(3.0)

Wellington Pancake House

5816 N W 63rd Street
Oklahoma City Oklahoma 73132
Phone No. 405-603-3714

Apparently there’s a new breakfast joint in town that goes by the name Wellington Pancake House. My wife and I were a bit hungover (more me than my wife) and we were looking for a quaint little place to indulge in a nice greasy breakfast. We knew this place was close by and relatively new so we decided to give it a try. We made the short trip south and pulled into a parking spot. We both may have noticed, but neither said anything about the abundance of what I like to call “grocery getters” surrounding us. For those of you more cool than myself a “grocery getter” is the stereotypical car you would see an elderly person driving. A couple of quick examples might include: Crown Victorias, Older model Lincoln Towncars, Le Sabres, or anything made by Buick. I’m sure subconsciously we both saw this as a bad sign, but we were hungry enough we were going in regardless.

Read more

(8.0)

Neptune Submarine Sandwiches

 

Neptune Submarine Sandwiches
3301 N Classen Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: (405) 525-0414
MAP

It is weird what you can remember from when you are really little. I am talking about your earliest memories here, like when you were 4 or 5 or something. Sometimes it is just a smell or certain lighting in a room but usually it is something small and trivial and leaves you wondering, why the hell is that even a memory. Sometimes you can’t even be sure it is a real memory but just a story you have heard a million times that someone older told you about. Oddly enough for me perhaps my earliest memory is of Neptune Submarine Sandwich shops. And last week I went in another one and ate for the first time in literally scores of years. Read more

(9.0)

El Alex

 

About 5 years ago, I was introduced to one of Oklahoma City’s best kept secrets.  El Alex Restaurant on the corner of S.W. 25^th and Robinson.  Named after owner Maria’s father, Alex who recently passed.  It was a real treat to see this guy walking around the restaurant in his Pimp hat all done out just on a regular day.  El Alex is no new kid on the block, originally opening in 1981 closing for a brief time and opening back up in the 90’s through today.  Let’s not let this jewel of a restaurant close again.  Go out and patronize good cooking.

 

Now to the food.  As most are aware, the most authentic Mexican food can be found on the South Side of the city.  I will submit to you while this food is authentic.  Most of it, note I said most, is fast food and not prepared with the ingredient of time.  At El Alex, Maria takes painstaking efforts to make sure her food is well prepared and consistent.    This is not a Taqueria, but a café.  You will receive chips and salsa the salsa is a thin variety but absolutely packed with flavor.  For something hotter, try the Salsa Verde, hands down the best in the city made fresh in the restaurant.    The cheese sauce is well prepared and by those who adore queso boast this as some of the best they’ve had.  The refried beans here cannot be beat and I challenge someone to find a more flavorful and smooth version somewhere else!

 

In my many visits, I have become acquainted with Maria and have gathered the courage to ask her questions.  She explained that the style of cooking that El Alex serves is from the Juarez, Chihuahua region of Mexico, just as her mother prepared it back in Mexico.   You’ll find that the Enchiladas are nothing like the fake versions peddled at corporate restaurants.  Enchiladas are intended to be served with a slightly spicy chili sauce.  My best description for this sauce is zesty and tangy.  One thing that also makes El Alex stand out from the other restaurants is the quality of the ingredients used.  The chicken, ground beef, pork, steak etc is not waste parts.  Although this isn’t exactly authentic, it makes for an improvement in my opinion from the original. 

 

The signature dish in my opinion is the Mole de Polo.  This dish is chicken stewed in a brown gravy sauce that has dark chocolate as a key ingredient.  I know most think this is weird by it is a great sweet and spicy dish.  When coupled with rice, beans, beans, tortilla and a little Salsa Verde one has entered the pearly gates of flavor heaven.  Chicken Mole can also be ordered as a gordita.    Other Items that are better than found at other restaurants are the barbacoa, which is to be eaten with lemon and lime, fajitas and horchata.

 

So if you haven’t been here you owe it to yourself to stop by and give this place a try!   Be aware though that they are only open Thursday through Sunday before venturing out of your way.

One of the more entertaining aspects of this place is the juke box.  For those of you, like me, who didn’t have the forsight to minor in Spanish during your undergraduate years can enter into a frenzie of picking songs that you’ll never understand….