Four new restaurants in Tahlequah offer diners choices like chili dogs, barbecue, chicken-fried steak and grilled-cheese burgers.
Chet’s Dairy Freeze was founded 76 years ago in Muskogee. The newest restaurant in the company’s fleet is at 403 N. Muskogee Ave. The chain has continued to expand with new locations, two of them franchises.
The two locations in Muskogee are owned by family, the Tahlequah location is a new venture for Cole Teehee, and there are two other franchises – one in Haskell and one in Sallisaw. Another is about to open in Checotah, Teehee said.
The Tahlequah restaurant has two tables and bar seating that allow a good view into the kitchen where the limited menu is prepared. The Tahlequah location opened May 28.
“We’ve been in Muskogee 76 years and we have had the same menu; it’s been real simple,” Teehee said. “Chili dogs, Frito pies, chips, ice cream and drinks [is it].”
The chili is made fresh daily, and Teehee said they make their own spices.
Brian Conley, a regular customer, ordered his favorite – a chili dog without relish, because he doesn’t like sweet relish, as it ruins the taste of the dog for him, he said. But he likes all the other toppings – cheese, mustard and onion.
“I eat here about once a week,” Conley said. “I followed him from Muskogee. I used to do a lot of Door Dash and gig work, and I always had to stop and get his chili dog.”
A new barbecue place has opened – this time out toward Hulbert, about six miles west of Tahlequah, at 12967 State Highway 51.
Above Par BBQ & More opened May 14, and co-owner Laura Kooy is helping her father with the place.
Ronnie Corn comes in early in the morning to start barbecuing ribs, brisket, bologna and sausages.
“Bologna is a must when you have a barbecue, especially in Cherokee County,” Kooy said. “Everything on our menu is made in-house, except for the sauce.”
Kooy said the coleslaw and potato salad are family recipes.
Fite’s Restaurant opened in September at 2084 W. Choctaw St., in the building formerly occupied by Out West Café, said Dyllon Fite.
“We got [nominated for] the ‘best-of-the-best’ in TDP for our chicken-fried steak,” Fite said. “They are actually thinly-sliced ribeye steaks and they weight out to about 8 ounces of steak.”
Fite started working in food at age 14 at the Cookson Smokehouse, and has worked in the industry since.
“We started out with a food truck, then got into a brick-and-mortar in Cookson as Fite’s Fiesta, and were there for 2-1/2 years,” Fite said. “Then we decided to come to town and went straight American food.”
A table of diners said their favorite is the chicken-fried steak. Pat Brock said Fite’s was the “best restaurant in town.”
The restaurant offers an “elder” menu, and Fite said he didn’t want to call them seniors, because it didn’t sound respectful.
“Smaller portions, better pricing, and right now, it is just for breakfast, but we’ll soon have lunch and dinner, too,” Fite said.
Fried green tomatoes, fried pickle spears and corn ribs are specialties of the house.
“A corn rib is an ear of corn cut into four long pieces, deep-fried and they curve like a rib, then we season with an in-house seasoning I’ve perfected over the years,” Fite said.
Heavenly Pies supplies the restaurant’s pies. Artists can hang their works for sale, and rustic items like vintage plows adorn the walls. The public is invited to bring by their old items to see if they could be used in the restaurant.
“We’re trying to give it a community home-based appeal,” Fite said.
Complimentary fry bread with honey is provided to each customer. An elder from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians taught Fite how to make the traditional bread.
Harrell Burgers & More is a food truck in the parking lot of Riverside Liquor. Richard Harrell and his wife, Jessica, proudly proclaim their burgers are the best.
“We came here almost a year ago,” Richard said. “We opened [Harrell’s] in 2021 in Texas in a brick-and-mortar, and we moved here for a new start and opened up [the food truck] about a month ago.”
Richard said the restaurant has been rated 5-star since opening in Texas. The secret to the burger is salt and pepper, Richard said.
“It’s just the grill, and you don’t sit there and babysit it; you just let it do its thing,” Richard said. “And the buttered buns.”
Jessica said the burgers are loaded with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, raw onions, grilled onions and jalapeños – whatever combination the customer wants.
“And we serve bacon-cheese fries, a serving of fries with shredded cheese, fresh-cooked bacon and our house ranch,” Richard said.
A new recipe for a grilled-cheese burger is being tested this week.
“It’s two grilled-cheese [sandwiches] used as the top and bottom bun with the burger in between,” Richard said.
To top off a meal at Harrell’s, try the Coca-Cola chocolate cake he makes from scratch, Richard said.
What’s next
A second article featuring other new businesses in Tahlequah is scheduled for Thursday, June 27.
