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PrintComfort food for the soul
Warm up your stomach — and your spirits — at these local stops for comfort and soul food.
Tulsa has soul … and lots of it.
Soul food is generally categorized as the traditional recipes passed down from generations in Southern families and from the cuisine of African Americans in the United States.
Since it was illegal in many states for enslaved Africans to learn to read or write, these family recipes and cooking techniques were often passed on orally to other family members.
The term became popular in the 1960s when the word “soul” came to reference the African-American culture. Once slavery was abolished, home cooks were able to get the word out about this traditional cooking and restaurants started popping up throughout the South.
Now “soul food” tends to reflect not only African-American culture but also Southern cuisine. Luckily, we have many great restaurants in Tulsa dishing up family recipes and true comfort food. Since we couldn’t settle on just one, we have provided a list of our favorite places in town to nourish our own souls — and tummies.
Evelyn’s Restaurant
For fried chicken better than Grandma’s, head to this popular seat-yourself café just north of the Tulsa airport. Wanda J fries up super-crispy and surprisingly non-greasy chicken for a legion of daily fans. Daily lunch specials also include fork-tender chicken-fried steak, meat loaf with gravy, smothered chicken, beef pot roast, chicken and noodles, and turkey and dressing — all served with your choice of two vegetable side dishes for under $8. It’s all delicious washed down with a glass of sweet tea. Open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch only.
3014 N. 74th E. Ave., 835-1212
Nelson’s Ranch House
“Hello, chicken fried!” That’s what you’ll hear the staff call out when customers order the specialty at Nelson’s Ranch House.
For decades, the Rogers family doled out lip-smacking chicken-fried steak from their downtown location (now home to Eloté), and after a five-year absence, Nelson Barry Rodgers, grandson of founder Nelson Rodgers Sr., opened an informal location in the former home of Debbie’s Ranch House Restaurant. The buffet offers Nelson’s famous chicken-fried steak, as well as pot roast, macaroni and cheese, and liver and onions. Save room for pie, for they are all made from scratch — coconut cream, lemon, chocolate and banana cream, to name a few delicious options. Come in for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday. Dinner service is available only from 6-9 p.m on Friday nights.
1547 E. Third St., 551-7601
Tally’s Good Food Café
Tally’s has been serving Tulsa heaping plates of delicious comfort food for 25 years. Owner Tally Alame also serves a free Thanksgiving dinner every year to anyone who stops in. Comfort dishes include grilled beef liver with sautéed onions, fried chicken liver and Cajun grilled catfish (all $7.50), all served with your choice of three sides. Tally’s also offers a hearty four-way chili over spaghetti ($6.95). Breakfast time is Tally’s time. Stop in for a taste of one of a dozen omelets, or dive into a Smart Bomb — hash browns with ham, bacon, sausage, beef and a slew of veggies, topped with cheese, two eggs and toast. And if you’re really brave, they have delicious cinnamon rolls the size of a plate.
1102 S. Yale Ave., 835-8039, www.tallyscafe.com
Ollie’s Station Restaurant
Ollie’s is located appropriately on old Route 66 under an overpass right next to the train tracks, in the heart of Red Fork, a neighborhood in west Tulsa. Owner Joe Gilling is an avid model-train aficionado, and his collection of 10 variously scaled trains runs the length of the dining room through scale-model cities, offering diners a glimpse into Tulsa’s past. The food makes you feel right at home — or at Grandma’s. Specials include smothered chicken, liver and onions, and chicken-fried steak. Sides include Okie favorites such as fried green tomatoes, fried sweet potatoes, fried okra and home-style potato salad. Stop in on Saturday mornings for the breakfast.
4070 Southwest Blvd., 446-0524, www.olliesstation.com
Caz's Chowhouse 
Jeff and Amy Castleberry opened this comfort-food joint in the revitalized Brady District, across the street from its namesake bar and a stone’s throw from downtown — the perfect location for a dinner on the town before a show at the BOK Center or Cain’s Ballroom. Caz’s offers classic hearty dishes for lunch and dinner, including chicken and biscuits, Mom’s Meatloaf, Southern fried catfish and my favorite soul food combination, chicken and waffles. Start your meal with some Pucker Chips, sliced pickles hand-battered in seasoned cornmeal and fried until crispy. They are sure to wake up your taste buds!
18 E. Brady St., 588-CHOW (2469), www.cazschowhouse.com
Joyner's Home Cooked Food
This no-frills café in a tiny strip mall offers true comfort food in a relaxed environment — black-eyed peas, cornbread, fried okra and mac ’n’ cheese — from either the hearty buffet or a la carte. The black, white and red décor and music from the ’50s takes you back in time. Don’t miss out on the sweet potato pie.
8151 E. 21st St., 622-5003
