Repeats with a Twist - The Mule, Oklahoma City OK

I'm very blessed that cancer does not run in my family. One of my cousins lost her battle with breast cancer about 20 years ago, but fortunately that is it. Last year I had a mammogram scare when they saw "something", and had to go for a follow-up. Of course I went into panic mode, and it was an extremely stressful couple of days, but thankfully everything was okay and it turned out it was just a shadow. Dennicia recommended that I start going to a place in OKC that does digital imaging. It's 3D, so they see everything; nothing can hide/masquerade as shadows. Is it 100%? Nope, but it is so much more reliable.  A few weeks ago something just wasn't feeling right, on the same side as before. Thankfully I was able to get in the next day, and again, all was well. If you have dense breast tissue, I highly recommend going the digital route.

My appointment was early afternoon, and I had to pick up some items for a suiteholder at their office in OKC, so I left late morning to fit in lunch as well. After some back and forth, and taking into consideration location, I decided to go to The Mule. I had visited there once before and did a review. But my pictures weren't great, so I wanted a second chance. Besides, the food was fantastic.

OKC is divided into 14 districts, each one its own unique area. The Mule is in the Plaza District, an area full of local restaurants, shops, and art galleries. Unfortunately it was pouring rain by the time I got down there, but I lucked into a parking spot right in front. The restaurant itself is quite small. It's on the corner, in a long, narrow building. There's a small outdoor patio on the side of the building facing the main road. Inside, the seating is all along the left wall, the kitchen and a huge bar take up most of the right wall. 

On my last visit I sat at the bar because there were no open tables. It was fine at first, but then 4 really drunk 30-somethings showed up, and it got really bad. They were so loud and obnoxious, and it was only about 2PM on a Saturday. I was determined not to sit at the bar ever again, but there was a wait for regular tables when I arrived this time. And since I was on a time crunch, I gave in and sat at the bar again. Thankfully no drunks this time, just people enjoying their lunch.

I love the Leave a Drink wall



You create your own drink, and they'll add it to the wall, along with your name. I'm doing that next time. They also offer lots of different beers to choose from, and the features change regularly. I really enjoyed the beer I had last time, but since I was headed to a mammogram and then back to work, I passed.

Before my trip to Wisconsin last month I don't think I've ever had cheese curds. During that weekend, we ate cheese curds almost every meal. I had heard really good things about these cheese curds though, and decided to try them out

Watonga cheese curds, beer battered and fried with a side of marinara and ranch

Oh my. Very different texture and flavor than the ones in Wisconsin, but still amazing. They were very poofy, almost like a cheese dumpling. There was a couple sitting next to me, and as these beauties arrived at the table, the woman's eyes got really big. You get a huge serving, and I knew there was absolutely no way I could finish them, so I offered to share. 

The Mule offers a few other appetizes, salads, sandwiches, sides, and desserts. I really liked the FYDH sandwich I had last time, but of course, in the spirit of the blog, I had to try something different. I thought hard about a salad. I truly did. But this place is known for their grilled cheese, so I had to go that direction. I went with the BCLT, and added avocado and egg. 

Sourdough, pecan smoked bacon, gouda, gruyere, lettuce, tomato, mayo
One word. Outstanding. The mix of cheeses was soo good, the bacon was thick cut and perfectly cooked, and the creamy avocado added great flavor. I thought the egg was poached, but the bartender said it's fried in oil. Perfect. Reminds me of when Bob makes us bacon & eggs on Sunday mornings, and fries the eggs in the bacon grease. Might as well inject it directly into the arteries. 

All sandwiches come with a choice of side, including fries, soup, seasonal side, onion rings, or side salad. I automatically ordered fries, which is what I almost always do. In hindsight, I should have done a side salad.  I was so full though, I only ate about 1/3 of the fries. For me, that's huge. Especially since the fries are delicious. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. And a very good portion.

As I was eating, I offered the couple more of the curds. I don't think she believed me, because she asked again about 10 minutes later. I told her definitely yes, again because I couldn't finish it and didn't want them to go to waste.  They left about 10 minutes before I finished, and when I asked for the check, the bartender said that the couple had bought my lunch!! I was so shocked, and so pleasantly surprised. I absolutely would never have expected them to do that, and had I known, I wouldn't have let them. Which is probably why they did it in secret. I was really touched. 

Even after sharing the curds, and eating 2 on my own, I still had over half the serving to take back to the office for my staff. 

I will definitely be going back here again. I'm thinking my next trip will be Sunday brunch. Not a huge menu, but what they offer looks really good.