Cheever's Cafe — Restaurant in Oklahoma City

Cheever's Cafe is an upscale Southwestern & Southern cuisine restaurant in Oklahoma City. I went on recommendation from some locals. The restaurant was extremely busy on a Wednesday night, but they had open bar seating where they served the full menu. I was greeted by Cameron, the bartender, and he told me all about Cheever Cafe's history.

In 1938, the Cheever's Cafe location was originally a flower shop that was run by the Cheever family for multiple generations. By 2000, the location transformed into the restaurant you see today. The new owners, Heather and Keith Paul, kept the former flower shop intact as much as possible. There's a stylish Deco storefront built of limestone and black glass with huge plate glass windows and terrazzo floors. There is also a 20-foot flower display cooler in the middle of the cafe where they currently use it for their wines.

According to Cameron, the restaurant is known for Cheever's Chicken Fried Steak and Shrimp and Grits. He mentioned that Oklahoma City is a new hub for filming Hollywood movies, and Leonardo DiCaprio actually came in to try the Cheever's Chicken Fried Steak before. For dessert, Cameron had recommended the Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball and the Giant Carrot Cake. I wanted to try as much as I could:

[COMPLIMENTARY BREAD]

+Bread and Butter - The bread was incredible; it was so fluffy and warm. Highly recommend coming here for the bread! - 5/5

[CRAFTED COCKTAILS]

+Summertime Smash (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, strawberry hibiscus tea, strawberry-agave syrup, and basil leaves) for $12 - This was great on a hot, summer day! It was sweet and had a fresh basil aftertaste. - 4.5/5

[MAIN PLATE]

+Cheever's Chicken Fried Steak (jalapeño cream gravy and garlic red skinned mashed potatoes) for $26 - I don't like chicken fried steak typically. It's something I have always avoided ordering. However, after being told this was what Cheever's Cafe was known for, I had to give it a try. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. It came with two large pieces, and it was quite filling. The jalapeño in the cream gravy was subtle and tasty. I would have to say this was the only chicken fried steak I have ever enjoyed in my life. - 4.5/5

[DESSERTS]

+Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball (vanilla ice cream rolled in brown sugar, roasted pecans, and red chile - smothered in chocolate sauce) for $5.50 (quarter-size) - I love vanilla ice cream in chocolate sauce. With the roasted pecans and other additions, this was a great way to end the meal. - 4.5/5

Overall, Cheever's Cafe was a fun experience in Oklahoma City. My favorite part was definitely the complimentary bread and butter. It was like biting into a warm cloud. If I ever came back to Cheever's Cafe, I would try the Shrimp and Grits as my main and the Giant Carrot Cake for dessert. I would recommend checking this place out, but definitely grab a reservation if you come with...

Cheever’s has gone way downhill! Four of us went for an early Mother’s Day dinner and we all wished we had gone somewhere else. It all started with the appetizer. We ordered the Bleu Cheese Potato chips and they arrived cold and soggy—almost like they had been pulled from the refrigerator. The waiter was very kind and apologetic and brought us another that was warm and had crispy chips. When our main courses arrived they were all just subpar, nothing like the Cheever’s we remembered from months ago. The chicken fried steak (the thing they pride themselves on most) was about 75% breading the steak itself was tough and chewy. The shrimp and grits were also off. They must’ve changed the recipe because they were nowhere near as good as they were the last time we were there about six months ago. The salmon and ribeye were also something to be desired. At the end of our meal, we all just decided that everything was just “okay” and nowhere near the quality it used to be.

At the end of the meal, we noticed a cockroach in one of the iced teas that was ordered—there’s no telling how long it had been in that glass. We pointed this out to one the assumed managers, who brought a new glass and assured us that there was nothing in it. He apologized and offered a free dessert for our troubles, but we were all pretty turned off from eating anything else. He then offered to comp our appetizer and left to get our check. When he arrived back at our table with the check, he let us know that he went ahead and comped one of our meals, too. A nice gesture, but one would imagine if he whole meal would be comped with the subpar meal and cockroach in the tea.

We’re not normally picky eaters, nor do we cause a big problem when eating out, but when you’re paying roughly $40 per person, you expect better. Needless to say, we wont be back anytime soon.

Update: See the response from the manager below? My wife responded to one of the follow up emails from Open Table and received the same response from Lindsay King. The comment suggests that if you’re open to speaking to the manager about it, you can reach out so to them because they’d “love to make it right.” My wife did in fact reach out so they could make it right and she never...

10/17/25 🎉 Early retirement never tasted so good — Cheever’s made our night unforgettable!

Surprised my wife with a date night to celebrate my early retirement, and Cheever’s made it perfect!

Our server Luisa was outstanding — friendly, knowledgeable, and her drink recommendation won over my wife (who normally doesn’t drink!). I went with my go-to gin and grapefruit.

The chopped salad with lemon vinaigrette was fresh and flavorful, and the Filet my wife ordered was incredible — one of the best I’ve ever tasted. My tortilla-crusted halibut with spicy shrimp risotto was also excellent, but next time I’m going with the Filet.

Dessert is a must! The Ice Cream Ball is unforgettable — vanilla ice cream rolled in candied pecans, coated in chocolate, and topped with a strawberry. I also took home a slice of Coconut Cream Pie — delicious!

Fantastic food, top-notch service, and a cozy atmosphere. A perfect spot for any special occasion or night out in OKC!

In 2025 I’m headed back to try out their food! On this visit my party of 3 only went for dessert, which was off the wall delicious!!

We had heard of this fantastic Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball and knew we had to try and we did not leave disappointed! The are 3 sizes too choose from basically small, medium & large. The small 1/4 lb which was perfect for me. However, if you go larger you better have some help!

The third member of our group chose the Giant Carrot Cake and he shared with us, no doubt one of the best Carrot Cakes I’ve had! It was so moist & delicious you’ll definitely get a to go container. I’m certain it would be just as moist the next day!

Our group only went for dessert but after looking at the menu we decided we’re coming back for the food!

This is definitely a 5 Star location based on what I saw so I have to go back and confirm. You know if the dessert if excellent the main menu has to be just as good. More often than not we go for the food and leave little room for dessert, but I’m here to tell you leave room for dessert you...