Which OKC area restaurant disappointed you the most?

[Dustin]

El Chicos is gross.

[rcjunkie]

Red Prime. It's OK, but not the best steak I've had--by far.

[HewenttoJared]

105 Degrees. The food was so bad we couldn't stop laughing. We're even vegetarians and it was still inedible.

[betterthanbefore]

The new Alvarado mexican place in Edmond...servers wouldn't leave us alone - the food was predictable.

[citizenkane]

Interesting discussion.

I would strongly disagree with anyone defending Classen Grill as being anything more than a shadow of its former self at this point. It doesn't surprise me to see a poster calling it dirty, because it is. It's a greasy spoon, so I don't expect clinical orderliness, but on the few occassions I've been over the past couple years, I've noticed enough problems that I've removed the place from my personal list. If I'm going to pay for mediocre breakfast food, I expect at the very least to be eating from a clean plate with clean utensils.

Comparing it to the IHOP across the road is not some great travesty. In all likelihood, the kitchen staff busting their ass in that IHOP are good cooks doing the best they can with what they have. I have left Classen Grill with the opposite impression every time I've gone in the past two years. It's local, and with the right people it could be great, but let's be honest - it sucks.

Places that have good reputations, but don't do much for me:

-Big Truck Tacos

The tacos get bigger every time I visit. It's unappealing, and difficult to eat as a result. They may as well start serving cups of taco filling with an optional dish of tortillas. I had a great short rib taco here last year. It has all been downhill since.

-Sushi Neko

People, we can do better than this.

-Redrock

Has the feel of a chain - from food to service.

-Zorba's

Everyone I know thinks this place is a travesty, yet it goes on, day after day with a full dining room.

-Saii

Run away.

I agree with you on every single one of those restaurants.

[jbkrems]

Pickles and Citizenkane, why do you feel you can get better sushi than at Sushi Neko ? Why do you feel RedRock feels like a chain (albeit it is a chain) - ???

[metro]

Coits

[G.Walker]

Abuelo's (Bricktown)

[Jettmiester]

Abuelos on Memorial is even worse. Didn't know they were Oklahoma based. The worst mexican I ever had in my life but the main reason I say worst is because of the poor quality chicken meat they served, it was like it came from an Ocar Myers package from Walmart. Awful.

[tuck]

Abuelos on Memorial is even worse. Didn't know they were Oklahoma based. The worst mexican I ever had in my life but the main reason I say worst is because of the poor quality chicken meat they served, it was like it came from an Ocar Myers package from Walmart. Awful.

Abuelo's isn't based in Oklahoma...Texas based company.

[jdcf]

Within past two months...

Republic - haughtiest waiter I have ever encoutered and nondescript food (restaurant setting however is incredible)

Flatire - after 3rd visit, still don't see what people see in this place with average food, too high prices, and tiny tables

There are though many great places to dine in the metro - all sorts of cuisine, price, and location

[Jettmiester]

Abuelo's isn't based in Oklahoma...Texas based company.

Thanks, didn't think it was OK based, but wasn't sure, or I would have listed it in my 1st post here.

[TStheThird]

Another disspointemnt was Falcones. Their Subs have Mayo (True Italian subs aren't served with mayo) and everything tasted old like it was all pre prepared. This was the location on May. The one in Midwest city was just barely okay with their Pizza. I will never go back.

I agree that Falcones has definitely gone down hill. The mayo comment... I agree that an Italian sub (the American version) doesn't use mayo. When I lived in Italy, I had to order sandwiches without mayo all the time.

[pickles]

Pickles and Citizenkane, why do you feel you can get better sushi than at Sushi Neko ? Why do you feel RedRock feels like a chain (albeit it is a chain) - ???

I have surprisingly had better luck with sushi when attending events catered by Western Concepts. At the restaurant, there is a difference in consistency depending upon who is behind the sushi bar, crafting whatever item you've ordered. I would not expect to be served broken maki rolls at Tokyo, for instance, where they are much more consistent. They are also more consistent with their rice cooking and seasoning. These things are important for those less interested in the more elaborate rolls slathered in mayo-based sauces.

Redrock feels like a chain (and I guess it actually is) because it has a typical chain chop house menu with a few vaguely regional touches. Cooking and plating are often sloppy. I could be wrong, but my feeling is that they source like a chain and it shows.

[OKCMallen]

Within past two months...

Republic - haughtiest waiter I have ever encoutered and nondescript food (restaurant setting however is incredible)

I've had nothing but great table servers at RePUBlic, but I will say, their bartenders often seem quite haughty to me.

[jbkrems]

With regards to Republic, most of the servers and bartenders that I have dealt with there have been very good. I'm in there all the time, most weeks I am there 2-3 times for dinner, and most of their bartenders know me very well, as does Chef Luke and the staff. The food there is very good, and the service is usually exceptional. They will not hesitate to make something right when they mess up, too. Its one of my top restaurants in the area.

[pickles]

With regards to Republic, most of the servers and bartenders that I have dealt with there have been very good. I'm in there all the time, most weeks I am there 2-3 times for dinner, and most of their bartenders know me very well, as does Chef Luke and the staff. The food there is very good, and the service is usually exceptional. They will not hesitate to make something right when they mess up, too. Its one of my top restaurants in the area.

Agree completely.

[ljbab728]

Just a note about something that happened today at Charleston's on NW Expressway. One of my co-workers took her parents to lunch there to celebrate her mother's birthday. She ordered a spinach salad. Before she started eating she something on the spinach leaves. Her father has been in the produce business for many years. He looked at it and told her it had aphids all over it. Of course, the restaurant was very apologetic and made amends. It might be an isolated incident and perhaps could have happened at any restaurant.
As a side note to that, she told us about this when she got back from lunch. Another co-worker had been to the same restaurant earlier in the day and said she also had a spinach salad and ate all of it. She started looking a little pale quickly. LOL

[citizenkane]

Pickles and Citizenkane, why do you feel you can get better sushi than at Sushi Neko ? Why do you feel RedRock feels like a chain (albeit it is a chain) - ???

Every time I go to Sushi Neko, I am always disappointed. It does not even compare to Tokyo, which is the best, in my opinion. In regards to Redrock, I didn't even realize it was a chain. But yes...it sure tastes like one. I end up going there every few months because someone I know wants to go there. The food is always subpar. The last time I went (two weeks ago), I ordered the Mahi mahi, which was the special that night. It had no flavor whatsoever (I felt like I was eating cardboard cooked over a gas grill). I ended up sending it back to the kitchen it was so bad. Luckily they didn't charge me for it.

[rcjunkie]

Every time I go to Sushi Neko, I am always disappointed. It does not even compare to Tokyo, which is the best, in my opinion. In regards to Redrock, I didn't even realize it was a chain. But yes...it sure tastes like one. I end up going there every few months because someone I know wants to go there. The food is always subpar. The last time I went (two weeks ago), I ordered the Mahi mahi, which was the special that night. It had no flavor whatsoever (I felt like I was eating cardboard cooked over a gas grill). I ended up sending it back to the kitchen it was so bad. Luckily they didn't charge me for it.

Everytime, why keep going back ? I may give a resturant a second visit, but if the food and/or service don't improve, that's it.

[BBatesokc]

Everytime, why keep going back ? I may give a resturant a second visit, but if the food and/or service don't improve, that's it.

Maybe he keeps getting sucked into the same situation I do. I HATE Pachinko Parlor, but I keep going with groups who insist on going there. It keeps getting worse, not better.

As for Sushi Neko, we actually had our waitress recommend Tokyo to us. So we tried it and love it.

[lawboysam]

Iguana. For the most part the food is good but the service sucks pretty much 80% of the time.

AGREED! I've been hearing about Iguana for years and how awesome it is, but I found it to be average or slightly above, but definitely not amazing. But our server weirded me out and left us without water for almost an hour, which from what I hear, is pretty par for the course.

[OKCMallen]

AGREED! I've been hearing about Iguana for years and how awesome it is, but I found it to be average or slightly above, but definitely not amazing. But our server weirded me out and left us without water for almost an hour, which from what I hear, is pretty par for the course.

Yeah, they really need to get that together. I think they end up hiring more "lifestyle" type servers (cool, young, hip, friends of friends, for the most part) than they do servers that care about service and want to earn tips.

The last time we went, our server was a guy I knew from college. Terrible service. But the food was, as usual, WAY above average and very tasty.

[AFwife04]

Iron Starr, hubby and I really wanted to like it. We really like Red Prime and Cheever's, but were pretty disappointed. Hubby got the ribs and they were o.k., nothing to write home about. I went with the brisket, it was dry, dry, dry. I didn't even finish it. The sides were good, but we won't go back.

[Jettmiester]

Was on Reno this weekend when I drove by Shorty Smalls, it made me think, How did I forget to mention that place? I went once a couple years back with a group of friends that chose it for a get-together. It was one of the worst dining experiences I ever had in the OKC area. Now, I don't know if it is Oklahoma City based or not, but it was awful. Food, service and cleanliness included.

Another I joke about that wasn't really too awful but was just way too average for their prices (and has one of the corniest names in the business) is Texadelphia. I make better sandwiches at home, as I am sure most people do compared to that place. I also met a group of friends there to eat and hang out on the brick-town canal. Not my choice. I have never been back to either place again.