Most Missed OKC Restaurant

[Prunepicker]

Tony's Italian Specialties, on N Penn, was very old school and superb. I once
took Prunette on a date and about had a heart attack when, after the meal, I
found out that he didn't take credit cards. I told Prunette to go to the car and
take the "emergency funds" from the ashtray of my car. I just got by.

Some people mistake Tony's Italian Specialties for Tony's via Roma that was
on NW Expressway. They weren't the same. Two completely different
Italian schools of cooking. I liked TIS.

[Prunepicker]

Personally my most missed restaurants are Herman's Seafood, El Charrito and
Shipman's Cafe.

Another was Garland's Smorgasbord on SW 29th. I know they weren't "Haute Cuisine"
but I have some fantastic memories of those eateries. I thought Smorgasbord meant
all you can eat for $1.59.

My favorite missed breakfast cafe is Beverly's.

[RadicalModerate]

Personally my most missed restaurants are Herman's Seafood, El Charrito and
Shipman's Café,

I have to say that your mention of Shipman's (the one on Robinson(?) rather than Reno) jogged fond memories. After some serious thought, I think the restaurant I miss most is Der Dutchman. My tastes were much less experienced when that place was still around, but at the time I thought their gumbo was about as good as gumbo gets. A bowl of gumbo, a side of boiled shrimp and some hush puppies was one of the best--if not healthiest--meals ever.

[Prunepicker]

I have to say that your mention of Shipman's (the one on Robinson(?) rather than
Reno) jogged fond memories.

Reno is the one we ate at the most.

After some serious thought, I think the restaurant I miss most is Der Dutchman.
My tastes were much less experienced when that place was still around, but at
the time I thought their gumbo was about as good as gumbo gets. A bowl of
gumbo, a side of boiled shrimp and some hush puppies was one of the best--if
not healthiest--meals ever.

The hush puppies were the best. Mom was buying them frozen from some
place in town, grocery(?) and they were fantastic. It might have been Der
Dutchman.

[soonergeezer]

Black Eyed Pea was caught on the leading edge of the health-food craze that's basically teaching everyone if it isn't a leafy vegetable its going to kill you. They were very much a traditional Southern offerings restaurant, fried chicken, chicken fried steaks, chops, and while it was good, it was never (for us) quite as good as it always seemed it could be. They did have an excellent codfish and wild rice dinner that I enjoyed frequently.

They tried to reinvent themselves at a corporate level by adding the "Grille" moniker to their name, and many of their restaurants in Texas still have it in some fashion, but they just never hit stride here in OK and their franchise holder, as I recall reading or hearing third hand (at least LOL) just gave it up. The location on SW74th and I-240 was empty for a year or more until Joe's Crab Shack went in, and its just nasty. My wife likes seafood a great deal more than I do, and we went there a few times when they first opened, but as their food quality dropped and greasy/nasty quotient increased, even she gave up on them. Obviously plenty of other folks like them as they're still around, but they're not among our regular visits.

There was a time back in the late 70's early 80's when Steak & Ale aspired to be an upscale dinner/steak house. Quiet, dimly lit, slightly higher-than-average pricing, upscale environment with cloth tablecloths, I remember it being a "big deal" to go there - then, somewhere along the way, they shifted their target somehow and became much more mainstream - and the quality went down with it.

As for OKC steaks, the one name whose departure I will forever lament is Glen's Hik-ry Inn. Just won't be another place like that again.

The Black Eyed Pea also had a pretty good individual pot roast. I usually got that or the chicken fry, never great , but always good.

[Urbanized]

I'm pretty sure Garcia's was a Val Gene's joint.

[Prunepicker]

I voted for Windy City because "Bottom Line Transaction", aka BLT, played there 2 to
3 nights a week and I was the bassist. Good pizza, good music and good money!

[Motley]

When I was at OU in the early 80s in the summer, we would eat at Sooner's BBQ on S. Western all the time and then go to see the 89'ers. Loved the sides and the all you can eat nightly specials.

[SouthSide]

CT,

You are correct Redding was at SW 44 & Western. Now that you mention Dodson's was a stand alone location that seems familiar. My memories are mostly of the SW 59 location. The Dodson's book is pretty interesting and makes you realize how a handful of individuals played such a large part in developing SW Okc. The man who developed the Redding Shopping center owned the Humpty Dumpty grocery stores.

[ctchandler]

CT,

You are correct Redding was at SW 44 & Western. Now that you mention Dodson's was a stand alone location that seems familiar. My memories are mostly of the SW 59 location. The Dodson's book is pretty interesting and makes you realize how a handful of individuals played such a large part in developing SW Okc. The man who developed the Redding Shopping center owned the Humpty Dumpty grocery stores.

SouthSide,
So, was the Reding Humpty Dumpty a franchise or do you mean the owner of the Humpty Dumpty corporation developed the shopping center? I suspect he was the "franchisee". About where did you live, I lived on SW 37th, very near the first Dodson's. I would guess you lived in the Hillcrest area since you are more familiar with the 59th street Dodson's.
C. T.

[SouthSide]

CT,

The book states he owned the Humpty Dumpty chain of stores and he developed the Redding Shopping Center. His name was Sylvan Goldman. He also invented the shopping cart. I lived on SW 66 by Prairie Queen.

[Jim Kyle]

CT,

The book states he owned the Humpty Dumpty chain of stores and he developed the Redding Shopping Center. His name was Sylvan Goldman. He also invented the shopping cart. I lived on SW 66 by Prairie Queen.

He had two sons, Al and Monte, who followed their father into development. When we bought our first house at 2737 SW 60, they were planning a shopping center to rival Redding for the SW corner of 59th and May. They still hadn't started it when we moved to California a year later, though. I don't remember just when they finally got it going!

[SoonerDave]

CT,

The book states he owned the Humpty Dumpty chain of stores and he developed the Redding Shopping Center. His name was Sylvan Goldman. He also invented the shopping cart. I lived on SW 66 by Prairie Queen.

Interesting bit of trivia....I know someone who worked with a man whose father worked for Sylvan Goldman. Apparently a jack-of-all trades type, this guy actually cooked up the idea for and constructed that first shopping cart, but since he was Goldman's employee, Goldman received the credit for it. Guess I should insert all the appropriate "allegedlies" in here, but this guy relayed numerous stories about his dad having worked for Goldman and I don't really have any doubt what he relayed was true.

[ctchandler]

CT,

The book states he owned the Humpty Dumpty chain of stores and he developed the Redding Shopping Center. His name was Sylvan Goldman. He also invented the shopping cart. I lived on SW 66 by Prairie Queen.

SouthSide,
That would be the owner of the Humpty Dumpty corporation. That's why I asked. And yes, he invented the shopping cart. I believe he was from Tulsa. Well, you were about 29 blocks South of me, I was three houses East of McKinnley so a little over a block East of Blackwelder.
C. T.

[Mel]

They used to have a pretty good coney dog place at the 59th and May shopping center. They also served a killer carrot cake.

[Martin]

i don't remember ever getting bologna at eddie's... so that must have been at jamil's. -M

[Prunepicker]

i don't remember ever getting bologna at eddie's... so that must have been at jamil's. -M

I never had bologna at Eddie's but I did have it at Jamil's. Freddie's, in Sapulpa,
also serves smoked bologna.

As far as Lebanese restaurants go I like Freddie's. Jamil's is 2nd and Eddie's is a
distant 3rd. Those are the only 3 I've knowing dined. Don't get me wrong, Eddie's
was very good, just not up to the standards of Freddie's or Jamil's.

I've never eaten at the Jamil's in Tulsa.

[Urbanized]

Ah, good times...

Hey Prunie, by the way - totally unrelated question - what are you driving lately and where do you park these days?

[Prunepicker]

Ah, good times...

Hey Prunie, by the way - totally unrelated question - what are you driving lately
and where do you park these days?

I drive a '98 Chevy Suburban. Except for Ingrid's Kitchen and Church I don't
have a usual place. Why?

[Urbanized]

For some reason I always preferred the Tulsa Jamil's over the one in OKC. Maybe it was the road trip aspect, though I only ate there when in Tulsa for other reasons.

[Jim Kyle]

Thanks for digging that out! I hadn't remembered that Andy owned the place even before the fire...

[ctchandler]

Hardy's also had an indoor booth in one of the buildings, probably the Made in Oklahoma building. They sold ham sandwiches and they were really good. They were there several years after the restaurant closed.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Hardy's also had an indoor booth in one of the buildings, probably the Made in Oklahoma building. They sold ham sandwiches and they were really good. They were there several years after the restaurant closed.
C. T.

Oops, I meant to say "an indoor booth at the Fair". At least Jim knew what I was talking about.
C. T.

[Jim Kyle]

Yep, I remember that quite well. It was my favorite part of the fair, back when it was still worth bothering to go to...

[RadicalModerate]

Nostalgic Restaurant Consumer Alert:

It was brought to my attention, just today, by a long-term, hard-working, sweetheart employee of the Original Steak and Catfish Barn Relocated (to I-35 and Hefner) as my immediate family and I were lingering in the parking lot, after another wonderful dining experience, that some apparent "scamster" is attempting to reopen the old location at I-35 and Waterloo Road.

Again: Please be advised that the Next to the REAL Thing is at Hefner and I-35.

The Original original Owners of the place at the Waterloo Exit moved to Italy.

The REAL replacement is at Hefner and I-35

Dang . . . Shipmans . . . Der Dutchman . . . Catfish Cabin . . . Split T . . . =)

She did say that they were planning to put up a fancy sign.
To meet the competition.

Don't miss it. With or without "the sign".
(even if the sign doesn't say "Coit's")