Opened in the mid-1990s, this institution introduced upscale counter-service dining to Edmond, Oklahoma City’s neighbor to the north. Backed by a commercial bakery and a brand-new streetery, Cafe 501 continues to serve its legendary Coyote chicken sandwich (topped with caramelized onion, jalapeno, cheese, and chipotle mayo), brick oven pizza, and house-made desserts on the street and for takeout. Be sure to grab some take-and-bake cookie dough for the house.

Lebanese cuisine on the prairie predates Oklahoma statehood. Nunu’s Mediterranean is a distillation of that heritage with a few new tricks. The patio is an ideal spot for a tenderloin kebab and a bottle of Lebanese wine. If you prefer to dine at home, the entire menu — hummus, hashwa rice studded with fixings, cabbage rolls made with spiced beef or vegetarian — works for takeout and delivery too, all packaged in the restaurant’s custom touchless to-go bags.

Once known as the Coach House, which for three decades was the local standard-bearer for culinary excellence and fine dining, the Hutch on Avondale has gradually shaken off the weight of its ancestry. Chef David Henry, a graduate of the Coach House’s vaunted apprenticeship program, cooks through the same classic French lens, but he has traded in linen tablecloths and Dover sole for an inspired high-low mashup of dining traditions. Since the pandemic, a tree-covered patio and an additional dining stage on the lawn are available for full-service dining, while a new takeout menu offers chef Henry’s greatest hits. Look for white cheddar and chive biscuits, cauliflower burnt ends, grilled “cheeze,” and coq au vin. Outdoor diners can finish with strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream or a brownie sundae, while a cookie flight is a sweet way to end a takeout meal.

By converting its parking lot along Western Avenue into an outdoor dining room and bar, this legendary music venue gave itself a lifeline through the pandemic. Now chef Eric Smith’s broad menu covers classic burgers, sandwiches, and an eclectic mix of entrees like pad thai, beef stroganoff, and vegetarian Frito chili pie. Private parties can also book customized multicourse dinners with Smith at the one-table Crown Room restaurant inside VZD’s.

Just before the pandemic, this former burger truck graduated into a full-on burger emporium where Turbos — the signature coffee slushie cocktail — flow freely on the turf-covered deck. Among the loaded burgers is the Clash, which mixes cheese, fried onions, jalapenos, hoisin mayo, and nacho cheese Doritos. Then there’s the Theta, a medley of hickory sauce, pickles, and mayonnaise in a take on local burger lore. (As the story goes, Town Tavern in Norman served the burger in the 1930s to sorority girls looking for an onion-free option before dances.) Beyond burgers, there’s the street dog (chili, onions, and chef Tom Woolly’s signature liquid gold sauce), as well as a saucy mac and cheese churched up with fried onions, panko, and roasted jalapeno. Pair anything with mosh pit fries: crinkle cut fries beneath bacon, jalapeno, and fried onions, all doused in that same liquid gold sauce. 

A wood-burning pizza oven at the center of chef Kathryn Mathis’s kitchen churns out Neapolitan pies topped with specialties like butternut squash, lamb sausage, and soppressata, to name a few. Meanwhile, small plates like burrata, roasted carrots and fennel tossed in harissa, and steamed mussels are especially satisfying when paired with the inventive menu of standard and seasonal craft cocktails. Both the tree-covered back patio and the restaurant’s front stoop seating are popular for brunch on sunny Sundays, when the pizzeria serves lemon-ricotta cornmeal waffles, Parmesan frittatas, and mimosas filled out with fresh orange, pineapple, or grapefruit juice.

This outdoor dining oasis between the shadows of the Plaza District and Uptown boasts two patios — one covered in the front and one open in the back — along with a menu made for brunching in the sun. Patio diners can share an eclectic array of buttermilk biscuits, hummus, and a burrata board, paired with a house cocktail like the floral, vodka-based Club Social. Owner Jamie Winteroth credits efficient delivery and curbside pickup to the locally owned TapTapEat app, which helped the restaurant send out tikka masala, corned beef hash, and chicken pappardelle during the pandemic.

Florence’s has been an institution since 1952, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that the restaurant opened a brand-new front porch for outdoor dining. The eponymous founder, Florence Jones Kemp, and her daughter, Victoria Kemp, cook fried chicken, candied yams, and braised oxtail from scratch, and they bake dinner rolls and cornbread daily too. Wings, spareribs, peach cobbler, and pear pie all work great for carryout.

Whether served on the covered patio or delivered curbside, Ludivine chef-owner Russ Johnson’s menu is always driven by the seasons. Daytime diners can drop by for a steak sandwich, wagyu burger, or a three-course light lunch that includes soup, salad, and house-made pasta. The dinner menu, meanwhile, might include such appetizers as bone marrow and foie gras, followed by entrees like smoked duck leg and braised lamb shank. Save room for the sassafras cake.

The semi-covered courtyard at Barrios, anchored by a bright pink fireplace, is among Midtown’s most sought-after destinations, but the restaurant’s Mexican and Tex-Mex specialties flow inside and out. As wood-fired fajitas beef up the air with anticipation, start with queso fundido and Victory Club nachos, paired with an avocado margarita. Then dig into a short rib tinga chalupa or hot chicken sopes.

This Automobile Alley stalwart features a covered patio where diners enjoy a broad taco menu by chef Shelby Sieg. Options include traditional variations like cochinita pibil, and chorizo and potato, as well as more whimsical creations like a cheeseburger taco with queso Chihuahua and chopped pickles.