Othello's, Al Eschbach's...what else does Bricktown need?

[jbrown84]

What's been there besides Da Boat?

[Easy180]

I know the one before Da Boat was Joey's Chicago Diner...My memory is horrible so I can't remember what it was before that...Guess I need to scale back my 1000's quote!

[John]

John...My wife liked Drinkz, but I just don't think it's long for this world...Never seen anyone going in or coming out of that place

There's usually a decent crowd before/after Hornets games.

That's when I frequent it the most.

[John]

What's been there besides Da Boat?

I think it was just Da Boat and Joey's Chicago Diner. Both horrible concepts. The building also held the show for proposed memorials for the OKC Bombing before bricktown took off...

Al, Howard, inferno, and the rest of their gang will make Al's work.

[jbrown84]

Funny, I don't even remember anything called Joey's Chicago Diner. No wonder they went out of business.

[SoonerDave]

--

[fsusurfer]

why not a true-style irish pub?

[John]

why not a true-style irish pub?

Not in Bricktown, but McNellie's Pub, going in the corner of the Plaza Court building is an Irish Pub.

McNellie's Public House

[Intrepid]

NewsOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NEWS 9

This was in the Oklahoman today:

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

The moving vans are making one-way trips from Norman to Bricktown these days. Two prominent eateries are relocating to the downtown Oklahoma City entertainment district.

Charles Biehler, owner of Othello's, said the location on the Ed Noble Parkway in Norman was moved to Bricktown's Kingman Building earlier this month. Al Eschbach's Hall of Fame Sports Bar & Grill, meanwhile, is set to open next week in Bricktown's Oklahoma Hardware Building.

Operators of both eateries say their moves are no slight against Norman.

"We had a location in Norman already, on Campus Corner, and we had one in Edmond, and we thought it would be good to have a central location," Biehler said. "And this looked like a really good spot."

Jennifer Burgell, manager of Al Eschbach's, said Bricktown may be a better fit than Norman's Campus Corner for the sports bar, named after sports talk radio personality Al Eschbach.

"Al doesn't just concentrate on Sooner sports — he looks at OSU and OU," Burgell said. "So we figured Bricktown might be neutral ground, and we might get more people to see us here than when we were in Norman."

Both locations have troubled histories. The new Othello's opened just weeks after the closing of its previous tenant, J. Frank's Bar and Grill, which was previously Daddy Hinkle's Steakhouse, Lotus and Banana Joe's. Eschbach's takes the place of Da' Boat, which was preceded by Joey's Chicago Diner and an art gallery.

Biehler said he's not worried about the turnover in tenants over the past few years.

"It's a prime location for Bricktown, being right on the canal, and we're looking to make a name here," Biehler said. "We've tried to make it a more intimate spot. It was very open before."

Othello's also uses only part of the space previously occupied by Daddy Hinkle's and Lotus.

"We felt that having the whole restaurant the way it was made it almost unmanageable," Biehler said. "For the summer, it might have been great, but for the winter it would have been very hard."

Burgell also dismisses her location's previous struggles.

"I think Bricktown has grown around these sites," Burgell said. "The art gallery was five years ago. The foot traffic has picked up significantly. And with Downtown in December and the Hornets, the seasonality has gone out of Bricktown. The recipe for success is certainly here."

Another canal space empty for the past year — at 121 E California Ave. — also is finding new life as the home of a smaller, reopened J. Frank's Bar and Grill. Frank Sims, director of the Bricktown Association, said the Kingman Building space was too large for J. Frank's.

"This was just an opportunity to reopen the concept in a smaller space," Sims said.

Sims said Bricktown is an attractive lure to restaurant operators but is different from typical suburban retail corridors.

"I'm not familiar with other store sales outside the area where I can make a comparison," Sims said. "But the weekend sales here are huge, and we're starting to see some good foot traffic during the week. But you really have to get a full season under your belt to really determine what kind of traffic you can expect."

[walnut]

want a true neighborhood bar (near) bricktown? it's already there...the deep deuce grill...

inferno...as someone that lives in the area and eats in bricktown weekly, i agree with the pizza idea. i would also agree with a quick burrito place like qudoba or chipotle.

do you still have primasano (sp?) cubes? i'm coming there to eat anyway, but was just wondering...

[inferno_911]

do you still have primasano (sp?) cubes? i'm coming there to eat anyway, but was just wondering...

We do still feature the Primasano cubes and I would love to see you there. Thanks!

[metro]

I ate at Othello's the other night. Pretty much a joke. I'll do a review in the food court later.

[Patrick]

Hopefully this restaurant will survive in the Oklahoma Hardware Building. Like you've said, other famous names like Da Boat have failed there.

[Patrick]

I ate at Othello's the other night. Pretty much a joke. I'll do a review in the food court later.

So I'm guessing you don't think it has a chance?

Problem is, Spaghetti Warehouse and Zios are pretty strong competitors.

[fsusurfer]

So I'm guessing you don't think it has a chance?

Problem is, Spaghetti Warehouse and Zios are pretty strong competitors.

Thats what I was saying Patrick, Othellos is pretty much known as an Italian resteraunt. We already have two italian resteraunts in Bricktown. Its tough enough for two to survive. I have a hard time believing all three of these will be able to stay open. We REALLY need some diversity...I'm looking foreward to melting pot opening!

[fsusurfer]

I know some of you arn't in favor of chains in Bricktown, but I bet a Fridays would do pretty good down in Bricktown.... I've seen Fridays do well in other entertainment districts around the nation..

[jbrown84]

I would really like to see a Chipotle in the Nothing But Noodles/Rio del Fuego space.

[Patrick]

There was an Art Gallery in the Oklahoma Hardware space when the canal first opened. I didn't figure it would last long.

[Patrick]

I personally miss the old Bricktown Antique shop that used to fill space now filled by City Walk. Had a nice Guthrie feel to it.

[jbrown84]

I'm not sure that fits Bricktown very well though, Patrick.

[Watson410]

I like the Fridays idea.....That would go over really well in Bricktown.

[inferno_911]

I ate at Othello's the other night. Pretty much a joke. I'll do a review in the food court later.

Please PM me with constructive criticism, I need to know what to do to make the restaurant better or at least not a joke. Thanks.

Everyone please let me know what your experience was like...

[John]

Please PM me with constructive criticism, I need to know what to do to make the restaurant better or at least not a joke. Thanks.

Everyone please let me know what your experience was like...

Must've been a fluke. I frequent the Campus Corner and Edmond stores fairly often and enjoyed the Ed Noble store while it was there. Only problem I've ever had was an over-cooked steak, but Meatball took care of that for me. I'm curious, too, about the bad experience...


I'll be in soon, probably tonight before the Hornets play.

[inferno_911]

Metro's concerns are very important to us and as soon as he had expressed them, I knew exactly what night he was there. I will admit there was one night in which everything crashed. We were experiencing severe electrical problems which was shutting off the soda fountains as well as many of the kitchen's appliances. Because of this our operation as a whole was less than adequate to say the least. As we are still a new restaurant in a new place we are learning and growing.

I would ask everyone out there if you come to Othello's and have a problem please let me know so that we can rectify it.

I would like to thank Metro for his response and let everyone know there are going to be some problems...there always are in new restaurants...but we will work very hard to get them corrected and make your experience as pleasurable as possible.

[metro]

inferno seemed genuinely interested in my concerns in his PM. Like I mentioned, I hope it was a fluke and their menu diversifies. You are welcome for my thoughts inferno911 and hopefully you will rectify the situation.