Dave Cathey
Years of expansion have built Oklahoma City’s dining scene into a rich tapestry, where local tastes for beef, pork, catfish, and chicken (particularly when they’re fried, smoked, or both) fuse with global cultures. The culinary identity of the 405 has consistently broadened to encompass the Asian District north of downtown, a range of Mexican, Central American, and South American flavors to the south and west, and a community of Black-owned restaurants growing on the city’s east side.
These days, a spate of newly minted James Beard Award winners and nominees are keeping diners busy, as are restaurants serving the flavors of Laos, Vietnam, and Peru. But no culinary tour of OKC would be complete without burgers, barbecue, and biscuits.
Dave Cathey was food editor of The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City for 15 years and has written two books on Oklahoma food and dining culture. He now operates The Food Dood Feed on Substack.
