Old Restaurants

[Martin]

so... jamil's is like the keith richards of restaurants.

[Martin]

interesting about "el zocalo"... i guess the concept was tweaked and turned into texana reds.

[Roger S]

Here is an interesting read about Jim Vallion of Val Gene Associates... Val Gene was the first major restaurant group in Oklahoma City.

Legendary restaurateur and entrepreneur Jim Vallion dies at 87 (oklahoman.com)

[ManAboutTown]

These pages are from an Oklahoman restaurant section from 1977:

Man, this brings back memories!

J. B. Nimble's, The Yukon Mining Company, J. Isaac Grundy's, Zucchini's, and Joshua's General Store were all owned by a restaurant group headed by Bob Clift, who later went on to lead the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. J. B. Nimble's shut down a year or two after this ad and became a restaurant called Reuben Rugby's. I worked there on and off as a cook and assistant manager from 1983-1985 while I was in college and worked with a bunch of people from PCO, PCN, and PCW.

My first "real" job was actually at Joshua's General Store in Midwest City from 1978-1979 while I was in high school. That place closed and later became Chequer's. I spent a summer doing the renovation there working for a couple guys named Bob Sparks and Jeff Pennington. Good times!

[Pete]

^

Most of these places were along the NW Expressway corridor or near Reno & Meridian.

Now, many restaurants are either in the core or along Memorial Road.

[Urbanized]

Miss a bunch of those places, and at the same time several of them I only heard about; warm reviews or memories from the adults in my life. For instances Christopher's and also Tony's Via Roma. I was too young in the 70s to go to most of the fancy places my folks and other adults visited, and in fact I didn't live full time in OKC until 1986 (I grew up in Wichita), although generations of my family were from the OKC metro, and I visited often my entire life, spent summers here starting around 1979.

My amazing dad (R.I.P.) was a salesman and traveled often for business, and when he was driving all over Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, etc he used a CB radio to keep track of speed traps, and just for general entertainment. This was about the time of CW McCall's hit "Convoy," plus Smoky and the Bandit, etc, and CBs were super popular. His handle was The Hungry Peddler, in honor of the restaurant shown above, which was a favorite of his (and mine, because I got to eat there when I occasionally traveled with Dad). Seeing that ad gives me the feels.

[Pete]

Interestingly, in addition to Tony's Via Roma, there was also Tony Roma's (a ribs chain that still has some locations around) which was in the now-demolished Glenbrook Centre East at 63rd & Western. And Tony's Italian Specialties was on Penn north of 23rd where Rococo now operates catering and events. Three really good Tony's relatively close together.

Roma's occupied what had been Michael's Plum (which is a big story in itself; more or less OKC's Studio 54) and before it became Varsity Grill. I believe Brigadoon (which also had a downtown location in the 70s) was in the west Glenbrook building.

Christopher's was a big prom and Christmas formal destination when I was at Putnam City, as was the Chandelle Club atop Founder's Tower.

The Magic Pan was popular in 50 Penn when that building was full of high-end fashion clothiers during the 70s and 80s.

Chi-chi's was a big sensation when it opened on NW Expressway where TGI Friday's is (still!) located. There was another off I-240 on the southside.

As I mentioned, there were really only two types of restaurants during this era: steak/seafood nicer places and then theme restaurants. Very, very few ethnic food varieties; only a handful of Mexican places which is hard to believe (and at this time they were theme/chain restaurants too) and maybe a few locally-owned Chinese.

Drive-thrus were just starting to be popular but I know in the 70s it was really only McDonalds and then later Wendy's. Bonaparte's drive-in was a big deal on 39th but there weren't even Sonics back then. Braum's were tiny places with no thought of a drive-thru, as was Taco Bell.

And of course, people rarely ate out until the 80s and beyond. I grew up in what was very much the upper-middle-class area of OKC in the 60s and 70s and even in that socioeconomic tier most families would only eat out a handful of times a year, including carry out. It's crazy to think about; that wasn't that long ago and now people will eat out 2-3 times a day.

My family would occasionally get a carry-out pizza from Pizza Planet and maybe once a year would go to Nicolosi's at NW 10th & Meridian where they had personal pizzas. It was an incredible thrill as a kid to order the pizza you wanted just for yourself. Often, we'd all go out as a treat to mom on Mother's Day but that was about it.

By the 80s, most moms were working and everything started to change but there were still very few ethnic options, which we didn't really get here until after 2000.

[unfundedrick]

I noticed today that the place where Eddy's Steakhouse used to be on N. Meridian is being remodeled. I saw no indication about what it will be. This place and Glen's Hick'ry Inn were my parents go to places to take us for steak.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/busi...s/61669873007/

[BlackmoreRulz]

Wait, what? No Sonics in the 70's? Over in the ghetto Southside/Moore area the Sonics were essential to the 59th St and 12th St drags of the middle to late 70's

[Pete]

Wait, what? No Sonics in the 70's? Over in the ghetto Southside/Moore area the Sonics were essential to the 59th St and 12th St drags of the middle to late 70's

There were a few around but nothing like now. There was one on 39th too but everyone went to Bonaparte's.

[Celebrator]

now people will eat out 2-3 times a day.

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

[Bill Robertson]

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

Before I became unexpectedly semi-retired we were close. Between stopping for breakfast and/or lunch at a drive thru then meeting for dinner somewhere my wife and I ate out something like 20 times a week. Looking back now that we can't do that anymore it's kinda sad we spent that much money eating.

[fortpatches]

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

Frequency of eating at restaurants by age US 2022 | Statista

But that statistic doesn't really account for ordering takeout / delivery. When I consider "eating out", personally, I consider that question as whether I paid for a meal to be prepared for me.
This survey considers eating out / takeout / delivery:
2023 Survey Reveals American Dining Out Habits | US Foods

[Pete]

As someone who did not grow up here nor have any ties or anything before moving here 15 years ago, I love all of this local pop history. But your statement about how often people eat out now...is this really true? A genuine question. I eat out maybe once per week, and I know people generally eat out more, but is it really 2-3 per day?! Sorry, I know a derail/sidebar question, but just curious...

I meant "some people eat out 2-3 per day": 1) coffee and/or muffin/burrito; 2) lunch break at work: 3) stop on the way home for carry-out or drive-thru.

I know tons of people who do this every day. And every drive-thru you go past has tons of cars.

[Celebrator]

I meant "some people eat out 2-3 per day": 1) coffee and/or muffin/burrito; 2) lunch break at work: 3) stop on the way home for carry-out or drive-thru.

I know tons of people who do this every day. And every drive-thru you go past has tons of cars.

Well no wonder we have such bad health stats in this country!

[Ward]

There were a few around but nothing like now. There was one on 39th too but everyone went to Bonaparte's.

Sonic? Bonapartes? Charcoal Oven?

I fondly recall Coit's Drive In. I also bought Christmas trees at Coits for many years.

Anyway, I'd cruise around from Coits to Bonapartes to whatever, including many Saturday nights just cruising around.

[Pete]

But drive-ins were still going out to eat.

A very different culture than one person going through the drive-thru and bringing back a big sack for everyone.

[Dob Hooligan]

Anyone remember the Charcoal Oven or Bonapartes style drive-through that was on the north side of Britton Road at, maybe, Georgia? I recall it was in the 1960s-70s. The lot is now part of Casady School new construction. There was a Hot Tub and Spa business there for several years.

Maybe it was Carraige House?

[Dob Hooligan]

But drive-ins were still going out to eat.

A very different culture than one person going through the drive-thru and bringing back a big sack for everyone.

I agree. In the 1960s-70s, my mom would make something. And she did not like doing it. A good week would have us going to Val Genes in Penn Square on Saturday dinner and a Pizza Hut take out on Sunday.

[Pete]

Anyone remember the Charcoal Oven or Bonapartes style drive-through that was on the north side of Britton Road at, maybe, Georgia? I recall it was in the 1960s-70s. The lot is now part of Casady School new construction. There was a Hot Tub and Spa business there for several years.

Maybe it was Carraige House?

It was indeed the Carriage House Restaurant. Looks like it operated in the late 60s.

[mugofbeer]

I may have missed them mentioned but Quick's 19cent burgers on Classen and Holloways burgers on 23rd and about Brookline.

[whorton]

I actually remember the place. They didn't last long enough and. Chequres lasted too long. Driving through that the other day and with Heritage park mall still setting dead in the water, one is reminded how far most of Midwest city has fallen. The shine is even gone carom Town Center on 29th.