Best
of
Tulsa
2019

Tally’s Good Food Cafe

Best Breakfast FINALISTS:
Brookside By Day, Dilly Diner

Best Diner FINALISTS:
Brookside By Day, Dilly Diner

The Coffee House on Cherry Street

Best Coffee Shop FINALISTS:
918 Coffee, Shades of Brown

Best Open Mic FINALISTS:
The Fur Shop, The Gypsy Coffee House

Antoinette Baking Company

Best Bakery FINALISTS:
Merritt’s Bakery, Ludger’s Bavarian Cakery

Reasor’s Foods

Best Grocery Store FINALISTS:
Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s

Originally opened in 1963, Reasor’s has grown to 18 locations and more than 2,500 employees in Oklahoma.

Jason’s Deli

Best Deli FINALISTS:
Bill and Ruth’s, Trenchers Delicatessen

Phat Philly – Phat Philly’s

Best Sandwich FINALISTS:
Reuben – Trenchers Delicatessen,
The Trencher – Trenchers Delicatessen

Fat Guys Burger Bar

Best Burger FINALISTS:
Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili, The Tavern

Nothing beats Fat Guys’ endless options for burger customization.

Chicken and the Wolf

Best Chicken FINALISTS:
The Brothers Houligan, Charlie’s Chicken

The Brothers Houligan

Best Chicken Fried Steak FINALISTS:
The Brook Restaurant & Bar, Charleston’s

The Bros’ massive chicken fry, addictive cream gravy, and endless sides are a Tulsa tradition.

Burn Co. Barbecue

Best Barbecue FINALISTS:
Albert G’s, Oklahoma Joe’s

With a dedication to Tulsa’s own Hasty Bake Ovens, Burn Co. is Green Country ‘cue.

Andolini’s Pizzeria

Best Pizza FINALISTS:
East Village Bohemian Pizzeria, Hideaway Pizza

Best Food Truck FINALISTS:
Lone Wolf, Mr. Nice Guys

Hideaway Pizza

Best Takeout Pizza FINALISTS:
Andolini’s Pizzeria, Mazzio’s

Best Family Dining FINALISTS:
The Brook Restaurant & Bar, Charleston’s

Tie-dyed and tried and true, Hideaway has been around for 62 years, now serving seven locations in the Tulsa metro. Their ATW pizza—topped with pepperoni, sausage, and veggies—is a must.

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

Best Steak FINALISTS:
Bull in the Alley, Prhyme: Downtown Steakhouse

Mahogany’s flame-broiled steaks are a cut above the rest.

White River Fish Market

Best Seafood FINALISTS:
Bodean Restaurant & Market,
Nola’s Creole & Cocktails

Tacos Don Francisco

Best Taco FINALISTS:
Elote Café & Catering, Torchy’s Tacos

Authentic carnitas, pastor, lengua, cabeza, and more always satisfy at Tacos Don.

P.F. Chang’s

Best Chinese FINALISTS:
Golden Gate, Pei Wei

India Palace

Best Indian FINALISTS:
Desi Wok, Tandoori Guys

Mondo’s

Best Italian FINALISTS:
Dalesandro’s Italian Cuisine, Ti Amo

The Aloisio family has served handcrafted Italian recipes to Tulsans since 1969.

Yokozuna

Best Japanese / Sushi FINALISTS:
In the Raw, Osaka

Yokozuna excels with dozens of sushi options, as well as ramen and tons of fusion dishes.

Lone Wolf

Best Korean FINALISTS:
Korean Garden, Seoul Bistro

Best Vietnamese FINALISTS:
Pho Da Cao, Ri Le

El Guapo’s Cantina

Best Mexican FINALISTS:
Calaveras Mexican Grill, El Rio Verde

Laffa Medi-Eastern Restaurant & Bar

Best Mediterranean / Middle Eastern FINALISTS:
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, Zoës Kitchen

Laffa traffics in robust flavors that will expand your culinary map. Try the falafel during lunch.

Lanna Thai

Best Thai FINALISTS:
Keo, My Thai Kitchen

Lanna Thai's curries and stir fries have been local favorites since 1998.

Chimera

Best Vegetarian / Health Food FINALISTS:
Whole Foods Market, Big Al’s Healthy Foods

Fauxrizo tacos, curry chickpea salad sandwiches, and power salads make Chimera a veggie-friendly destination.

Blue Rose Cafe

Best Patio FINALISTS:
El Guapo’s Cantina, Roosevelt’s

The Mayo Hotel

Best View
THE PENTHOUSE BAR FINALISTS:
Blue Rose Cafe, In the Raw on the Hill

Best Hotel FINALISTS:
Ambassador Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

The historic Mayo Hotel dates back to 1925. Today, it’s a swanky downtown destination for visitors, and the rooftop view from its Penthouse Bar keeps the locals coming back for more.

Ben Alexander – The Tavern

Best Chef FINALISTS:
James Schrader – Palace Café,
Justin Thompson – JTR Group

Ben Alexander has taken the gold three years running, so you know he’s doing something right.

Kilkenny’s Irish Pub

Best Service FINALISTS:
Bull in the Alley, Hideaway Pizza

Best Brunch FINALISTS:
SMOKE. On Cherry Street, Dilly Diner

Best Late Night Dining FINALISTS:
Tacos Don Francisco, The Tavern

Best Bloody Mary FINALISTS:
James E. McNellie’s Public House,
SMOKE. On Cherry Street

Nola’s Creole & Cocktails

Best New Restaurant FINALISTS:
Chicken and the Wolf, Duet

Nola’s brings the Big Easy to Cherry Street. Drop by for classics and specialties like Hoodoo Étouffée and Bourbon Street Baby Backs—all of which pair beautifully with Nola’s famous Hurricane.

Elote Café & Catering

Best Restaurant for Locally-Sourced Ingredients FINALISTS:
Amelia’s, Juniper

Greenwood Farms, Eden Veggies, and others are among Elote’s local sources for meats and produce.

Elgin Park

Best Place to Watch the Big Game FINALISTS:
Bricktown Brewery, Buffalo Wild Wings

With house-brewed beer and bar food favorites, Elgin Park is a great place to cheer on your team.

James E. McNellie’s Public House

Best Beer Selection FINALISTS:
Bricktown Brewery, Roosevelt’s

Best Bar Food FINALISTS:
Elgin Park, Fassler Hall, R Bar & Grill

Best Spot for Day Drinking FINALISTS:
Fassler Hall, Roosevelt’s

James E. McNellie’s Public House offers more than 350 beers—72 of which are on tap—as well as monthly beer menus, specials, and take-home pint nights. For beer lovers on a budget, they also have a half-price deal on Oklahoma drafts every Tuesday, 4-7 p.m. But they don’t just deal in pints—the food menu at McNellie’s is extensive, with delectable appetizers like pulled pork nachos, Peking duck wings, and fried pickle chips, alongside main events ranging from more traditional Irish/English cuisine (think fish & chips and cottage pie) to familiar American bar eats (chicken fingers, steak & fries, grilled chicken, mac & cheese). And they have sandwich/wrap options aplenty—including their Original McNellie’s Charburger, which you can get with fries for $4 every Wednesday night.

The original downtown location (409 E. 1st St.) has paved the way for the newer South Tulsa location (7031 S. Zurich Ave.) along with a spot in Midtown OKC. The downtown pub has four separate rooms: two at ground level and two—one of which is a tucked-away game room—upstairs. Their annual St. Patrick’s Day block party is always a hit, but you don’t need a holiday to enjoy a pint or two in the afternoon—which is why, in addition to Best Bar Food and Best Beer Selection, McNellie’s also took home the award for Best Spot for Day Drinking. The McNellie’s Group is the creative force behind tons of other local favorites—like El Guapo’s, Fassler Hall, Dust Bowl, Elgin Park, Dilly Diner, and The Tavern—so if pubs aren’t your thing, they’ll be sure to take care of you elsewhere.

Vintage Wine Bar

Best Wine List FINALISTS:
Doc’s Wine and Food, Polo Grill

Vintage’s beautiful new location continues its dedication to boutique wineries from around the world.

Valkyrie

Best Cocktails FINALISTS:
Hodges Bend, Nola’s Creole & Cocktails

Chloe Willhite – Valkyrie

Best Bartender FINALISTS:
Hank Hanewinkel III – MixCo,
Lynn Robertson – The Starlite

Chloe Willhite fell in love with bartending more than three years ago and has been working hard to pursue the craft ever since. She landed at Valkyrie just over a year and a half ago, where she feeds off the spirit of downtown Tulsa. “It’s like being in a bubble of awesome energy and creative forces, especially at Valkyrie—the team and people make it special for me.

I get to learn every day from all my coworkers, who are super knowledgeable.

Getting to make drinks for the people of Tulsa is the highlight of my workday—to experience the locals, hear their stories, create relationships, and build camaraderie with business owners, teachers, entrepreneurs, and people coming through town who didn’t even know what Tulsa had to offer,” Willhite said.

Valkyrie flaunts more than 700 bottles for the perfect craft cocktail, aiming to create a unique culture and experience for customers. “Tulsa is growing, changing, evolving, and the culture is bringing a lot of life to the industry and downtown,” she said. “It’s very humbling to be able to work at such a cool establishment—and I don’t think I would have enjoyed this work as much if it weren’t in Tulsa.”

Marshall Brewing Company

Best Brewery FINALISTS:
Cabin Boys Brewery, Prairie Artisan Ales

Best Taproom FINALISTS:
Cabin Boys Brewery, Prairie Artisan Ales

Marshall Brewing Company brewed its first batch of beer in April 2008, when the only brewery around was Choc Beer Company in Krebs, nearly 100 miles away. In the 11 years since, there’s been a massive explosion of beer culture in Tulsa and the rest of Oklahoma. “It’s been really cool to see. The law change back in October really opened the doors and allowed for new opportunities,” said brewmaster and founder Eric Marshall.

Marshall and his crew have been keeping especially busy the past year: They’ve renovated their old building, opened a new taproom, and installed a canning line. They’re currently working on a beer garden outside the taproom, which is sure to be in high demand. “It’s been a wild ride. There had never been a brewery here brewing beer stronger than 3.2. We kind of had to blaze our own path,” Marshall said.

He came to love beer culture and brewing while studying in Germany. He was amazed by how beer was “interwoven with their society and their support of the local community.” When he came back, Marshall realized he didn’t really want to sit at a desk the rest of his life. Then the stars aligned with an apprenticeship in Germany and a stint at a Pennsylvania brewery before coming home to Tulsa to try it on his own—to much success.

“I love what we’ve created,” Marshall said. “I’ve got a great group of people that work for me. One of the main purposes of the brewery was to create something Tulsans could be proud of and take ownership in. There’s still a long way to go, but the momentum is amazing.”.

Rabbit Hole Bar & Grill

Best New Bar FINALISTS:
Duet, Foolish Things Bar and Biscuit

Live music and delicious food make Blue Dome’s Rabbit Hole a crowd favorite.

Soundpony

Best Dive Bar FINALISTS:
Arnie’s Bar, Cellar Dweller

Club Majestic

Best LGBTQ+ Bar FINALISTS:
Soundpony, Yellow Brick Road

Best Nightclub FINALISTS:
Duet, Soundpony

Arnie’s Bar

Best Bar for Smokers FINALISTS:
James E. McNellie’s Public House, Sharky’s

Parkhill’s Warehouse Liquors & Wine

Best Liquor Store FINALISTS:
Deep Discount Liquor & Wine,
Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits

Blue Dome Arts Festival

Best Art Show / Exhibition of 2018 FINALISTS:
The Experience – ahha, Tulsa International Mayfest

Blue Dome Arts Festival celebrated local art, music, and more for 15 years. R.I.P.

“Wicked” at Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Celebrity Attractions

Best Stage Show of 2018 FINALISTS:
“The Nutcracker” at Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Tulsa Ballet,
Jack White at ONEOK Field

Yes, This Is Killing Us – Desi & Cody

Best Local Album of 2018 FINALISTS:
Bad Behavior – Broncho,
Born on Black Wall Street – Steph Simon

Desirae (Desi) Roses and Cody Clinton started playing together in 2010, following three years of dating. Cody’s band had just broken up, and he was working on a solo project—then he heard Desi singing in the shower, and he immediately asked her to come to the studio. She was hesitant, but agreed to record and perform at the release show. They learned some covers together and started playing local gigs and festivals—and got married right in the middle of it all.

“People were receptive to whatever we were doing, so we thought we’d keep going,” Desi said. They did just that, releasing their critically-acclaimed eponymous full-length debut in 2015, followed by last year’s Yes, This is Killing Us. (The duo has plans to start recording again this April.) They’re grateful to be in Tulsa with organizations like the Woody Guthrie Center, Guthrie Green, and Tulsa FMAC –"They put a drive behind us,” Desi said. “Tulsa has a rich music history. I think people are saying, ‘It’s time to wake this up again, to celebrate Tulsa.’”

Do they find it difficult being married and playing together professionally? “It’s really not that much different—being in a band with someone is almost like being married. We’re used to being together all the time. We also give each other space. The hard part is giving the marriage the attention it deserves,” Cody said. And Desi agreed: “It’s a lot of togetherness, but I wouldn’t want to be doing it with anybody else, as cheesy as that sounds. It’s a safe place for me—performing next to someone who loves me no matter what.”

ahha

Best Gallery FINALISTS:
Black Wall Street Gallery, Living Arts

With “The Experience,” ahha brought immersive and interactive art to the delight of all who enter.

Philbrook Museum of Art

Best Museum FINALISTS:
Gilcrease Museum, The Outsiders House Museum

Tulsa Ballet

Best Performing Arts Company FINALISTS:
Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

Best Performing Arts Venue FINALISTS:
BOK Center, Guthrie Green

Loony Bin Comedy Club

Best Comedy Night FINALISTS:
Blue Whale Comedy Festival, The Fur Shop

Tulsa Talks

Best Local Podcast FINALISTS:
Opinions Like A-Holes, Pub Talk

The podcast from our sister publication (TulsaPeople) features fun, fascinating interviews with, well, Tulsa people.

The Vanguard

Best Small Venue FINALISTS:
Duet, Mercury Lounge

The Vanguard is an intimate spot to catch local bands, national tours, festivals, and more.

BOK Center

Best Large Music Venue FINALISTS:
Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa Performing Arts Center

The BOK has become a city landmark over the last decade, featuring arena-ready acts night after night.

Cain’s Ballroom

Best Venue for Live Local Music FINALISTS:
The Colony, Guthrie Green

Best Place for Dancing FINALISTS:
Club Majestic, Whiskey 918

Starship Records & Tapes

Best Record Store FINALISTS:
Josey Records, Spinster Records

Broken Arrow Warren Theater

Best Movie Theater FINALISTS:
AMC Southroads 20, Circle Cinema

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Best Casino FINALISTS:
Osage Casino Downtown Tulsa, River Spirit Casino

A museum, casino, hotel, and venue, the Hard Rock is the place for an entertaining staycation.

Shuffles: Board Game Cafe – Questionable Company

Best Trivia Night FINALISTS:
Soundpony – Trivia with Jack,
The Starlite – 918 Trivia

Questionable Company causes some serious head-scratching all over town, and Shuffles is the perfect setting.

The Starlite

Best Karaoke FINALISTS:
Elote Café & Catering, Rabbit Hole Bar & Grill

The Starlite’s supportive crowd and fabulous, sparkly backdrop heighten any performance.

Linde Oktoberfest

Best Annual Festival FINALISTS:
Blue Dome Arts Festival, Tulsa International Mayfest

Linde Oktoberfest has been filling bellies with beer and Bavarian delicacies for over 40 years.

Central Library

Best Place to Learn Something New FINALISTS:
Gathering Place, Philbrook Museum of Art

YMCA

Best Health / Fitness Center FINALISTS:
Planet Fitness, Sky Fitness & Wellbeing

Guthrie Green

Best Place to Strike a (Yoga) Pose FINALISTS:
Be Love Yoga Studio, SALT Yoga

Guthrie Green’s skyline setting is serene—and with free yoga classes, the price is right.

Fleet Feet

Best Running / Athletic Store FINALISTS:
Academy Sports + Outdoors, Runner’s World

Tulsa Run

Best Foot Race / Run FINALISTS:
The Color Run, Route 66 Marathon

T-Town Bicycles

Best Bike Shop FINALISTS:
Phat Tire Bike Shop, Tom’s Bicycles

Since 1991, T-Town Bikes has helped Tulsans find the bike that suits their needs.

River Parks

Best Place for Cycling FINALISTS:
Cry Baby Hill, Gathering Place

With killer views and trails, River Parks is great for a scenic cruise or a lengthy workout.

Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area

Best Place to Hike FINALISTS:
Chandler Park, Gathering Place

Best Place to Go with Your Dog FINALISTS:
Gathering Place Dog Nights, River Parks

Whether you’re on foot or a mountain bike, with a furry friend or a human pal, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area is the perfect place to go for a daytime hike, bike, or casual stroll. If you’re looking to get your heart rate up—or simply to get away from the city without going too far—this River Parks treasure on the west bank of the Arkansas River occupies more than 600 acres, with miles of dirt trails, two big ponds, covered park pavilions, trees, boulders, iconic bronze wildlife structures (“Rio Grande Turkeys” and “Rocky Mountain Bighorn” greet visitors at the entrance), and more—all just few miles from downtown Tulsa.

Turkey Mountain is purposefully kept a bit on the wild side in order to set it apart from the various flat, manicured trails along the river and throughout the city. The area offers four trails: three dirt trails and one paved. You’ll find the main trailhead, providing access to all four, just north of the 71st Street bridge and just east of Elwood Avenue. Choose wisely: the Red Trail is an easy 0.8-mile loop, the Blue Trail loop is a moderate 1.5 miles, and the Yellow Trail loop is quite a bit longer and more difficult at 4.4 miles. (Check the maps before you set off—and take plenty of water for yourself and your pups.) In looking ahead to the future of the “untamed oasis” that is Turkey Mountain, the River Parks Authority hosted a public planning meeting in Feb. 2019 to discuss management, preservation, and programming for the area—with more meetings and opportunities for public input planned for the future.

Gathering Place

Best Park FINALISTS:
Guthrie Green, Woodward Park

Best Family Outing FINALISTS:
Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa Botanic Garden

Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners FINALISTS:
The Center of the Universe, Mother Road Market

Best Picnic Spot FINALISTS:
Guthrie Green, Woodward Park

Best All-Ages Venue FINALISTS:
BOK Center, Cain’s Ballroom

Best Free Entertainment FINALISTS:
First Friday Art Crawl, Guthrie Green

The much-anticipated Gathering Place has quickly exceeded Tulsa’s expectations. Blending the spirit of a public park with the scope and scale of an amusement park, Gathering Place offers state-of-the-art playground equipment, the cozy Williams Lodge with its two-story fireplace, the QuikTrip Great Lawn—featuring free concerts—the ONEOK Boathouse (where you can rent kayaks and canoes), sport courts, a skate park, and more.

Tulsa State Fair

Best Place for People Watching FINALISTS:
Gathering Place, Walmart

It takes all kinds to make the world go round. See them all at the Tulsa State Fair.

Ida Red

Best Local Gift FINALISTS:
Boomtown Tees, Glacier Confection

Ida Red offers gift options that will leave recipients asking,
“Where did you get this?”

Ihloff Salon and Day Spa

Best Salon FINALISTS:
Raw Elements, Z Studio

Dillard’s

Best Clothing Store FINALISTS:
Goodwill, Kohl’s

Goodwill

Best Vintage Clothing Store FINALISTS:
Cheap Thrills, Vintage Vault

Retro Den

Best Antique Store FINALISTS:
I-44 Antique Mall, River City Trading Post

In addition to their selection of one-of-a-kind items, Retro Den also offers collaborative home styling.

Brookside Tattoo and Piercing

Best Tattoo Parlor FINALISTS:
Black Gold Tattoos and Piercings, Tulsa Tattoo Co.

Passage of State Question 788

Best Election Result FINALISTS:
The Blue Wave, House Representative John Waldron

In 2014, a grassroots group of activists started Oklahomans for Health, an organization with a mission of “serving Oklahomans through cannabis legalization efforts, patient education, citizen advocacy, and legislative action.” This led to petition efforts to get medical marijuana on the ballot, which saw success in 2018 with State Question 788.

Frank Grove of Oklahomans for Cannabis (now President of the Drug Policy Reform Network of Oklahoma) was among these hardworking activists. “Back then we never could have foreseen what’s happening now. When we wrote the second petition in 2016, we envisioned delays in implementation, significant drawbacks, and lots of changes to the core language, and the reality in 2019 is that none of that really happened. The biggest erosion has been for employee protection.”

Grove and his fellow organizers have been pleasantly surprised by how the legislature has reacted, and by Oklahoma’s forward momentum on the issue. Chelsea Kennedy, regional organizer for SQ 788 (Oklahoma City), was amazed by how quickly dispensaries started popping up after the law was enacted. “It’s been a rough, long road, but really good—even today going to a dispensary blows my mind. I won’t lie that I was nervous as heck on election night, but once we saw the early vote had been won, I became more confident,” she said.

It was a human and a team effort that made this happen—the petition was not paid for by a wealthy individual or donor organization—and people are still working to answer the public’s questions and to ultimately “keep pushing the Overton window toward more liberal, more rational drug policy,” according to Grove.

George Kaiser Family Foundation

Best Nonprofit FINALISTS:
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma,
John 3:16 Mission

Through programs and developments, George Kaiser executes his vision of a more vibrant and inclusive Tulsa.