Whispering Pine's B&B and Restaurant in Norman

[BBatesokc]

Anyone else tried this place for dinner and or lodging?

I took the wife there a couple of nights ago after reading some pretty good reviews on Urban Spoon (88% favorable rating).

It is located East on Highway 9 (about a 30 minute drive for us).

The sun was down when we arrived for our 6:30pm reservation (dinner service hours 6:30pm - 8:30pm). But, the place looked pretty nice from what we could see. Looks like an old home, but was actually built in 1994.

The dinning area looks to be 3 small rooms (each with 3-4 tables and faux fireplaces).

Tables are adorned with linen cloths, and real china and the meal presentation was excellent. The wait staff was very good and seemed to be seasoned professionals.

Unfortunately for us, that's where most of the compliments end. We started with a mushroom soup with a slice of Blue Cheese on top and dinner rolls. The soup was excellent (though a very small portion). The bread was good, but barely room temperature and the fancy flavored butter was still pretty much frozen and impossible to spread.

After the soup we were given a melon ball scoop of sherbet to prepare our pallet for the entree. I liked it but my wife found it to be way too citrus in flavor.

The wife ordered the salmon. It looked excellent and appeared to be encrusted and had herbs atop it - but it totally lacked any flavor at all other than 'fish.'

I had a steak medium rare. I was served medium and was not very tender. There was a sauce on the steak, but it lacked flavor overall.

Both entrees were served with sides of potato casserole and asparagus. All of the food was room temperature at best and even the sides lacked much flavor.

Maybe we should have expected a more bland meal because the average age of the patrons on that night was about 60.

Our two entrees and a half carafe of cheap Riesling totaled about $92 before tip.

Based on our experience we didn't like it and wouldn't go back. But our experience was in contrast to the online reviews.

Has anyone else tried this place. Its a shame the food wasn't better as the atmosphere was excellent - minus one weird flaw. At least one of the rooms had two tables in really awkward positions - a four top wedged into the corner allowing for only two people and both are facing a wall. So, if you go (reservations required) and there is only two of you, ask that they not seat you at one of their two tops.

[G.Walker]

My wife and I went there last summer, and it was great. This place is unbelievable, pound for pound the best food I ever tasted in my life, I had the pork loin roast with apple chutney, and I won't even start on the pancakes for breakfast! The hospitality was great, drinks at the bar were kinda high, but the bartender was great. He was our waiter too, but he was very helpful and gave us free dessert, and a free drink of our choice to take back to the room, will definately go back soon, our experience was great! I wouldn't recommend for anniversary or honeymoon, but good for a weekend getaway or date night with your wife/husband/lover/partner whatever, lol.