Best of - Tulsa Restaurants That Are Gone

[AMP]

Pennington's Drive In

Home of Blackbottom Pie, Wiz Burgers, and Fried Shrimp Dinners

Name your favorite restaurant that is no longer in Tulsa.

[TulsaJayhawk]

Powers, a steak place on the east side of Harvard near 33rd or 34th.

Nelson's Buffeteria, of course.

(And, aside from the social and nostalgic aspects, I personally found Pennington's rather overrated.)

[unknown]

Rosies
Rex Chicken

[Breadburner]

S & J Oyster Bar.....

Shotgun Sams....

Ma Bells.....

[iplaw]

Wing's hamburgers
East Side Cafe
Nelson's
Molly Murphy's
Charlie Mitchell's

[cks511]

Elliots Bar-B-Que

[RecycleMichael]

East Side cafe...good call.

I took a bunch of out-of-town guys there about fifteen years ago. These were major players buying recycling and trash businesses across the country and the top guy said he wanted to eat at a regular diner for lunch.

He was so impressed with East Side. About five years ago I was giving a speech in California and during the question and answer portion he asked me in front of the whole audience if I could get him some of those wondeful onion rings again.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

East Side cafe...good call.

I took a bunch of out-of-town guys there about fifteen years ago. These were major players buying recycling and trash businesses across the country and the top guy said he wanted to eat at a regular diner for lunch.

He was so impressed with East Side. About five years ago I was giving a speech in California and during the question and answer portion he asked me in front of the whole audience if I could get him some of those wondeful onion rings again.

Yeah.  I have good memories of that place.  It was one of the last places my dad and I ate at before he passed away a couple years ago.  The last year he was alive he took my wife and I to all of the places (that still existed) that he had enjoyed over the years.

[cannon_fodder]

Was the "best restaurant thread" too happy or what?  Maybe I'm just crazy, but it seems no matter what is posted someone has to try to make a negative statement.  Not saying that's why you started the thread AMP, just saying it seems to me there can't ever be good news.

If the restaurant is gone, apparently not enough people that it was "the best."

My favorite restaurant that's gone - Metro Diner.  Too bad they didn't open back up, but I suppose selling out is the only real way to leave the business with a profit.

[Conan71]

Some of my fave's were already mentioned.

One I miss is Bella Italia.

[patric]

Uno's Pizzaria, even though it was a chain.

(the frozen version you see in stores isnt the same... must be the lead paint from China) []

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Was the "best restaurant thread" too happy or what?  Maybe I'm just crazy, but it seems no matter what is posted someone has to try to make a negative statement.  Not saying that's why you started the thread AMP, just saying it seems to me there can't ever be good news.

If the restaurant is gone, apparently not enough people that it was "the best."

My favorite restaurant that's gone - Metro Diner.  Too bad they didn't open back up, but I suppose selling out is the only real way to leave the business with a profit.

Hey Negative

[pmcalk]

My Pie pizza.  I still miss that one.  There was a restaurant around 61st and Lewis--I think maybe MaBelle?--they had great nachos, and you ordered everything by phone.  Not that it had good food, but I miss the Furrs in Utica Square--my family use to eat there every Sunday night.  As a kid, it was great to pick out anything I wanted.  Not that I ate anything except for the chocolate cream pie.

[AMP]

Not sure why some closed.  But when they were open they were some of the hot spots in Tulsa for many.  Some small businesses close when the principal owner looses interest, retires or passes away.  Similar to when one operated by a dentist, doctor, mechanic, jeweler, tech, locksmith, machinist or other skilled person moves on.    

Seems there are many more older restaurants that are still open and doing well in Oklahoma City than in tulsa.  Molly Murphys was still open in OKC last time I was there.  

The National Chains just don't have that owner on site appeal that most of these did.  Something about having a person that actually puts some love into preparing your food, versus a person that seems to hate their job and it watching the clock while making it.  LOL

Perhaps it was the quality of the food as well.  Today's chains seem to buy their food from the Sysco truck or other national supplier. I recall some of these got their meat from Tulsa Beef or Hodges or Bauer & Sons meat processing in Sand Springs, Fadlers, again a local thing.

Few More of my Favorites

The Original Impressions 15th & Lewis  Pasta & Prime Rib Sandwich  - Now located Downtown

Der Winersnitzel

The orginal Ron's Hamburgers 15th & Harvard
Other Ron's Hamburgers are still all over the area.

The Italian Inn
Lea's Pizzareia 43rd & Peoria
Shakey's Pizza
My Pie Pizza  (Used the Pi Sign)
Crystal's Pizza
Kings Hamburgers 31st & Sheridan
Shaw's Hamburgers 32nd & Yale
Steven's Hamburger's corner 28th & Yale
The Pines East Pine between Sheridan & Memorial
Mark & Tammy's Hamburgers
Golden Drumstick  11th & Yale
Middle Path Restaurant 11th & Yale
Tastee Freeze or Dariy Queen On East 11th  
Chuck Wagon East 11th  Giant Wheel Burgers
Partners East 11th  Hot Apple Pie Alamode
Ma Bells 51st & Yale, Admiral & Sherican
Griff's Hamburgers
Burger Chef
Shoney's
Star Restaurant
Kips Big Boy 11th, downtown, Memorial - Known as other first name Big Boy in other cities

Hardens Chicken - By Johnny Harden
There is an Harden's Hamburgers near 4th and Sheridan now.  

Pancake Place
Pure Milk 41st & Hudson
Cafe at the Rose Bowl
Cafe at Yale Bowl
 
Ken's Pizza - Ken Selby still has other Pizza restaurants in Tulsa.

Concession Stand at Tulsa Speedway
Bisquits Plus
Sambos
The Speakeasy Steak Places 91st & Lewis/Deleware and one out south east of Broken Arrow.

Ann's Bakery - Currently Closed due to a fire.  

[breitee]

Helmut's Alpine Kitchen
Hungry Pelican
Dickie's Fish and Chips
Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips
East Side Cafe
The Library on 11th
Der Wienerschnitzel
Martin's BBQ
Shotgun Sams
Applegate's Landing
Zuider Zee