FRIDA southwest — Restaurant in Oklahoma City

I wanted so bad to love this place, but I was let down at every turn. First, I made reservations, but my friend and I arrived early so we decided to start with drinks at the bar while we waited for a 2-top table (because apparently we cant sit at a 4-top table). I ordered a paloma and my friend ordered a standard margarita. The paloma was flavorless and tasted watered down which is surprising because a paloma is tequila, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, and seltzer - should be pretty refreshing, but it missed the mark. My friend said her margarita was just "alright". About 20 minutes after arriving, the hostess informed us that they still did not have a two top table and asked if we would like to sit at the bar and eat or at their sister establishment, the Daley, next door. I made reservations for a reason, I wanted to sit in the main dining room, but we acquiesced and had them seat us in the daley. I will say, the plush, cigar lounge vibe the daley gives off is exquisite. It is also a very intimate dining experience with only 4 two top tables, one longer table seating about 6, a petite couch for lounging and sipping cocktails, and a medium sized bar (maybe spots for 10 people). The menu is the same for both places so that was good. The waitress that served us at the daley was excellent. She was knowledgeable and really knew how to sell the dishes and make our mouths water. We started with the short rib empanadas served over some sort of chipotle style bbq reduction (I would say sauce, but it was not thick enough to be considered a sauce) and some sort of cheese "sauce" which was rubbery and unappetizing. The actual empanadas were bomb with their crispy wonton-esque exterior and their creamy short rib and mushroom interior. Next we ordered the chipotle chicken pasta and the ancho chili rubbed tomahawk porkchop. The chipotle chicken pasta had a delicious flavor, but that's all the positives for this dish. The portion size was surprisingly small for the $22 price tag - I wasnt expecting your standard American sized portion, but a small rectangle of pasta wasnt enough. The tomahawk pork chop was pretty good and it was served over a southwestern style hash with broccolini. Overall, I was not impressed. Would I go back? Probably, if someone else really wanted to go, but man I wanted this to be my new place and it just wasnt. If you've tried - let me know what you think. Maybe I went on a off night or ordered the wrong...

Here's a wonderful place that captures the fulfilling palate of well prepared home cooking and the buzz of a trendy lower Manhattan eatery. Being located in the Paseo arts district is an atmospheric plus. But let's not get to far ahead of ourselves. It's not just food and location, it's also the people make a restaurant super. We knew we struck gold when we were greeted by one of the most warm, experienced, and efficient hosts in Oklahoma City restaurants. Jesse. Some may recall that she was the classy face of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art's eponymous restaurant. Sadly, the art museum's restaurant closed, but Jesse landed in Frida. Frida's gain. In fact, the entire "front of the house" staff is exceptional. We were fortunate to have Laura as our server, and Bryce to assist. We dined with another well-traveled couple and enjoyed how we were walked through the special fare and bar offerings by Laura with just enough information to tease the palate without overloading us to the point of a dizzying indecisiveness. From the ginger scallops, to the shrimp and grits, to the trio of tamales we ordered as entrees, everyone was delighted with the presentation, food temperature, portioning, and seasoning. The Southwest spring roll appetizers were exceptionally crispy, although we collectively felt the green pesto sauce was terrific by itself without the creamy cheesy alternative dipping sauce. We also appreciated the finger-shaped cornbread starters, but thought they were a tad too sweet. We would have preferred small tortillas with heirloom blue corn or masa harina as a colorful alternative that better complemented the "Frida" style. Still, it all was a terrific ensemble. They know their food here. It was so hearty and filling that we sheepishly asked to take the chocolate torte slices home to enjoy with coffee. How perfect it was to cap an evening after the monthly Paseo Art Walk in such a vibrant place with great food, great background music, and super nice FOH people, headed by Jesse. Frida is well suited for special dates, fun loving groups, and couples. Maybe right at the edge of being pricey, but you are practically 100% assured to have excellent food and exceptional service at this well-coordinated restaurant located in a wonderful place to stroll before and/or...

Frida Southwest is one of the best restaurants I have experienced in my foodie journey. I have dined at some amazing places all over the US, but none of them hit every mark like Frida Southwest. I am from Oklahoma so it makes me proud that one of my best experiences ever is in my hometown. Dining out is not only about the amazing food, it is also about having a great experience. I don’t know who does their hiring or trains the staff in customer service, but they should work for Fortune 500 companies. The service is unbelievable, every member of the staff goes out of their way to make sure you have the best experience possible and when I say they go out of their way, I am not exaggerating. I e-mailed because my order was missing an item, Laura one of the staff responded to my e-mail within ten minutes by calling. I didn’t expect a response until the next day. Laura was getting off work and offered to bring the item to complete my order to my house so I was not inconvenienced for the mistake. I understand things happen I would never make someone drive to my house, so I drove to Frida and when I got there they told me Laura was on her way to my house. It blew me away, who does that? I could not believe service like this existed at a restaurant If you want to eat creative delicious dishes, have the best service in OKC and enjoy a great atmosphere Friday Southwest is for you. If Jessie is working at the front door you will be in for a big treat. She makes all her customers feel important and wants to make sure you have the best experience ever! She remembered my name and the dish I ordered after one visit. You can see why I eat at Frida Southwest two to three times a week. Some of my favorites are the crab dip, southwest chopped salad, the stacked enchiladas and the scallops. I would love to describe every special detail of each dish, but my review would be six pages long. I am just going to say I have never been disappointed with any item off the menu. I love how they change the dishes with the season using fresh seasonal ingredients so you can experience different flavors with some of your favorite dishes or find a new dish with their monthly chef specials. If you have not experienced Frida Southwest you are...