Location(s) Being Reviewed: 1900 S. Riverside
Date/Time of Visit: Feb 8, 2011 12:45pm
Quality of Food (1-5): 4
Menu/Food Options (1-5): 4
Quality of Service (1-5): 5
Atmosphere (1-5): 5
Overall Rating (1-5): 4
Price ($-$$$$$): $ to $$
What makes this restaurant unique:
Unless you've been hiding under a rock or totally out of step with Tulsa development, you'd know this is one of the most anticipated openings of the last year. Set on a coveted piece of real estate adjacent to the River Park trail and set on piers out over the river bank, it's THE place to see. It's got a major cool factor.
Keep in mind they are still in their soft opening mode. There is still site work being done and final touches on the building and surrounding site which means there's still torn up parking lots. Parking is definitely still an issue, with part of the lot directly east of the restaurant still closed off to construction equipment.
I arrived at 12:45 and the place was packed. The wait looked like 20 minutes so I took a seat at the bar and ordered. I had the tried and true Blue Rose Special (hamburger with crumbled bleu cheese & bacon on a kaiser roll) and hand cut fries ($8.99). As luck would have it, someone apparently had mis-ordered and I had my burger in 2 minutes which made the jaws drop on the people I was sitting next to
Great food just as I remembered it. It's pub grub so it's not gourmet and it's not the best burger I've never had, but it never was that way. Some of the same wait staff is back and I recognized several patrons from the old days. The interior is a lot lighter than the old BRC and the layout is entirely different with new memorabilia and some of the old stuff. The look and feel reminds me a lot of a ski lodge at a Colorado resort. It especially looks like that with all the snow right now.
This is a place I will be spending a lot of time at in the future. I think Tom Dittus has got another hit on his hands. The only problem will be having the ability to serve everyone who will want to hang out here for the view and cool factor.