Flavor of Oklahoma: Cheever’s Café on Cherry Street serving up southwestern comfort

A new restaurant on Cherry Street is bringing an elevated taste of southwestern comfort to Tulsa.

Cheever’s Cafe is an OKC staple that has now expanded to this side of the state.

Cherry Street has a new staple with Cheever’s Café—it’s a cozy but upscale new restaurant giving people the option to try everything, from a simple salad to an elevated chicken fried steak and anything in between.

“When we found this spot on Cherry Street, it kind of resonated. This is the spot for Cheever’s: old building, busy street, old neighborhood.”

Keith Paul co-founded A Good Egg Dining Group, which owns several well-known OKC restaurants, and Cheever’s is the group's first foray into Green Country.

“We put our twist on things with jalapeno gravy or cilantro broth with the halibut, blue cheese chips,” he said. “We call it contemporary comfort food. It’s approachable yet familiar.”

Restaurant Manager Jake Self trained at the original Cheever’s and now runs the Tulsa operation.

“Every day is better than the last,” said Self. “We’re past the 90-day mark.”

Chef de Cuisine Brian Murphy also worked in the OKC Cheever’s before moving here.

“It’s like a southern comfort food southwest flair,” he said. “It appeals to everybody.”

He’s starting out with the tortilla-crusted Alaskan halibut.

“We get a lovely halibut, we get locally from Bodeans,” said Murphy.

It’s pan-seared and served with a spicy shrimp risotto.

“Little bit of parm cheese,” he said.

The dish gets a cilantro lime broth and tortilla chip coating.

“Everything goes great together,” Murphy said. “A nice crunch risotto is my favorite part.”

This dish combines a fresh, light fish with that creamy, rich risotto for a bite that bursts with flavor and texture.

Murphy is now working to coat flattened steaks in flour and milk before they’re deep-fried.

“Serve with mashed potato and jalapeno gravy will go on top,” he said.

Self says the chicken fried steak is a cult classic, and it’s approachable but taken up a notch with the gravy.

“We’re famous for a reason,” he said. “Simple season on a bed of mashed potatoes.”

Who doesn’t love a chicken fried steak?

The dessert is a main event by itself. If you like ice cream, how about a full pound of it with the pecan ice cream ball?

“16 ounces on the dot.”

Chef Brian rolls the ice cream ball in spiced pecans, then covers it in chocolate syrup, caramel, and white chocolate sauce.  It stops traffic, as Self says.

“Conversation stops, heads turn and people watch it,” he said.

And it’s understandable—it’s hard to stop once you start.

Cheever’s Cafe wants to be a place where anyone can find something, whether it’s a light salad or soup, a brunch option, or one of their many beverage options.

“Everything we’re doing with cocktails is geared toward our food,” said Self.

The crew is grateful Tulsans have welcomed the restaurant with open arms.

“We’ve been fortunate to make it into their dining rotation so far,” Paul said.

And they hope Cheever’s can be a place for everyone to enjoy.

Cheever’s Café is located at 1345 E 15th St, Tulsa, OK 74120, on Cherry Street. It was formerly a clothing store.

We’re always looking for unique, special restaurants all over Green Country. You can send an email to Kristen.Weaver@Griffin.news with your recommendations.

You can also follow @Kristeats on Instagram.