Visitors to Oklahoma City will find a warm welcome and down-home cooking, but writer Sherry Spitsnaugle also discovered multi-cultural fare and a Barbie-pink tiki bar. Check out Sherry’s Oklahoma City dining recommendations for your next visit to this foodie city.

Save this article about Oklahoma City’s Dining Scene to Pinterest. From left, Shrimp Bowl at VII Asian Bistro, Coffee at Cafe Kacao and Coconut Cream Pie at Cattleman’s Cafe. Photos by Sherry Spitsnaugle.

Oklahoma City Cuisine from Chicken-Fried Steak to Fried Wontons

I had anticipated being welcomed with friendliness and exceptional steakhouses in Oklahoma City. But I didn’t expect to find an Asian District and multicultural cuisine in this heartland city.

The Asian District in OKC.

The Asian fusion cuisine in Oklahoma City was as delicious as any I’ve experienced, including what I enjoyed in Asia. Of course, I also feasted on chicken-fried steak and coconut cream pie at Cattlemen’s Café, an institution in these parts.

Read on for my favorite foodie finds in OKC.

Oklahoma City’s Dining Scene

Café Kacao

Even though this eatery sits squarely in the Asian District, Café Kacao’s menu is Guatemalan inspired. And the food is exquisite.

Café Kacao’s owners are from Guatemala, but you’ll also find flavors of El Salvador, Cuba, and Peru. The Del Sid family runs the restaurant, which has quite the following.

Yelp named Café Kacao as one of its top 100 places to eat in 2020, and also been featured on the travel channel and voted the best breakfast in Oklahoma by People magazine.

Don’t let Café Kacao’s exterior, with signage of all its awards, fool you. Inside, it is a haven of food, flavors, and friendliness.

When I walked into the bustling café, aromas of espresso brewing and chorizo grilling greeted me. Customers talked and laughed as servers delivered heaping plates of chorizo and huevos rancheros.

I ordered the Desayuno Chapin, which the menu described as, “Guatemala’s most traditional breakfast: Scrambled eggs with refried black beans, feta, fried plantains, sour cream, and flour tortillas.”

Breakfast at Café Kakao.

One sip of the rich, flavorful espresso transported me to Guatemala, where I visited years ago. I loved not only the coffee in Guatemala but also the country, its food, and its people. I loved Café Kacao just as much.

Hungry for more? Read about 10 places to eat in Ames, Iowa.

Oklahoma National Stockyards Café

I have fond memories of lunch at the” stockyard café” in my hometown of WaKeeney, Kansas, population 2,000. So, when I walked into the café at the historic Oklahoma National Stockyards, located just outside of Oklahoma City, I felt right at home.

The small café, which seats about 16 customers, was filled with card-board-sized tables decorated with vases of flowers and straw placemats.

I obviously wasn’t a regular, but the server greeted me with a warm smile and said, “Welcome. Looking for a breakfast steak this morning’?”

I struck up a conversation with a couple of auctioneers on a coffee break, wearing cowboy hats and giant belt buckles. When I explained I was researching the best places to eat, they gushed about the food.

Auctioneer at Oklahoma National Stockyards, OKC.

They were right. The biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and hash browns tasted like my mom’s cooking.

After a meal, you can observe auctioneers in the nearby stockyards as they call out in their signature cadence, scouring the audience for potential cattle buyers.

Just remember to bring cash to the Stockyards café. A handwritten sign taped to the door reads, “Cash only. Sorry, No Credit Card!”

Cattlemen’s Café – Where Cowboys Eat

With the finest cuts of beef, photos of John Wayne, and many customers sporting a cowboy hat, Cattlemen’s Café screams rancher.

“In 1910, Cattlemen’s opened its doors to proudly serve cowboys, ranchers, cattle haulers, and the like,” the menu reads. “Over the years, we’ve been known to sneak in an occasional lawyer, doctor, businessman, movie star, and about anyone else.”

It was before the lunch rush on a Monday morning when I visited, but the place buzzed.

Red vinyl booths, dark wood paneling, and photo murals of cowboys decorate the café.

Entrees included a steak burger, pinto soup, fried catfish, and their specialty lamb fries (aka lamb gonads!).

But I came to Cattlemen’s for chicken-fried steak. The bread coating was fried to perfection, and the potatoes were mashed the way I like them—with a bit of lumpiness.

Cattlemen’s Café is famous for its chicken-fried steak.

My server, Michelle, who has worked at Cattlemen’s for 17 years, asked, “Did y’all save room for coconut cream pie?”

I hadn’t saved room, but she talked me into ordering a slice of the creamy, coconut-infused delight. The flaky crust tasted buttery, and I could understand why whole pies with toasted coconut on top often sell out, especially during the holidays.

More of Oklahoma City’s Dining Scene

VII Asian Bistro

Vietnamese and Chinese heritage influence the cuisine at this popular eatery in the Asian District.

Two friends and I recently dined at VII Asian Bistro for dinner. We began with shared appetizers of wok-fried rice, spring rolls, and crab wontons. Our server recommended the Sapporo beer, which we readily agreed to.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and wood-paneled walls created a pleasant, light-filled atmosphere, but I especially enjoyed the friendliness of staff. Our server patiently described the dishes’ entrees, ingredients, and origins.

The menu offered tripe, brisket, and barbecue pork, but I settled on Shanghai shrimp with garlic sauce.

If I lived in Oklahoma City, I would be a regular at this welcoming bistro.

The friendly staff at VII Asian Bistro.

 Flamingo Tiki and OSO on Paseo  

You might feel more like you’re on a tropical island than in the heart of Oklahoma City at Flamingo Tiki. Rum cocktails served with a tiny umbrella are the drink of choice at this fuchsia-colored paradise.

Flamingo Tiki’s Barbie-pink structure immediately caught my eye, but we chose to dine at its sister establishment, OSO on Paseo, next door, because of the tacos and margaritas. Oso is the Spanish word for bear, and you’ll see a large blue bear structure peeking in the window.

Flamingo Tiki and Oso on Paseo are located in the Paseo Arts District, a swanky neighborhood north of downtown, filled with art galleries, yoga studios, and a chic atmosphere.

Originally called the Spanish Village, the Paseo Arts District features Spanish architecture, with pink, lime-green, and terra-cotta-colored buildings.

The First Friday Gallery Walk in the Paseo Arts District is a fun street scene where you’ll rub elbows with artists, art lovers, and people kicking off the weekend.

Order an Agave flight at OSO and get ready to grin.

Rum cocktail at Flamingo Tiki in the Paseo District in Oklahoma City’s dining scene.

If You Go to Oklahoma City

In addition to Oklahoma City’s exceptional multicultural and local cuisine, visitors will also discover culture, parks, museums, and more.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is a sacred place for Oklahoma City residents. It stands as a solemn tribute to those who were killed, those who survived, and those who were changed forever by the horrific Murrah building bombing in 1995. I found the museum and the memorial to be incredibly educational and moving.

The American Banjo Museum, located in downtown Oklahoma City, is a world-class facility that honors the banjo’s rich history. The museum has 400 instruments, recordings, film, sheet music, and memorabilia.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a premier institution of Western art and culture, featuring exquisite art and displays.

For the best and most up-to-date information, log onto VisitOKC.com

-Story and photos by Sherry Spitsnaugle

Hungry for more? Read Sherry’s article about Day Tripping in Tijuana.