OKC’s Bricktown Brewery Finding a Local Audience
Local Dining By BLAKE AUSTYN
Contributing Writer
OPEN IN BROOKSIDE: Bricktown Brewery opened its second Greater Tulsa location in the former Leon’s location in Brookside, 3301 S. Peoria Ave., in the summer of last year. The interior features a square bar in the center of the restaurant with two dining areas that flank the bar area.
BLAKE AUSTYN for GTR Newspapers
Bricktown Brewery came to the greater Tulsa area in 2014 in Owasso. Its second Greater Tulsa location opened in the summer of last year in the former Leon’s location in Brookside, 3301 S. Peoria Ave. Late last year, the company opened its third area location in a former Applebee’s in south Tulsa at 9407 E. 71st St.
Bricktown Brewery & Restaurants is the state’s first brewpub and restaurant to brew craft beer.
The company opened its original location in 1992 in Oklahoma City and only recently began expanding in 2012.
Since then, the company has grown from one to 10 restaurant locations, in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas.
“We plan to expand in our existing markets – as well as in areas surrounding our current restaurants in the future,” says President Buck Garfield.
The company brews beer in both its original Bricktown Brewery brewpub in downtown Oklahoma City, 1 N. Oklahoma Ave., and at its production brewery: BT Brewing Company.
It brews beers with alcohol by volume under five percent.
Every six weeks, the company launches a small batch of seasonal beer. In September, the restaurants will feature a Bricktoberfest beer and a CopperHead Amber Ale in October.
Recently, Bricktown Brewery introduced its Twisted Comfort foods with items that change every few months. The dishes are traditional favorites but with an unexpected twist.
A new Twisted Comfort Foods menu came out in mid-August and includes Jalapeño Spam Fries, a Bacon and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and Chicken Fried Ribs.
Additionally, its menu features burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and entree dishes, such as meatloaf, salmon and chicken fried steak.
My friend and I visited the Brookside location on a weekday evening to find a packed house. The square bar in the center of the restaurant was nearly full as were the two dining areas that flank the bar area.
We started with the Chopped & Chipped Nachos appetizer, not fully prepared for its enormous size. We hardly made a noticeable dent in it for fear of ruining our appetites for our main courses.
The nachos were covered in cheese and a sweet barbecue sauce that combined pleasantly with the bright flavor of the cilantro, which added an element of surprise. They also came topped with a generous amount of slow-smoked, very tender pork shoulder.
My favorite main dish, by far, was the Nu Yard Bird. This sandwich comes with roasted chicken, mustard barbecue sauce, mushrooms, arugula, cheese and a slice of green apple.
I loved the diversity and unexpectedness of the flavors—spicy, tangy and sweet all at once. I will go back for that dish, hands down.
Unfortunately, that was not the sandwich that I ordered so I couldn’t eat as much of it as I wanted.
I ordered the Cowboy Bison Burger, with onion glaze, arugula, pickle and tomato plus ground bison. It was a more traditional burger but tasty.
For my side, I picked the Roasted Peanut Coleslaw, because I was looking for a healthy option, but it is, perhaps, a bit too healthy for some people. I enjoyed the addition of the peanuts and cilantro, but, for some, it would lean toward the bland side.
As a sweet treat, we also ordered a small bowl of spicy caramel sauce to go with our other side dish of sweet potato fries. This dish is also available as a full appetizer, called Sea Salt Caramel Fries.
It was sweet and tasty, but, for me, it seemed more like a dessert option than a dish to begin my meal.
Brookside Brewery also features a brunch menu that is served Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Restaurant hours are Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Updated 08-29-2017
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