I’ve walked past The Tavern many times over the years but never made my way inside before. It has always looked very appealing, especially with the outdoor seating. I finally got my chance on Valentine’s Day this past weekend.
I’m always torn between tried-and-true classics like NOLA’s and trying something new. Ultimately my choices were narrowed down to who still had reservations available on OpenTable during our son’s usual naptime, and reasonable prices. The Tavern stuck out to me because it has been on my list of places to visit. After checking the menu and seeing that we could reasonably get out of there for under $100 with some good looking menu options, I was sold.
First Impressions
When the day arrived we were seated immediately upon arrival — though I was surprised to see the place only half full, so we likely didn’t need a reservation after all. Granted it was 1:00 p.m., a bit late for lunch, but still surprising for the holiday.
We were provided with a spacious booth and a pitcher of water, and our drink orders were taken promptly. We both decided on mimosas to keep things light and fun. The Tavern was definitely loose with their pours and made drinks that were quite strong but still refreshing.
I was surprised to see they were serving off the brunch menu for some reason instead of the lunch menu, but it was no problem — there were still plenty of delicious options.
The Food
My wife ordered the smoked brisket burrito ($20), which included scrambled egg, fried potato, and chipotle sauce, and was smothered in white queso. She absolutely loved it and it was large enough that she took half to go. I personally found the queso a bit overwhelming and didn’t love the potatoes, but it was still enjoyable.
I ordered The Tavern Burger ($20), a good-sized patty on a challah bun with stilton cheese, mushroom cognac cream, and frites. Every bite was savory and delicious and the frites were light, salty, and fantastic.
For dessert we split a slice of cinnamon roll cheesecake with cream cheese frosting and a brown butter maple glaze ($14). It wasn’t the best cheesecake I’ve ever had but I did enjoy it.
Service and Atmosphere
The service was mostly great. We briefly ran low on water early on and had to ask twice for a refill, but I’ll concede my wife and I drink a lot more water than most people, and they soon brought us two pitchers to the table so we didn’t run low again. The wait staff was very friendly and the restaurant had a great ambiance. Despite the open concept layout it was never particularly noisy, and they nailed the lighting so it was intimate without being too dark like some restaurants are.
The Ghost of The Tavern
Supposedly the restaurant is haunted. A while back I took a ghost tour with US Ghost Adventures through the Arts District, where I heard the story of George Baker — an artist who supposedly frequented the hotel restaurant in the E.L. Fox Building that now houses The Tavern. In the early 20th century, Baker carried on an interracial love affair with a woman who became the subject of one of his paintings. Before completing his work, Baker was killed in the Tulsa Race Massacre, and his lover was forced to flee town. To this day, patrons report sightings of a man in 1920s attire sitting alone in a booth, only to vanish when they look back.
For the record, we saw no such mysterious figure during our visit, but perhaps he only dines at night.
Final Verdict
All in all, we were very pleased with our visit and made it out of there for $100 even after tip. I give the restaurant 4.5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good burger or romantic dining experience in downtown Tulsa!
