Glen’s Hickory Inn

One of the old greats!

Ok, where do we open it? I’m thinking MidTown for sure – maybe in the empty Able Rents building at NW 8 and Walker?

Glen’s was the 1st that came to my mind, too.

Didn’t OKC used to have a Casa Bonita? I know they still have one out in Denver. I just vaguely remember a waterfall being inside and as a child being completely fascinated.

They did: on 39th (aka Route 66) east of Portland. The one in Tulsa closed in 2005, though supposedly it’s going to be reopened this summer.

I have to agree with Molly Murpheys.

Yummmm Casa Bonita. I sure do miss that even though we have a TON of Tex-Mex already. I think Molly Murphy’s would do tons of business downtown.

ForgOt to answer the 2nd part of the question:

It should be in Bricktown. A touristy restaurant would be a perfect fit for a toursit destination. Let’s keep Midtown vibrant but local and low-key. No gimmicks.

Vintage eats

The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer is looking for ideas for restaurant revivals: places that are gone and that you’d like to see brought back to life. He’s already tossed out one suggestion: Molly Murphy’s, with Hal Smith running the show in…

I remember as a kid we would go to the Anna Maude cafeteria that used to have a location at Penn Square Mall. I still have a fondness for cafeterias, even if they’re going by the wayside. I think with Queen Anne’s closing, the Boulevard is the only game left in town…

Good call on Casa Bonita!

I miss Full Moon Cafe on Western, pre-dating Iguana Lounge. I’d re-open it further south on Western or elsewhere in midtown.

I’m dating myself, but I still think about Ned’s Pizza. That was the best pizza I ever had. Since I rarely go downtown or to Bricktown, I haven’t a clue as to a suggested location, but I bet it would be a hit!.

Shakey’s Pizza from the 70′s. Best pizza around and great fun.

Although I have only lived in OKC for 3 years and didn’t know there was one here. I have eaten at the Casa Bonita’s in Denver and that would get my vote!

How bout just bringing back Windy City. Same location.

I would bring back Underwoods BBQ, like the one that was on SW 59th street years ago, I can still taste it ,nothing compares with it today. I would not put it in Bricktown, no parking. I would put it in fast growing Moore on I 35 and 19th street. My second choice would be Casa Bonitas.

I’m sure many of you remember “My Pie” pizza on 63rd & NW Expressway. I think they would be a huge hit in Bricktown. To me,that was the best deep-dish pizza around & I sure have missed it since they closed. They still have them in Chicago.

My first thoughts were Glen’s Hick’ry Inn and Ned’s Pizza. I still think of them fondly and often pine away for a great pizza from Ned’s. They were the best and most authentic in Oklahoma City back in the late 50s, and on until they closed sometime in the 80s. We loved it so much we would drive from Tuttle round trip to get one. Ned’s was located on May across from NW Classen High School, so it was a fur piece to drive! Oh, and the salad bar and steak at Glen’s were to die for. I believe Glen’s had the first salad bar here. It was wonderful. I would put both restaurants somewhere on Broadway, around the NW 5th to 10th area. That way they wouldn’t be right in Bricktown, but would be accessible to everyone in the city and close to hotels and Bricktown and Midtown. Hopefully there would be free parking.

How about Cornucopia. It use to be round 10th and Walker It had great subs and curly fries. Also I don’t know if anyone will remember Nicks Imports on Western and 23rd. The had great Muffalletta Sandwiches and Italian Sausage Sandwiches.

Ned’s Pizza! I would love to know how they made them. Always so cheesy & gooey & that crust. It was all so YUMMO!

I liked Christopher’s. I liked to watch the ducks and
they had these really good appetizers. Some kind of
mushroom stuffed puff pastry things.

Another one I liked even tho it wasn’t downtown was
something like Zuider Zees or Zuder Zees. I think
it had a windmill out front. Had sort of a whole
Dutch/Don Quixote/tilting at windmills kind of thing
going on.

It seems I’ve come to the party a little late. I just now found this website by accident. I will also date myself like Marsha Dunford but my vote goes to Ned’s. I moved away from OKC nearly 30 years ago and briefly drove throgh Brick Town a couple of years back. In the restaurant business location is key, however product is king and Ned’s had that. I’m sick and tired of these trendy places that serve up crap and expect you to eat it and leave a big tip just because of a name or location. I will drive the distance to a place that serves great food and I don’t care if they are downtown,uptown, or even out of town. Great food can be served on china or paper towels, but it should be great and sadly most of the places that served great food are like so many of the people of my generation…..simply gone. So, Ned’s gets my vote.

RE: Casa Bonita

Unless it was before a remodel before they closed in ’93, the Casa Bonita here didn’t have a waterfall (Tulsa did and Denver does, with Cliff Divers). At the end of the serving and next to the sopapilla stand there was a wall mounted 3-tiered, water fountain. Can’t recall if the one in Little Rock had a waterfall or not. The Casa Bonita here was the 1st of the chain (opened in ’68) and didn’t have near the number of different “rooms” that the larger newer ones had (caves, jails, arcades). The OKC one was essentially a large “outdoor” dining area “Courtyard” as if you were in a Mexican village at night. There was a “side alley” dining area (with chickens on the roof) and a private room that could be used for parties, it was the “Governor’s mansion” or something like that, an “indoor” dining room with 2 large chandeliers