A Local's Travel Guide To Oklahoma City

OKC :: A Local Guide

L&L readers, meet my darling friend, Christina. She is a fellow wanderer and foodie #blessed who has composed a FAB city guide for exploring OKC. When I visited OKC last fall, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the city (the Memorial + the brunch game + the local-ness)! Christina graciously agreed to contribute to L&L as an OKC guru and y'all. Christina is a local who loves living. Must read, must go. Enjoy!

I moved to Oklahoma City in mid-2017 and, quite honestly, I wasn't expecting much. My husband and I decided to make the best of it,  thinking it would be a huge "downgrade" from our home state of Texas. After all, Texans love to make fun of Oklahoma (us included).

And y'all we were so wrong.

I state this for the record: Oklahoma City is cool. And I'm here to prove it to ya. Be sure to add it to your list of weekend trips for the summer! I've compiled a list of favorite spots in town you won't want to miss.

Hatch. This brunch spot is one of my favorites. Beyond being insanely cute and trendy, it's delicious. Their hashbrown tumblers are my absolute favorite (think hashbrowns with mashed potatoes inside #hearteyes). They've got a heck of a wait on the weekends because they're so popular, so be sure to check in on NoWait.

While you're waiting for your table at Hatch… walk over to Coffee Slingers a few doors down for a morning pick-me-up. There's plenty of seating and everyone there is so friendly. If you're up for some walking, take your coffee to-go and browse through some shops on the streets. There's tons of great boutiques and shops within walking distance.

The Jones Assembly. This place is so cool. It’s a music venue + bar + restaurant depending on the night. It’s an indoor/outdoor venue and one of the most popular spots in town. They transform the venue on certain nights for concerts, creating a great atmosphere. Their food is insanely good, and their drinks are worth every penny. This is the spot to go with your girlfriends on a weekend trip. Don’t miss it and don’t forget to make a reservation (because it gets busy fast, y’all).

Cattlemen's Steakhouse. First of all: this is not your typical steakhouse. It's not very expensive and it's not fancy. It's an OKC staple, over 100 years old. Cattlemen's located in the Stockyards, and it's known for being the spot that Presidents have visited while in OKC. It's also delicious. Don't judge this book by it's cover - this is one of the best steaks I've had in my life and their staff is insanely friendly. It’s one of my favorite OKC gems, trust me. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Stonecloud Brewing Company. I love me some Stonecloud. The location is fun and funky (be sure to step around the corner to see the cool old Sunshine Laundromat sign on the roof!) and the history of the building is super cool. They have tours on Saturdays at 4 and Sundays at 2; totally worth it, so try to visit around that time. I’ve been on lots of brewery tours and this is one of my favorites, ever.

Bleugarten. If you’re in town on a sunny-good-weather weekend, Bleugarten is the place to be. It’s a food truck park with beer, liquor, and wine. What could possibly be better? I love being there at night, when they light up the string lights and it feels like magic.

Fassler Hall. If you’re in town on a not-so-sunny-bad-weather weekend, Fassler Hall is my pick to setup shop. You’ll feel like you’re at Oktoberfest (think pretzels & brats & massive beers). It’s the perfect spot to catch up with friends + it’s got some great views of downtown for those photo ops.

Besides just eating and drinking, there are plenty of spots I’d check out before you leave town. You can’t miss the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  The memorial commemorates the OKC bombing and it’s a haunting, beautiful spot you just have to check out. They did a fantastic job paying homage to the victims and the memorial is free to walk around. Pro-tip: there’s an awesome documentary on Netflix about the bombing called ‘Oklahoma City’, check it out before you come. I’d also hit up the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Bricktown before you leave. The botanical gardens are just what you’d expect, but it’s super cute and in the heart of downtown. I walk the gardens nearly every day with my coworkers, and I’m still in love with it. Bricktown is a little more commercialized than most local Oklahomans prefer (they’re really into local stuff, y’all), but it’s still a really cute part of the city and one of the first spots I saw when I moved here. If you’re missing your daily Starbucks (they’re few and far between here), grab one in Bricktown and head down the steps to the little river walk. There’s also a boat ride that goes throughout! Totally worth an hour of your day. If you’re in town for a Thunder game, grab some cheap tickets and experience the enthusiasm. Oklahomans love their Thunder, and it’s fun to jump in on the excitement, whether you’re a fan or not.

OKC is growing like a weed and it’s really fun being a part of it. Put it on your list, it’s worth a weekend. The people here are crazy friendly and you’re sure to have a good time. Just watch out for tornadoes (I kid, I kid, I haven’t seen one… yet).

-Christina