The Winston — Restaurant in Norman

Went here for the first time and on first impression I was not happy. First thing I noticed was the music was a little too loud and the sound quality was bad, which is why I gave it a lower score on atmosphere. That being said, I looked over the menu and immediately saw I dish I wanted. The seared Ahi. It looked like a fantastic dish, I was already decided on that before I picked an entree. For the entree I went with the fried duck. It was average. To be fair, deep fried duck is the most difficult way to cook it. It's near impossible to get a nice fried crispy outside and not overcook the duck. It was a little over spiced, and definitely overcooked. The duck flavor was just not really there anymore. It was good for sure, but more like an above average hot wing. Then the main came out. It totally changed my initial opinion on the whole experience. The Tuna was cooked absolutely perfect. Beautifully seared and a nice crust. The tuna, the noodles, the miso and mushrooms, they made a fantastic dish. Tuna was a bit over salted, noodles were a little overcooked, but that's being very critical because that's the only thing that kept the entire dish from being perfection. Pinch of sugar in the crust would have added a nice color and taken away from the salty bite, but it was still amazing. I devoured every bite of it, scraped my plate clean, and was tempted to order another. It wasn't just food, it was a drug. I paid my bill and was ready to leave, but decided to stop at the bar and enjoy the ambiance a little longer. Sound is still a little rough, but was enjoying the lighting, deco, the super friendly staff. So I ordered a drink. Just like the food, my drink was spot on, near perfect. Definitely overpriced, $10 for a Moscow mule is steep, but it was good, so I ordered another. Tabbed out and headed out the door, and the vibe on the patio wouldn't let me leave. Good music, nice lighting, comfy couch. Ended up just sitting there enjoying the atmosphere for a bit before I finally headed home. Very enjoyable experience overall. I will definitely be back and bringing friends. Thank you guys for a great...

UPDATE: Was called by a general manager who wanted to hear about the experience, and was also very understanding. He helped to resolve the issue which I am very grateful for. A+ experience from him and his leadership.

I would give negative stars if possible because of how we were treated. To start, I used to love this place. Came here with my family almost every time we were in town. After our last experience I don’t know that we’ll return. We came in late after a game when they were only serving their small and shared menu, which was perfectly fine. We ordered a flatbread, the lettuce cups, and two orders of grilled cheese and tomato soup. They brought our plates out and told us they ran out of tomato soup so we only have grilled cheeses, and then proceeded to tell us the kitchen was closed so there was nothing they could do for us. They didn’t bother to tell us this as soon as our order went into the kitchen so we would have had time to order other dishes to eat. They pretty much just said, “sorry, this is all we have for you.” Someone should have stepped in and fixed the problem rather than leaving us hungry. A few minutes later, we saw a table of about 8-10 people get each of their full meals, indicating to us that the kitchen clearly was not already closed, and they could have served us two other dishes. When confronted about what had happened, management proceeded to argue about the situation and say they did tell us we could order something else which in fact did not happen. As well as servers talking about us right in front of our faces, including the server we continued to tip after the meal. I would NOT recommend coming here if you have plans to eat or want good service. Food is good, but we unfortunately didn’t get to enjoy it this time. The staff at this restaurant is incredibly immature and none should work in the...

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 An Unforgettable Brunch Experience — The Winston is a Gem! We were looking for a brunch spot in Norman on a lazy Sunday, calling around only to find long waits everywhere. I finally called The Winston, and Jordan — the manager — answered the phone with such positive, welcoming energy that I decided this is where we’re going, menu unseen.

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with genuine kindness and were seated immediately. Jordan and our incredible server Lexi (go Lexi — she’s a psych major at OU!) introduced themselves and were so personable, even taking a sweet interest in our 11-month-old daughter Harvie — they especially loved her backwards hat!

My husband always orders soda water with lime, and nearly every restaurant forgets the lime — not only did Lexi get it right the first time, but she brought a refill without us even asking — with extra limes. Already winning.

Their brunch specials included an Irish coffee and shakshuka (a North African dish — YES please). I ordered both. My husband ordered their pancakes. The food? Heavenly. The shakshuka was rich and flavorful, and the corn cakes alongside were a total surprise hit. My husband’s pancakes? Mind-blowing. Jordan even came by to explain how they’re made, and yep — totally worth the hype.

I later ordered an old fashioned, and to my surprise, Jordan told me The Winston was taking care of it — “because you’re a hard-working mama.” Cue the happy tears. It was such a thoughtful gesture and one I’ll never forget.

The Winston absolutely made our day. The energy, the flavor, the service — it’s rare to feel this seen and appreciated as a guest. This is more than a brunch spot — it’s a whole vibe. We’ll be back, again and again.

Forever...