This month members of the Social Fabric community are coming together and bringing you our favorite restaurants in our areas. I get to bring you some AMAZING restaurants from around NE Oklahoma and my little corner of Route 66! As I sat down to think of what restaurants I wanted to feature there were a few that came to mind very quickly. Others it took a bit longer to come up. You see, I live in a pretty small town. We have 3 restaurants in this town that are not chains. That was one of my stipulations, I didn't want to include any chains in my list. I had to look a bit further, I even traveled to another state. Don't worry, my drive to Kansas was no longer than my drive to the nearest bigger city. So, without further ado....here are my top 8 of the BEST of the BEST in my area!
Of course Clanton's Cafe was at the TOP of my list. We eat here at least once a week. My SIL and 3 of my nieces and nephews work here. Dennis and Melissa, the owners, are super nice. Mads had her first taste of green beans here. Not only do our family roots run deep here, the restaurant itself has very deep roots. It is the oldest continually owned family restaurant on Route 66 in Oklahoma. They have been featured on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and have also been featured in NUMEROUS magazines, including Gourmet and Southern Living. Their Chicken Fried Steak is world famous! If you ever find yourself driving down Route 66, be sure to stop by Clanton's Cafe in Vinita, Ok!
Our next stop on this restaurant tour takes us up to Galena, Kansas. Again, right of 66, you will find this cute little deli housed in an old bank. The Main Street Deli is a great stop for lunch! They feature daily specials and everyone there is super friendly. Be sure to check out the rest of the downtown area while you are there, such rich history.
Next is a GREAT little hole in the wall restaurant in Grove, Ok. We used to drive by the American Grill to find other restaurants to eat at. Why? I am really not sure. But, no more! We have loved everything we have ordered. They describe themselves as an Italian Restaurant/Sandwich Shop/Burger Restaurant. They have REALLY, REALLY good burgers and their smothered home fries are AMAZING!
We decided we needed a bit of a snack on our tour so we stopped in at Waylan's Ku-Ku Burger in Miami, Oklahoma. I have been eating at Waylan's for a while, since I was in college. Their burgers are wonderful and they have the best ice! Yes, ice! HAHA! I know, but I am kind of particular about my ice. Anyway! I had never tried one of their Bursts before. EVER! I always wanted to try them but by the time I was done with my meal, I just couldn't stuff one more thing in. You guys! I have seriously been missing out! I tried the butterscotch, Mads had bubblegum and MG had cotton candy (shown in pic above). Oh. My. GOSH! SOOOO good!
My final 4 restaurants are:
WatersWay Cafe at Harbors View Marina on Duck Creek, Grand Lake. Every Friday they offer a Shrimp Boil and on Saturday they offer a Fajita Bar! YUM!
Drake's Restaurant in Grove, Oklahoma features great Souther-Style American Food. I like their steak fingers!
The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La on Grand Lake is great if you are looking for fine dining! The views from the restaurant are AMAZING!
The Artichoke in Langley, Oklahoma is housed in a historic farmhouse. Before kids, John and I ate here often. It has been a few years since we have been able to enjoy a dinner at The Artichoke but, I think it is about time we head over again soon. Not that you can't take the kids, you totally can, but sometimes mom and dad just need a nice night to themselves.
To see all of our pics from our recent trip on our strip of Route 66, be sure to check out my Google+ Album! Also stay tuned, in a few weeks I will bring you another post featuring all of the great posts from this great blog hop!