• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Blues Best Life
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • How To
  • Contact
  • About
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • How To
    • Contact
    • About
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Roundups

    Yelp’s 10 Favorite Oklahoma City Restaurants If You're in Town for the NBA Playoffs

    Published: May 12, 2025 by bobbieblue

    0 shares
    • Facebook

    Oklahoma City is known for its contributions to the energy industry, an incredible sports fanbase, museums, and the fantastic Bricktown district. With all of these popular draws, the food scene in OKC is vibrant and a must-eat destination! Whether you are craving upscale dining, Midwest comfort food, locally sourced ingredients, OKC has a absolute storm of restaurants that impress everyone! This collection hits up the favorite spots by Yelp reviewers for the business traveler, the sports fans, as well as those visiting for a laid-back great time.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Blue's Best Life.

    Cheever's Cafe

    Photo Credit: Christy S.

    Experience a cozy dining atmosphere with a flair of Southern charm and inviting service at Cheever's Cafe. This restaurant offers a mix of upscale dining and comfort food. It is famous for its fried green tomatoes and the must-try creamy chicken fried steak.

    Review: I had to write an update because we had the most amazing meal here tonight. The food was so delicious that I just want to rave about it! I had the salmon served with a polenta cake, collard greens, and a red pepper sauce. It was so deliciously flavorful that I made sure all my table mates tried some. My husband had a special which was crab stuffed shrimp, and he loved it. We have been here several times, and we know what we like to order, but we both stepped out of our box and tried something different. We were so pleased that we did!
    Well done, Cheever's!

    Click here to learn more about Cheever's Cafe

    The Press

    Photo Credit: Patsy L.

    Go to a modern restaurant in the heart of Oklahoma City—The Press—a trendy spot to experience their seasonal menu, as they source ingredients locally. They are also known for their brunch menu, which offers gourmet sandwiches, entrees, and crafted cocktails! With the sleek, contemporary, and trendy setting, casual meals and celebrating special occasions at this place are perfect!

    Review: I was in town for a friend's surprise bday party/reunion. We all ate at The Press. This place is located in an art district of the city. We came on a Sunday afternoon and parking wasn't too bad. Surprisingly, inside was quite spacious with a lot of seating. They have an outdoor patio area as well. The staff was great.

    Everyone loved their food. The mozzarella sticks were HUGE. It was breaded like fried chicken, not your usual breadcrumbs. They were really good and I highly recommend. I got the Press Cobb salad. It was so big that I had it again for dinner. For leftovers, it was still good.

    One of our friends ordered the Press_idente! Margarita. The tequila had a smoky taste and it was strong! Definitely bang for your buck.

    I would definitely come back here again.

    Click here to learn more about The Press

    Anton's Craft Kitchen

    Photo Credit: Laurie M.

    Anton's Craft Kitchen is a hidden gem in Oklahoma City that offers dishes made from locally grown and fresh ingredients. They also have wood-fired pizza, gourmet burgers, and a selection of craft drinks you can't resist. The place has a relaxing and inviting atmosphere, which adds a modern touch to the classic comfort food everyone loves.

    Review: We stopped at Anton's for lunch, our first time there, and we were pleasantly surprised. The dining room was open and spacious, with tables nicely spaced apart. We were greeted at the door by a very welcoming gentleman, (Anton?) who joked with us while showing us to our table. He remained professional but immediately put us at ease. After seating us, he asked if it was okay to surprise us with an appetizer and said, "If you don't like it, you don't pay." We agreed and were very happy with the Spinach & Eggplant Dip! I don't think we left even a drop on the plate--it's a must-try.

    When taking our order, we asked about bread or buns, and he laughed, saying, "No bread, you already have bread on the table, (The flatbread), I mix up the salad for you; you'll like it!" We laughed and agreed. He wasn't pushy--in fact, I found him charming and funny. The salad was mixed fresh at our table in a large bowl with his "own dressing," and it was delicious!

    The entrees were excellent--very flavorful and served HOT. We had the "Crispy Chicken Sandwich," "Rose's Chicken and Shrimp," and "Chicken Parmesan." This meal was one of the rare times we all cleaned our plates.

    Anton's is a lovely combination of good food, personality, and comfort. We'll definitely be going back!

    Click here to know more about Anton's Craft Kitchen

    The Mule

    Photo Credit: Tim C.

    Looking for a place to have a casual night out or craving a savory quick bite? The Mule might be the perfect place for you! This quirky and laid-back food place is known for its creative versions of your favorite comfort food and grilled cheese sandwiches. They also have beers on tap that match the relaxed vibe, making it a good place to chill and enjoy good food.

    Review: Stopped on a road trip on an early Sunday afternoon. The placed was packed with a 15-minute wait for a table, but I did manage to find one open seat at the bar

    I immediately ordered the cheese curds and took suggestions for an entree. The Macaroni Pony was immediately recommended with a side of onion rings.

    The cheese curds arrived quickly. The serving is definitely shareable and comes with a house made ranch and a small side of tomato soup. The cheese curds are very airy and tasted great. The tomato soup and ranch were a welcomed edition.

    The macaroni pony is an award-winning sandwich and I can see why. This is one power packed sandwich! The pulled pork was juicy, and the pickle was an excellent surprise in the middle.

    The Mule has a ton of local guests. They even allow you to buy a future drink for someone and put it on the board by the bar.

    Great atmosphere and service! I would definitely recommend if you're cruising by Oklahoma City on I-35. It's not too far off the interstate.

    Click here to learn more about The Mule

    El Sabor De La Baja OKC

    Photo Credit: Tonia Z.

    Are you craving Mexican Seafood? El Sabor De La Baja OKC is a place to be! They have ceviche, fish tacos, and Baja-inspired dishes. It's like they bring the flavors of Baja California to Oklahoma City. Their flavorful dishes match their casual vibe.

    Review: Being from SoCal, I was excited to hear about this place.

    My friend and I went during the week and early (5pm). There was a handful of people already dining. We placed our order and the food arrived quickly.

    I ordered a fried fish taco, surf n turf and grilled shrimp taco.

    I read the reviews regarding the fried fish taco, stating it was mostly batter and hardly any fish. I can't comment on their experience, but I will state, in my opinion, it wasn't firm white fish so it appears when you bite into the batter, that it's all batter. I don't want to say the fish was mushy, but it wasn't firm. And (temperature) hot!!

    The surf n turf was delicious! I was hesitant about the steak because it looked tough. But I will tell you, I fought more biting into the shrimp than I did the steak. It was so tender. The shrimp wasn't tough, but plenty.

    The grilled shrimp taco had quite a bit of shrimp. The last two bites was literally a handful of shrimp.

    The salsas were also flavorful and delicious.
    I will definitely be back.

    By the time we left at 7pm, the place was packed. The service was very good.

    Click here to know more about El Sabor De La Baja OKC

    Black Walnut

    Photo Credit: Ryan A.

    Discover and enjoy the beauty of American flavors at Black Walnut and experience the best dining experience in Oklahoma City. This restaurant is perfect for celebrating various occasions, upscale gatherings, and even date nights! They have curated a beautiful wine list that goes well with dishes like seared tuna, rosemary chicken, and more!

    Review: What a thoughtful and well executed menu.

    We tried a bit of everything, but if you even kinda-like Brussels sprouts, the Brussels Caesar was the clear winner of the evening. Everything else was varying degrees of delicious, but hands down this is the dish to get every time.

    Everyone was friendly, the atmosphere is very intimate and I will most certainly be going back to try more of the menu.

    Only ding on the experience was how little the server really knew about the menu, asked about a dish's ingredients and guy was pretty well clueless.

    He was very nice but just expected a bit more polish from a restaurant of this caliber.

    Certainly still a 5 star review, he may have just be a new employee. In any event, what a neat little gem of a restaurant and honestly felt like the prices were a great value for the taste and execution the kitchen sends out.

    Click here to know more about Black Walnut

    Symmetry

    Fillet Mignon
    Photo Credit: Deepika G.

    If you are looking for a restaurant for your next date night, you should try Symmetry. Here, you can enjoy steak, salad, and more! The place is elegant yet cozy. It's also a nice choice for wine night or a cozy dinner with your family and friends.

    Review: Came to Symmetry with three friends on Valentine's Day at 7 pm - peak dinner time. My friend reserved a table for the four of us and requested a booth, which was perfect because it blocked out a lot of the noise from the rest of the restaurant. We were able to converse with each other throughout the night without having to yell.

    Ambiance: Symmetry has elegant decor - table cloths, booth and table seatings, a full bar, and cozy seatings perfect for an intimate dinner or date night.

    Service: The servers were very friendly! We received our drinks and food kind of late, but I expected that since the place was packed due to it being a holiday

    Food:

    *Oyster Trio* 6 oysters - the perfect appetizer for 2 people to share. Each one was beautifully seasoned allowing us to savor the taste afterwards

    *Shrimp Scampi* scrumptious pasta dish with plenty of large-sized shrimp to get in every bite. The portion size is generous, linguine was cooked perfectly al dente, and the garlic butter sauce was so tasty. I liked that the flavors were not too overpowering

    *Bone Marrow w/ Mashed Potatoes* We saw pictures of this online and had to order it just for the size of the bone! The sides come a la carte style and the server scraped the marrow from the bone into the potatoes and mixed it herself. This side dish was probably my favorite food of the night

    *Filet Mignon well-done* I'm not a huge steak person, but I do love the taste! I tried a bite and give this 5 stars...so juicy and tender

    *Carrot Cake* this dessert is your typical carrot cake with cream cheese frosting but with flair - added in are some candied shreds of carrot.

    Drinks:

    *Peace Pipe* delicious smoky drink flavored with a clove syrup in addition to a fun experience! This drink came with a huge ice cube in a glass and a separate bottle with the drink + smoke that was stoppered until I was ready to pour the drink in the glass. I ordered this twice because it was that good!

    *Puttin' on the Spritz* a refreshing citrusy and cranberry flavored spritzy drink

    *DePeche Mode* this drink has bitters in it along with four fruit flavors (pear, apricot, lemon, peach) which make it so fancy tasting and wonderful. I can't get enough of the craft cocktails at this place. I want to try them all!

    Overall, I highly recommend Symmetry for a fancy dinner to celebrate a special occasion. The seasonal cocktails are my favorite and the food and service are phenomenal. I may come back just for those bone marrow mashed potatoes and cocktails!

    Click here to learn more about Symmetry

    FRIDA Southwest

    Photo Credit: Aaron S.

    Enjoy the flavors of Mexico with a Southwestern twist at FRIDA Southwest. You'll have a memorable dining experience with them—from flavorful dishes like carne asada and smoky chipotle margaritas to a colorful interior, lively atmosphere, and excellent service, this might be your next favorite place!

    Review: WOW this place really blew me away. Visiting from out of town with a group (plus my local cousin), this place was the standout of our trip for all of us. I was immediately struck by the trendy but classy vibe and pleasantly surprised it wasn't busier given how much I enjoyed the food. To start, I'd also like to mention that the cocktails are exquisite. Some of our group was indecisive and the bar staff really pulled through with providing something enjoyable for them. I loved the old fashioned and when we later visited the adjoining bar before departing, I had a carrot based cocktail that knocked my socks off.

    Most importantly, however, I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed their Chilean Seabass. I know what you're thinking, "a great fish dish in Oklahoma??" I can assure you YES, it's one of the best I've had anywhere. Two of us ordered it and we were practically licking the plate clean. If you're prepared to spend a bit, I can assure you it's worth it.

    I sadly do not recall the name of our server (we dined here on 3/9), but she was extremely attentive and helpful. Much appreciated and compliments to the chef!

    Click here to learn more about FRIDA Southwest

    Ganache Patisserie

    Ganache Patisserie is truly a paradise for dessert lovers! They offer French-inspired desserts that will make your day more beautiful. They also have chocolates; you can dine there or take home sweet treats to share with your loved ones.

    Review: Amazing dessert place! They make their dessert from scratch fresh daily! My kids love the chocolate Dubai bar. It will cost you $15 per bar. I loved the dark chocolate mousse. It was so decadent, smooth creamy and rich. I love all the different layers in one bite! Yummmm!!! the service is great. I loved how they took their time to explain their process and options that they had! Great store!

    Click here to learn more about Ganache Patisserie

    Hatch Early Mood Food

    Photo Credit: Hydration S.

    Hatch Early Mood Food is where you should go if you love breakfast or brunch. They have mouthwatering dishes like pancakes, their famous Hatch green chile omelet, gravy, biscuits, and more, matched with their vibrant and cozy interior and vibe. It's an excellent hearty treat to dine here and start the day.

    Review: Delicious! The pancakes were super good. The loaded tumblers were unique. I'm not sure if I'd get them again personally, but I'm glad I tried them. I would recommend sitting outside if possible inside is very loud and bustling.

    Click here to learn more about Hatch Early Mood Food

    More Roundups

    • 13 Caramel Apple Recipes
    • 38 Oreo Dessert Recipes (From Cheesecake To Truffles)
    • 20 Tortellini Recipes For Dinner
    • 20 Mini Cheesecake Recipes- Individual Bite Size Desserts

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Bobbie! Welcome to Blue's Best Life. I'm a self-taught cook that loves to cook wholesome meals while still enjoying a truly decadent dessert, because there is always room for a little something sweet!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Bark
    • man eating burger
      6 Feel-Good Foods That Double as Self-Care
    • happy woman eating
      6 Strange Comfort Foods You Can Eat Slowly in Total, Unbothered Silence
    • girl with hot chocolate
      6 Hot Cocoa Toppings So Show-Stopping Your Mug Won’t Know What Hit It

    Copyright © 2025 Blue's Best Life

    Privacy Policy