Barrigas–El Paso, TX

Barrigas Restaurant
(Closed)
664 Sunland Park Dr.
El Paso, TX
Barrigas on Sunland Park

Barrigas on Sunland Park


Note Jun. 2019: All of the Barrigas locations in El Paso have now closed but it is reportedly still open in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

This upscale Ciudad Juarez restaurant has recently branched out into El Paso, and provides some of the most authentic Mexican food around. Probably the best feature of Barrigas is the varied menu, with many items not traditionally found in the U.S. Mexican restaurants (although this type of menu variety is increasingly found in El Paso restaurants).

Barrigas seems to specialize in meat items, particularly in finding flavorful ways to combine meat, cheese, and other ingredients. It is also a good place to go if you like a variety of salads, appetizers (such as queso fundido), desserts, and shrimp. Margaritas and other drinks are served.

The background noise and music at Barrigas can sometimes be at such a high level it is hard to hold a conversation. When they have had live mariachi bands, though, the quality of the music has been such I have not minded the temporary inconvenience in trying to converse with others at the table.

Chips and Salsa
The Chips are somewhat greasy and the Salsa has sometimes been too spicy with jalapeno peppers, but the salsa seemed to improve a lot starting about 2006. In fact I would say it is now very close to the classic El Paso and Ciudad Juarez style salsa that is spicy and flavorful, and perhaps a little heavy on extra spices that are thrown in.

The Pico de Gallo that is sometimes served in addition to the salsa is quite good, but it is usually not offered.

Enchiladas
The Red Enchiladas are good, but they are not my favorite in El Paso and I prefer them on a combination plate with other items. While they are a good example of Ciudad Juarez style enchiladas, I prefer the New Mexico style chile that does not have as many spices that modify the flavor as the Mexican style red chile. These enchiladas may be more suitable than the New Mexico style, though, for people who do not like them extremely spicy.

Chicken enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas

Green Enchiladas are made with puréed green chile that is normally very easy to make too spicy and not very flavorful, but the ones at Barrigas are an exception. I find the green chile here to have a flavor that is very similar to the New Mexico style green chile, although milder. These enchiladas also use melted Mexican cheese on top of the chile as well as inside the enchilada, adding to the flavor and making them among the best green enchiladas in El Paso. The green enchiladas seem to taste better with chicken inside and a side order of sour cream to make Enchiladas Suizas, not on the menu as such but is one of the better versions of this dish.

Flautas
Flautas here are well above average using thick, flavorful chunks of chicken and a large quantity of guacamole in which to dip it.

Mole
Chicken Mole is served the traditional Ciudad Juarez style, with chicken mixed into the mole, and Barrigas is one of the best. The mole sauce is not too sweet and I think has a very smooth and delicious taste. Some say mole is an acquired taste, but the one here is a good place to start if you want a more authentic version.

Enmoladas

Enmoladas

Enmoladas, or mole enchiladas, are a way to enjoy the sauce without the chicken (enchiladas are served either with cheese or chicken). With a side order of flour tortillas I really like the mole sauce just as well as on the chicken dinner. To me, though, the enchiladas have a strong corn oil flavor that makes this a less desirable dish than the chicken mole dinner. I am tempted to go on a rant here about the less nutritious and less well balanced food customers frequently receive when they try to order vegetarian dinners, and this is a clear example. One alternative would be to order a mole burrito which is not fried (and would probably have little or no corn oil). In my opinion, though, the best flavor comes with the chicken mole dinner. Mexican food seems to be at its best when you order it with meat.

Chile Relleno
The Chiles Rellenos have been quite greasy at times but other times have been quite good. The yellow tomato sauce served on top of the relleno is flavorful. For the most part I would recommend against ordering it here–other restaurants have much better rellenos.

Puntas de Filete

Puntas de filete

Puntas de filete

Puntas de Filete is a dish of sirloin tips that is served with a choice of several sauces. I enjoyed it not only because of its flavor, but because it is something that is not served in a great number of restaurants. I suspect all the sauces are good, but if you have a hard time deciding I think the waiters will give their suggestions.

Side Dishes
Rice and beans are very good, and overall you should expect a good meal here. Barrigas does not take the time to make Mexican style agua fresca drinks, but I have been pretty happy with the food, and the prices are not bad.

More About the Restaurant
Barrigas is open late (10 p.m.) on weekdays, and later on weekends. The outdoor patio is an excellent idea to take advantage of the El Paso weather, but smoking is allowed making it unusable to me. Because of this, the usually cold air inside, and frequent loud noise, I would have to give low marks for the restaurant’s atmosphere. Still, though, it is one of the better places to get good Mexican food in an upscale setting.


RATING: 23

Cuisine: Mexican Chihuahua
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, drinks

Most Recent Visit: Feb. 27, 2008
Number of Visits: 10+
Best Items: Flautas, Chicken Mole, Green Enchiladas

 

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index: chile 4
Cooking Oil: Vegetable

 

Special Ratings
star 5 Red Enchiladas
star 5 Green Enchiladas with chicken and sour cream
star 5 Flautas
star 5 Mole
star 4 Enmoladas
star 3 Chile Relleno
star 5 Puntas de Filete
star 4 Beans
star 5 Rice
star 4 Chips
star 5 Salsa
star 3 Lemonade

Jim’s Diner–Oklahoma City, OK

Jim’s Diner (Closed)
6317 N. Meridian Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Jim's Diner OKC

Jim’s Diner in northwest Oklahoma City


Note: This Jim’s Diner is closed but the original restaurant at 7950 N.W. 39th Expressway is still open.

Although many are familiar with Jim’s Diner on Route 66 in Bethany, there is now a second location in Oklahoma City at N.W. 63rd St. and Meridian Ave. There are a number of reasons people have continued to patronize Jim’s over the years, but I think two of the most important are that just about everything is on the menu and the prices are reasonable.

My visits to the Bethany location have been exclusively for breakfast or for a late night dinner and conversation with friends (both locations are open until 10:00 pm, but the Bethany restaurant used to be open through midnight–the latest time I can remember being there).

When I went to the Oklahoma City location it was not nearly as busy as the Bethany restaurant usually experiences, but I believe people are now discovering the new restaurant and that business has picked up. This restaurant is not on Route 66, but the food seems to be the same.

Salad

Salad

Salad at Jim’s Diner

Salad is not my idea of one of the restaurant’s big draws, but it is available for those who want it. I could find nothing either particularly good or particularly bad about the one I tried (except for the fact that the tomatoes were actually red and the lettuce was actually green).

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken

Fried chicken

I sampled the Fried Chicken, so I know how it tastes but not if this would be classified as a very filling meal or not. At least the pieces seemed to be as big as in most other restaurants.

The flavor of the dark meat was excellent, so I would have to say this was a big hit with me. The white meat was dry, though, and disappointing (but still not bad). For my taste the dark meat would be well worth ordering again.

The best item I tried, though, was the Mashed Potatoes that came on the side. These were excellent potatoes and excellent gravy. I really do not think very much about mashed potatoes until I try them at the numerous restaurants that do not do them quite the right way (in contrast, I think Jim’s shows how it should be done).

Banana Nut Pancakes

Banana nut pancakes

Banana nut pancakes

One good feature of Jim’s is that you can order breakfast all day. One drawback I discovered was that the cook at dinner was not very familiar with the breakfast menu, leading to the fact that I only got one pancake (the one pictured) when I wanted to make a meal of them (which comes with four pancakes). They cooked the other three for me, but there was a good wait because these pancakes are made from scratch and cannot be prepared quickly.

I gave them four stars because of the fact that at home I try to use a more healthy cooking oil, so I get somewhat of a rude awakening when I eat them in most restaurants. Still, though, I liked the bananas, the syrup, the flavor of the pancakes (other than the oil), and even the margarine spread they had. The pecans tasted stale, though (this was not a big factor in the overall meal).

Desserts

Pie display

The pie display at Jim’s

I am mentioning desserts only to show this photo of their pie display, but so far I have not tried any of the flavors.

Additional Comments
For diners, I think Olde Orchard in Bethany seems to have a better flavor for me. I think Jim’s has more menu options, though, particularly if you want to order breakfast at dinner time (something I believe Olde Orchard does not do).

The closing time of 10:00 pm at Jim’s is considered late night dining for Oklahoma City, so this is a good option for many people (I have not confirmed the hours of this location but they are the ones posted on Yelp). The posted hours also say they open at 6:00 am every day (probably not something I would ever desire to check out for myself).

Update Aug. 2017: After visiting Olde Orchard again I wish to amend this section of the review. Olde Orchard does serve breakfast items at dinner (it is only during lunch hours from 11 am to 1 pm that they are not available). In addition I wish to revise the statement about Olde Orchard having a better flavor overall, and I would have to say it depends on what you order (both restaurants are good at certain things).

Opas Restaurant: Jim’s at N.W. 63rd and Meridian is now two restaurants–Jim’s Diner and Opas Mediterranean Restaurant. Opas has a separate entrance on the east side of the building (on Meridian) but you can also enter at Jim’s. Both restaurants use the same dining room, and you can order from either menu or both.


RATING: 18

Cuisine: American
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily (6:00 am to 10:00 pm)
Accessible: Yes (but there was only one handicapped space)
Smoking: No smoking
Special Features: Serves Breakfast

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 29, 2016

Number of Visits: 1

Best Item: Mashed Potatoes

 

Special Ratings
star 4 Fried Chicken
star 5 Mashed Potatoes
star 3 Salad
star 4 Banana Nut Pancakes

Menu (Aug. 2017):


Kamps–Edmond, OK

Kamps Cafe (Closed)
3325 S. Boulevard
Edmond, OK
Kamps

Kamps in Edmond


The name 1910 keep showing up in connection to Kamps, noting the year when Bill Kamp’s Meat Market first opened in downtown Oklahoma City (Kamp’s Meat Market is currently operating at 7310 N. Western Avenue in OKC). Kamps Cafe in downtown Oklahoma City with a second location in Edmond are an outgrowth of the market, but they have a larger menu than would be expected at a regular meat market and deli.

I have only had a chance to try the restaurant one time, and this was at the Edmond location. I got an idea of the overall good quality of the food, and it is a good sign when I am happy with an item I order at random from the menu (in this case it was the grilled chicken pesto).

The dish I really wanted to try was the Hobo Pie (chicken pot pie with green chiles). It is listed on the menu as a special dish with the suggestion to “Get it while it lasts.” Unfortunately it had run out when I was there in the early evening, but I assume they have a fairly good supply if you go around noon or the early lunch hour.

The dining room was a little bit like a fast food restaurant. This is a place where you order and pick up your food at the counter, so it is a good restaurant for people who do not have a lot of time for a meal but they do want one of good quality. Other than sandwiches, though, the menu is mainly limited to salads and soups.

Kamps is popular for breakfast, and opens at 7:00 a.m. (7:30 on Sat.). It is open for dinner, but menu items are mostly the type of thing people like to have for lunch. It seemed that a lot of people were there for the WiFi, and they have a good Barista selection.

The Food

Grilled chicken pesto

Grilled chicken pesto

With a large variety of sandwiches available, I thought my choice of Grilled Chicken Pesto worked out well. It was not spicy, but the parmesan pesto ranch dressing gave an interesting flavor to the sandwich. The chicken breast had more flavor than many I have tried. The size of the sandwich was pretty good for those who want to make a dinner meal out of the food here (side dishes are relatively inexpensive).

I did not think the Pasta Salad really stood out as being special, but it was solid and was better than the side dishes at quite a few other places.

Comparisons with Other Restaurants
This was more of a straight sandwich place than other restaurants such as Cafe 7, Saturn Grill, etc. I thought the quality of the sandwich was comparable to other restaurants I have tried, and the chicken sandwich was interesting in terms of getting something fairly healthy that also tastes good. Kamps would be in my rotation if I ate enough sandwiches to have a rotation, and it seems to have unique sandwiches rather than just giving different versions of the same ones.


RATING: 23

Cuisine: Sandwiches
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A

Most Recent Visit: Jul. 26, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Grilled Chicken Pesto

Special Ratings
star 5 Grilled Chicken Pesto
star 5 Pasta Salad

Menu (Jul. 2017):

 

 

Oklahoma Station–Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma Station Bar B Q (Closed)
4331 N.W. 50th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma Station BBQ

Oklahoma Station BBQ


Although Oklahoma Station is one of the oldest barbecue restaurants in Oklahoma City, a change of ownership in 2015 not only prompted me to start over with a new review but more importantly, I think the food is quite different than before. The menu is the same and on the outside everything looks the same, but I have noticed marked differences in the items I have ordered.

In some cases these differences are good. For instance, the smoked turkey not only seems better than before, it is also my current choice as the best in Oklahoma City (this has been the case the three times I have gone to the new Oklahoma Station, so I don’t think this is likely to change).

The outside smoker

The outside smoker

Some items are about the same as before, and this is a good thing. Included on this list are the okra, sweet beans, creamy cole slaw, and most of all the incomparable banana pudding (at least I have not found any others that match the pudding at Oklahoma Station).

Some other meat items pose quite a mystery to me as to why they could be so good before but so forgettable at the current restaurant (especially when the turkey has been consistently good).

The Barbecue
The first thing I should point out is that there are more meat items available than are listed in the review, and as is the case with most barbecue restaurants, I have not been able to try them all. You can get a head start, though, with the three meat combination dinner (shown in the next two photos). Both of these served as a meal for two people with leftovers to take home, but your appetite may vary.

Three meat dinner

Brisket, turkey, ribs, creamy cole slaw, Texas toast, okra

The Smoked Turkey has seen a marked improvement over the ones I tried at the “old” restaurant. The gentleman in the serving line included it in his list of recommendations, and based on this I would say asking the employees is a good starting point if you are not sure which items to order.

I thought the turkey had everything required of good barbecue– it was cooked well, it had a good smoky flavor, and the meat was high quality. I recently had the opportunity to order the turkey at Swadley’s (another contender for the best turkey in the city), and I would say Oklahoma Station was the clear winner.

Three meat dinner with pork tenderloin, ham, and turkey

Pork tenderloin, ham, turkey, creamy cole slaw, okra, apple cobbler, sweet beans

The Pork Tenderloin was one of my favorite items before, but the one I had recently was dry. In fact, dry meat was a common theme with many of the meats I have ordered here. The Brisket had the added problem of being tough, but it had a better flavor than many of the others.

The Pork Spare Ribs have been my biggest disappointment at the new restaurant, with the texture and flavor of the meat seeming so wrong I was wondering if they just had a bad day.

Ham is an item I have only tried at the new restaurant, and I thought it had an excellent flavor but was dry. Somewhat inexplicably a piece I took home as a leftover was much better, so based on this I am rating this as one of the better items at the restaurant.

Side Dishes
The creamy Cole Slaw was one of the best in the city at the old restaurant, and I think it is the same now. They have two types of cole slaw, and I have always found it best to stick with the creamy one (rather than the vinegar based version).

The Sweet Beans were excellent.

The fried Okra has been excellent two out of three times, with a good flavor and texture. Like all the side dishes they frequently put out fresh batches, but if you happen to be there when they do not look fresh out of the oven I would advise ordering something else.

Several other vegetables and side dish choices are available, and I think the selection here is unmatched by any other barbecue restaurant in the city. Generally the items are fresh, but in the case of the okra they will tell you if it is not right out of the oven (and therefore you may not want to order it).

Be sure to check the “relish bar” in front of the restaurant for pickles or other appetizers (customers can take whatever they want).

Desserts

Banana pudding and cherry cobbler

Banana pudding and cherry cobbler

The Banana Pudding was my favorite dessert at the old restaurant, and is still available. Somehow they have found the secret to making the best banana pudding I have found anywhere, but I think the secret is just keeping it simple but making sure everything is fresh and follows the recipe correctly.

There was a great variation in the cobbler, though. The Apple Cobbler was excellent, but I thought the Cherry Cobbler was bland.

Additional Comments
I have discovered that high quality iced tea is an integral part to the full enjoyment of a barbecue meal, and the fresh brewed tea here is among the best (sweet tea is also available).

The trouble with the new Oklahoma Station, compared to the old one, is that only a few items have impressed me as being standouts. If you are looking for turkey and banana pudding, I would say this is the best restaurant in town. Some other items are solid, including the ham and several of the side dishes. I had one fairly good experience with the pork tenderloin, but it was not up to the standard I found at the old restaurant. The brisket and ribs are certainly letdowns compared to what the restaurant served before (in my opinion, of course, but I do owe it to readers to give you my best judgment).


RATING: 18

Cuisine: Barbecue
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily except Sun. Evening
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 24, 2017
Number of Visits: 3
Best Items: Turkey, Sweet Beans, Cole Slaw, Banana Pudding

Special Ratings
star 5 Turkey
star 4 Ham
star 4 Pork Tenderloin
star 3 Brisket
star 3 Ribs
star 4 Okra
star 5 Sweet Beans
star 5 Cole Slaw
star 5 Banana Pudding
star 3 Cherry Cobbler

Margarita’s–Oklahoma City, OK

Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant (Closed)
7801 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Margarita's

The new Margarita’s on the west side of May Ave.


The original Margarita’s had been a landmark on the east side of May Avenue just south of Wilshire for a number of years, and was so popular that it many times tested the limits of the old diner/drive-in style building. The owners served Zacatecas style specialties from their family recipes along with many Tex-Mex style favorites to a public that probably did not care very much whether their food was authentic, but they did appreciate good Mexican comfort food.

In 2013 I made my first visit to the “new” Margarita’s across the street from the original location. I immediately noticed a larger dining room with more comfortable tables, and there were several indications that it had changed ownership. It turned out that the couple who had run the restaurant for years had retired, and their daughter had opened the new restaurant. I think the daughter added some items to the menu, but the “Specialidades de la Casa” and other Zacatecas style dishes were still there.

At the new restaurant I have seen decorations on the wall from Aguascalientes (a neighboring state to Zacatecas). They have added new items to the menu, so my take is that they have retained many of the elements of the old restaurant but are branching out to include additional items that customers will enjoy. Some of the new dishes I have tried have been the Calvillo style of food (from the state of Aguascalientes) that I have found in various restaurants around OKC, so I think this is the main focus of the new dishes.

My review of the old restaurant describes some of the dishes I tried before the restaurant moved. Those dishes for which I have a before and after comparison seem to be the same at the new restaurant, with the exception that I do not remember the meat being as tough as it was in a few items I have tried recently.

Set-Ups
Like most Mexican restaurants, Margarita’s gives you a “set-up” of Salsa, Cheese Sauce, and Chips. Overall I was not very impressed by these items, but they are better than at some other restaurants. The tortillas did not come with real butter (but instead there was some kind of spread), and I would guess that they were not home made.

Habanero sauce

Habanero salsa can be requested

A pleasant surprise, though, was the tastier than average Habanero Sauce I ordered, which was also a larger serving than average (and came free with the meal). This was not fiery hot, but was spicy enough to be very good, and to satisfy my craving for something more authentic than the first set-ups had been. A bonus was that I was able to take home the leftover sauce, and it was very good there as well.

Guizo

Guizo de puerco with red chile

Guizo de puerco with red chile

The Guizo de Puerco with Red Chile was one of the first dishes I tried at the new restaurant, and was one reason I became very encouraged about the new restaurant. In contrast to many similar dishes I get in other restaurants, this one reminded me of the kind of food I would find in Mexico. In fact, other than the meat being a little tough this was just about as classic an example of this dish I could find. It is listed as being “with red chile” because customers can order either red or green (another sign that this is authentic Mexican food). The heat level of the chile was about four stars out of five, and was at the level I find comfortable. I also thought it was at about the level it would be served in Mexico, and that was lacking the extreme spiciness that would only be appreciated by dyed-in-the-wool chileheads. As one of the dishes listed under “Specialidades de la Casa,” this is one of the Zacatecas style family recipes that have been carried over from the old restaurant, and I think it is a very good choice.

It should be noted that the order normally comes with rice and beans, but I asked them to omit these items. The fact that they will do this and I can have a more reasonably sized meal is another reason I like this restaurant (it is also a little bit less expensive this way).

Mole

Chicken in mole

Zacatecas style mole

Margarita’s Mole (also listed in “Specialidades de la Casa”) is a very good dish that I have enjoyed at both the old and new restaurant. The chicken seemed a little dry at the new restaurant, but it had a very good red colored mole sauce (I think this is one of the “must order” dishes of the restaurant). To get the full flavor I recommend getting it with the rice and beans, so this makes quite a substantial meal (and is the reason I do not order it very often).

Tacos

Mexican style tacos

Pastor (pork) and chicken Mexican style tacos with papas (potatoes)

Mexican Tacos are similar to the Calvillo style tacos served at numerous restaurants in Oklahoma City. The tacos are good because they are authentic, and you can order the amount you want to fit your appetite. Out of the two types tacos I tried the chicken was better, with the pastor meat falling a little flat compared to the tacos I get at Abel’s.

The Papas tasted greasy to me, and I thought I could have gotten a better side dish.

Quesadilla

Quesadilla

Quesadilla with beef fajitas

The Quesadilla was another example of the type of food I thought was better at Abel’s (and some of the city’s other Calvillo style taco restaurants). The main problem here was the the fajita meat tasted gristly.

Costillas
Costillas Zacatecanos are another specialty of the restaurant that I think are quite good. They come in a huge serving, though, and I have not ordered it at the new restaurant (so please refer to the review of the old restaurant for a photo).

Enchiladas

Green enchilada

Enchilada with chile verde

The Enchilada with Chile Verde is among the ones in OKC that I consider to be quite good, and the beans were above average as well (the rice was about average). The green chile had about a “4 star” spice level (out of 5). This was about right for me–spicy but not fiery, and it had an authentic Mexican flavor.

An Overview
The “Specialidades de la Casa” are generally the items I like best here, and I believe they are made from authentic family recipes from Zacatecas. This is not the reason I like them, but rather it is because of the sauces such as the mole and the sauce used in the guizo. Many of these dinner are huge, though, and I do not order them all the time simply because I do not normally have that kind of appetite.

Some of the “Tex-Mex” items I tried at the old restaurant did not seem to match up to the ones at other restaurants (fajitas and cheese enchiladas are examples). I thought the guacamole and tortilla soup were quite good (I classify these as Tex-Mex as well, although I do not know their origin. A chile relleno I sampled was much better than one I had at the old restaurant, and several items seem to be better than before.

The third type of food I have found here is the Calvillo style tacos, quesadillas, etc. (street food). Overall these have been a disappointment compared to some other restaurants, although I would still take them over the Tex-Mex food which is still served at many restaurants in OKC (particularly restaurants in the north side suburbs).

The main issue for all the food at Margarita’s is the price. The street food is pretty reasonable, but everything else seems higher priced than anywhere else in town unless you go to a restaurant such as 1492. When restaurants charge more I expect higher quality, and I have had issues such as dry meat, etc. Still, this has not been the case with everything I have ordered, and this is one of the few places in the city where I feel that the sauces taste like they do in Mexico.

I have seen a lot of negative reviews for Margarita’s on various web sites. My conjecture is that it has more to do with what you get for the money than it does with the food itself. I have pointed out both the positive and negative I have found with the food here, but the bottom line is that I really do love their sauces (which to me is the heart of Mexican food).


RATING: 22

Cuisine: Mexican Zacatecas
Cost: $$
Hours: Open daily except Sun. evening
Accessible: Bathroom is not accessible
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer

Most Recent Visit: Jul. 9, 2017

Number of Visits: 7 (many more at the old restaurant)

Best Items: Chicken Mole, Enchiladas with Chile Verde, Guizo de Puerco, Habanero Sauce

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index: chile 4

 

Special Ratings
star 5 Enchiladas with Chile Verde
star 5 Chicken Mole
star 5 Costillas Zacatecanos (from the old restaurant)
star 5 Guizo de Puerco
star 5 Chile Relleno (from the old restaurant)
star 5 Mexican Taco (chicken)
star 4 Mexican Taco (pastor)
star 3 Quesadilla (Beef Fajita)
star 5 Refried Beans
star 5 Borracho Beans
star 4 Rice
star 5 Guacamole
star 4 Chips
star 5 Habanero Salsa
star 4 Horchata

Menu (Jun. 2015):

Caffe Pranzo–The Village, OK

Caffe Pranzo (Closed)
9622 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Caffe Pranzo

Caffe Pranzo


I have been told by some owners of Italian restaurants that there is no such thing as “Italian food,” but rather that each region in Italy has developed its own cuisine with certain specialties that seem to set it apart from other parts of the country. Perhaps this is why each Italian restaurant in the U.S. seems to have its own special dishes, its own twist on the food it serves, and its own way of preparing sauces and other essential ingredients.

Caffé Pranzo does indeed have certain dishes that stand out, and this is what has made it one of my favorite Italian restaurants. The quality of the food indicates that there are probably several more outstanding dishes that I have yet to discover.

Prices are a little higher than at most restaurants, and it would probably be classified as one of the city’s “special occasion” restaurants (although not to the point that dressing up would be necessary, especially since a sign in the restaurant says that it is a “neighborhood restaurant”). While some Italian restaurants in town seem to cater more toward families with pizza for the bambini and entrées for the adults, Caffé Pranzo is a more quiet and intimate place geared for a leisurely meal.

Salads and Appetizers

Bread

Complimentary bread

It usually takes time for the meal to be prepared, with the employees keeping a watchful eye to ensure that everything is done correctly. The wait is made less burdensome by fresh bread and a tangy and quite unique olive oil mixture for dipping. Customers are not just given a slice or two of bread, but a whole loaf, and it is quite good.

House salad

House salad with raspberry vinaigrette

Several salads can be ordered, but I thought the House Salad that is available with entrées was just about perfect, with fresh salad greens, olives, and a tangy dressing. This is definitely one of the restaurant’s better features. It was even better, though, with the optional raspberry vinaigrette dressing, and in fact I think this is the best raspberry vinaigrette in OKC.

French onion soup

French onion soup

Several other appetizers are available, and the French onion soup is one of the most popular (and I think also quite good).

Pasta Dishes

Linguini with marinara sauce

“Choose Your Own Pasta” with linguini and marinara sauce

The first dish I tried that grabbed my attention was Linguini with Marinara Sauce. This not only had an excellent plum tomato sauce but also a pasta that was flavorful in its own right. The sauce was spicy almost to the point that I wanted to give it a “chile rating” (that I usually use for Mexican food). It was also on the sweet side, but the thing that made it special seemed to be the tomatoes. Other sauces are also available but I seldom try them, I like this one so much.

The Lasagna had a fairly high tomato sauce to pasta ratio, and some flavorful chunks of Italian sausage. As has been the case with several of Caffé Pranzo’s dishes, the pasta seemed to be of better than usual quality.

Pizza

Margherita pizza

Margherita pizza

I have had mixed results with the brick oven pizzas at Caffé Pranzo. At times I have found the Margherita Pizza to be outstanding, possibly the best in OKC. This was definitely a fresh tasting pizza with the crust tasting just right. On other occasions I ordered the same pizza but found the crust to be droopy, and not crispy enough. The fresh basil has always been one of the best features, but at times there is not enough tomato. Overall, though, this is one of my favorite versions of this type of pizza.

Parmigiana Dishes

Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana

The Chicken Parmigiana had a high quality cut of chicken with one of the best breadings anywhere, and was covered with cheese and marinara sauce. Having sampled several versions of this dish at different restaurants, I thought this was one of the better ones. Having stated that this is a restaurant where several items stand out as ones I particularly like, I would have to put the chicken parmigiana at the head of the list.

Eggplant parmigiana

Eggplant parmigiana

Eggplant Parmigiana is another inconsistent item, but at times it has been excellent. At times I have found the breading, sauce, and cheese to have the same excellent quality that I found with the chicken parmigiana. Other times the breading has been too oily. The eggplant itself has always been good.

Ravioli

Ravioli

Fried ravioli

The Ravioli was a rather unique dish because the shells are specially prepared by a lady in town who supplies them to Caffé Pranzo. This is a rather simple dish with the shells and sauce, but I thought the shells were very good (with cheese inside), and were the main reason to try them here as opposed to other restaurants. It is a simple dish with simple flavors, but the freshness and quality are very good.

Primavera Aglio Olio

Primavera aglio olio

Primavera aglio olio

In an attempt to try something different I ordered the Primavera Aglio Olio (actually this was the first time I had ever tried this dish). The good part of this dish was the vegetables and pasta, but I thought it was very strong on garlic and olive oil (perhaps too much so). This is a vegetarian dish and I would recommend it, but several other meatless dishes seemed to have a better flavor, such as the pizza, linguini, and ravioli.

Chicken Cannelloni

Chicken cannelloni

Chicken cannelloni (split in half)

This photo shows an order of Cannelloni split in half, so the full order is quite a bit more substantial. The wilted spinach salad makes an especially appetizing vegetable. The sauce on the cannelloni is also among the best I have tried.

Manicotti
The main disappointment I have had was with an order of Manicotti, and it also seems to have now been dropped from the menu. My dinner was not hot throughout, leading to the conclusion that it had been frozen or refrigerated, and not heated properly before serving. My dining companion did not want to send it back to the kitchen, and it was not cold to the point that it was inedible, but it was nevertheless strange that it would come out this way.

The manicotti came with a choice of sauces (marinara or alfredo) or a mixture of both. This provided a convenient way to test both sauces. As I suspected, I preferred the marinara sauce, but I did not care for the alfredo sauce as much as I thought I would. Maybe others have more of a taste for it than I do.

Closing Comments
Even Papa Dio’s, which is probably my favorite Italian restaurant in Oklahoma City, has certain dishes that I think are better than others, so it does not surprise me that the same would be the case at Caffé Pranzo. Caffé Pranzo has a surprising consistency in quality, though, compared to many other Italian restaurants. I say this because the few times I have had a bad experience here I did not tell the staff so they could make it right, which I assume they would have done. The fact that the salads, soups, and spaghetti are good here, though, tells me that this is a very good restaurant overall.

Caffe Pranzo's saltshaker collection

Each table has a different set of saltshakers, with others on display in the dining room

There is much on Caffé Pranzo’s menu I have not tried, so I do not think I have reached the point of having a conclusive list of recommended dishes. The ones I have listed as “best items,” though, are among the best in the city (as is the ravioli, even though it is not one of my favorite dishes).


RATING: 23

Cuisine: Italian
Cost: $$$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: No (a former handicapped space now has no sign)
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Wine

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 19, 2017
Number of Visits: 10+
Best Items: Linguini Marinara, Chicken Parmigiana

Special Ratings
star 5 Linguini alla Marinara
star 5 Chicken Parmigiana
star 5 Cannelloni
star 5 Margherita Pizza
star 4 Eggplant Parmigiana
star 4 Lasagna
star 4 Ravioli
star 4 Primavera Aglia Olio
star 3 Manicotti
star 4 Tomato Bisque
star 4 House Salad