A few weeks ago my dad was in town. He and my mom usually come together, but my mom was driving out with 3 of her sisters. My dad isn't big on driving for that length of time. And besides...5 adults in a car for 19 hours each way would be miserable. So instead he flew back from Maryland with me. Sunday we were in Oklahoma City running errands, and after a few hours we were hungry. After some back and forth, I decided to go back to Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar.
I went to Whiskey Cake a couple months ago. It's a farm-to-table restaurant, that locally sources almost all of their food. They also have a garden outside, and inside are herbs that are grown by members of the staff. They also sell spreads, candles and oils. I originally thought this was the only location, but they also have a couple in Dallas and San Antonio. I will say, it's hard to figure all that out because each restaurant has its own website. The OKC location is right outside Penn Square Mall.
On both visits it's been very busy, but I haven't had to wait to be seated. There are several different seating areas, including a large bar seating area, main dining room, and then an outdoor patio. They also have a large open kitchen, and I learned from our server that they don't have any freezers so you know everything has to be super fresh. Since it was Sunday, they had a bloody Mary bar
I don't like tomato juice so I don't do bloodies. But a lot of of people do. This was a pretty big one.
The servers push their fresh juices hard. But for me, there's way too much stuff going on in them. On my last trip, the guy at the table next to me tried one, and immediately sent it back. His wife did like hers, though. I still don't want to chance it.
We started with fried green tomatoes
These were really good. The batter was excellent, like the batter they do on onion rings. The sauce had a little kick, but not too overpowering. The flavor combination of the dip with the tomatoes was delicious.
My dad has been a vegetarian since '93, and my mom became one when I moved out in '94. For a long time restaurants were not vegetarian friendly, offering maybe 1 or 2 dishes without meat. Restaurants have come a long way since then, with many featuring vegetarian menus, and all have more options. The only fish my dad eats is salmon, and we had eaten salmon two nights before, so he went with the chickpea & edamame Royale
I went with the BBQ Banh Mi
Wow, there's a lot of flavors and textures going on in this sandwich. The pork was excellent, very tender and juicy. They're not shy with the jalapenos, and the heat was no joke. I think it would be better if maybe they sauteed them to take away a little bite. Or maybe even pickle them. Every time I eat pickled vegetables, they continue to grow on me, and these were no exception. The hoagie was huge and way too much bread. I only ate half with the bread. The other half I just ate the insides. I read another review that said the sandwich didn't live up to the same sandwich at Vietnamese restaurants. Not a knock on Whiskey Cake, but the chance of this living up to what you find at an authentic Vietnamese place is small. This is their version of it, and it says so right there on the menu.
Their sandwiches come with chips on the side. I really like the chips, but still think they should be served warm. That would put them over the top.
On my last trip, I wanted to add fries, and the server told me it was a large portion and it would be way too much food for just me. So I went with his recommendation. This time, since my dad was with me, I got an order of the handcut Parmesan fries
I'm a huge french fry snob, and these were really disappointing. They were scorching hot, but kind of mushy. I'm wondering if they were undercooked. I was expecting freshly grated Parmesan, but this looked like the stuff in the green bottle you get at the grocery store. And once you get past the top layer of fries, there is no more parm so it's just regular fries. The flavor of the fries themselves was just okay. I wouldn't get them again.
Another reviewer said their server asked what they wanted as sides, so they ordered several, not realizing it was an extra charge. I agree with the reviewer that this was kind of sneaky, since the dishes do come with chips already. And the side prices aren't listed on the menu. Which is weird, because they list prices on everything else. My server did tell me that the sides were an additional price, so maybe it was just that one person.
I like how they present the bill, on this cutting board rather than the boring billfold
I will definitely continue to eat here. Overall the food is very good, I like the atmosphere, and I love that their product is locally sourced. And besides, I still have yet to try their namesake dessert.
I went to Whiskey Cake a couple months ago. It's a farm-to-table restaurant, that locally sources almost all of their food. They also have a garden outside, and inside are herbs that are grown by members of the staff. They also sell spreads, candles and oils. I originally thought this was the only location, but they also have a couple in Dallas and San Antonio. I will say, it's hard to figure all that out because each restaurant has its own website. The OKC location is right outside Penn Square Mall.
On both visits it's been very busy, but I haven't had to wait to be seated. There are several different seating areas, including a large bar seating area, main dining room, and then an outdoor patio. They also have a large open kitchen, and I learned from our server that they don't have any freezers so you know everything has to be super fresh. Since it was Sunday, they had a bloody Mary bar
I don't like tomato juice so I don't do bloodies. But a lot of of people do. This was a pretty big one.
The servers push their fresh juices hard. But for me, there's way too much stuff going on in them. On my last trip, the guy at the table next to me tried one, and immediately sent it back. His wife did like hers, though. I still don't want to chance it.
We started with fried green tomatoes
These were really good. The batter was excellent, like the batter they do on onion rings. The sauce had a little kick, but not too overpowering. The flavor combination of the dip with the tomatoes was delicious.
My dad has been a vegetarian since '93, and my mom became one when I moved out in '94. For a long time restaurants were not vegetarian friendly, offering maybe 1 or 2 dishes without meat. Restaurants have come a long way since then, with many featuring vegetarian menus, and all have more options. The only fish my dad eats is salmon, and we had eaten salmon two nights before, so he went with the chickpea & edamame Royale
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| Roasted poblano tzatziki, grain mustard, arugula, peppadew peppers, tomato, wheat bun |
My dad doesn't do spicy. His forehead will literally start to sweat a couple bites in. So he did the mustard on the side. He then ate a couple bites of the mustard by itself...and proclaimed that it wasn't good. I had to explain, you don't just eat mustard straight. It goes on the sandwich. But by then it was too late, so he just left it off. I tasted the sandwich, and it had a very interesting texture, but it was tasty. Mustard drama aside, he liked the sandwich. He bit right into the tomato pepper on top, which I thought was super adventurous considering his dislike of spice. But he said it wasn't hot at all, just had a good flavor.
I went with the BBQ Banh Mi
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| Slow roasted pulled pork, pickled carrots & daikon radish, jalapeno, cilantro, Korean BBQ sauce, hoagie bun |
Their sandwiches come with chips on the side. I really like the chips, but still think they should be served warm. That would put them over the top.
On my last trip, I wanted to add fries, and the server told me it was a large portion and it would be way too much food for just me. So I went with his recommendation. This time, since my dad was with me, I got an order of the handcut Parmesan fries
I'm a huge french fry snob, and these were really disappointing. They were scorching hot, but kind of mushy. I'm wondering if they were undercooked. I was expecting freshly grated Parmesan, but this looked like the stuff in the green bottle you get at the grocery store. And once you get past the top layer of fries, there is no more parm so it's just regular fries. The flavor of the fries themselves was just okay. I wouldn't get them again.
Another reviewer said their server asked what they wanted as sides, so they ordered several, not realizing it was an extra charge. I agree with the reviewer that this was kind of sneaky, since the dishes do come with chips already. And the side prices aren't listed on the menu. Which is weird, because they list prices on everything else. My server did tell me that the sides were an additional price, so maybe it was just that one person.
I like how they present the bill, on this cutting board rather than the boring billfold
I will definitely continue to eat here. Overall the food is very good, I like the atmosphere, and I love that their product is locally sourced. And besides, I still have yet to try their namesake dessert.
