Oklahoma City Rising: 12 Places to Dine Now

Since my parents moved from New Jersey back to the town my mom grew up in — Edmond, OK — in the late aughts, I’ve regularly visited the land of my birth: Oklahoma City. Though we moved away from OKC when I was one year old, my extended Sicilian family and relatives (dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins and second cousins) all live near each other and my parents.

I’ve been writing about OKC’s small but growing food and drink revival since 2008 (and a bit of Tulsa food and drink). But the last OKC dining article I wrote was in 2017, though I’ve written about bars/drinks in OKC since. So this food update is overdue. While OKC was long behind much of the U.S.’ food and drink revival, like many smaller U.S. cities, they’ve grown more rapidly in the last couple years than in the entire prior decade.

Finally, I see a few more authentic strains of cuisines making waves (like Laotian eatery, Ma Der Lao, reviewed below) or find spirits that are standard for over 20 years in my city of SF occasionally at bars here, like rhum agricole or amaro. For over a decade, I’ve cherished OKC’s Urban Agrarian for organic produce and foods from local farmers and gourmet foods (love those duck fat tortillas!) While such markets were pioneered and are everywhere in CA for over half a century, UA is exceptional for Oklahoma, a treasure since 2008.

This past year I was back twice: in September 2022 and again over Christmas 2022. Over recent visits, I explore the ins-and-outs of 12 places to eat in and around Oklahoma City.

RESTAURANTS OKC’s Fine Dining Destination: Grey Sweater Open in 2019, Grey Sweater and chef Andrew Black have garnered accolades like James Beard Outstanding Chef Award semifinalist nomination. It is one of Oklahoma’s rare modern fine dining options (along with Nonesuch below) and thus the 7 course ($137) and 10 course ($187) menus — and three levels of wine pairings, ranging from $100–300 per person — are steep. They’re not steep for this level and quality of food and a knowledgeable sommelier, but getting the downsides out of the way, it’s steep for the setting and pacing.

Service is gracious but after a steady clip of initial amuse bouche and dishes, there were long gaps between subsequent courses, dragging the meal to a weary 3–4 hours (such fine dining meals are the norm for me around the globe, but somewhere between 2–3 hours is the sweet spot). Our 4-top was tucked in the corner of the bar/dining room, a lofty space that feels just a bit cold and corporate — we were wedged in the corner next to a wine wall separating us from the long kitchen/chef’s counter, which seemed a bit warmer but tougher for larger parties.

At nearly $1500 for four (only one of us had a wine pairing, the rest, cocktails and by the glass wine), this equals hundreds of Michelin-starred restaurants I’ve been to, but exceeds many equally or even more exceptional one-star Michelins I dine at on the regular. Again, for the quality of the food and the lovely global wine pairings (their $300 platinum wine pairing included some of my commonly tasted, most beloved regions like Alto Adige, Italy), it could be considered competitive. For the atmosphere and pacing, it was not. But there is really no competition at all at this level in OK, other than Nonesuch).

Getting that out of the way, as these elements will be a deterrent for some — and keeps it from being in even higher standing for me — chef Black’s cooking is, most importantly, delicious with nice touches of whimsy. It’s not as esoteric as some yet is decidedly fine dining fare, approachable even for those inexperienced with fine dining as it is interesting for someone like me who dines globally at 600+ restaurants a year (over 12,000 and counting). Think a grilled cheese variation with caviar as an amuse bouche, or chicken liver mousse in a tiny cone for examples of playful decadence. More interesting courses included a turnip cooked sous vide, brightly accented with sesame oil, lemongrass, soy, ginger, apple vinegar, sugar, cilantro, coconut.

Cocktails are custom-made to your tastes (usually my least favorite approach as I go out to taste the creativity and strengths of a bar, not what I “normally” drink — of course, as a global judge in drink as well as dining, I realize I’m not the target audience). The cocktails were certainly good but not mind-blowing in the realm of the U.S.’ best. But they are up there for OK.

While I’d question the price for the overall experience, I’d happily taste chef Black’s cooking again. He is a gift to OKC with his focus and lighthearted approachability in fine dining.

Raved About Laotian Destination: Ma Der Lao Ma Der Lao (essentially meaning “come eat Lao”) is the kind of restaurant I’ve long been waiting for in OK. Opening 2021 in the original, casual Gorō Ramen space (they’ve moved; see below), this Laotian restaurant from brother-sister Jeslyn and Jeff Chanchaleune (he’s the chef, she’s the bartender) has continued to draw accolades. The biggest was after my visit: a James Beard semi-finalist nod and NY Times top 50 U.S. restaurants list (a rarity for Oklahoma).

While I have versions I love even more at home of some of my favorite Lao dishes like nam khao (crispy rice salad), Ma Der Lao’s dishes are quality across the board and an absolute thrill to find in OK. While many associate popular Lao dishes (like laab or papaya salad) with Laos’ neighboring Thailand since they are ubiquitous dishes at so many Thai restaurants, they are actually Laotian. Jeslyn’s cocktails are another highlight of dining here being Laotian-inspired, like her popular Little Dragon. While I’ve had better Tamarind Whiskey Sours (was wishing for more tamarind flavor), I dig her vibrant Sala (palm fruit) Green Cowboy Syrup, showcased in a non-alcoholic cocktail and the Last King cocktail with gin, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, lime and Accompani Flora Green liqueur (I tried both).

From a mural of their grandmother to their father’s lifelong career as a chef, this is a sweet family affair. It’s also current, casual, fun. They’re educating Oklahomans on their cuisine in a state where the only dense Asian population is Vietnamese. It’s a win for the state in its hip authenticity.

A Reborn Mary Eddy’s I first dined at (and wrote about) Mary Eddy’s not long after it opened in 2016 in a lofty, historic Automobile Alley space. While it was a solid restaurant then in the 21c Museum Hotel, its dramatic remodel in 2022 after a 19-month pandemic closure feels like a whole new restaurant, as does the stepped up food and drink menus. The space is more seductive and romantic despite being massive and high-ceilinged, with velvet teal banquettes and glowing lighting. The space is chic, modern and memorable.

Mary Eddy’s small producers’ wine list may be standard at home, but it’s one of the best in OKC, while the Wishing Well cocktail (a unique combo of Cognac, Jamaican rum, aquavit, mango, cinnamon and lemon, made silky with silken tofu) was literally the best, most balanced cocktail I tasted out of dozens over my last couple visits to Oklahoma, including at fine dining spots like Grey Sweater.

Though sadly chef Jeff Patton just departed, so I’m not sure where the food will go next, I tried many of his dishes. Wedge salads or fried brussels sprouts in sorghum vinaigrette and pomegranate are standard but well made, while a Bolognese rigatoni in boursin cheese and bread crumbs deeply satisfies. Another standout is roasted carrots, raisins and pecans in salsa verde and harissa yogurt. I adore a good rabbit dish and dumplings. Here, rabbit and dumplings would benefit from slightly airier (vs. leaden) dumplings, but that killer sherry-mustard broth shines.

Frida Southwest Opening in 2019, Frida Southwest is from Humankind Hospitality owner Shaun Fiaccone and culinary director Ryan Parrott (also of neighboring OSO Paseo reviewed below, Picasso Cafe, etc.) This upscale-casual Southwestern restaurant turns out solid cocktails (like Ace of Base: mezcal, Ancho Reyes verde liqueur, velvet falernum, ginger syrup, chocolate bitters) alongside dishes of varying quality. Some are too sauce or element-heavy, while certain elements pop (an accompanying cornbread salad recently outshone the decent blackened mahi mahi it was partnered with). Desserts were a too-sweet, overwrought struggle, and I hoped for more in the seafood green chile tamale: for deeper masa flavor, fresher seafood and it was a bit too sauce-heavy, and this from someone who lives for sauces.

But what could have been gimmicky — Southwest pulled chicken spring rolls with rajas (poblano pepper with cream), corn, black beans, pico de gallo and chihuahua cheese in parmesan-asiago cream, green chili pesto and chipotle gastrique (see what I mean about too many elements) — somehow worked. Again, as an avowed sauce fanatic, this was too many sauces, yet the flavors came together in this dish. Sweet service and an outdoor patio make Frida a fun place to dine and drink, while another good way to go is the Daley, a hidden whiskey, cocktail and bites bar hidden inside Frida.

Tiki, Tacos & Slushies: OSO Paseo I’ve dined at OSO Paseo over both 2022 visits as it’s a comfortable, hip, bright kind of spot — with tacos, queso and cocktails. And I’ve had a couple of the sweetest, most fun servers I’ve had in OKC all year. There are margarita variations and house cocktails alongside robust Tiki classics (like a Sidewinder’s Fang), nodding to OSO’s hot pink, neighboring sister, Flamingo Tiki Room (which I’ll review in my upcoming OKC bars article). In some ways, the best drinks after tasting over 10 cocktails here, is the frozen slushie Mangonada. A lively mix of aged Jamaican rum, mango and lime benefits from Mexican staples, chamoy and tajin, as well as a candied tamarind straw. It’s balanced and a seriously good time.

Tacos are solid and some of the better in OK, although the ones with a local twist I thought I’d love most — like a brisket burnt ends taco in Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce — aren’t the standouts. Instead, it’s their birria tacos (one of my common faves at home in CA) or fried avocado tacos. Queso is thankfully available in small and large sizes and there are a range of salsas.

Food & Cocktails with a (Golf Course) View: Neighborhood Provisions OKC Just opening overlooking a golf course in August 2022, Neighborhood Provisions OKC may have a bit of a generic name, but its massive bar room and dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows gazing over the green and lake stand out. A smart team includes founder Alex Hammill, chef Jim Camp and beverage director Rachel Custer, with experience in other cities and in Custer’s case, bartending at upscale Grey Sweater.

I dined here fall 2022, meaning to return over Christmas to check out their new hidden bar/speakeasy I toured when it was still under construction and where Custer says she is making more intricate cocktails. In the restaurant, drinks have more thoughtful elements like mole spice blends or a Tipsy Alpaca cocktail with pisco, apricot liqueur, Ford’s sloe gin, vanilla, aquafaba, smoked paprika and acidified OJ to elevate even a juicer-type cocktail for hardcore drink aficionados. Though the clubhouse-style menu of salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas/flatbreads and, at night, entrees like bourbon cider-glazed pork chop, don’t push any boundaries, there is care here behind the service and menus, amplified by the indoor-outdoor space and patio.

NY-Slice with Beer: Empire Slice House Oklahoma isn’t a pizza lovers’ destination state, by any means. But Empire Slice House is the best I’ve had there to date, more of a NY slice kind of style (read, large, thin, foldable slices), but with more creative toppings. I’m still partial to the original OKC location for years, but there are now Edmond and Tulsa locales. Their extensive beer selection (about 8 on draft) is the right drink pairing, while pizzas sport fun names like Doug E. Fresh or RBG Supreme. I particularly dig the spicy Evil Empire: spicy marinara, jalapeños, poblanos, serranos and cherry pepper relish.

Upscale, Tiny Edmond Gem: Signature Grill In my parents’ town (and mom’s hometown) of Edmond, Signature Grill is an unassuming, tiny spot hidden in a strip mall, where my foodie aunt and uncle took me to dine. Chef Clay Faulkner and Jessica impart an uber-friendly, familial spirit. The menu and space exude a decidedly 1980s-90s kind of upscale vibe with a steak and seafood-heavy menu. But the warmth of the service in an intimate space highlights Faulkner’s fun touches like horseradish in crab cakes, pepperoncinis with flash fried calamari or vibrant romesco sauce over fish of the day.

Fine Dining with Promise: Nonesuch Caveat: I am overdue to return to Nonesuch as my visit was in 2019, not long after they were (I believe prematurely) named Bon Appetit’s Best New U.S. Restaurant of 2018, much as I was delighted to see OK finally make such a national list. But I want to include Nonesuch here as I have not written an OKC dining article since then. And in a state with literally only a couple fine dining tasting menu restaurants of note, it’s one for food lovers and travelers to keep an eye on. Their rectangular, center chef’s counter seating is a welcome front row view into plating and cooking.

I appreciated Nonesuch’s 10 course tasting menu ($175 pp) and sourcing from local farmers. But I could taste the lack of experience in the number of oddly heavy on starch or breading courses and in the uneven pacing of types of courses (how many of the nation’s best restaurants had chef and team visited, much less worked in? Not much, as we got to chatting). It’s almost as if recipes ideas were gleaned from reading about trends and techniques, but hadn’t been tasted in the places that pioneered them or in their best versions, so as to hone what they were attempting to achieve. Some courses sounded better than they tasted and I’d had superior versions of similar dishes elsewhere.

But there still is talent and vision here, particularly seen in the vegetable-forward amuse bouche spread. I appreciated that they were trying different bread techniques, even if the tasting menu leaned starch-heavy. I’m hoping they’ve come a long way since and consider returning of these visits to my parents.

German Beer Hall: Fassler Hall With its striking beer hall space — and locations in Tulsa and Little Rock, AR — Fassler Hall is a good time with an array of juicy sausages with toppings (like Hatch chiles, gouda, fried onions!), basic cocktails and over 20 beers on draft.

EVERYTHING ELSE Dated 90s’ atmosphere still feels cozy at Patrono, but experienced mediocre Italian food with hit-and-miss elements throughout. While I struggled with the far-from-authentic Korean food at Chae a few years ago, I was delighted to see Korean popping up around OKC and can only hope they’ve improved and tightened up since? Kitchen №324 so looks the part with its lofty, modern design and appealing breakfast-all-day menu, but actual execution and taste of dishes leaves something to be desired. In its newer location, Goro Ramen may be stronger. Dining in its original locale (now housing the special Ma Der Lao — see above), it was solid but forgettable compared to the endless ramen places at home, nationally and of course, in dear Japan. However, other dishes and drinks at Gorō appealed more than the ramen.

Hoboken Coffee, Guthrie The best coffee of both my visits this year to OK (or for years, really) is in the chill town of Guthrie. Named after the famed Jersey city (near my youthful stomping grounds outside NYC), Hoboken Coffee staff told me the husband-wife owners who founded it did some training in NY/NJ. Opening as a coffee roastery and bakery since 2012, prior the founders gained their deeper knowledge of coffee culture and third wave coffee on the West Coast/Pacific Northwest. Note: the bakery side sells out early. A local gem.

Pie Time: Pie Junkie In OKC’s hip Plaza District, Pie Junkie is a sweet tooth’s heaven. Since I’m not a sweet tooth, all the pie flavors don’t work for me. But I appreciate their tart key lime or lemon cream pies or silky peanut butter pie. There are a few flavors you can “take and bake” at home.