Grand Lake O' the Cherokees
Grand Fare
One-of-a-kind bistros in a unique Midwestern vacation hot spot.
BY
Brooke Pearl
PHOTOGRAPHY
Matt Kocourek

After enjoying an afternoon on Grand Lake, residents and visitors tow in their boats to re-energize with dishes from various restaurants native to the area, including steak houses, pizza joints, German cuisine and much more.

THE ARTICHOKE
An American cuisine restaurant in Langley, The Artichoke, located in a 100-year-old farmhouse, offers fresh salads; two chicken dishes; shrimp three ways; tilapia; steaks; steak soup, which is the same recipe that Plaza 3 uses; “and of course you can get a whole artichoke,” says Jim Sellers, owner, along with his wife, Diana. Their most popular item, however, is an appetizer called watt nott — but you’ll have to visit to find out what it is. Open at 5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday all year long, daily specials include options like lobster tails on Tuesday and apple wood-smoked prime rib on Thursday. During the summer, Jim and Diana use fresh vegetables from their garden out back, which sits beside their greenhouse, where they sell seasonal plants. 918.782.9855 or www.theartichoke.glaok.com

CAFFE TIRAMISU
Traditional Italian cuisine can be found in downtown Grove at Caffe Tiramisu, which was re-opened in March ’07 by current owner Stephanie Smith. This “casual caffe and refined ristorante,” as its tagline says, serves breakfast from 9-11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday. Start the day with quiche, muffins or a cinnamon roll, along with a cup of coffee, espresso or hot truffle cocoa. Lunch includes soup of the day, turkey or pizza panini, sandwiches, salads or a sampler platter, along with an Italian soda, Italian crème soda, frappe or smoothie. For dinner, only served on Friday evenings starting at 5 p.m., choose between chicken or shrimp alfredo, chicken Caesar salad, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiana, pesto chicken linguine    or a special that changes weekly. The popular homemade desserts are favorites and include tiramisu, a variety of cheesecakes and more. 918.787.5456 or www.caffetiramisu.com

END ZONE SPORTS BAR & GRILL
Located within the Grand Lake Casino in Grove and owned by the Seneca Cayuga Tribe, this full-service restaurant boasts everything from cheeseburgers and rubens to filet mignon. “It’s fine dining in a casual    atmosphere,” says Amanda Phillips, food and beverage manager. Open for nearly six years, it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the favorites being a toss-up between the hand-breaded jumbo shrimp and the wide steak selection. End Zone Sports Bar & Grill is open          Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. 918.786.8528 or www.grandlakecasino.com

HOOVER’S ROUND UP CAFE
Sweetwater Corner, the intersection of highways 125 and 59, is home to homemade breakfast served all day long with daily lunch specials. The menu includes meat and eggs, omelets, French toast, Belgian waffles, flapjacks and the “world famous” Hoover’s homemade biscuits and gravy. Beverages are served in mason jars, while hot chocolate comes in a glass cowboy boot with whipped cream.

After being closed for several years, Lyn West re-opened the restaurant in March 2008 at its current location. The cafe fits the     country-western theme with a tin roof, leather-covered tables and cowboy hats. Lyn’s family owns Hoover restaurants throughout the country, with the original opening in California in 1966 by Lyn’s mom and dad, Gaye and Ervin, who acquired the nickname “Hoover,” his presidential choice. It’s not a fast food restaurant, as the family’s motto states, “We do things the way Hoover did them - the old-fashioned way.” 918.257.8588

ISLAND JOE’S KENTENA
Located on Monkey Island right on the water, Island Joe’s Kentena, built in 1999, is an outdoor restaurant with a Polynesian theme. Recently leased to Kenny and Tena Smith (which is where the name ‘Kentena’ came from), the casual dining atmosphere is accompanied by a feel-good menu of appetizers, salads, burgers, chicken sandwiches and ‘little joe’ items. Tiki torches surround the restaurant, and the full-service Tiki hut bar and colorful lights make it a go-to place for nighttime fun. 918.257.8099

LA CASITA DE HOOVERS
Another restaurant owned by the “Hoover” family, La Casita de Hoovers was established in 2001, offering lake visitors and residents  authentic Mexican cuisine. For starters, the salsa and guacamole are homemade. Mexican combos 1-7 include choices of tacos, enchiladas and burritos. Especial de la casa includes tamales, steak ranchero, chimichangas, chile verde, pollo asada or carne asada tacos. Fajitas are another choice, and the chili rellenos, which are one of Chef Martin’s recipes, are a crowd favorite but not on the menu; however, special orders can be made. When it comes to dessert, Lyn West’s signature item, Margarita Ice Cream, made with tequila is a recipe she won’t share. 918.787.7994

OLIVER’S TWIST AT THE DECKS
In memory of a good friend, Mark and Judy Oliver built Oliver’s Twist at the Decks, which is part of a family chain with their son’s restaurant in Tulsa. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered daily, Thursday-Monday, with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and family-style portions on Monday.

Appetizer selections include quesadillas, nachos, chicken wings, crab balls and shrimp. A variety of salads are available, and sandwich options are smoked turkey, classic ruben, grilled chicken or a burger. A menu of 11 entrées consists of everything from marinated and grilled chicken breast with rice pilaf to a 12-ounce rib-eye served with vegetables and crushed new potatoes. A variety of wine and beer accompanies a wide selection of specialty drinks like, of course, Oliver’s Twist. 918.435.2776

PENSACOLA PIZZA & PASTA
Richard and Judy Carriger opened the restaurant in February 2007 after renovating what was “probably one of the first buildings built in Langley in the early ’40s,” Judy says. “Then we added 900 square feet of kitchen and 1,400 square feet of patio.” The menu includes a full range of pasta and sauces, steaks, chicken, sandwiches, salads and the Carrigers’ famous made-to-order pizza, which their son, Joe, makes, incorporating his previous work experience at a pizza parlor. “People come from four states to get our pizza,” Judy says, and many come by boat, too. Because the restaurant is located close to the Langley docks, customers can get dock-side delivery or dine in with courtesy shuttle back to their boats. 918.782.3333

RAGGEDY’S RESTAURANT
When looking for a relaxing lunch venue with an Irish-pub feel (without the alcohol), lake-goers visit Raggedy’s Restaurant in Grove. Located in Annie’s Galleria, the soup and sandwich shop offers customers four or five soup specials a day. Any soup can be paired with a sandwich including ham, turkey, tuna, fruity chicken salad or the    Wexford Wonder, a popular ruben sandwich. Salads and baked potatos are other options, and complimentary cobbler - blackberry, cherry, peach or apple -  comes with each meal. Restaurant hours are Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 918.791.9295

RHEINGARTEN
Using her mother’s original recipes, native German Gabi Ryan, along with her husband, Terry, started a German restaurant 15 years ago after buying an old house and renovating it — it’s now the oldest restaurant in Grove to still have its original owners. The menu includes German favorites like Sauerbraten, five different types of schnitzel, prime rib, goulash, cordon bleu and rouladen. Each entrée comes with two side dishes, which include red cabbage, sauerkraut, hot or cold potato salad, potato dumpling, spatzle and green beans, and a choice of salad. The full-service bar has German beer and a wide wine selection. The restaurant opens at 11 a.m., Wednesday-Saturday. 918.786.8737 or www.oklatravelnet.com

THE ROADHOUSE
For the past eight years, J.R. and Judy Harris have owned this fine-dining restaurant in Afton. As a dinner establishment only, the menu consists of appetizers such as calamari, lobster bites and escargot; dinner salads; and entrées, including seafood, steaks, baby-back ribs, lamb and quail. The most popular item is the rib-eye because “it’s just an incredible piece of meat,” says Roadhouses’ 7-year chef, Terry Miller. He and the other chefs are responsible for the menu, which they change once or twice a year. The restaurant, complete with two full bars and a private dining area, is open Tuesday-Saturday from 5-10 p.m., with nightly specials, and a prime rib special on Saturday. 918.257.8185

ROYAL BAY RESTAURANT
This casual dining experience (reputedly some of the best food in the area) offers dinner Wednesday-Saturday evenings starting at 5 p.m. and a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; reservations welcome. Located on Highway 59 North at the base of Sailboat Bridge, the dinner menu includes many items made from scratch, appetizers, salads, hand-cut filets, pork chops, seafood, chicken and pasta, ribs, sandwiches and kids’ meals. The wine list includes white, blush and red wines, along with a port and champagne. And, if you’d rather, take a seat in the casual bar area.

Owner Larry Steckline also owns the Royal Bay Convention Center, which has a bar, seating area and stage; and the Cherokee Queen riverboats, which sit outside of the restaurant on the lake ready for dinner, sightseeing and sunset cruises or private charters. Boaters are welcome to park in the marina with a courtesy boat slip while enjoying dinner. 918.786.4386

THE SHEBANG
Old-fashioned iron chairs painted pink and Damask tablecloths welcome diners to The Shebang. The eclectic New Orleans/Victorian theme shines throughout the parlor (the bar), fine dining areas and karaoke balcony upstairs. The extensive menu features The Fabulous Dipettes (appetizers), ribs, chicken, burgers, steaks, pizza, pasta, seafood (sea bass is the specialty) and desserts. An extensive wine list offers bubbly, and red and white wine, and a Sunday brunch, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., features quiche, omelets, crepes, pancakes and more.

Owners Larry and Joyce Duke also own the Den of Uniquity, a neon green-painted boutique for men and women, and Big Shots, a dance club painted purple with big palm trees, open Friday and Saturday nights or for special occasions. 918.257.5750 (daily), 918.257.5569 (after 5 p.m.) or grandfishingreport.com/shebang

STUFF’NS
When Mark Oliver found out his favorite morning restaurant was going out of business in April 2006, he bought it. Stuff’ns features a breakfast and lunch menu, and “that’s where [Mark] reads the paper and drinks coffee every day,” says his wife, Judy.

Stuff’ns is open from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sundays and from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Within the checkered-tile building, diners can sit and enjoy omelets, eggs, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and numerous side items like hash browns, bacon, oatmeal, or biscuits and gravy. Lunch selections include burgers, sandwiches, salads, or a chicken strip or shrimp basket. ‘More Stuff’ features a chili bowl, Frito chili pie, hot dog, chili dog or corn dog. Single or double hand-dipped ice cream, malts, shakes or root beer floats are after-lunch options. 918.782.9508