When we are in the planning phase of a trip, I like to leave a little room in the schedule for unexpected destinations. It never fails that many of the locals will point out some of their top spots, and when one gets mentioned multiple times, we try to squeeze in a visit. In Tulsa, we spoke with people in the Brady Arts District about a casual meal, and Caz’s Chowhouse was mentioned on numerous occasions. It was decided to stop in for a relaxed lunch break, after our visit to the Woody Guthrie Center. (You can read more about the Center here>)
Casual Atmosphere Abounds At Caz’s Chowhouse
The Brady Arts District is a wonderful mix of shopping, dining, and attractions. Being within a short walk of our hotel, we spent a lot of time in this area. The buildings are largely brick, and many could have started life as warehouses. The interiors are spacious with high ceilings, which add an airy feel to the visit. The industrial vibe was present, as has become a thing in many trendy restaurants. An upstairs balcony offers additional seating but wasn’t being used during our visit. I took a gander at the space, which offers nice views of the main dining space on the lower level.
Caz’s Chowhouse has open seating during the lunch period, and we had a choice between the bar area or the main dining space. We chose the main dining area with its comfortable booths and spacious tables. While the exact cuisine style is eclectic, the menu tends to lean toward more southern style dishes. The same can be said for the decor, which had small influences of a New Orleans fashion scattered around the space. The restaurant is dim, without being too dark for social interactions, and the pops of color lend an uplifting mood to the interior. It was really a relaxed mood going on during our visit. Our server was quick to greet us and helped explain a little about the menu. While they offer a specific lunch menu, we were also able to order off of the main entree list, which is what we chose to do.
Meals With A Southern Twist
Those who have followed us for a while will recognize Crystal’s go-to (default) choice. She ordered up the Chicken Tenders, which come with the choice of one side. The breading was crispier than what we have found at many other places, and it comes with a house made dipping sauce. Her choice of side was fried okra, which she enjoyed. Not being a fan of that particular dish, I let her savor all of the goodness for herself. The portion size of her meal was more than enough to offer a filling lunch, and she left part of it uneaten.
I can be a little more adventurous in my choices, and here I was struggling. Cuban sandwiches are probably one of my favorite meals, and they offer up a turkey version. While it sounded intriguing, I decided that I didn’t want to possibly find out that it would be better than the usual pork version. Instead, I chose to go with the Chowhouse Chicken Sandwich. It is made with a chicken breast that has been soaked in sweet tea, which completely intrigued me. The flavor came through a little, but the other components tended to drown it out. The addition of jalapeno bacon, Swiss cheese, and a cream cheese spread seemed to be the overriding flavors. It was a good mix, and I had no problem finishing my sandwich. My side was the spicy coleslaw, which did have a little kick, but nothing over the top. All in all, we found the place to be a nice break from a day of sightseeing, and the staff were quite friendly. We are certainly glad that we left this opening in our schedule so that we could visit a local favorite.
