Uptown 23rd, the roughly one-mile stretch from Broadway to Classen, is already home to a handful of some of OKC’s favorite spots: Big Truck Tacos,  Boom Town Creamery, Cheever’s, Chick N Beer, Formosa, Guyutes, Pho Lien Hoa, Pizzeria Gusto, Tucker’s, etc. Even after eliminating the chains peppered throughout, there are more than a dozen options, and that number will be growing in the next few months. In fact, the growth has already begun with the opening of Ruth’s Creole Kitchen.

Chef Reuben Carey left New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and like many of the refugees, he landed in Texas, taking a job for Olive Garden in Dallas. That job brought him to OKC 11 years ago, and in 2023, he left the company to start a private chef company. Recently, he signed a lease on the former Copley space (610 NW 23rd), and converted it into a Cajun/Creole restaurant that is serving outstanding food.

“Ruth was my mom; I lost her 18 months ago,” Carey said. “She was my inspiration. She taught me how to season food, how to marry flavors, how to pick quality ingredients, and how to build flavor. My whole family is full of cooks.”

Carey uses family recipes, many of which he’s tweaked, and he’s come up with his own as well. He uses specialty suppliers to get ingredients he had access to in New Orleans, and the flavor and authenticity come through in his cooking. HIs skill really shows in the gumbo, with deep, rich flavors, perfectly cooked rice, hearty chunks of sausage, chicken and seafood – depending on which version you prefer. I had the chicken and sausage gumbo side-by-side with the seafood to decide which is best, and I’ve decided to get both every time.

A liquor license is in the works, and he’s also developing the back courtyard to host live music, crawfish boils, and other New Orleans shenanigans. He serves brunch on weekends, and lunch on weekdays, and the turkey sandwich is definitely worth your consideration. 

Ice Cream Plus

When Novelty by Boom Town opens later this month, it will be the first non Boom Town location for owner Angela Muir. Located in Bungalow 23, the frozen dessert concept is also the first in which Chef Kayli Bartnicki is an equity partner. The 700 square foot space on the western edge of Bungalow 23 will seat 33, but it’s likely going to be mainly takeout. Per Bartnicki, the menu will be built around four rotating ice creams, ice cream sandwiches, drumstick cones, and ice cream “nachos.” Bartnicki said, “You will still be able to come in and order a shake, but there will be four flavors seasonally to choose among, and then we’ll have suggested toppings for specific flavors to make loaded milk shakes.”

Mexican with an Asian Twist

Nam Nguyen owns Cajun Corner, which has a location in Uptown 23rd, and just as he brought a new twist to Cajun food, he has his eyes on creating an Asian-Mexican fusion at Chino’s Mexicano, or as he put it, “We’re going to make Mexican food with Asian ingredients.” 

Nguyen said he’s been working on the plans for three to four years, and the opportunity to work with Truong Le at Bungalow 23 was the perfect situation. The 1300 square foot space doesn’t allow for a huge bar program, but he said they will have a mixed beverage license, so guests can get beer and margaritas, as well as other selections. 

“We’re looking to be open in early July, and it will be fast casual service,” Nguyen said. “The food is going to land somewhere between TexMex and street food with Asian influences, so it’s definitely comfort food. We’ll have horchata and ice cream drinks too. It’s something new for OKC.” 

Mexican with a Twist

Wayne Perotka and Jarrod Friedel are opening Ser, a Mexican bar/cantina, next door to their original concept, Guyutes. Perotka said he expects to open “sometime before August,” but a date is still uncertain. Construction is moving along quickly, so quickly in fact that Perotka said they’re trying to get the menu creationand back-of-house hiring on a pace with the build out.

“We’re working with Chef Matt Pryor, and tasting recipes still,” Perotka said. “It’s a scratch kitchen, just like Guyutes, and we’ll keep the casual feel. Right now we’re thinking it will be a full service restaurant from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and then convert to a bar, with food available from next door after 9. Guyutes serves late-night options, but we may change our minds and keep the kitchen open. The guests will likely tell us once we get open.”

Perotka estimated half the space in Ser – “to be” in Spanish – is a horseshoe bar and bar seating, so they’re leaning heavily into the bar approach. The name came from a quick pivot when their first choice Sur (south in Spanish, a reference to being on the south side of NW 23rd) became problematic. 

“I saw a show on Bravo about restaurants and noticed a Hollywood restaurant named Sur, so we decided to avoid any possible confusion, and we already liked the name,” he said.

Vietnamese Brunch

Truong Le and Ty Hamilton have already opened the coffee bar at Egg & Cà Phê, their Vietnamese brunch spot in the former Mucker’s Pub space in Bungalow 23. The coffee service opened quietly last week, and per Le, we’re about two weeks from the food debut. The coffee, tea and matcha program is definitely worth checking out. They’ve made foams for topping the drinks, and half the fun is figuring out which foam works best with which drink. I loved the pandan with Vietnamese coffee, and the strawberry foam on a matcha latte with strawberry puree was stellar too. The tea base is jasmine, and they’re using VietFive Coffee out of Chicago for the coffee drinks.

Taqueria Sonora Style

The next two spots are going to stretch the limits of Uptown 23rd, but it’s worth adding them to the mix. Sonora Querida left their NW 36th and May location a couple months ago in favor of a spot at 2218 NW 23rd. The traditional taqueria opened a few weeks ago, and they’ll add a bar soon thanks to the abundance of space they added – nearly tripling their size. The salsa bar is the best in the city, and the standouts are the Tacos Lorenza and Tacos Haas, but there is much to love all through the menu. 

Izakaya or Japanese with a Twist

I asked Chef Richard Ly if Kaizume by Awaji was going to be an Izakaya, like his original concept, Awaji Izakaya. He said no, but I don’t know what the parameter of an Izakaya are, so I’ll just trust him. It will arrive sometime this year in the former Syrup spot (1501 NW 23rd).

“Kaizume will be Japanese with a twist,” Ly said. “It’ll definitely be different than Awaji, and I’m shooting for a little more upscale, but not to the point of fine dining. I don’t think Oklahoma City has the right demographics yet to have diners who eat fine dining multiple times a week.”

The menu will be a mix of sushi – but no sushi bar – Ly’s rightly well-respected fish program on a raw bar, steaks, and modern Japanese fare. Whatever the composition of the menu, we’ll be happy because Awaji has taught us that Ly can cook pretty much anything, and it will be fantastic. 

He’s hoping for an August opening, but it’s too soon to tell if build out will be done by then, and he’s also dealing with tariff issues on the menu creation. “I can’t get the high quality mochi ice cream I want right now, and eel prices are skyrocketing,” he said. “There are workarounds, but I’m not willing to sacrifice quality just to add an item to the menu. We’re even having issues getting fish sauce.”

Rumors Abound

Finally, the former Roosevelt Room behind and below Boom Town Creamery is still available. A couple prospective tenants have been sniffing around but nothing definite has emerged. Here’s hoping someone gets it and does an excellent bar with bites, because it’s a great space.