Basil Mediterranean Cafe
211 NW 23rd St.
basilmediterraneanrestaurant.com
602-3030
Heading
west on NW 23rd Street, its not hard to miss the green building that
looks ever so much like an old KFC and Long John Silver’s. Try
Mediterranean favorites like hummus or dolmas, or dig into a gyro
platter. Perhaps you might want to treat yourself to the pasta pancetta
with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and bacon topped with diced roma
tomatoes and fresh — you guessed it — basil.
Back Door Barbecue
315 NW 23rd St.
525-7427
Keep
heading west from Basil and look for Back Door Barbecue. You can enter
from NW 23rd Street, or be an insider and come in through the back door,
hence the name. Chris Lower and the team behind Big Truck Tacos (we’ll
get to that in a minute) opened Back Door a few months ago, and the
response has been great. Customers line up for slow-smoked meats and
sides that are so tasty that one could make a meal out of those alone.
Don’t miss the fatty brisket.
Tucker’s Onion Burgers
324 NW 23rd St.
tuckersonionburgers.com
609-2333
Leave
the scent of barbecue behind at Back Door, but less than a block away,
get ready for the smell of onions cooking at Tucker’s Onion Burgers. The
brainchild of Keith and Heather Paul (of Cheever’s fame), this was the
first Tucker’s, and it keeps customers coming back with those delicious
onion burgers, fries and handdipped shakes. It offers onion burgers with
a strong Oklahoma pedigree and a nod to El Reno, which is widely
considered to have the best onion burger joints anywhere.
Thai House
500 NW 23rd St.
524-0503
Sitting
on the southwest corner of NW 23rd Street and N. Walker Avenue is an
unassuming building with some top-notch Thai food inside. Hit the lunch
buffet, or peruse the menu for an abundance of curries, rice dishes,
seafood and favorites like pad thai. Seafood options are plentiful, and
each dish can be made to meet your spice needs. Even if you’re not
vegetarian, the clay pot tofu can’t be beat.
Pizza 23
600 NW 23rd St.
pizza23okc.com
601-6161
What
would any strip of road with great restaurants be without pizza?
Thankfully, nobody on NW 23rd Street has to worry. Pizza 23 serves up
pies with a sinfully good buttery crust and build your own pizza
options, or try one of the shop’s creations like the Mediterranean with
house oil and garlic sauce, mozzarella, spinach, grilled chicken,
sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Or try the bleu burger. That creation has
house marinara, mozzarella, hamburger, bacon, red onion, blue cheese and
avocado.
Big Truck Tacos
530 NW 23rd St.
bigtrucktacos.com
525-8226
Big
Truck took NW 23rd Street by storm when it opened a brick-and-mortar
location in 2009. The chefs make breakfast tacos like those found in
Austin and fish tacos, which are ubiquitous in Southern California. When
it comes to guacamole, Big Truck has no equal. With
inventive tacos all over the menu, there is even the 5th Amendment taco
for the brave. What’s in the 5th Amendment? Who knows? But Big Truck is
sure you’re going to love it.
Bubba’s Bubba-Q
715 NW 23rd St.
815-4055
What
do you do when your favorite restaurant closes? If you’re Mike and
Marvin Tharasena, you talk to the owner and get him to open in a space
you own. The Tharasenas renovated a strip of old houses into retail and
office space near NW 23rd Street and N. Shartel Avenue and had the
perfect spot for Bubba’s. (Bubba’s was in Bethany for years but closed
in 2009.) Grab ribs and brisket, and then wander a few doors down for a
dessert at Cuppies and Joe.
— by Kelley Chambers, photos by Mark Hancock
