The Best OKC Food: Places to Eat in Oklahoma City

Goodness, I ate so much in OKC, my Uber driver had to roll me out of the car at the airport! I had heard OKC had a burgeoning foodie scene, and it’s no lie. There are so many wonderful places to eat in Oklahoma City, it would take much more than one visit to even begin to sample them all. But in this personal OKC dining guide, I’ll give you a taste of some of the most delicious food to be had in Oklahoma City’s best restaurants.

Some of the best restaurants in OKC: Dining by district in Oklahoma City

In this post, I’ll take you to a number of Oklahoma City’s unique districts to sample a diversity of cuisines, which is exactly what I suggest you do when you visit OKC.

So folks, get ready to salivate! I’m going to showcase my favorite places to eat in Oklahoma City. This post is organized by district. Not every district there is, just the ones I ate in. At the end of each restaurant description, you’ll find a synopsis of what to eat there (as per moi), when to go, their business hours and the address and phone number. Are you ready for some of the best places to eat in OKC?

A bit more about the pie. Pecan pie is the signature dessert of Oklahoma. I had an incredible version here: really the best pecan pie I have tasted. Sorghum was used rather than sugar, so it was not cloyingly sweet and had so much added flavor. And as I mentioned, the pecans are spectacular, so flavorful and freshly sourced from a nearby farm.

Flint in the Colcord Hotel

Flint restaurant and lounge in the Colcord Hotel is a popular downtown venue for drinks and great eats. This classic spot is upscale, yet casual, and features contemporary American cuisine using the best available ingredients. Enjoy their modern dining room, or opt for the stylish open-air patio. You really shouldn’t miss the patio if the weather is agreeable. Highlights include both a waterfall and a fireplace.

Located in the heart of downtown OKC, Flint is the ideal place to pre-game whether you’re attending an event at the Civic Center, Myriad Gardens or Paycom Center. They offer weekend brunch, weekday breakfast and lunch, and dinner every night of the week.

I started out with this simple and delicious arugula salad. Peppery perfection! For my main, I decided to try their shrimp and grits. While the shrimp was divine, the tomato sauce, a house-made heavenly concoction, completely stole the show. It involved stewed tomatoes and sherry. The sauce was so good, I could slurp it up by the vat. (Dear Flint, please let me know if vats are available.)

Be sure to leave plenty of room for dessert, because the dee-licous key lime pie is both incredibly creamy and incredibly huge! You’ve been warned! This is a regular menu item and you really shouldn’t miss it.

Synopsis

What to have here: Start or end at the bar. DO NOT skip dessert!
When to go: Pre-game, night out, weekend brunch

• Hours
• Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 6:30am to 2pm
• Breakfast: Weekdays, 6:30 to 10:30am
• Lunch: Weekdays, 10:30am to 2pm
• Drinks + Dinner: 5–10pm Monday–Saturday, 4–9pm Sunday

Address: 15 N Robinson Avenue, in the historic Colcord Hotel
Phone: (405) 605-0657
See website for details or to book a table; reservations encouraged.

Pro Tip: Complimentary valet parking here makes it easy to dine downtown!

For more about the beautiful and historic Colcord Hotel, see OKC Adventure: Surprising Oklahoma City Attractions.

Museum Café (Now Museum Store x Ganache) at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Do yourself a favor: have a meal at the Museum Café at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The service is excellent and the ambiance is luxe. This charming restaurant also has a lovely view. Last but not least, they offer the best eggs Benedict I’ve ever had, made with their delicious crab cakes. Yum! To add delight to delight, afterwards you can walk right in to the OKCMOA and see some wonderful art!

This classy eatery offers French-inflected modern American cuisine that is quality focused and artfully inspired, just like the setting. The menu for lunch and weekend brunch changes seasonally. From the bar, choose from a carefully curated wine list, artisan beers, and classic seasonal cocktails.

Pro tip: I always ask for light sauce on my Eggs Bennie. You can see here I still had plenty.

Synopsis

What to have here: Crabcakes, eggs benedict, cocktails
When to go: It’s fun to have weekend brunch before the museum opens then head in to see the art.
Hours: 10am to 5 pm Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10am to 9pm Thursday, 12 to 5 pm Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Address: 415 Couch Drive

Museum Store x Ganache

The Museum Café has now morphed into the Museum Store x Ganache, a partnership with Ganache Patisserie. Visitors can enjoy decadent desserts and entrees from the patisserie as well as a full bar with coffee, beer, wine and classic cocktails. Their hours are posted above.

The photos below show how the whole place is a quirky work of art—check out that giraffe! Especially amazing is the rare opportunity to purchase Chihuly glass in the museum shop (see the display in photo bottom right). Museum x Ganache: It’s playful, it has panache, and it has pastry…I love it and can’t wait to visit. Photos courtesy of the OKCMOA.

Pro Tip: I highly recommend a visit to the OKCMOA. It’s a don’t-miss opportunity to see one of the largest collections of Chihuly glass art in the world!

I LOVED the OKCMOA! For some of the highlights of their collection, see My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions.

Places to eat in Oklahoma City: Best Restaurants in the Plaza District

The Empire Slice House

A hugely popular OKC treasure, the Empire Slice House in the charming Plaza District is a prime lunch, dinner, and late-night nosh spot. Look for the pink elephant. Their full bar offers a large selection of beers, 6 rotating taps, and some aptly named cocktails (Sucker Punch, anyone?). They also have a nice selection of mocktails.

You can purchase their delicious New York-style pizza as a whole pie or by the slice. I recommend “The Fungus Among Us.” Pro tip: if you order by the slice, you can try 2 or 3 different kinds of pizza. You’re welcome!

I loved the vibe at the Empire and their staff are amazing. They come out on top in several categories of the Best of OKC awards every year, from best pizza place to best late-night eats.

Synopsis

What to have here: Pizza and beer or cocktails. You will be seeing a pink elephant later, but don’t worry, it’s just the mascot!
When to go: Lunch till late, night out
Hours: 11am to 11pm Sunday–Thursday, 11am to Midnight Friday and Saturday
Address: 1804 NW 16th Street
Phone: (405) 557-1760
See website for details and to order online.

Pie Junkie

I’d heard a lot about Pie Junkie before ever setting foot in OKC. Pie Junkie has earned many accolades. It has won the number one spot for best dessert the past 3 years in a row in the Best of OKC awards, a popular reader poll in the Oklahoma Gazette.

When Pie Junkie owners, Darcy and Leslie, started baking pies together in 2010, they had no idea their little hobby would grow so quickly. Today, Pie Junkie makes over 20,000 pies a year!

Darcy and Leslie value the traditional recipes passed down from their grandmothers, who taught them to bake. They also enjoy developing new recipes. So you’ll find homemade classics alongside innovative originals, all made from scratch each day.

Synopsis

What to have here: PIE, my friend! Pie and more pie!
When to go: Whenever you want to eat pie, which in my case, is: always!
Hours: 10am to 7pm Tuesdays–Thursdays, 10am to 9 pm Fridays and Saturdays, Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Address:  1711 NW 16th St
Phone: (405) 605-8767
See website to order a whole pie online.

For more about the Plaza District, including the delightful street art bonanza that is the Plaza Walls, see OKC Adventure.

Places to eat in Oklahoma City: Best Restaurants in the Paseo Arts District

Frida Southwest

Frida Southwest fits right in to the beautiful and unusual historic Paseo Arts District with southwestern flavors inspired by the cuisine of Oklahoma, Santa Fe and northern Mexico. Housed in an architecturally unique and beautifully designed setting, you’ll enjoy your surroundings as much as your food.

And the food is fantastic! Best thing ever: you actually get a bread basket, an especially yummy one with cornbread! I was in heaven as you know how much I love my carbs and my bread baskets. Have the namesake salad: unexpected and fabulous taste combinations. Loved the roasted pineapple in there. You can count on a perfectly cooked piece of fish, and their vegan tamales are out of this world. I’ve never had a tamale with such a pure fresh taste of corn.

Pro tip: Frida has a speakeasy! You absolutely must check it out. It’s like stepping back into the Roaring Twenties!

Synopsis

What to have here: The signature salad (Frida salad), any fish dish, the vegan tamales.
When to go: Date night or weekend brunch
Hours: Dinner 5 to 10pm Tuesday–Saturday, Brunch 11am to 3pm Saturday, 10am to 3pm Sunday, Dinner 5 to 9pm Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Address: 500 Paseo
Phone: (405) 683-7432
You can make reservations on their website.

Holey Rollers

When I visited the Paseo, I had great fun at the neighborhood donut shop, Holey Rollers. If you’re looking for a sensible sweet to sustain you as you explore, look no further than their café (complete with attached bookstore). All their delicious donuts are vegan, and they have several gluten-free selections daily. Thus the “sensible” part. Try the little raised-dough donut holes drenched in honey, and the seasonal latté!

Synopsis

What to have here: Donuts and coffee
When to go: Whenever you want donuts. Which, in my case, is: always!
Hours: 8am to 3pm Wednesday–Saturday, 9am to 3pm Sunday. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Address: 3010 Paseo #101  
Phone: (405) 212-2383
See website to order online.

For more about the Paseo Arts District, see My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions.

Places to eat in Oklahoma City: Best Restaurants in the Uptown 23rd District

The Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co.

Find the Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co. right next to the Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City’s historic Uptown 23rd District, a darn cute neighborhood. Walking in to this restaurant is a feast for the eyes. Their mile-high, scratch-made biscuits are a feast for your tastebuds as well.

Wait till you try my personal recommendation, the Nashville (pictured below). If you don’t have a big mouth, get ready to utilize knife and fork! (I do have a big mouth, but I didn’t even try to get it around this sandwich.)

I also loved their honey latté, made with local honey you can purchase in the restaurant. This is a great place to hang out and watch the world go by.

Synopsis

What to have here: Anything involving a biscuit. Wash it down with the honey latté, made with local honey.
When to go: Breakfast and lunch
Hours: 7am to 2pm daily
Address: 429 NW 23rd Street. They also have two newer locations in Edmond and Northwest OKC.
Phone: (405) 605-4395
You can order delivery through Uber Eats or Doordash on their website.

Sala Thai

For the best authentic Thai food in town, head to Sala Thai! The owner is a family friend—tell her Cynthia sent you. You must try her unique spin on Thai iced tea, made with green tea.

Everything is so good: I especially recommend the papaya salad, the Pad See Ew and the Pad Thai, the Laab and the fish. Their most popular items are the Pad Thai and their curries. The staff here are the best and will take excellent care of you.

Their dining room has been renovated since my visit. Please note, the restaurant’s new business hours are 11am to 3pm for lunch and 5 to 8pm for dinner. The restaurant is closed from 3 to 5pm to allow time to prep for the next shift. Open daily except Sunday.

Synopsis

What to have here: Thai green iced tea, papaya salad, any noodle dish, Laab, fish
When to go: Lunch and dinner
Hours: 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm daily except closed Sunday
Address: 1614 NW 23rd Street
Phone: (405) 528-8424

For more information, check out their website.

To learn more about the Uptown 23rd District, see OKC Adventure.

In conclusion

The OKC food scene is booming. You’ll be spoiled for choice deciding where to eat in Oklahoma City. Whatever you do, don’t forget to bring your stretchy pants. Bon appetit!

More information about Oklahoma City

For more information about fun things to do in Oklahoma City, see the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

Oklahoma City in the Fall

Although not known nationally for its brilliant fall foliage, many feel Oklahoma is right up there with Colorado and New England when it comes to putting on a fall colors show. See gorgeous fall colors and learn how Oklahoma City is the perfect autumn getaway in Fall in Oklahoma City: Your Guide to an OKC Autumn Getaway.

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My Thanks: I’m so grateful to the OKC CVB: Tabbi Burwell, Meg Cathey, Lindsay Vidrine, & Jenna Lovelace; to Jen Burgess, The Colcord Hotel, MaryEddys, Flint, The Museum Café & the OKCMOA, especially Caitlin Anders; and to Frida, Holey Rollers, The Empire Slice House, Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co., and the wonderful Lawan of Sala Thai for housing and/or feeding me. Most of all, I’m immensely grateful to the members of Buddawajana and to Srisuda A., for taking me along on her OKC adventure.