Oklahoma City’s south side is home to dozens of taquerias specializing in Mexican street foods, but hiding in plain sight amongst them is a haven for Peruvian cuisine. Popular items include the pollo rostizado (roast chicken) and lomo saltado (beef stir fry over french fries and rice), but if you want to indulge even more in Peruvian potato culture, reach for the papas rellenas (fried potato stuffed with sausage) or papas a la Huancaína (potatoes in aji amarillo sauce). Regardless, pair it with a purple corn-based chicha morada or Inca Kola straight from the gold can.

Owners Bailey and Brian Butler came to Oklahoma City in 2020 by way of Los Angeles, where Brian worked for chef Roy Choi. That influence is clear in the katsu chicken sandwich, tacos, and wings at Palo Santo. Among the cocktails, standouts include two varieties of Old Fashioneds, a mango caipirinha (cachaça, mango, muddled lime, sugar, chile salt), and the warm Oaxacchiato (mezcal, sherry, Oaxacan hot chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and foamed milk). Few places with pool tables on the premises boast bar food and cocktails this good.

Years fighting the good fight for farm-to-fork dining introduced chef Russ Johnson to the local ranchers behind Sun Cattle Company. When Johnson and his partner Chip Fudge were ready to open an Oklahoma burger emporium, they partnered with the ranchers to create a menu that spans across all of Oklahoma’s burger traditions, from onion burgers to thetas (hickory sauce, mayo, grated American cheese, and absolutely no onions). The distinctive El Reno coney (frank, chili, sweet mustard slaw) is also available, as is cold beer and a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich with ice cream for dessert.

Veteran local chef Jonas Favela runs the kitchen at downtown’s newest gilded steakhouse. Shouldering into a neighborhood that already includes Mahogany, Mickey Mantle’s, Red Primesteak, and Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, Stock & Bond has made a name for itself beneath the breathtaking National hotel. Steaks are the draw, but a broad whiskey list, surprising seafood options, and the gorgeous downtown setting have helped make this high-end chophouse an instant favorite among locals.

Chef Andrew Black took home Best Chef: Southwest at the 2023 James Beard Awards. While he also owns Black Walnut and brand-new Perle Mesta in the Skirvin Hilton Hotel, it’s the swank environs of Grey Sweater and its globally inspired tasting menu that brought home the gold. The menu changes with the seasons and whims of chef Black, but the cocktail menu always includes signatures like No Allegiance 2.0 (oxtail fat-washed rye, sherry, house-made fermented apple pie bitters, hand-carved clear ice block, and orange peel) and the Oaxacan Smoke Show (mezcal, smoked black tea cordial, Fernet Vallet, ice block, and burnt orange).

In 2024, chefs Erika and Kelly Whitaker — owners of the Id Est hospitality group and winners of the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur — took over Nonesuch. They retained chef Garrett Hare, who now oversees two tasting menu concepts. The Den offers an eight-course menu with cocktail pairings in a chic lounge setting, while 10-course dinners are served at the horseshoe-shaped dining counter. Both menus rely on local bounty and a top-tier fermentation program from a kitchen that follows zero-waste practices.

Zak Walters came home to his native Oklahoma after spending 15 years cooking in California kitchens, including a place of his own, Salt’s Cure, which became a favorite of Jonathan Gold. Upon his return, Walters and his wife and business partner Silvana opened Sedalia’s, a seafood restaurant unlike anything the landlocked state has ever experienced. Specializing in oysters, conservas, and seasonal seafood from around the world, Sedalia’s operates on the same property as the Walters’ family playground equipment business — though that didn’t stop Sedalia’s from making Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants list in 2023. The weekly menu is founded on fresh and seasonal ingredients, but always includes fresh seafood and a play on anticuchos, a favorite in Silvana’s native Bolivia.

In 2021, chef Jeff Chanchaleune acquired a space in the Plaza District to install this homage to the cuisine of Laos, which he grew up eating at home. Ma Der, which means “come through” in Laotian, is a fitting sentiment for the welcoming passion project, which landed the restaurant on national lists and made Chanchaleune a finalist for the Best Chef: Southwest award from the James Beard Foundation two years in a row. The menu is ideal for communal dining, but can also sing for singletons who belly up to the bar. Nam khao, papaya salad, and sticky rice anchor options that also include daily soups like pulled duck in jasmine rice porridge or khao soi with spicy minced pork. Chanchaleune’s sister Jeslyn oversees cocktails designed to pair with distinctive Southeast Asian flavors.

Local rapper Jabee Williams opened this pizzeria in 2023 in an ambitious new development in the neighborhood where he grew up. Alongside signature black pies treated with activated coal, Williams also regularly collaborates with local chefs to create specialty pies. Jabee’s signature pie is topped with roasted corn, jalapeños, goat cheese, and chipotle aioli. Cauliflower crust is also available. Wings and salads fill out the menu.

Florence’s has been an institution since 1952, when it opened serving hot dogs — on a “hot dog and a prayer,” founder Florence Jones Kemp once said — in the front room of a two-room apartment. In 2022, the James Beard Foundation gave the restaurant an America’s Classics award. Now in her 90s, Kemp partners with her daughter Victoria to push their legacy forward on a steady diet of fried chicken, candied yams, and braised oxtail. Be sure to save room for fresh-baked rolls and cornbread before supper, and pie for dessert.

The Paseo Arts District got a boost five years ago with the addition of the chic, modern Frida Southwest, where chef Quinn Carroll spins interpretations of Southwest cuisine like queso fundido, short rib empanadas, and a pepita-crusted chile relleno. The expansive patio might be the loveliest spot for brunch or dinner in the city, and the only place to find sugarcane-skewered scallops and “Santa Fe-spiced” bone-in pork chops.

When the Coach House closed in 2016, its three decades setting culinary standards became the rich backstory for this modern American pub. Dover sole and duck confit swam away in favor of white cheddar chive biscuits, BLTs, and smoked beef ribs. With an expanded cocktail program and a kitchen full of state-of-the-art equipment, the Hutch offers some of the best pub fare in the city.

Taking over a menswear store, the Hamilton breathed new life into an aging mall on the city’s north side with its eclectic menu blending classics with modern whimsy. Chef Stephanie Miller serves chicken-fried quail among the starters and a classic wedge salad with flat iron steak among the entrees. She also has a rib-eye and tomahawk pork chop guests can top with classic lobster thermidor. Whether you load up on crafty cocktails or classic entrees, save room for a towering slice of six-layer strawberry cake.

Chef Kevin Lee opened Birdie’s as a fried chicken concept in 2018, but a successful run on Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions in 2024 inspired the Food Network veteran to convert his space into a chic, modern Korean steakhouse. Featuring updated Korean classics like bibimbap and tteokbokki to accompany a wagyu-heavy selection of steak, Lee is poised to reach for the stars.