Flavor Of Oklahoma: Harvey D’s Offering Creative Dishes In Muskogee

A new Muskogee restaurant has moved into an old building, and the owner and her family are breathing new life into the historic space.

Harvey D’s Vintage PubHouse aims to offer an upscale environment with down-home family hospitality. The restaurant features a menu that changes with the seasons, emphasizing fresh, quality food.

The owner says the hardest part is getting people in the doors.

This historic building dating back to 1915 is now home to Harvey D’s Vintage PubHouse, where the food is high-quality, and the service is even better.

“The opportunity to buy this 1915 restaurant came about,” said Melissa Short. “Talked to the kids; we decided together, let’s just go for it.”

Melissa, who previously worked in corporate banking, has always loved cooking and sharing food with others.

“That was my passion,” she said.

Harvey D’s is a family affair. Melissa’s son, Logan Short, is one of the chefs, and together they create unique, seasonal dishes.

“We change it often. For example, now we’re cooking a sweet pear pork chop for you,” said Melissa.

“The sweetness and saltiness of the pork work together,” Logan said.

Logan sears a jalapeño-marinated bone-in pork chop over a flame grill, while Chef Billy prepares the pear sauce and simmers it with a local pear wine.

“We’ll cook the alcohol out and add some brown sugar and stuff,” Logan said.

Logan bastes the chop in butter and seasons it generously.

“Salt, pepper, garlic, paprika. All the good stuff.”

Then it gets flipped, more butter is added, and the dish is served alongside mashed potatoes and creamy mac and cheese—finished with the sweet pear sauce.

“It’s fun being able to come up with new ideas and be creative,” Logan said.

A bite of this dish reveals how different flavors blend to create a unique taste with a slight kick at the end.

Logan doesn’t have formal training but learned much of his cooking from his mom and has grown to love the open flame.

“I love grilling. That’s one of my passions; and seasoning. I don’t like bland food.”

The ribeye steak is anything but bland.

It is seared over the open flame and well-seasoned. Logan bastes it with butter and flips it several times to achieve medium rare. The steak quickly became a fan favorite.

“We’re becoming a steakhouse, whether we intended to or not,” Melissa said.

The steak is rich and flavorful—no sauce needed—and you can taste the layers of seasoning.

Don’t worry—there’s a full bar, too. Whether you want something fruity like a cosmopolitan or a jolt of caffeine in an espresso martini, bartender Dale has you covered.

“The challenge is getting people to come to independent restaurants not on the main roads,” Melissa said.

She says she is grateful for the support but needs more from the community to keep the business going.

Melissa hopes guests will slow down and feel appreciated, just like her grandfather and the restaurant’s namesake, Harvey D, would have wanted.

“The one thing he instilled was, be a good neighbor.”

It’s how they do business, and they invite everyone to come take a seat and try something unique.

“Almost every single table I get to go thank them—thanks for coming in,” Melissa said. “We look forward to meeting everybody.”

Harvey D's Vintage PubHouse is at 821 W Broadway St, Muskogee, OK 74401.

Email Kristen.Weaver@griffin.news for recommendations, or follow @kristeats on Instagram for behind-the-scenes.