The Meating Place
The Meating Place restaurant and bar is Norman’s first “streetery,” offering barbecue enthusiasts and cocktail lovers a brand new patio.
Neighbors and brothers-in-law PJ Taylor and Brad Nixon opened The Meating Place in 2016 with their wives Amy and Erin, who are sisters. The Meating Place started as a food truck with plans to someday transition into a stationary restaurant.
After three years, an opportunity for a permanent location came, and The Meating Place moved to Main Street. This change came at the end of 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Taylor said they were inspired to create a patio space during that time.
"We saw many cities introducing these ‘streeteries,’ where you get some safer outdoor seating, especially when there were some restrictions on having to space tables out," Taylor said.
Most Main Street restaurants that were not originally built with a front patio sit too close to the street for frontward expansion. The restaurant partnered with the City of Norman and was approved to build a patio on the parking spaces in front of the restaurant.
The Meating Place patio was opened in July, and Taylor said the city will evaluate the concept to determine if it has been successful.
“We are the pilot program,” Taylor said. “After six months (there) will be a little reevaluation. … Hopefully, after that, not only will they let us keep ours, but they'll create a downtown application so we can see a few (of) these pop up.”
Taylor said he believes more “streeteries” would be an asset to the downtown area.
“We can kind of change the vibe of downtown a little bit, make it a little more attractive and have a beautiful spot where people can spend a few hours as opposed to just coming to one spot and heading back out,” Taylor said.
The Meating Place serves classic barbecue eats and is Norman’s only barbecue restaurant with a full bar. Taylor said the bar’s craft cocktails are made with fresh juices and house-made syrups. The bar keeps a selection of domestic and other popular beers, but the beers on tap are exclusively from Oklahoma breweries.
“We keep things local as much as we can,” Taylor said.
In harmony with its name, the restaurant has a multitude of barbecue options. Guests can choose from options like ribs, pulled pork, brisket, smoked turkey and smoked fried chicken served alone or in tacos, quesadillas and more.
The Meating Place also has specials throughout the week. Tuesday is all-day happy hour, and after 5 p.m. on Wednesday is rib night with $10 half racks and $18 whole racks for dine-in guests. The restaurant hosts a trivia night starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with happy hour from 9 p.m. to close.
On Friday, guests can also enjoy a free appetizer with a bottle of wine, and on Saturday, the restaurant makes a limited amount of brisket queso. There are also happy hours from 9 p.m. to close Friday and Saturday. The Meating Place offers brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday with $5 glasses of wine on all opened bottles.
In addition, the restaurant has daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and $8 sandwich specials during lunch. OU students can enjoy 15 percent off until 3 p.m with an ID.
The Mont
Although many restaurants have lived within the walls of the building since the 1930s, The Mont is one that has become a quintessential part of the Norman experience.
The Mont was founded in 1976 and quickly became central to the town’s culture with its comfort food and drinks. It serves Tex-Mex dishes such as nachos and enchiladas alongside American classics like loaded cheese fries, onion rings and mozzarella sticks.
The Mont features a full bar and a variety of blended drinks. It is famous for its “Sooner Swirl,” a blend of frozen margarita and frozen sangria that mimics OU colors.
The restaurant is at the intersection of Boyd and Classen. Despite the busy location, the Mont’s large patio is surrounded by greenery and misting machines, creating a secluded and refreshing dining experience.
The Mont’s large patio is a fantastic spot for friends and family alike. It’s a prime location on game days, holidays and weekends, but it is also a lovely spot for a spontaneous weeknight venture.
Midway Deli
Midway Deli began as a grocery store in 1926. It is at the intersection of Eufaula and Chautauqua, and at the time of opening, it marked the “midway” point between Norman’s downtown business district and the affluent Faculty Heights neighborhood.
The deli’s current owner, Bob Thompson, took ownership in 1985. He transformed the grocery store into the beloved restaurant known today. The Midway Deli menu showcases the restaurant’s history and features a variety of sandwiches named after customers who created them, such as The Arnie and The Michael.
A fan favorite is the Vulcan sandwich, which features Santa Fe turkey, pepperoni, cheddar, avocado and tomato with a sweet chili mayonnaise sauce on sourdough bread. Midway Deli’s lunch options also include loaded potatoes, nachos and salads.
The deli opens daily at 9 a.m. and serves muffins, croissants and cinnamon rolls. A breakfast favorite is Haley’s Comet, which layers egg, cheese, sausage and avocado with sweet chili mayonnaise on ciabatta.
Thompson’s wife, Maricha, is also a chef. She is celebrated for her green chile stew, which is served as Wednesday’s soup of the day, and her gumbo chicken and rice, which is served on Mondays.
Midway Deli upgraded its patio a couple months into the COVID-19 pandemic, when outdoor dining was the only option. Thompson was able to take out a loan to upgrade the patio through a pandemic relief program with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Midway’s back patio currently seats 50-75 guests.
In 2021, the residents behind the deli announced plans to move. The area of their yard is undergoing a rezoning process that will allow live music and gatherings. Thompson said there are already musicians who are excited to come play once the space is ready and has been approved.
Readers' choice
1. The Mont
2. The Winston
3. Midway Deli
