Best of - Tulsa Restaurants That Are Gone

[jkeyeser]

Someone mentioned in a post WAYYY back in this thread Harden's Chicken.  I worked at the one Roy ran out at 193rd and Admiral for a while.  I know at one point after it closed it became part of the RV dealership, but now I think QT has taken up part of that space.  

I remember eating at Crystal's Pizza.  Wasn't there actually a fire that gutted the place back in the 80s?  There are so many other places I just can't name them.

[Kashmir]

quote:Originally posted by jkeyeser

Someone mentioned in a post WAYYY back in this thread Harden's Chicken.  I worked at the one Roy ran out at 193rd and Admiral for a while.  I know at one point after it closed it became part of the RV dealership, but now I think QT has taken up part of that space.  

I remember eating at Crystal's Pizza.  Wasn't there actually a fire that gutted the place back in the 80s?  There are so many other places I just can't name them.

I loved Crystals, especially those breadsticks with the awful cheese sauce.  And the thin crust pizza too.  Yum.  However, I was like 10, so it sould be deluded memories.

Thin crust pepperoni pizza-like Ken's- always brings me back to being a kid after a softball game!

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

quote:Originally posted by whoisjongalt

I also remember a place downtown. It may have been called Duffy's?? They had these great deep-fried grilled cheese sandwiches.

Downtown at 5th & Main on the ground floor and mezzanine of the Mayo Building used to be a King's Food Host restaurant.  There was also a King's Food Host on Sheridan (or maybe Memorial) by the BA expressway.  They used to serve deep-fried cheese sandwiches called a "Cheese Frenchie."  I remember them well.

Anyone remember the Scandia House smorgasbord restaurant at 51st & Harvard in Country Club Plaza?  Popular in the 1960's, it was probably one of Tulsa's first "all you can eat" buffet style eateries.  I remember it was on the corner of the strip, directly across from the Fox theater.

King's at 31st & Sheridan had phones at the booths.  My mom finally gave up trying to take us kids there.  We'd slip off to other booths and crank-call the kitchen:

"Hi, uh, I'd like one fartburger please with extra cheese!"

[sabasushi]

This is a really great thread with lots of neat photos. Let's see...I grew in Tulsa from 1967 to 1975, so here are some restaurants that I believe are gone now.

* Ma Bell's....this was a hamburger restaurant on Yale, across from Lafortune (sp?) park where each booth had a phone for ordering, right?

* We used to eat a lot at this Italian restaurant at London Square shopping center...is that Villa Venice that was referred frequently in this thread?

* Garden (not sure if I got the name right) -- an old lady's type of restaurant in Utica. (I don't think that type of restaurant exists anywhere anymore? :-) )

* Steak and Ale. I know this was just a chain restaurant, but when it opened back in early 70's, it was a big deal because Tulsa was mostly cafeterias and fast food places back then.

* Sunday brunch buffet at the Mayo hotel. We'd use to go there many Sundays after church. Great food -- carved roast beef and the like. It was also my introduction to gourmet foods. :-)

* The fine dining room at Tulsa's airport. I don't know what it was called, but on some Sundays, we'd go there to eat and watch airplanes take off and land.

* There was a Mexican restaurant (I'm not sure but this *might* be an El Chico or El Charrito) soemwhere in that area between the river and Harvard, off 51st. Do anyone remember this?

-- Angeli, Houston, TX

[ARGUS]

Runt's BBQ in B.A.(closed 1/19/09) by Bass Pro (never ate there myself must admit)

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by sabasushi

This is a really great thread with lots of neat photos. Let's see...I grew in Tulsa from 1967 to 1975, so here are some restaurants that I believe are gone now.

* Ma Bell's....this was a hamburger restaurant on Yale, across from Lafortune (sp?) park where each booth had a phone for ordering, right?

Yeah, this one is gone. Used to love to go there when I was in high school. Dolly's Delight was the dessert of choice.

* We used to eat a lot at this Italian restaurant at London Square shopping center...is that Villa Venice that was referred frequently in this thread?

I think this was Italian Inn. One nite, my wife and I ate like pigs, drank like sailors and threw it all up less than a half mile away.

* Garden (not sure if I got the name right) -- an old lady's type of restaurant in Utica. (I don't think that type of restaurant exists anywhere anymore? :-) )

This might be the Tea Room.

* Steak and Ale. I know this was just a chain restaurant, but when it opened back in early 70's, it was a big deal because Tulsa was mostly cafeterias and fast food places back then.

Still there. Probably same carpets, table cloths and menu. Used to be "the" place to take a client in the 70's.

* Sunday brunch buffet at the Mayo hotel. We'd use to go there many Sundays after church. Great food -- carved roast beef and the like. It was also my introduction to gourmet foods. :-)

We had our senior dinner/prom there in '69. Still standing but being remodeled into...something,...sometime.

* The fine dining room at Tulsa's airport. I don't know what it was called, but on some Sundays, we'd go there to eat and watch airplanes take off and land.

This was pleasant to hear about again and kind of bittersweet. I took my girlfriend there for a special dinner in 1969. Believe it or not that was one of the best places in town, that's how small a town we were. Good food too.

* There was a Mexican restaurant (I'm not sure but this *might* be an El Chico or El Charrito) soemwhere in that area between the river and Harvard, off 51st. Do anyone remember this?

Yes! Its still there. It may have originally been the sister restaurant to El Charrito at 18th & Boston which was my favorite and is now closed. Either my tastes changed or they did. But we always loved their soft tortillas with butter, wrapped around spicy carrots and peppers.

I'm guessing we were probably at these restaurants around the same time. Do you remember seeing a geeky looking skinny kid with auburn red hair and who always had good looking women on his arm? []

-- Angeli, Houston, TX

[joiei]

quote:Originally posted by ARGUS

Runt's BBQ in B.A.(closed 1/19/09) by Bass Pro (never ate there myself must admit)

You didn't miss much imo.

[Composer]

Not the best BBQ but sad to see the area lose a restaurant.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by Composer

Not the best BBQ but sad to see the area lose a restaurant.

I agree but I was underwhelmed when I went there.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by sabasushi

This is a really great thread with lots of neat photos. Let's see...I grew in Tulsa from 1967 to 1975, so here are some restaurants that I believe are gone now.

* Ma Bell's....this was a hamburger restaurant on Yale, across from Lafortune (sp?) park where each booth had a phone for ordering, right?

* We used to eat a lot at this Italian restaurant at London Square shopping center...is that Villa Venice that was referred frequently in this thread?

* Garden (not sure if I got the name right) -- an old lady's type of restaurant in Utica. (I don't think that type of restaurant exists anywhere anymore? :-) )

* Steak and Ale. I know this was just a chain restaurant, but when it opened back in early 70's, it was a big deal because Tulsa was mostly cafeterias and fast food places back then.

* Sunday brunch buffet at the Mayo hotel. We'd use to go there many Sundays after church. Great food -- carved roast beef and the like. It was also my introduction to gourmet foods. :-)

* The fine dining room at Tulsa's airport. I don't know what it was called, but on some Sundays, we'd go there to eat and watch airplanes take off and land.

* There was a Mexican restaurant (I'm not sure but this *might* be an El Chico or El Charrito) soemwhere in that area between the river and Harvard, off 51st. Do anyone remember this?

-- Angeli, Houston, TX

See, now that you say you're from my temporary home (Houston), I miss some of their restaraunts.  Especially the Ragin' Cajun on Richmond just inside the Loop.  Oh how I loved their jambalaya and gumbo.  Then I moved way north (towards Bammel/1960) and aside from Ninfa's, there wasn't much out that way.

[sabasushi]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

quote:Originally posted by sabasushi

* We used to eat a lot at this Italian restaurant at London Square shopping center...is that Villa Venice that was referred frequently in this thread?

I think this was Italian Inn. One nite, my wife and I ate like pigs, drank like sailors and threw it all up less than a half mile away.

Italian Inn! That definitely sounds right.


* Steak and Ale. I know this was just a chain restaurant, but when it opened back in early 70's, it was a big deal because Tulsa was mostly cafeterias and fast food places back then.

Still there. Probably same carpets, table cloths and menu. Used to be "the" place to take a client in the 70's.

Oh, really? I had assumed Steak and Ale closed everywhere, which is why I had included it in this thread. :-) Anyway, one thing I remember about that restaurant was that it was the first time I'd ever seen a salad bar.

* The fine dining room at Tulsa's airport. I don't know what it was called, but on some Sundays, we'd go there to eat and watch airplanes take off and land.

This was pleasant to hear about again and kind of bittersweet. I took my girlfriend there for a special dinner in 1969. Believe it or not that was one of the best places in town, that's how small a town we were. Good food too.

Hard to believe that one'd want to go to an AIRPORT just to eat back then. Sadly, airports are bascially glorified bus stations these days.

* There was a Mexican restaurant (I'm not sure but this *might* be an El Chico or El Charrito) soemwhere in that area between the river and Harvard, off 51st. Do anyone remember this?

Yes! Its still there. It may have originally been the sister restaurant to El Charrito at 18th & Boston which was my favorite and is now closed. Either my tastes changed or they did. But we always loved their soft tortillas with butter, wrapped around spicy carrots and peppers.[/size]

Any idea what its location was, so I can look at this building via "map porn" (Google Maps or Live Maps)? As I recall, it was an one-story building with a breezeway leading back to the parking lot.


I'm guessing we were probably at these restaurants around the same time. Do you remember seeing a geeky looking skinny kid with auburn red hair and who always had good looking women on his arm? []

Ha! I don't know...I suspect I would have been way underage for you, since I'm 43 now. :-)

[sabasushi]

Maybe this isn't the right thread since the name of the thread did say BEST, but here it goes. Mom told me about one Mexican restaurant somewhere on Peoria in late 1960's or early 1970's that had an "all you can eat" deal going on. However, the catch was that you had to clean your plate before you could get more food. As it happened, they had really bad refried beans, so customers'd try to hide the beans in napkins, under plates, et cetera. :-) Anyone know what this restaurant was, and what was it called?

[waterboy]

I don't remember an all you can eat Mexican in Brookside. The El Chico is on the north side of 51st just west of Lewis Avenue. Been there at least since the 70's. The old El Charrito was across from the Mapco building(Spirit Bank now) at 18th & Main.

As a child we toured the first jetliners that visited the Tulsa Airport and marveled at them. I think they were Boeing 707's. Tulsa was quite proud then. Flying was a formal adventure so it was a big deal to eat at the airport restaurant.

[sabasushi]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I don't remember an all you can eat Mexican in Brookside. The El Chico is on the north side of 51st just west of Lewis Avenue. Been there at least since the 70's. The old El Charrito was across from the Mapco building(Spirit Bank now) at 18th & Main.

Hmm...I took a look at the El Chico restaurant on 51st via maps.live.com, and I don't know...it doesn't look like the place I remembered, unless it underwent some major renovation since 70's. Maybe it was a different restaurant, who knows? By the way, my husband and I ate at one of the El Chico's when we were visiting Tulsa several years ago, and we weren't very impressed with the food. For example, the tamale was the canned kind, which was odd to see in a restaurant.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by sabasushi

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I don't remember an all you can eat Mexican in Brookside. The El Chico is on the north side of 51st just west of Lewis Avenue. Been there at least since the 70's. The old El Charrito was across from the Mapco building(Spirit Bank now) at 18th & Main.

Hmm...I took a look at the El Chico restaurant on 51st via maps.live.com, and I don't know...it doesn't look like the place I remembered, unless it underwent some major renovation since 70's. Maybe it was a different restaurant, who knows? By the way, my husband and I ate at one of the El Chico's when we were visiting Tulsa several years ago, and we weren't very impressed with the food. For example, the tamale was the canned kind, which was odd to see in a restaurant.

They were remodeled in the 80's to look more Mexican. Chico is a good place to start with Mexican food. Its a lot like cafeteria food. Brookside has some good Mexican restaurants, Whittier Square and Downtown as well.