I put this progressive date together featuring all walkable spots on Uptown 23rd in Oklahoma City! You’ll have signature cocktails, appetizers, dinner and some ballin’ desserts. Enjoy!
Note: This blog post was published in February of last year, and almost all of the restaurants mentioned have closed. I thought I would update the post to include some new additions and old favorites.
Last week, my friend Alyssa asked for suggestions on a progressive dinner in OKC for her mother-in-law. A progressive dinner is where you have drinks at one place, appetizers at another, dinner at another, and dessert at the last. That way you can try a whole bunch of different local places and let your eating last as long as possible (v. important). I wrote up this email for her but I thought I would post it because to me it was SO FUN and I would really like to do this exact tour, I created it and it sounds just like a dream. I didn’t put a price limit on this, but I think you could probably go as high or low as you wanted to.
Drinks
PonyBoy: An Oklahoma-themed bar from the minds behind Empire Slice and Goro Ramen. Same layout as the previous restaurant, Savings and Loan, but decorated in a very different way. At night, there’s in-house DJs and a dance floor that rivals Groovy’s. Probably $10-$12 a drink with a classic cocktail menu for drinks about $5 a pop. Very fun spot.
Appetizers
Guyutes: First, I know the inside of this restaurant isn’t super appealing. That’s why you need to go straight to the rooftop, order a moscow mule and an order of the tequila sunfriez. Cheese fries with an egg are everything I never knew that I needed. Also on top of the fries – tequila queso, pulled pork and a cilantro crema. This is all you need for an appetizer. Trust.
Dinner
Cheevers: An OKC Staple. A Good Egg Staple. Never bad. I think the consensus here is to order the chicken-fried steak with jalapeno cream gravy and garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes. If you’re on the vegetarian side, the cauliflower bread pudding also looks ah-mazing. Even lighter still, the quinoa-avocado salad has a great southwest twist with chile-lime corn and pico de gallo. You can’t go wrong with anything one the menu. On a street where some places can’t even last a year, Cheevers has been around since the early ’80s. Check them out.
Dessert
The Drake: Not typically a dessert place (seafood restaurant), but they have some sleeper hits here. The lemon cloud pie is SO GOOD (Biscoff crust) and they also have chocolate hushpuppies with milk. The Brandy Ice here is the best in OKC. I also adore the ambience. It’s a beautiful restaurant.
Nightcap
Bunker Club: The Bunker Club’s sister bar, The Pump has really nailed the Oklahoma summer aesthetic, but I tend to prefer Bunker Club. It’s a total themed bar, and everywhere you look there’s something new to look at. My personal favorite night is Tiki Tuesday, because where else in Oklahoma can you sip a cocktail out of a coconut? This cocktail menu is so expansive and fun, plus they have processco ON TAP. Sign me up.
That’s it! Happy eating.
Mal xo
