Last year my blogger friends and I all created a fun game of BLACK (based on the game BINGO) and it took off like wildfire across the country. To get some insight about what the game is and to see all of our game boards you can check out my post here. When I saw that there was a new BLACK board in OKC for this year, I knew I had to take a trip up i35 to show some support. Click here for the 2020 OKC Black Restaurant Weeks info.
My trip started with a trip to Remington Park Casino in Oklahoma City. The casino features a racing track, restaurants and bars throughout the facility. This is training season so I was able to enjoy watching the horses train while enjoying lunch at Bricktown Brewery in the Casino. The chopped and chipped nachos featuring slow smoked pork shoulder is one of their top sellers. I enjoyed the comfort of the chicken fried chicken.
After lunch I explored the Casinos. I like that they have a plethora of machines from the penny machine options for people like me to more risky choices for the big spenders. Luckily I ended up leaving with more than I came. I won a whopping $12! I put that $12 in my gas tank, so I was happy with my earnings.
The gift store was a pleasant surprise. They had things you could bring home as souvenirs to remember your time at Remington, but also had cute clothing and accessories.
I opted to stay in an AirBNB for this visit. There isn’t much to tell there. My host was very nice. The space was clean and accommodating. I will say that next time I use the Air BNB website I’ll inquire more about the area of the home. I searched for homes in Oklahoma City, but ended up with a place in Norman.
My first evening in the city I patronized a place from the OKC Black Eats BLACK board. I went to a place called Off The Hook. I noticed they were doing a special on oysters that night only on their Instagram page and I really wanted to try them. They did not disappoint. I also tried the lobster grilled cheese. It was really good. I had a koolaid pickle cocktail that really wasn’t my cup of tea, but I’m not a pickle fan. I just wanted to try something different. The service was great. The restaurant is great for watching sports at the bar or hanging out with friends or a date in the main dining area.
Later that evening I met up with a friend and we went to a food truck called Bobo’s Chicken. Apparently this is the late night spot everyone flocks to after a night of dancing and drinking at the nearby clubs. They are a cash only establishment, and they specialize in smoked then fried wings. You can even get a honey drizzle on your wings. I got an order of wings and they came with a friend biscuit type of bread. The bread was my favorite part, but the wings were good as well. I would definitely come back. This place was also a black owned establishment so let’s put it down for the free space on the OKC Black Eats BLACK board.
Brunch at Neighborhood Jam
The next day I was in the mood for brunch. I didn’t want to go too far so as soon as I woke up I started looking at Yelp for recommendations on nearby spots. The most popular spot on the search was a spot called Neighborhood Jam. The live wait showed that they had a wait time of over 2 hours. I figured this place is either legit or way over hyped. I’m that person that will take the chance to find out which it is, so I put my name on the list and laid back down for a little more beauty rest. I woke up and arrived at Neighborhood Jam just in time for my reservation. It’s clearly a college town restaurant filled with college students and the Boomer pride is prevalent even throughout the decor. I couldn’t decide on what to eat. They have a section of different flavored pancakes on their menu, and luckily I was able to order just 1 specialty pancake instead of the whole meal. I ordered a cinnamon roll pancake and a scramble which comes with your choice of breakfast potatoes or hashbrowns, a breakfast meat and toast. I got my scramble with caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, spinach and cheese and got hashbrowns with housemade chicken sausage. The menu has a variety of options to accommodate any diet. My food was great and left me wanting to come back and explore more of their menu. The brunch punch was good and a great accompaniment to the brunch. I’ll file this under worth the wait, although technically I didn’t wait. I recommend putting yourself on the list and doing other things until it’s close to your reservation time.
After brunch I explored the area where Neighborhood Jam is located. It was filled with interesting stores, restaurants and bars as well as tons of art work.
Since it was national margarita day I attempted to go to a place called Iguanas that was recommended by a friend. It was shoulder to shoulder packed. It was hard to even walk to the bar, so I opted to sit this margarita day out unfortunately. I ended up going to a place called Coolgreens which I’ve visited in Dallas for a quick fresh bite.
Overall I wanted to explore a lot more places in Oklahoma City, but I enjoyed the places I did make it to. I had a really great time, and can’t wait to come explore more of what OKC has to offer.