Went there with the wife and kids. I had high hopes, they were dashed rather quickly.
Strike 1 - Line was nearly to the door when we arrived. A good sign? Maybe, but the problem with that is there was only one register being worked while the second one sat idle and several of the staff(kids) working in front were standing around chatting and 1 was absorbed with his iPhone.
Strike 2 - The girl taking orders was very slow and I had to repeat our orders 3 times. I hesitate to even mention it since the place is newly opened, but you would think that on a Friday night they would have someone operating the register that knew what they were doing.
Strike 3 - Restaurant was not well kept. The area around the soft drinks and sauce dispensers was especially bad. We also had to bus our own table, the round booth in the corner, as it was dirty and sticky with honey and the staff didn't seem overly concerned about it.
The food arrives....
Strike 4 - 2 of our 4 orders were wrong. The worker that brought it out said he would correct it and be right back. a little over 5 minutes later he returned.
Strike 5 - The orders that were correct when they came out had lukewarm, at best, chicken in them. The corrected orders that arrived later were the same.
Strike 6 - The portions were rather small. Being surprised at how small my basket of jalapeño chicken was I decided to take an inventory. 4 pieces of decent sized chicken pieces, the remaining pieces looked like the crumbs you get at Long John Silver's. There were 6 pieces of Okra in my side order of that and my side of fries consisted of 11 fries of various sizes. The wife had a salad that was decent sized, but the kids and I felt robbed on our chicken and sides. In fact the kids, 10 and 7, were still hungry afterward and we ended up going to Braum's for ice cream.
Strike 7 - The restaurant was dirty. Yes I know I mentioned it before, but this is a real pet peeve of mine. As customers would leave they would throw away their cups, basket liner, etc... which left the tables mostly clean, but not once did I ever see one of the staff wipe down a table.
Strike 8 - I don't care what they call it, it wasn't the Rex's Jalapeño Chicken I remember. The fry bread was also a disappointment. The pieces we had all seemed rather doughy and more jelly donut, without the jelly, like in taste than what I would call fry bread.
All in all it was an underwhelming experience of overpriced food. We had similar bad luck with Coney Beach when it was at this location and like that former establishment this one got off on the wrong foot with me. We will give it another chance, probably, but if it again falls short we won't return.
Has anyone else been there since the opening? Curious to see how you experience meshes with ours.
Rex's chicken was one of my all time favorite Tulsa eateries and when they closed several years ago I was so disappointed. When I saw they were converting Coney Beach into a Rex's I couldn't wait to have that delicious chicken and fry bread again. Unfortunately after having it the other night I have to agree with you on several of your points. I did not go in the restaurant, we had someone go in and bring it home, but can imagine that it probably wasn't clean. Coney Beach was the same way so I'm not surprised it's the same at Rex's. We got the family pack, which wasn't really like the old family packs they used to serve. They gave us quite a bit of chicken, which I was pleased to see, and way more fry bread then the old family pack, but the sides were terribly disappointing. First, the portions were pathetic, they used to be very hardy in the family pack. Each individual got a cup with a side in it. I got okra and there were only 6 pieces of okra in the cup. Sorry but I want man sized sides not 4 year old portions. Second, the okra was one of the things I remember being the best at Rex's and the one's I had this time were nothing special at all. The original fried chicken was every bit as good as I remember it being, but have to sort of agree on the fry bread. That was the thing I was most looking forward to, but agree that it sort of tasted like an empty donut. Not as good as I remember. Also, they do not serve grilled chicken anymore which I thought was one of the best menu items they had right before the franchise went under. The place you mentioned is way overpriced for what you get. I remember Rex's being very well priced before, but the portions at the new startup are too high for the meal sizes. Coney Beach was overpriced and we all saw what happened to that concept. I hope and pray that they can get things figured out at the new Rex's because it truly was one of the best chicken places in town, but the new restaurant is an embarrassment to a historic franchise. I'll have to give it a try again in a few months and hopefully they will have worked out the kinks. If they don't I don't expect it to last.
I also heard they didn't even have mashed potatoes, true?
Quote from: sgrizzle on July 03, 2010, 09:30:35 PM
I also heard they didn't even have mashed potatoes, true?
Here's the menu from their website:
http://rexschicken.com/menu.html (http://rexschicken.com/menu.html)
No mashed potatoes on the menu, is it just me or does it seem very limited?
Quote from: dbacks fan on July 06, 2010, 12:11:16 PM
Here's the menu from their website:
http://rexschicken.com/menu.html (http://rexschicken.com/menu.html)
No mashed potatoes on the menu, is it just me or does it seem very limited?
Morons.
The bad thing about the restaurant business is that it's typically too late by the time an owner finds out all of the things that are wrong.
Beautiful Brands is trying really hard to revive this concept and it looks like they're making some operational and concept mistakes. I suggest contacting them with your concerns. You can call them at (918) 488-9727 or use the email link on their website to voice concerns. http://www.beautifulbrands.net/index.cfm?id=7
If they choose not to address the problems than perhaps the revival of Rex's Chicken was not meant to be.
What does a pound of their chicken go for nowadays?
Quote from: Gaspar on July 06, 2010, 03:34:45 PM
If they choose not to address the problems than perhaps the revival of Rex's Chicken was not meant to be.
Case in point:
Interurban used to be a restaurant I frequented often after hockey games. Good food and loved the atmosphere because I knew many of the players and many of my current friends I met at the hockey games. Then the fire happened, and they changed it to Baxter's InterUrban. I went one time after they reopened, had a bad experience with something in my quesadillas and their refusal to redo the order when I asked them to, so I got up and left and stiffed them on the check. Which was well within my right to do if I asked politely to have my order redone. I never went back.
The difference is that Baxter's still exists to this day. But none of my hockey friends go there anymore. Bad word of mouth can kill a restaurant. Those that tell you otherwise are sadly mistaken. I guess other patrons kept it afloat.
Quote from: Hoss on July 06, 2010, 04:17:54 PM
Case in point:
Interurban used to be a restaurant I frequented often after hockey games. Good food and loved the atmosphere because I knew many of the players and many of my current friends I met at the hockey games. Then the fire happened, and they changed it to Baxter's InterUrban. I went one time after they reopened, had a bad experience with something in my quesadillas and their refusal to redo the order when I asked them to, so I got up and left and stiffed them on the check. Which was well within my right to do if I asked politely to have my order redone. I never went back.
The difference is that Baxter's still exists to this day. But none of my hockey friends go there anymore. Bad word of mouth can kill a restaurant. Those that tell you otherwise are sadly mistaken. I guess other patrons kept it afloat.
When a new restaurant, especially a franchise concept, opens the owners and managers need to be on the floor for the first couple of days interacting with the customers and identifying problems. The first couple of days are the most important time in that restaurant's life.
No customer should ever leave without someone engaging them and asking about their experience.
When most of us have mediocre restaurant experience and the wait-staff asks "how is everything" we automatically blurt out "fine."
That's a worthless answer to a worthless question.When I used to do marketing, the question I would have them ask is "Is there anything we can change to make your experience better?"
If you ask people for their advice you get further than if you ask for their opinion. People also have a natural desire to implement "Change." This gives them a degree of pride in the success of your business.
A side effect of this is that people tend to be disarmed by such questions. Many times if a customer has an absolutely horrible experience, and a member of the staff asks them for advice on how the restaurant can improve, they get a chance to vent and are less likely to communicate the bad experience. They are also more likely to return and see if the problems they identified were addressed. If they were, they often feel a slight degree of ownership, and will frequent the restaurant more often.
This is all easy marketing 101 stuff, it's too bad that most business ignore it.
I second Gaspar.
Opening a brand new restaurant is one of the most stressful, nerve-wracking events for the first month or two. There are always tweaks to be made to operations. Finding that sweet spot of value - to - price is tricky for any restaurant chain.
Now, add to that the pressure of reproducing an iconic brand from over 20 years ago. There's a fierce loyalty to contend with that most new restaurants don't have to worry about. Everyone who had Rex's in the past will have a strong opinion based on their memories of BOTH the food and the experience.
If you really feel strongly that they are off base, leave a message on Beautiful Brands' website like Gaspar says. It's the only way they will ever know unless you can identify the managers and tell them while you are there.
You can call corporate at (918) 488-9727 or use the email link on their website to voice concerns. http://www.beautifulbrands.net/index.cfm?id=7
Otherwise, come back and try them again after they have had a chance to address the usual "grand opening" issues that all restaurants deal with. You may have a better experience.
Quote from: FoodieGirl on July 07, 2010, 10:52:12 AM
I second Gaspar.
Opening a brand new restaurant is one of the most stressful, nerve-wracking events for the first month or two. There are always tweaks to be made to operations. Finding that sweet spot of value - to - price is tricky for any restaurant chain.
Now, add to that the pressure of reproducing an iconic brand from over 20 years ago. There's a fierce loyalty to contend with that most new restaurants don't have to worry about. Everyone who had Rex's in the past will have a strong opinion based on their memories of BOTH the food and the experience.
If you really feel strongly that they are off base, leave a message on Beautiful Brands' website like Gaspar says. It's the only way they will ever know unless you can identify the managers and tell them while you are there.
You can call corporate at (918) 488-9727 or use the email link on their website to voice concerns. http://www.beautifulbrands.net/index.cfm?id=7
Otherwise, come back and try them again after they have had a chance to address the usual "grand opening" issues that all restaurants deal with. You may have a better experience.
I need to speak carefully, but I think it's an issue which emanates from the top.
I haven't bothered to venture down there after my experience with Coney Beach. We installed the Satellite TV system there and I have been out on a few service related calls and decided to try the food. I was underwhelmed. Over priced hot dogs and terrible service was enough to keep me from going back.
Everytime I went out there, I could not seem to find or get anyone who even knew or acted like a manager. Total disorganization.
As to bringing back Rex's Chicken without the knowledge of the former founders or owners, to me would be like trying to bring back Pennington's drive in. Cant be done.
Quote from: FoodieGirl on July 07, 2010, 10:52:12 AM
Otherwise, come back and try them again after they have had a chance to address the usual "grand opening" issues that all restaurants deal with. You may have a better experience.
Not everything listed is a "grand opening" issue. They aren't forgetting to serve any form of potato with chicken, they don't list it on the menu. They aren't accidentally overcharging, they have high prices.
Some restaurants will adjust food/pricing over time, but it's not a "grand opening" issue. It's a failure to think out what you're doing.
Quote from: DolfanBob on July 07, 2010, 05:33:43 PM
I haven't bothered to venture down there after my experience with Coney Beach. We installed the Satellite TV system there and I have been out on a few service related calls and decided to try the food. I was underwhelmed. Over priced hot dogs and terrible service was enough to keep me from going back.
Everytime I went out there, I could not seem to find or get anyone who even knew or acted like a manager. Total disorganization.
As to bringing back Rex's Chicken without the knowledge of the former founders or owners, to me would be like trying to bring back Pennington's drive in. Cant be done.
There are Penningtons around that could do just that.
Ok, I decided to go and check it out since I remember loving me some Rex's back in the day.
My guess on price was $11.99 for one pound. That was guessing they were pretty high priced. When I got there I found my guess to be 100% spot on.
I went around 4:30, so it wasn't quite peak business. There were some empty tables, and the place seemed pretty clean. It looked like about 2/3rds of the people were waiting on carryout orders while the other third were eating there.
There were too many random employees, but the kitchen was not streamlined to handle the volume, nor did it look smart to have just one cashier. While the idea of everything being cooked fresh to order is a good one, they should have a pretty good idea to have a certain supply of chicken and frybread ready to order since there was a line of customers as well as many more paid and waiting on their orders. While there was just one cashier working a line that got longer as I watched, there were probably 10 teenagers standing around, handing over completed orders, walking orders to tables, etc. I think things would actually run smoother with less employees because with such an overabundance of workers no one takes charge and has the confidence to go out and start taking care of stuff since so many others are also idle around them.
They need about 2 more cashiers, half the floor staff, and the kitchen needs to be streamlined to have chicken that is obviously going to be ordered ready.
The wait: There wasn't a long line when I came in, I put in my order and sat down. It took about 15 minutes to get my order. I saw about 15 people (10 to-go and 5 tables) get their food as I waited. I wasn't too irritated, but it was 4:30 so I fear for them at 5:30 to 7:00 when there would be no room for all the people waiting.
The food: I just got a pound of chicken and a basket of frybread.
The chicken was the same flavor I remembered it (which is damn good) but the chicken was a little bit burned. Some of the breading was brown to near black, which negatively effected the flavor. Otherwise it was obviously fresh from the fryer when I got it.
The frybread was perfect. I could tell it was fresh as well, I didn't have a problem with the grease level like another poster had said.
Another prediction I made that was correct is that they don't have pure honey now. I don't remember if it was 100% real honey before, but what you get now is "honey sauce". The principle ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, "honey" is just an ingredient lower down the list.
All-in-all I will not go out of my way to get some Rex's in the future (I live nowhere near 111th & Memorial). If it were on my corner I might consider it. Definitely not a cheap meal like Bueno or bargain basement pizza. I remember considering Rex's expensive back before they went out of business over a decade ago. Food costs on boneless chicken have only skyrocketed since then, so I wasn't surprised by the prices being charged (and in fact guessed correctly). Good tasting boneless chicken (when not overcooked) is a nice convenience food which I don't mind paying for, but driving more than a couple of miles for it eliminates the mindless convenience I was looking for in the first place.
I hope they don't put a Rex's in their failed Camille's location on Cherry Street. One of their "brands" will go there along with FreshBerry but they haven't stated which one. In another thread I suggested Greenz as a healthy alternative that fits in better with Cherry Street and midtown. If you have been to Cool Greens in OKC it looks very similar and really good.
http://www.greenzsalads.com/ (http://www.greenzsalads.com/)
I haven't tried Rex's yet but plan on going sometime this week if I find myself down that way. I remember eating Rex's as a kid and loving the fry bread but my tastes have changed and I rarely, if ever, eat fast food but may make an exception for some good boneless chicken and fry bread.
Quote from: SXSW on July 08, 2010, 12:11:42 AM
I hope they don't put a Rex's in their failed Camille's location on Cherry Street. One of their "brands" will go there along with FreshBerry but they haven't stated which one. In another thread I suggested Greenz as a healthy alternative that fits in better with Cherry Street and midtown. If you have been to Cool Greens in OKC it looks very similar and really good.
http://www.greenzsalads.com/ (http://www.greenzsalads.com/)
I haven't tried Rex's yet but plan on going sometime this week if I find myself down that way. I remember eating Rex's as a kid and loving the fry bread but my tastes have changed and I rarely, if ever, eat fast food but may make an exception for some good boneless chicken and fry bread.
It is the wrong demographic for a Rex's. And for portions of the demo that do exist in the area, there are too many other offerings near by that would compete at a far better price point.
I agree, Greenz would be a better choice for the area. BUT, Jason's would make it a tough road to success. Greenz offers salads at over $9 with tax. Jason's offers all you can eat at $7+.
The entries at Greenz are also competitive with other offerings on Cherry Street, but over priced. If Camille's was not successful there, Greenz will be even more of a challenge.
I'm sure they've taken all of this into consideration, which makes me think they may be considering a Rex's. ???
It seems that they are reliant on the Brand with little consideration of the reason that Rex's used to be a destination in the first place. My family used to eat there weekly because the crunchy boneless chicken that you could dip in the mashed potatoes and gravy. Finish it off with some fry bread and you were in high-cal heaven. No one else featured boneless fried chicken. Not KFC, not McDonald's, no one. It was a delicious novelty.
Now it's available in nearly every flavor combination at every chain. McDonald's, Arby's, Wendy's, Sonic, KFC, Long John Silvers, Burger King, and many more. There is no more novelty in the product, so to revive Rex's you have to rely on flavor, quality, and price.
Furthermore, the brand "Rex's" is actually a weakness because it forces the chain to compete with a ghost, and no matter how good the product it, it's not going to be better than the memories people have of the original unique concept. I don't know of a single example of a revived restaurant concept that is not considered a pale shadow of the original. I think they would have been more successful using another name and simply branding the chicken offering on the menu as "Rex's Recipe." This would give them a new brand to build without forcing them behind the eight-ball from day one.
I may be wrong, and I love it when I'm wrong, because that's when I learn new things. ;)
But I doubt I'm wrong.
Gaspar. Spot on Brother. I agree with your assessment of competing with memories.
The same thing happened when Casa Bonita thought that they could close. Come back as Casa Viva, close and then try again as Casa Bonita again. Epic fail. IMO
Quote from: DolfanBob on July 08, 2010, 09:24:12 AM
Gaspar. Spot on Brother. I agree with your assessment of competing with memories.
The same thing happened when Casa Bonita thought that they could close. Come back as Casa Viva, close and then try again as Casa Bonita again. Epic fail. IMO
This is a known pitfall. I've seen some brands revived, but they are never as strong as the original, and they spend their entire life-cycle attempting to live up to unrealistic standards.
You can see it on this thread. When people talk about the old Rex's, the descriptions are almost ethereal. The brand is not only a simple restaurant concept, but a place in time. How do you compete with that?
Essentially there are two target demographic subdivisions for this concept. Those who remember the old Rex's, and those who have heard the stories and want to experience it. Both of these groups arrive through the door with lofty expectations very difficult to overcome. No matter how good the new product, the customer is poised to be critical of it. It's human nature.
A third demo group, and less important, are those who don't know Rex's from a hole in the ground. They see a hip location with overpriced chicken nuggets and a limited menu. The brand has no effect on them. They can take their family down the street to KFC and eat the same thing for half the price.
Building a new brand is always better than reviving a dead one. Sure you can achieve an initial marketing punch by offering something familiar, but it's temporary and ultimately detrimental.
Gaspar is spot on. Memories grow fonder over time. However, I remember going to Rex's on 15th a few times and getting lousy service, the place wasn't very clean (tables always sticky with honey residue) and it was never busy. But the chicken was so good I didin't mind!
How can a company that specializies in franchising restaurants be so inept at opening/operating a new restaurant? I don't know much about Beautiful Brands, but other than Camille's (the 15th St. location not withstanding), does it have any successful brands that it has developed and franchised?
Oh one other question I forgot to ask. Did Beautiful Brands have to buy the Rex's name or is there some family connection ?
Quote from: DolfanBob on July 08, 2010, 11:50:32 AM
Oh one other question I forgot to ask. Did Beautiful Brands have to buy the Rex's name or is there some family connection ?
I think they would have to buy it unless the trademark/copywright/patent had expired. Then I think it would be fair game.
Quote from: DolfanBob on July 08, 2010, 11:50:32 AM
Oh one other question I forgot to ask. Did Beautiful Brands have to buy the Rex's name or is there some family connection ?
A friend of mine and his business partner wound up with the Rex recipes either via outright purchase or a license arrangement and opened "King Chicken" (Rex=King as well they were Christians, so there was that connotation as well) at 81st & Yale. He was an insurance guy and really had no business owning a restaurant. This was maybe 10 or so years back and my memory has all but faded on that whole episode with Rex's. At any rate, I ate there a few times and the recipe was faithful to the original. Far as I know BB bought the recipes and name either from the friend of mine or the original family. I would assume they bought the Pennington recipes from either the Pennington family or Bud Barnes who owned Doo Wop Diner as I think he may have bought the rights to those at one point after the revival of Penningtons at 81st & Lewis FAILED and became a Doo-Wop.
FWIW, Pennington's food wasn't that outstanding. Black bottom pie was over-rated and I thought had an unappealing taste. Their fried shrimp wasn't really any different than any other corn-bread rolled shrimp. (Bro's Houligan wins hands-down on fried shrimp, IMO). Along the lines of Gaspar alluding to the memory always being fond of a previous incarnation, what I liked best about Penningtons was simply going there in mom's station wagon and getting drive-in food on a nice spring night.
Camille's growth has been stagnant. They seem to open about as many new units as those which have closed. A friend worked in that organization for a number of years so I've heard some perspective from them and some perspective of a former franchisee that I know. Somehow the CEO of BB manages to keep enough fresh capital coming in for his various concepts to remain a going concern. I've really been amazed at how lousy Coney Beach apparently was and the rough start Rex's has had. I'm curious how aware the CEO is of the on-site problems they have. Sooner or later word gets around the industry and it will be harder to sign up new franchisee's if the concepts are failing, especially in the home market.
I'm actually rather surprised that Greg Hughes (In The Raw) aligned with BB to franchise his concept, he could have done that on his own. I don't see Caz's going anywhere as a franchise. The unique Brady atmosphere is every bit as much a part of that place's success as is the menu. How novel is yet one more comfort food franchise anyhow? My friend who used to own some Camille's franchises is pursuing franchising his concept on his own. He was approached by BB and he turned them down flat, I think that's telling.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 08, 2010, 08:45:12 PM(Bro's Houligan wins hands-down on fried shrimp, IMO)
Word
I have to agree with points brought up by both Gaspar and Conan that when you revive and old name there are expectations by those that remember the original, ie Rex's and the failed Pennington's, that can be tough shoes to fill. One thing that puts me off about Rex's is the fact that they do not post any prices on their website. For what it is, I would think that they would. I have seen several people post about Caz's and jmo I think their prices are a little on the high side. $17.00 for a 12oz rib eye I would hope that it is prime not choice, and, wishful thinking, it has been dry aged. One of my favorite places from the past was Hemi's Pizza and I frequented the one that was at 41st and Garnett for both lunch and dinner, but I think now with The Hideaway and similar places it would be hard pressed to survive. (I really liked their pizza and pasta lunch buffet.)
Conan. I agree with you. Penningtons was a fun place for my family because my Dad was a TPD officer who moonlighted there. And it was a great way for Mom not to have to cook, and we pretty much had the run of the place as kid's since my Dad was doing the security. I was a bit to young to even care what the food tasted like. So there again, I would be just drawing on fond memories and not cuisine.
One other place that as a kid I enjoyed was the A&W A-Frame ice cream float stand out North. I walked over 2 miles to hang out there with friends. I cant remember if it was Apache St that it was on. I think there was Railroad tracks near it that we used to walk down to get there. Great Tulsa times.
I ate there for the first time last night. It was definitely crowded. The fry bread was dead on as to how I remembered it, so was the okra. BUT they gave me this tiny little cup with a small amount of okra in it, a laughable amount, but I was not happy about that at all. There was WAY too much breading on the chicken, and it was over cooked. Once I got past the crispy slightly burnt tasting breading, the chicken had that familiar Rex's taste.
What they need to fix:
1. Get rid of all the kids working there who dont know how to cook s%*t, I want that original Rex's taste damn it!
2. Double, no, tripple the portions!
3. More chicken, less breading!
4. Again, larger portions and less breading on the chicken!
Having said that, I will go back again, if anything for the fry bread. Hopefully the chicken will be better the second time around, seriously doubt the portions will be larger.
Conan, good insights and inside info. Sounds like BB needs to step back and get its own house in order by focusing on improved product development, operations and franchisee training before trotting out new brands and concepts.
Ah yes - I remember the old Rex's quite well! Slow service, dirty tables, and the most wonderful case of food poisoning ever from their potato salad. Sounds like the new Rex's might just be up to snuff!
Went here last night to get a to-go order. Staff had more to do with conversations with each other and sort of interested in my order.
Went to wait at a table..sat there while an older couple(maybe 80's sat down) was brought their order. They asked the girl where the butter was, she pointed to the other end of the store and walked away...(I said there bewildered) I went up and go it for them and told a guy who seemed maybe halfway like a manager who told me "okay"...got my order left.....the place was pretty full when I left.
Get home, chicken is overdone, and my wife chips her tooth on a bone that was IN the boneless chicken!
Over all ...not a great start for the brand if you ask me.
It wasn't that great during the first incarnation. There was a reason they went out of business to begin with.
When looking at the BB web site, the most striking thing is that there are wonderful pictures of food all over, but I could find NO word, comment, statement, or sentence where food was mentioned. It is all about the sales and marketing effort and let the franchisee worry about food if they are interested. I bet St. Michael's Alley has turned to crap, too, since they have it!
This is the path that RibCrib has taken recently. Food quality WAY down. Prices, marketing, hype WAY up!
To get food, one must find a place that has a manager or owner on the premises all the time who has a vested interest in food. Compadre's comes to mind. Black Jaxx at Goodies in Oologah is a classic example of what a restaurant should be (bar-b-que)!! Bill's hamburgers. Nelson's. Even Lot-A-Burger has a manager present who has some mild interest in food. Ron's Hamburgers.
You just won't get that at Applebee's, "Pick you favorite" chain steakhouse, or Chili's. Or pretty much any chain. Well, except maybe Cheesecake Factory - but their food comes from a central commissary where obviously someone does care.
Gaspar, are you and your buddies gonna open a shop sometime? I bet I would be there a lot, if one of you was directly involved, because I bet it would be good. And real food...not just formulaic slop!
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on August 23, 2010, 11:26:54 PM
It wasn't that great during the first incarnation. There was a reason they went out of business to begin with.
When looking at the BB web site, the most striking thing is that there are wonderful pictures of food all over, but I could find NO word, comment, statement, or sentence where food was mentioned. It is all about the sales and marketing effort and let the franchisee worry about food if they are interested. I bet St. Michael's Alley has turned to crap, too, since they have it!
This is the path that RibCrib has taken recently. Food quality WAY down. Prices, marketing, hype WAY up!
To get food, one must find a place that has a manager or owner on the premises all the time who has a vested interest in food. Compadre's comes to mind. Black Jaxx at Goodies in Oologah is a classic example of what a restaurant should be (bar-b-que)!! Bill's hamburgers. Nelson's. Even Lot-A-Burger has a manager present who has some mild interest in food. Ron's Hamburgers.
You just won't get that at Applebee's, "Pick you favorite" chain steakhouse, or Chili's. Or pretty much any chain. Well, except maybe Cheesecake Factory - but their food comes from a central commissary where obviously someone does care.
Gaspar, are you and your buddies gonna open a shop sometime? I bet I would be there a lot, if one of you was directly involved, because I bet it would be good. And real food...not just formulaic slop!
Absolutely don't forget about Hank's. Owner is there always and with a smile and knows me (I've been a frequent customer since 1985). Never fails to call me by my first name when he sees me. Love that about these little burger stands.
Man we are good here on TNF. The Tulsa Whirled finally got around to going there. Here is their thoughts on it.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=456&articleid=20100909_456_WK11_CUTLIN915085&rss_lnk=4
Quote from: DolfanBob on September 09, 2010, 01:00:18 PM
Man we are good here on TNF. The Tulsa Whirled finally got around to going there. Here is their thoughts on it.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=456&articleid=20100909_456_WK11_CUTLIN915085&rss_lnk=4
2 months later and skimmed over the fact that it is likely the only chicken place on the planet with no fries or mashed potatoes.
You can't compete with a ghost!
Quote from: Gaspar on September 09, 2010, 04:46:56 PM
You can't compete with a ghost!
You could give it a real try instead of just crapping on the grave.
Quote from: sgrizzle on September 09, 2010, 09:30:38 PM
You could give it a real try instead of just crapping on the grave.
HA ! + 1 Sgriz ;D
I would like to see some of the old people who worked at Shotgun Sam's pizza post the original recipes on the web somewhere. I would love to be able to duplicate that at home. The only part that is easy now is the corn meal on the bottom of the crust.
The sauce was a little sweet (too much sugar), but had nice flavor.
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/kallsop2/shotgunm-1.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/kallsop2/1418703911_9fed2e93a8-1.jpg)
Getting dangerously close - do you have the recipes to go with the menu??
That was such a wonderful place to go in the evening! (Pizza really wasn't any better than Ken's up the street, but the place was just more "cozy"?? And now Ken's is the only one left! Sad.
Funny how people can remember a flavor or aroma from decades ago. I can still recall the taste of Shakey's cheese pizza.
I was not much a fan of Shotgun Sams, mediocre at best, hillbilly pizza at worst.
None of them were anything like a real live New York or Jersey pizza. But, hey, this is Okie-ville, USA. It's Italian pizza with a s***-kicker twang, so whatcha gonna do?? Still, they were edible.
Got to eat at Ken's a few months ago and it was just like I remembered it. Good. Better than Mazzio's or any of the other chains around.
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on September 13, 2010, 12:54:01 PM
None of them were anything like a real live New York or Jersey pizza. But, hey, this is Okie-ville, USA. It's Italian pizza with a s***-kicker twang, so whatcha gonna do?? Still, they were edible.
Got to eat at Ken's a few months ago and it was just like I remembered it. Good. Better than Mazzio's or any of the other chains around.
Is there a difference between the pizza at Ken's and Mazzio's? I thought they were exactly the same?
There was nothing local about Shakey's, it's was a national chain and it actually still exists in California. I remember going to Shakey's as a small child in Maryland.
http://www.shakeys.com/
Shotgun Sam's was ok, they had an arcade which was nice. What I really miss is My Pi, Savistano's is good, but it's no My Pi.
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on September 13, 2010, 12:54:01 PM
None of them were anything like a real live New York or Jersey pizza. But, hey, this is Okie-ville, USA. It's Italian pizza with a s***-kicker twang, so whatcha gonna do?? Still, they were edible.
Got to eat at Ken's a few months ago and it was just like I remembered it. Good. Better than Mazzio's or any of the other chains around.
Ok help me out here. I have heard my whole life from transplanted Easterners about how great NY Pizza is. From the pictures I have seen and the so called NY style pizza places that have been around here. The pie(As they call it)is usually thin and real flat with a mass amount of cheese that just runs off like water when picked up. Am I wrong in that assumption or is there hidden magic in that huge box of dough and cheese.
Is there still a Kens around here ? I know some small towns still have them. I thought Selby got out of those years ago.
I loved My Pi! Was probably the best that Tulsa had seen at that time. I might have to go to Shaky's the next time I'm in California. The first one that I saw in years was in Irvine and couldn't believe it.
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on September 13, 2010, 12:48:59 PM
Getting dangerously close - do you have the recipes to go with the menu??
That was such a wonderful place to go in the evening! (Pizza really wasn't any better than Ken's up the street, but the place was just more "cozy"?? And now Ken's is the only one left! Sad.
I wish. Was just looking at the prices The Full House at $4.00 is the most expensive pizza on the menu.
Quote from: Conan71 on September 13, 2010, 12:50:48 PM
Funny how people can remember a flavor or aroma from decades ago. I can still recall the taste of Shakey's cheese pizza.
I was not much a fan of Shotgun Sams, mediocre at best, hillbilly pizza at worst.
The two things I remember about the STL metro east Shakeys was that it had a riser leading to a window so you could see your pizza being made (back then it was a pretty big deal--today not so much) and those awesome deep fried sliced potatoes.
O/T: I do not know how many more chicken restaurants can fit in the 111th & Memorial area. There is a KFC, Popeyes, Charlies Chicken, Chik Char, and now Rex's all within a very reasonable walking distance from that intersection. Red Arrow might add to this list.
Quote from: guido911 on September 13, 2010, 02:24:37 PM
The two things I remember about the STL metro east Shakeys was that it had a riser leading to a window so you could see your pizza being made (back then it was a pretty big deal--today not so much) and those awesome deep fried sliced potatoes.
O/T: I do not know how many more chicken restaurants can fit in the 111th & Memorial area. There is a KFC, Popeyes, Charlies Chicken, Chik Char, and now Rex's all within a very reasonable walking distance from that intersection. Red Arrow might add to this list.
And Chick-Fil-A is right there too.
Bixby must be a big chicken town.
Quote from: guido911 on September 13, 2010, 02:24:37 PM
O/T: I do not know how many more chicken restaurants can fit in the 111th & Memorial area. There is a KFC, Popeyes, Charlies Chicken, Chik Char, and now Rex's all within a very reasonable walking distance from that intersection. Red Arrow might add to this list.
Yeah we went to Charlies Chicken last night after finding out rex's is closed on sundays.
Quote from: DolfanBob on September 13, 2010, 02:11:31 PM
Ok help me out here. I have heard my whole life from transplanted Easterners about how great NY Pizza is. From the pictures I have seen and the so called NY style pizza places that have been around here. The pie(As they call it)is usually thin and real flat with a mass amount of cheese that just runs off like water when picked up. Am I wrong in that assumption or is there hidden magic in that huge box of dough and cheese.
Is there still a Kens around here ? I know some small towns still have them. I thought Selby got out of those years ago.
Sapulpa, on Taft. Still there.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=kens+pizza&fb=1&gl=us&hq=kens+pizza&hnear=Tulsa,+Oklahoma+74112&ei=HoCOTLiXKY3vngfz7oX3Cg&ved=0CDUQtgMwAw&ll=35.988378,-96.103528&spn=0,1.056747&t=h&z=11&layer=c&cbll=35.988378,-96.103528&panoid=naZh0BhXOJj6LLYm3DYuTg&cbp=12,140.05,,0,-0.69
Quote from: DolfanBob on September 13, 2010, 02:11:31 PM
Ok help me out here. I have heard my whole life from transplanted Easterners about how great NY Pizza is. From the pictures I have seen and the so called NY style pizza places that have been around here. The pie(As they call it)is usually thin and real flat with a mass amount of cheese that just runs off like water when picked up. Am I wrong in that assumption or is there hidden magic in that huge box of dough and cheese.
Is there still a Kens around here ? I know some small towns still have them. I thought Selby got out of those years ago.
NY style is good, I prefer Chicago style myself, but it's good pizza if it's done well. For NY Style, try Mario's at 51st and Harvard or Umberto's on 31st near Harvard.
Quote from: swake on September 13, 2010, 04:04:50 PM
NY style is good, I prefer Chicago style myself, but it's good pizza if it's done well. For NY Style, try Mario's at 51st and Harvard or Umberto's on 31st 21st near Harvard.
FIFY, great pizza. The garlic knots are to die for.
NY style appears to be kind of a variable. Have traveled through Massachusetts and New York and it seems every town has its own slightly different interpretation of pie. Yes, it is that thin, running over the edge cheese stuff. Sooo goood... But then so is Chicago style. Kind of like sex. Even bad pizza is pretty good.
I went to Ken's in Chandler. The is also one in Prague as well as the Sapulpa one. Haven't been to them yet, but they are on the list. Very different from Mazzios. You can still order Kens style at Mazzios, but it is special order. Ask for thin crust, Ken's style. No guarantee on what it will actually be - Mazzio's is all over the map these days.
Ken's is thin crust. Nothing like eastern style - remember, this is Oklahoma - but I still like it. Good stuff.
Quote from: swake on September 13, 2010, 02:37:58 PM
And Chick-Fil-A is right there too.
Bixby must be a big chicken town.
It sure is I guess. We like our chicken jerked, smoked, then choked. sorry.