Neighborhood Jam

[Pete]

Opening tomorrow October 10th, Neighborhood Jam brings yet another quality offering in the suddenly booming OKC breakfast lunch segment.

Located at the northwest corner of NW 150th and Pennsylvania, this will be the first location of several for Neighborhood Jam.

Part of the prolific and respected Hal Smith Restaurant Group, it's their first foray into the morning and lunch-only category.

Open from 6:30AM to 2:30PM every day, Neighborhood Jam offers American classics with its own creative twists, such as Green Chile Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, Carrot Cake Pancakes and a Quinona Power Bowl.

Also featured is an extensive craft cocktail selection with a bacon habanero infused Bloody Mary and a list of coffee cocktails and more.

General Manager Michael Kraft says the restaurant has a strong commitment to “Keeping it Local” and being true neighbors in the community.

[OkiePoke]

Awesome! Will take some of the heat off of Hatch when it opens in Chisholm Creek. I will definitely be visiting this place.

[TheirTheir]

Ate here for the first time today. It was absolutely packed--had to wait 20 minutes for a 4-top. Everyone I was with enjoyed their meal. Will go back if I find myself that far north again.

[Pete]

Yes, it's been insanely busy every single day.

[Zorba]

It'd be nice if some of these breakfast places were open for dinner. IHOP and Denny's are terrible options.

[seaofchange]

My husband and I went last Wednesday, around noon. We were sat immediately!

[Pete]

Denco Darlin' to return as Neighborhood Jam expands to Norman

Serving its unique brand of breakfast, lunch and brunch, Neighborhood Jam has seen long lines since the October opening at its first location at NW 150th & Penn.

Now, on the site of the historic Denco Cafe, the restaurant will open a new location and and in the process resurrect its namesake signature dish.

A long-time staple of the business community along the railroad tracks in downtown Norman, the old cafe eventually went out of business and saw several new incarnations. While operating as a S&B Burger Joint, it burned down in 2015 and was demolished.

An impressive new structure was built in its place at 102 W. Main and Neighborhood Jam will start work this week. Parent company Hal Smith Restaurant Group will also open Winston's, a restaurant and bar to be located to the immediate east in a one-story red brick structure.

The Jam space is effectively 2 stories but completely open, providing dramatically high ceilings and what will be a unique atmosphere. A large covered patio faces east and there will be open-air outdoor seating as well.

In addition to bringing its menu of popular food and drinks, the new Jam has purchased the original recipe for the legendary Denco Darlin', a unique blend of elbow macaroni topped with chili and typically ordered with two eggs 'looking at you'.

For decades the Darlin' represented a right of passage of sorts for OU students and will once again be available on the original site.

Once open this summer, hours will be 6:30AM to 2:30PM daily but will be extended for Sooner home games.

Neighborhood Jam offers American classics with its own creative twists, such as Green Chile Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, Carrot Cake Pancakes and a Quinona Power Bowl.

Also featured is an extensive craft cocktail selection with a bacon habanero infused Bloody Mary and a list of coffee cocktails and more.

Founded in 1986 and based in Norman, the Hal Smith group now operates nearly 80 restaurants in seven states and employs more than 6,000.

[BBatesokc]

I'm in the area frequently and I've eaten here several times now. I really like the place; nice buildout, friendly staff, fast service and good food. Prices are okay to a ta bit high for breakfast food.

The weekend wait times are pretty ridiculous; Two-hours plus on the weekend mornings. Later in the day and weekdays are often walk in for immediate seating.

Like apparently most people who eat there on the weekends, we only do so if we utilize the NoWait app.

It's in our top 5 places to eat breakfast/brunch right now.

[Thomas Vu]

I stopped by here the other week. They were about to close and the wait times were beyond the closing window. I went anyway and managed to score a seat at the bar. Food was good, staff was friendly and was as fast as they probably could be given the amount of people there.

I spoke to a few people and they mentioned that they're used to staying late in order to accommodate, which I thought was nice.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eYOh5TsnIz4HJEOe2

[TheTravellers]

I stopped by here the other week. They were about to close and the wait times were beyond the closing window. I went anyway and managed to score a seat at the bar. Food was good, staff was friendly and was as fast as they probably could be given the amount of people there.

I spoke to a few people and they mentioned that they're used to staying late in order to accommodate, which I thought was nice.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eYOh5TsnIz4HJEOe2

As with Hatch, if they've got that many people in line, why not just extend their hours? Do they expect that they'll end up with less business eventually and be empty half an hour before closing?

[Pete]

As with Hatch, if they've got that many people in line, why not just extend their hours? Do they expect that they'll end up with less business eventually and be empty half an hour before closing?

I think they slightly extend but to go consistently beyond means hiring a whole 2nd shift.

Also, these breakfast places are very appealing to landlords because other than lunch, they don't overlap with other high volume restaurants and bars at night. I would bet that most have provisions built into their leases that restrict hours as a way of dealing with parking codes.

There are other breakfast-heavy places that stay open for dinner or even 24-hours but that is a completely different business model.

[TheTravellers]

Good point about the second shift, never run a retail/food establishment, so didn't even think of that, guessing it's THE primary reason, thanks...

Guess I need to get a new phone that supports the Nowait app.

[sooner88]

Has anyone had difficulty with the NoWait app? Last time we used it at Hatch we showed up on time and still had to wait for an hour...

[mtkraft3]

As with Hatch, if they've got that many people in line, why not just extend their hours? Do they expect that they'll end up with less business eventually and be empty half an hour before closing?

It’s a bit more complicated than just extending hours. We seat through our wait time say if we are on an hour wait when we close, we seat through the remaining wait if you are on the list until 2:30. A lot of our employees have night jobs that start at 4, so you run into the problem of staffing. If we extended hours we mine as well be open for dinner! Also, takes away from the concept breakfast and lunch!

[TheTravellers]

It’s a bit more complicated than just extending hours. We seat through our wait time say if we are on an hour wait when we close, we seat through the remaining wait if you are on the list until 2:30. A lot of our employees have night jobs that start at 4, so you run into the problem of staffing. If we extended hours we mine as well be open for dinner! Also, takes away from the concept breakfast and lunch!

Thanks for the info from the horse's mouth, appreciated! I guess we just got used to the Greek diners in Chicagoland that were open all day and we could walk in any time of day and get breakfast, and the non-Greek-diner breakfast places we went to there were open until 3:00 (we're night people and don't get out to eat breakfast by noon on weekends like so many here do, we sleep in and chill for a bit before going out). Breakfast for dinner can be a good thing too....

[FighttheGoodFight]

The Norman one is going to be packed I imagine. The Diner and Syrup do very well on Main Street there so I have no doubt this will kill it. Plus it actually has a parking lot.

[PhiAlpha]

The Denco Darlin' itself will bring in a ton of business from multiple generations of former OU students/graduates. I've heard about that thing multiple times a year for most of my life from my parents' and friends' stories.

[Pete]

The Denco Darlin' itself will bring in a ton of business from multiple generations of former OU students/graduates. I've heard about that thing multiple times a year for most of my life from my parents' and friends' stories.

Yep.

I had it once on a very late night but I'm sure this new version will be less greasy and be less of what was then a food dare.

[Libbymin]

Last two weekends I tried to get in line for a party of two on NoWait, the wait was 240+ minutes. Could part of the problem just be the pace that they turn over tables? I'm sure their food is good and I'm curious to try it, but that's a pretty ridiculous wait to me.

[Pete]

This is really cool; from their FB page:

********

Heads up foodies and brunch enthusiasts! On the first Friday of every month, we are opening our doors to serve Breakfast for Dinner. What makes this event even more amazing, is the chance to give back to the community! Each month, we will give 20% of our sales to a local school!

Join us anytime between 5 and 9 PM on the first Friday of each month to enjoy your favorite meal of the day and give back! #THATSMYJAM

School benefiting next month - April 6, 2018:
Charles Haskell
Elementary School

[Thomas Vu]

That is really cool. Hopefully they make an equal killing that they do at breakfast.

[Pete]

Plans for NJ in The Boulevard in Midtown.

The restaurant will take the westernmost section of the complex.

[Pete]

They will be opening in The Boulevard in mid-January.

[Pete]

[PaddyShack]

Pete, did you upload photos of the finished Norman location?