Louie’s Grill & Bar Creates Approachable Ambiance
Local Dining By BLAKE AUSTYN
Contributing Writer
HAL SMITH RESTAURANTS: A view of the first Louie’s Bar & Grill that opened in Greater Tulsa, located at 6310 E. 101st St. The restaurant expanded into Jenks and Broken Arrow in 2009. The restaurant chain is owned by Hal Smith Restaurants and has 15 total locations throughout Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas.
BLAKE AUSTYN for GTR Newspapers
Louie’s Grill & Bar has been a favorite of my family since the Norman-based restaurant chain came to Broken Arrow in 2009.
I have often wished that I could find a similar concept closer to me in downtown Tulsa.
The approachable, affordable, relaxed neighborhood bar atmosphere offers a welcome way to end a long day at work without breaking the bank.
And who can deny that they don’t appreciate the greeting when they walk through the door of “Welcome to Louie’s”?
Louie’s opened its first Greater Tulsa restaurant over 10 years ago at 101st Street and Sheridan Road, 6310 E. 101st St., in the location of a closed gas station. Due to the chosen location, I was skeptical of whether it would succeed, but its consistency, quality and subsequent expansion have proven me wrong, fortunately.
Louie’s went on to expand into Jenks and Broken Arrow in 2009.
The chain is owned by Hal Smith Restaurants and has 15 locations throughout the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas.
Its menu is reasonably priced with appetizers, salads, tacos, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and entrees starting at $7.99, up to $12.99.
I visited with a friend and we started with boneless wings, extra crispy, as an appetizer. About 10 boneless wings come in an order, and we chose to divide the wings among two sauces: House and Honey Sriracha.
The Honey Sriracha was my favorite of the two. It brought the sweet contrasted with a bit of spice. The House sauce was also good but offered more of the basic bbq flavor but would be good for a person looking for minimal to no spiciness.
For our main entrees, I chose the Southwest Rice Bowl, with chicken, white rice, black bean salsa, bacon, avocado, olives and chipotle honey mustard sauce.
I am always leery of “bowls” because usually rice is often the overwhelming ingredient. While that was partly true with this dish, it was well balanced with its other ingredients. And the overall flavor was good, the dish large and the lasting feeling not leaving you feeling overly stuffed but comfortable and healthy.
My companion chose the Tilapia Tacos: flour tortillas with blackened tilapia, coleslaw, cilantro and lime.
My friend’s first comment was “They do not skimp on the fish,” which is very true. The tacos were overflowing with tilapia.
She also asked for extra coleslaw on the side, which they fulfilled—something that continues to endear me to Louie’s—their accommodating nature, instead of nickling and diming the customer.
From previous visits, I know that the Veggie pizza, an off-the-menu option, is another solid choice.
However, I recently made the decision to make a move toward veganism, and looking at the menu from that perspective, the offerings are not many—as is true of the majority of restaurants. Yet, there are a few options, mainly salads, with options for substitutions upon request.
Louie’s is open seven days a week, opening at 11 a.m. Monday-Friday, with brunch available Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Updated 01-08-2018
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