Oklahoma Roadhouse: Tasty portions are huge, too, at new BA steakhouse
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Restaurant Critic
Thursday, January 10, 2013
3/28/13 at 7:49 AM
Correction
This story originally contained an incorrect address. The story has been corrected.
The osso buco on the menu at the new Oklahoma Roadhouse restaurant in Broken Arrow was not exactly a replica of the traditional Milanese dish.
A traditional osso buco is made with veal shanks braised with olive oil, white wine and veggies, and usually served with risotto.
The Oklahoma Roadhouse version features a pork shank that is slow-roasted and flash-fried just before serving and is served with a thin barbecue sauce on the side.
No matter what you call it or how you cut it, the Oklahoma Roadhouse osso buco ($12.49) was outstanding. It was amazingly tender and flavorful, and quite a surprise nestled on a menu that is big on steaks, chicken-fried, burgers and catfish.
Sides selected for the osso buco were a plain Caesar salad with a creamy dressing and green beans cooked with bits of bacon.
We noticed portions of most dishes being served around the dining room ranged from large to enormous. Not true with the chicken-fried steak ($10.49). It was a modest-sized steak, but it might have been one of the best we ever have tasted - tender, no gristle, perfectly breaded and fried, and covered in good cream gravy. The preferred side was mashed potatoes, of course.
I saw a sirloin pass by that literally covered the plate and was tempted to go for one of those. Instead, I took the Oklahoma Roadhouse burger (half-pound $7.49, pound $9.99). It was stacked so high with a patty of blended ground beef and bacon, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato slices, bacon strips, cheddar cheese and fried pickles that I needed a vice to squish it down enough to take a bite. Baked beans were a little bland but made a good side to the burger.
We also shared a Lil' Spurs spuds appetizer ($5.99) and a bowl of chili ($3.99).
The appetizer included eight small potato halves covered with bacon bits and melted cheddar and served with a big bowl of sour cream. The beanless chili was loaded with crumbled ground beef in a slightly spicy sauce and hit the spot on a cold night.
A basket of onion rings ($5.99) also was passed around the table, and these were tender, hand-breaded beauties fried to a light golden-brown.
The beverage menu includes about 10 beers that are served in mugs shaped like a cowboy boot, reflecting the rural, old-fashioned theme of the restaurant that includes corrugated metal and light wood accents, cast-iron cooking pans, and antique farm implements.
Oklahoma Roadhouse is owned by Tracy and John Shoemaker. Tracy is the daughter of Peggy Jo "P.J." Harrison, longtime owner of P.J.'s Sandwich Shoppe in Tulsa.
P.J., who had come to the restaurant to lend a hand that night, happened by our table soon after we arrived, so our cover was blown pretty quickly.
"Cooking has always been my passion growing up in Mother's restaurants," said Tracy, who holds a master's degree in counseling. "My husband is a truck driver, and we have four children, so we are hoping the restaurant becomes a way to have him home more often.
"We cut our own steak, cut our onions, peel our potatoes, just like Mom does it, and we hand-bread our onion rings and chicken-fried steaks. The chili is her recipe."
Oklahoma Roadhouse is located just south of the Elm Place (161st East Avenue) exit off the Broken Arrow Expressway.
OKLAHOMA ROADHOUSE
1530 N. Elm Place, Broken Arrow
918-872-6361
Food: 
Atmosphere: 
Service:
(on a scale of 0 to
4 stars)
11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday-Thursday,
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday;
accepts Visa, MasterCard.
Original Print Headline: Hearty meal
Scott Cherry 918-581-8463
scott.cherry@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
A sirloin steak from Oklahoma Roadhouse nearly covers a dinner plate by itself. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World
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