Last Updated on April 24, 2024, 12:01 PM | Published: April 24, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — If you run a steakhouse, you better be able to make a great steak. If you’ve got an Italian restaurant, the pasta better be primo. Tex-Mex? Those enchiladas better be good.
But if you run a diner, well, you’ve got to be good at everything. Sweet and savory. Breakfast and lunch. With portion sizes that dare you to leave hungry. And Sherri’s Diner in southwest Oklahoma City fits the bill.
My first thought when it comes to diners is the all-day breakfast. Is there ever a bad time for pancakes? Yes. But those times are few and far between, and the rest of the time you should be settled into one of the vinyl booths in the extremely 1950s-themed with a short stack in front of you. A full stack, as tempting as it seems, is three pancakes so large you’ll have to look to find the plate underneath. Then again, anyone who tucks into these will revel in these pillowy delights that are so adept at soaking up butter and syrup.
It’s an extra dollar to add pecans and it might be the best dollar you’ll ever spend.
If you’re about to go raise a barn or fight a minotaur, I recommend the chicken-fried steak and eggs. Not only do you get a super-tender fried steak that’s too big for the plate, you get your eggs how you like them, a choice of hashbrowns or home fries, and toast or biscuit and gravy. (Get the biscuit and gravy.) It’s such a bounty of delicious foods that you’ll need to consult with your belt about how much you’re allowed to eat.
They even serve chipped beef on toast (aka S.O.S., for those who survived military breakfasts) but only until 11 a.m.
The omelets at Sherri’s are made with three eggs and they cook up huge and fluffy. While the Kitchen Sink, which has just about everything in it, is tempting, the South of the Border is hard to beat with a filling of chopped ham, cheese, and onions served with homemade salsa.
If, for some unfathomable reason, you are not hungry for breakfast, Sherri’s has lots of options for a variety of tastes.
One must-try is the homemade chili. As much as I enjoy a chunky chili, I really prefer the smooth style served here. It would be great in an omelet, on a burger, or atop a hot dog, but tasting it alone really gives you an appreciation for the work they put into it. The meat is broken down into tiny pieces, assimilating with the tomatoes and the seasoning to create a chili that’s too thick to be a liquid, but not close to being solid. Scientists are probably studying it right now as a new state of matter.
One thing I appreciate about Sherri’s is the old-school menu items you just don’t see very often these days. The pork chops are cut extra thick and extra juicy, so prepare for at least a little extra wait.
Same goes for the liver and onions, which used to be ubiquitous, but slowly disappeared from diners everywhere. Waiting might be difficult, but I’d rather have food made fresh than served instantly after waiting under a heat lamp all day.
In addition to a fine selection of burgers, the diner also has plenty of sandwiches. The Club is there, of course, as well as the BLT and the now-mandatory fried chicken sandwich. But the Monterey Bay is a nice option for someone who wants something light, but not too light. It’s a bun filled with tender grilled chicken breast and bacon with melted Monterey Jack cheese holding it all together and honey mustard dressing on the side.
One thing that keeps me coming back, and even scheduling when I’ll come back, are the daily specials. Sherri’s makes a calendar each month with their specials, including favorites like the Indian taco, fried chicken, and cabbage rolls.
I nabbed the turkey and cornbread dressing and it was like entering a time warp. The turkey fat makes the gravy almost yellow and you get plenty of it, though the turkey is juicy enough it doesn’t actually require gravy. The cornbread dressing has a lovely, mild sweetness to it and it’s not too dry, either. I got it with mashed potatoes and green beans on the side for that quasi-Thanksgiving feel. They even serve it with a little cup of cranberry jelly.
I’m not about to tell you that Sherri’s is the only diner worth visiting in the metro or that their cuisine is groundbreaking. But it is what it says on the tin: real food for real people. It’s little wonder so many of those real people pack the joint every morning and afternoon, bantering with the waitresses and indulging in dishes that are classic in every sense.
- Sherri’s Diner
- 704 SW 59th Street in OKC
- (405) 634-4796
- Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-3 p.m.
Long-time food enjoyer Greg Elwell writes about food, restaurants, and trends. He has his own blog "I Ate Oklahoma" and has written for The Oklahoman, The Oklahoma Gazette, and others.
