Best of - Tulsa Restaurants That Are Gone

[AMP]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

Jamil's

The last time I ate there was Sept 10, 2001...

dum..da..dum..dum..

Really poor service.  The guy that waited on us was so old and he shook so badly that he couldn't even fill water glasses on the table without pouring water on our food.

I can smell and taste the Hickory smoked meat.  Yummy. Jamil's purchased their meats from Jitney Jungle when they first started.  Jitney Jungle's meat counter was located near 32nd and Harvard across from Ranch Acres Shopping Center.




Grant Hastings who invented the Hasty Bake and my dad would also buy meat there.  They got it for the big annual Oertle's employee picnics my dad held.  Nothing better than a steak and grilled onion from an original Hasty Bake Oven.  Elias have used a similar hooded oven for years at their restaurants.  



http://backyardbashkc.com/2007/06/22/spotlight-hasty-bake-grills/
Tulsan Grant Hastings inventor of the Hasty Bake Charcoal Oven.

Guess it is like Bell's and other nostalgic places in Tulsa. If one does not know the history and the people it may not be as interesting or seem proper.   If you sit in Robert's area downstairs, just tell him to set the water or tea pitcher on the end of the table and you will handle it.  Many folks enjoy a special Spiked drink from Benard's famous mixing station in the kitchen.  Once you have had one of those whammy drinks, most everything else seems cool I have been told. There is typically lots of free entertainmenet at Jamil's as well.  I recall the night when a man that was drinking them fell out of his chair "ka blam" on the floor in front of a table of Highway Patrol Troopers.  That was a sight to see... LOL  

Other option is to get carry out and take it home or to your own atmosphere, we do that a lot too.

Sounds like Robert is the older gentleman you are describing.  He was with the original owner Jimmy Elias when Jamil's first opened.  He can tell you some very interesting stories of the restaurant's history.  One he shared with us at dinner one evening was about their first night in business.  He said that Jimmy and he were the only two working there, and when they got up to around $45 and ran out of plates, they closed for the night.  It was around 7pm.  

Roberts' photo is on east wall near the kitchen door in the lobby.  He is taking an order over the phone, he appears to be around 18 yrs old in that photo.  That was over 58 years ago.  

He was there when the shooting occured, when they were robbed and the robbers ran across the Skelly By Pass, and when the OU and Texas football fans got into the big fight downstairs.  I was there when Jimmy got one of Tulsa's first Juke Boxes that played 33 1/3 Rpm LPs instead of the 45 Rpm singles.  Jimmy was very proud of that Juke Box.

Robert was there when many big names visited the restaurant such as: Jayne Mansfield, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Danny Thomas, Roger Staubach, Leon Russell, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Frank Zappa, Sam Kinnison, Eddy Money and many more.  Some photos of the stars have been stolen, but some are still hanging on the walls there.  

Carol works upstairs along with some younger waitresses, may ask for Carol next visit if you are not a regular of Robert's and don't like his service style.  His wife Cookie normally assists him with servicing tables.  I always like to sit in Robert's area just for the stories alone.  

Believe I will go there tonight and enjoy the $9.95 Jamil's special thick juicy hickory grilled charbroiled Steak that comes with their famous sampler basket of smoked ribs and balogna along with their homemade BBQ sauce and served with appetizers of tabouli, humas tahini bean dip, relish plate with radish-pickle-celery-peppers-green onions, assorted bread, along with the full course meal of choice of meat, cabbage roll, salad and a baked potato with butter and sour cream.



http://www.jamilsrestaurant.com/jamils.html
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[iplaw]

quote:Believe I will go there tonight and enjoy a the $9.95 Jamil's special thick juicy charbroiled Steak that comes with their famous basket of smoked ribs and balogna along with their homemade BBQ sause and served with appetizers of tabouli, humas tahini bean dip, relish plate with radish-pickle-celery-peppers-green onions, assorted bread, along with the full course salad and a baked potato with butter and sour cream.

Do they have a portable defib on site?

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:Believe I will go there tonight and enjoy a the $9.95 Jamil's special thick juicy charbroiled Steak that comes with their famous basket of smoked ribs and balogna along with their homemade BBQ sause and served with appetizers of tabouli, humas tahini bean dip, relish plate with radish-pickle-celery-peppers-green onions, assorted bread, along with the full course salad and a baked potato with butter and sour cream.

Do they have a portable defib on site?

Defib for Robert or AMP?

Touche'

[AMP]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:Believe I will go there tonight and enjoy a the $9.95 Jamil's special thick juicy charbroiled Steak that comes with their famous basket of smoked ribs and balogna along with their homemade BBQ sause and served with appetizers of tabouli, humas tahini bean dip, relish plate with radish-pickle-celery-peppers-green onions, assorted bread, along with the full course salad and a baked potato with butter and sour cream.

Do they have a portable defib on site?

Defib for Robert or AMP?

Touche'

Sure don't need the Defib when you are handed the bill there.  $9.95 is a super deal by today's standards for all that food.  Plus you get a doggy bag if you ask, to help avoid having to use the defib for over eating. LOL

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by AMP

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

How bout Shaw's Drive Inn at 22nd and Yale.....

Shaw's was at 32nd and Yale, sits across from the Egg Roll Express today.  

Man that ran it wore glasses, he and his wife ran the business.  They had one of the best tasting burgers I recall.  Me and Roger Rutz were involved in a traffic accident there one Saturday afternoon when I was around 15.  He was driving his dad's prized two door 50's small V-8 powered Ford T-Bird.  Jim Dillon came along heading north on Yale and stopped to let us out of the drive.  We most times went north and turned riight on 31st, I believe we took the BA to Sheridan exit.  Anyway, Roger decided to turn left and ran head-on into an oncoming car he never saw coming up the inside north bound lane.   I remember the red and white ambulance coming to get the person driving the other car.  I thought Roger was going to need a second ambulance once his dad arrived and saw his car !

My mom owned an Orange Julius business there before it was Shaw's Drive Inn.  My dad built the concrete block building there prior to 1956 for the Orange Julius Stand.  The glass front was not there when it was first opened.  It bacame a donut place, not sure what it is today.

Mom never worked there, she just owned it.  I always liked the frothy Orange Julius drinks we got there.  Back then they use a raw egg in them if you ordered it that way. Yummy to the MAX!


May be combined with Dariy Queen stores today.

Yup....You're right...I meant 32nd.....

[Conan71]

Jamil's and Eddie's (are those the only Elias steak houses?) have always been consistently inconsistent.

I've gone there and had a great meal, then a few weeks later been served ALPO.  I don't really bother with either one of those places anymore.

Lots of food for $9.95, but if it's crap, I'd rather set fire to a $10 bill out in the parking lot.

[aoxamaxoa]

Tommy's Continental?

[Chaserbooty]

Villa Venice

Shadow Mountain Inn

Italian Inn

Kay's Restaurant

Judy and Marty's

Bianca's Palm Club

Copper Oaks Restaurant

and of course The Garden!

Guess I ate out often []

[bbriscoe]

quote:Originally posted by 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) []

I completely agree.  I also miss the following, but Uno's affects me the most.  I go there every time I'm in a big city that has it.
Also:
Sleepy Hollow - anyone remember that one?
S & J Oysters
Mondo's

[T Badd]

Sleepy Hollow was great. I loved their fried chicken and biscuits. It was sad to see that it converted into a Mexican resturant when I came back to town.

Another I really used to like was tucked in the corner of the strip center on the NW corner of Memorial and 61st. I can't remember their name to save my life (I want to say Silver Flame, but isn't that the steakhouse at 61st and Sheridan?), but they had fantastic HUGE onion rings that would feed a family.

Others that I miss upon occasion:

Casa Monterrey - 41st and Peoria. Still waiting for a new Casa Laredo to open down by the Circle Theater. Haven't tried out the one they opened in the Farm. Hope they paint new murals on their walls if they ever get the DT one open.

Maid-Rite Hamburgers - 91st & Sheridan. Loved those loose meat burgers!

Mr. Gatti's - 71st & Memorial. Their buffet was always awesome back during High School. Much preferred Gatti's over Godfather's (Fontana) back then.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by T Badd

Sleepy Hollow was great. I loved their fried chicken and biscuits. It was sad to see that it converted into a Mexican resturant when I came back to town.

Another I really used to like was tucked in the corner of the strip center on the NW corner of Memorial and 61st. I can't remember their name to save my life (I want to say Silver Flame, but isn't that the steakhouse at 61st and Sheridan?), but they had fantastic HUGE onion rings that would feed a family.

Others that I miss upon occasion:

Casa Monterrey - 41st and Peoria. Still waiting for a new Casa Laredo to open down by the Circle Theater. Haven't tried out the one they opened in the Farm. Hope they paint new murals on their walls if they ever get the DT one open.

Maid-Rite Hamburgers - 91st & Sheridan. Loved those loose meat burgers!

Mr. Gatti's - 71st & Memorial. Their buffet was always awesome back during High School. Much preferred Gatti's over Godfather's (Fontana) back then.

Wasn't Garfield's was it?  That's the only one I can think of NW of 61st & Memorial.

I guess Peking Garden down by Sleepy Hollow has been closed awhle too hasn't it?

That used to be a great prom date place back in the day.

[bbriscoe]

Not a restaurant, but Sipes deli had the best fried chicken and pepperoni rolls when I was a kid.  We loved getting that to go on Sunday after church.

[bmuscotty]

Reading this thread made me think of 2 of the very few things I miss about living in California. Der Wienerschnitzel and Shakeys Pizza. Awsome chili and corn dogs. I know what Tulsa severly LACKS is a coffee shop('s) (besides Denny's) and good bakery's.

[AngieB]

Halim & Mimi's...not really "gone" but as of today, new owner took over. I'm meeting a friend there tomorrow. I hope the new owner does well and I understand Halim will be helping this week. I'm happy for H&M, but sad to see them go. Sweet people. So tomorrow we'll see how it goes!

Also heard that St. Michael's Alley closed. Not surprised. After Jeff sold it, it went downhill. The new owners weren't very nice and they always had the place full of family and ignored everyone else. And they didn't appreciate the music/musicians. JMO.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by bmuscotty

Reading this thread made me think of 2 of the very few things I miss about living in California. Der Wienerschnitzel and Shakeys Pizza. Awsome chili and corn dogs. I know what Tulsa severly LACKS is a coffee shop('s) (besides Denny's) and good bakery's.

For starters try Shades of Brown at 32nd & Peoria and the coffee shop on Cherry St. at about 15th & Quincy or so.

Starbucks blows, go local.