Top Bites And Brews In Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second largest city in the state, is an oil boom town in the midst of a resurgence, with unique neighborhoods and entertainment districts, a recently completed 100-acre, $465 million riverfront park and a remote program that encourages workers to move to the city for at least a year. On the food and drink front, there’s a wide range of options to keep you satisfied on a weekend trip or longer stop through the city. From a smoked meat mecca to a vegetable-forward New American eatery, here’s some of the best places to grab some grub in Tulsa.
Vista at the Boathouse
Situated in Tulsa’s Gathering Place (a stunning riverfront park that opened just last year), this restaurant has floor-to-ceiling glass walls which offer views of the park and Downtown. An eclectic menu offers something for everyone, from hand-cut filet to shrimp curry to smoked brisket tacos. On the drinks side of things, there are classic and house cocktails (including Guthrie Green, a vodka cocktail named after its sister park), wine by the glass and bottle, and beer.
Lone Wolf Banh Mi
From husband-and-wife team Philip and Danielle Phillips, this Vietnamese fusion concept began as a food truck and has since expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations. On the menu are creative banh mi, kimchi fries and fried rice bowls, with daily specials like Meatball Monday and brunch fare on weekends. Traditional banh mi proteins are swapped out for options like lemongrass fried chicken, pulled pork and a chickpea-based ginger fritter (vegan option). For dessert, there’s cookies and vegan soft serve ice cream with rotating flavors (currently grape and salty peanut).
Burn Co BBQ
A Tulsa institution, Burn Co BBQ serves up smoked meats cooked in Oklahoma-made Hasty-Bake charcoal ovens. Sausages and cured meats are all made in-house and complemented by classic sides like baked beans, coleslaw and mac and cheese. The setting at its South Boston Avenue location is laid-back and unfussy, with wood picnic tables and a stage for live music performances.
Oren
This modern spot for New American fare highlights global flavors and locally sourced ingredients. Chef Matthew Amberg, a Tulsa native, heads up the kitchen, and the restaurant is his wife Yaara’s maiden name. Oren is open for dinner service Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday brunch. On the menu are spreads like hummus and labne served with housemade ciabatta and mains like whole roasted chicken and honey-glazed Peking duck that are meant to be shared and ordered with sides like roasted potatoes and creamed spinach.
American Solera
Located just a few steps away from Burn Co BBQ is American Solera’s SOBO taproom. The local maker recently opened a 14,000-square-foot brewery and taproom with bottles and cans for sale, expanded seating and a kitchen. The creative craft brewery specializes in oak barrel aging, employing a similar process used when aging sherry and other fortified wines. Most beers are aged 6 to 18 months prior to bottling, which lends a unique flavor profile to each beer and a fair amount of sour beers. Their beer lineup changes frequently, with current drafts boasting cheeky names like All The Sports and Apple Cinnamon Dilemma.
Heirloom Rustic Ales
A striking graffiti-style mural takes up an entire outer wall of this relaxed brewery and taproom, and the wall art doesn’t end there; there’s an illustration of the Kool-Aid Man emerging from a wall just behind the barrels in the brewery. Heirloom Rustic Ales brews beers in small batches, and you’ll find detailed descriptions of available beers that include their styles (from Mexican lager to Flemish-inspired wild ale), how they’re made and quirky notes like “This beer reminds us of getting sun poisoning on dolphin cruises, meeting Bumble dates on wave runners, and living off of boiled peanuts” (Florida Stories).
Glacier Bean To Bar
For a sweet treat, head to Glacier Confection’s Bean To Bar chocolate cafe for truffles, coffee and cocktails like the Veruca Salt (creamy salted caramel liqueur, sweet Italian almond liqueur, half and half). In the back is a glass-enclosed bean to bar chocolate making facility, but the focal point of the space is a wraparound bar featuring a glass case filled with colorful truffles in inventive flavors like strawberry Champagne, pear balsamic and cookie dough.
