Yeah I never got the Bad Brad’s thing. Didn’t he play a season or two of TU football? I’d love to see a thread on all the various merchants around Tulsa that had a year or two of indistinguished play for TU football and never graduated.
I was talking about the original building. I’m old enough that I actually forgot about the Yale location. Only went there once. Had a bad experience and never went back.
Same exact thing. Went once, wasn't good, and never went back...but it hadn't been open long. Several people have gone in the last year and told me it was good. Might give it another shot.
I ate at the Bros. Houligan Yale location last week. Service was decent and the chicken fry was big and tasty. I love their green beans, and I don't usually eat them.
I'd throw The Mercantile in Pawhuska. (Pioneer Woman's place). The chicken fried steak there is really good
That is complete nonsense. I wish I could say it was good. It is average at best.
Some of it is the setting. It was crowded at like 11am. We were rushed by the staff. Some of it may be expectations. She has cook books so you expect something excellent or at least memorable/distinctive. The food was fine, including my CFS. It was just meh. I can and have done better at home using her recipe. You can get cheese fries anywhere. You expect Eskimo Joes cheese fries to be better … and they are. You build a destination restaurant you need to deliver on the promise of a memorable experience and what I was served was a filling lunch for a typical Tuesday eaten across the street from a courthouse in a ho-hum diner. At least in the diner you get a 74 year old waitress alternating between annoyed by you and treating you like a grandchild. Our service alternated between indifference and “are you still here?” and that was before we were served. If you happen to be in Pawhuska anyway and it happens to be the only place open you can eat there. It will be fine. Put the same food on a plate in Tulsa without her name on it and the place will close in 6 months.
I understand the experience. This is not a place to just decide to go to. You have to be willing to stand in a line for 1-2 hours just to get inside (no waiting list or pagers to tell you to come back when your table is ready). We went when my sister from PA came into town. We visited the Tallgrass Prairie and took some pictures of bison. When you've got out of town guests they ask about the Pioneer Woman and her restaurant, so you try to go. I liked the CFS and I've also used her recipe with great results. The little accompaniments to the food were probably the biggest hit with our group...like my wife and daughter still gush over the homemade ranch (insert Okie jokes here)...and the blackberry lemonade was outstanding. Like I said, I liked the CFS mainly because it didn't feel like it was a super heavy dish like many CFS' can feel while maintaining the quality of a good hearty CFS. But yes, the service seemed rushed because the line outside usually goes 50-100 deep and they're trying to get as many people through as possible...but what restaurant doesn't feel like that...have you gone to Texas Roadhouse or Cheddar's in the past 10 years...same experience. I imagine Chip and Joanna Gaines' place in Waco is much the same (whoever thought anything about Waco would be destination weekend worthy?)
Chris Gaines’ restaurant in Stillwater was pretty good too while it lasted. I’ll never understand why people said he never should have opened it, but I get that he closed it quickly and he wants to do something else for the money.
You can scroll up a ways and find my review from our one and done experience.
It's not necessarily a trip I'd just want to make and go eat at the place...we did b/c it was a touristy thing my sister wanted to see. If my MIL or my mom came down and wanted to go, we probably would to oblige them. But as I said, the food was good (IMO) and I thought the CFS was at least worthy of being included on the list as it was tasty and rivaled some of the places mentioned (again, IMO).
