Fuel 66

[patric]

Location(s) Being Reviewed:  Fuel 66, 2439 E 11th St
Date/Time of Visit:  Wednesday Nov. 30 @6:30 ish

What makes this restaurant unique:  Re-purposed Route 66 gas station

Tell us about your experience:


It was after dark and I originally passed by thinking it was closed.  I went around the block and found the parking lot to the east, but it still looked closed.
Walked closer and found a couple food trucks waiting for customers.  I ordered a burger from one and waited inside the remodeled gas station (cold that night).
Burger was good, not too badly priced, and a nice local alternative to chain food.

(wont review individual food trucks here since they rotate and probably deserve more specific reviews)

The indoor portion was nicely remodeled with big windows for he whole Route 66 experience.  The bar area had a good selection of tap beer (about ten or twelve) and some that I had never heard of.  Same for the canned bear in the coolers.  The serving bar had a virtual partition (sign) separating it from the picnic tables so families could have their kids, and the room was surrounded by flatscreens to give it a mini-sports bar feel.

It and the gas-station restrooms were clean and attractive, no customer WiFi yet.  Kids area had games and things like sidewalk chalk.


Now no Patric review would be complete without a look at the lighting...

Remember I said the place looked closed.  It was hard to distinguish it from any other 11th street car lot because the whole area was lit with stark bluish floodlights on telephone poles, and it just looked empty.  The kids area outside and to the west was brighter tho, but still didnt visually stand out as something other than a brighter car lot from the street.

I was looking for food trucks and didnt really see the gas station-bar (which had a nice cozy bar-lit atmosphere). When I was leaving another couple pulled up, looked around a bit and left without exploring further.

My theory is that the pole floodlighting sort of washed out the view of the food trucks, who sort of blended into the car lots of 11th.
This is when I would advocate the addition of some modest yet strategic lighting at the pedestrian scale.

We're not talking Acorns (unless they are purely decorative with intensities under 1000 Lumens) but this is a good time of year to drape a few more strings of christmas lights and some subtle lighted signage (especially around the food trucks).  Neon beer lights in the windows?  Go for it, just dont go overboard.

The floodlights on the poles likely dont meet the new zoning code because they shine right over the tops of the food truck park into the residential area behind.  That light trespass could be fixed by aiming the floodlights straight down, but that doesnt address the garish color.

Rotating the food trucks likely means ill be making return trips, so my overall impression was very favorable.
 

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

You should email them your lighting concerns. I agree that it doesn't look open and looks too dark to be inviting. I might email them too. Maybe lighting on the big sign also and a smaller, more welcoming lit-up sign right by the entrance and an "ENTER Fuel 66" sign pointing where to park.

[patric]

You should email them your lighting concerns. I agree that it doesn't look open and looks too dark to be inviting. I might email them too. Maybe lighting on the big sign also and a smaller, more welcoming lit-up sign right by the entrance and an "ENTER Fuel 66" sign pointing where to park.

Im sure ill be back to try another food truck.
In their case, its as much a matter of adding some good light as removing some bad.  Thats one reason you shouldnt rely on the electric company for lighting advice.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=18904.msg313434#msg313434

[patric]

Fuel 66 Tulsa to close this weekend

   Fuel 66 Tulsa, the food truck park and bar along historic Route 66 near Lewis, is closing this weekend.
   The business confirmed the news Wednesday on its Facebook page in a shared post from the MASA food truck page.
   Saturday is the last day of business.


https://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/dining/table-talk-fuel-food-truck-park-to-close-at-end/article_832b16d2-e056-5bee-8599-73cc45a6e28e.html

[shavethewhales]

Really unfortunate. The place is up for sale, hopefully someone buys it and keeps it going.

I can't believe Tulsa can't keep a food truck plaza going. Mother Road Market probably took a good bit of their business, plus the hot temps. Blue Garten in OKC is always rockin though...

[SXSW]

Really unfortunate. The place is up for sale, hopefully someone buys it and keeps it going.

I can't believe Tulsa can't keep a food truck plaza going. Mother Road Market probably took a good bit of their business, plus the hot temps. Blue Garten in OKC is always rockin though...

I think location is partly to blame.  It's too close to Mother Road Market.  It would likely do better closer to or in downtown like Blue Garten.

[patric]

Really unfortunate. The place is up for sale, hopefully someone buys it and keeps it going.

I can't believe Tulsa can't keep a food truck plaza going. Mother Road Market probably took a good bit of their business, plus the hot temps. Blue Garten in OKC is always rockin though...

Ellison and his wife, Elizabeth Ellison, were partners in the Fuel 66 Food and Beer Garden, which closed recently, and remain partners in Fernweh Shops. Elizabeth Ellison is president of the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation, which powered the $5.5 million Mother Road Market.
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/city-eyes-th-and-lewis-as-new-site-for-route/article_d3235877-c024-586d-ad49-398887e766e8.html