]

Especially the Chili's Jalapeno Smokehouse Bacon Big Mouth Burger.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Especially the Chili's Jalapeno Smokehouse Bacon Big Mouth Burger.

Oh man...That burger is divinity on a bun. As much as it may pain people to hear it because of the national chain thing...Chili's does a mean burger, and that one is tops. I want to know where I can buy bacon that thick. Or at least bacon with the jalapeno infusion

[flintysooner]

From today's NewsOK (and there's another good article on Hamburger America)

...

Local standouts listed are Cattlemen's Steakhouse for best steak house; The Coach House for best contemporary restaurant; Jamil's Steakhouse as best Middle Eastern fare; Johnnie's Grill in El Reno as best diner; and Ted's Cafe Escondido as best Mexican restaurant.

Making the local top 100 were The Haunted House, Irma's Burger Shack, VZD's, Someplace Else Deli and Bakery, Bunny's Onion Burgers, Red Cup Coffeehouse, Old Germany Restaurant and Jimmy's Egg.

...

Have been to all of them and each one certainly has attractive points.
They aren't favorites though.