Terminal Commons at Wheeler

[king183]

Terminal Commons is now open, serving pizza and soda. They will expand their menu over time.

[Pete]

Looks like Terminal Commons will be replaced by Taco Nation.

Press release:

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Taco Nation to Open First Brick-and-Mortar Location in Wheeler District

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 15, 2021) — One of Oklahoma City’s most beloved mobile eateries, Taco Nation, is opening its first brick and mortar location in the Wheeler District.

Taco Nation, which began in 2017 as a casual food truck, combines West Coast flavors with an Oklahoma hospitality touch. With a desire to establish roots within the city, and bring people together, they decided to open a taco shop within this growing neighborhood.

“When we started Taco Nation in a school bus, we wanted to take our kitchen on the road,” Taco Nation Founder Tim Ulrich said. “Now we are excited to simply plant our kitchen in the middle of the city in Wheeler District.

Taco Nation will open its doors in Spring 2022. Guests can expect a spacious dining area and outdoor patio to enjoy tacos in the historic airpark terminal, formerly occupied by Terminal Commons.

“The beer-battered fish taco is a classic,” Ulrich said. “We use beer from The Big Friendly in our batter, which is so fun to be able to combine ingredients with our friends and next-door neighbors at The Big Friendly Brewery. Now that we have more space, we are excited to introduce other tacos and beverages as we will be able to expand our menu offerings.”

Taco Nation will be one of the many attractions for Wheeler District residents and guests to enjoy, including The Big Friendly, the Ferris wheel, Thrown Design & Wine and more. As the community continues to grow, new businesses are developing to provide additional places to gather.

Wheeler District Vice President of Development Ashley Terry said Taco Nation is a fantastic addition.

“Having Taco Nation’s first brick-and-mortar location is the perfect addition to our community,” Terry said. “Taco Nation’s food truck regularly parks outside of The Big Friendly and draws a large crowd every time. We’re elated to officially welcome them to a permanent home in the Wheeler District.”

Taco Nation will continue to use its food truck to service private events.

[shawnw]

Open to trying it but will miss terminal.

[king183]

Terminal Commons just couldn’t figure out what they were supposed to be, unfortunately. Was it a coffee place, a pizza place, or a breakfast spot or a lunch spot? They were all of the above, but apparently an unclear categorization hurt them as they tried to expand their reach beyond the Wheeler Neighborhood. Their non-pizza food was mediocre, while their pizza was fantastic in my opinion. I would like them to reopen as a pizza only location in the neighborhood.

Not sure if it was mentioned in the eponymous thread, but Airpark Coffee on Spoke Street has already closed as well. They only got going for real in July due to some permitting issues. It seems their product just wasn’t catching on or people didn’t know they existed. The staff there was great and very friendly, so I hope they can make a comeback.

Rumor for a long time has been that Clarity Coffee is moving into the big building, but I don’t know if that deal ever closed.

[Mott]

Thought Terminal Commons was pretty meh, not going to miss them. However, thought Airpark Coffee was quite good, just not the right place for serious coffee I suppose.

[CCOKC]

I am going to miss Terminal Commons, mostly for sentimental reasons though. My husband and I went there about once a week starting when we put our earnest money down on our cottage a year ago. We would sit by the fire and talk about the progress from the past week.
I do love me some Taco Nation though. They are very popular on Tuesdays and Friday evenings.
I do wish that there was some signage on the river directing bike riders to the businesses in Wheeler. I know when I use the trails, I find a serious lack of places to sit and rest for a bit with a snack or a beverage.

[shawnw]

AGREED about the signage, though it's a bit rough getting from the wheel to the shops at present. Doable, but I can see it being off-putting for the unadventurous.

[krisb]

I love Wheeler but its isolation as an enclave makes it difficult for these small businesses to do well. Carlton Landing is several years ahead and they are still struggling to support retail and restaurants.

[Thomas Vu]

Taco nation, which took over terminal commons, is I think the first craft taco place I went to where I enjoyed the tacos. Their chips are probably the second best I've ever had.

[shawnw]

Have been twice and the tacos are pretty darned good. Both times I've been has been really packed. Had been to terminal many times and it was rarely if ever packed.

[Thomas Vu]

I enjoyed Terminal when it was here. True it was never packed, and I enjoyed their menu but over time it never chagned or anything. Hoping taco nation opens up their hours.

[Urbanized]

Tried to give it a shot yesterday but I’d missed that they aren’t open for lunch. Had tacos at La Michoacana Meat Market instead. Far from an unfortunate outcome, but still looking forward to checking this place out.