The Collective Kitchens and Cocktails — Restaurant in Oklahoma City

This is one of the best and most innovative food experiences in OKC right now. The Collective is a food hall, which is essentially a collection of small restaurants with a common bar and dinning area. It's a. It of a mix between a food court and a food truck park, and it creates an atmosphere where new restaurants can experiment in a casual setting.

The space is incredibly busy on the weekends, and will likely be so until the opening buzz dies down. Weekday lunch is a little less crazy and might be a good time to try it out. That being said, the experience so worth the wait. There are approximately 9 small restaurant concepts with a coffee shop and a donut shop for dessert. The chefs behind the restaurant comprise a literal who's who of chefsin OKC, along with two Coach House alums: Chefs Beth Lyon and Vuong Nguyen. Because the chef involvement is so high, you're very likely to experience some of the best food in the state for a very reasonavle price. Cuisines range from BBQ and Waffles, to farm to table American, French, Korean, Vietnamese, and even Dutch Babies.

The decor is very well done for the space and mixes industrial elements (it was an old car repair shop in a past life) with rich textures of velvet, natural wood, and gold. There is a large patio in the front and a second story deck. The bar area features overhead garage door bays that can open onto the patio Ina nod to the past. The light is excellent and the space features a range of mixes grades that make it feel larger than it probably is.

There was a moment several years ago when the organizers of the H&8th food truck festival announced they were ending the monthly event in warmer months. One of the reasons they cited was that their "placemaking" goals had been achieved. At the time, only Blue Garden and Tamshii Ramen had really been the only restaurants to start in the area in the wake of the food truck festival (though RJ's might have been open by that point as well). Since then, Hall's Barrios, and Capitals Ice Cream opened their doors. Jimmy's Egg is opening a new location on Hudson, and Nonesuch was able to both open and win Bin Appetit's restaurant of the year award in just that span. If you want to trace the origins of Oklahoma City's new restaurant renaissance, there is a clear line that can be drawn in this area from H&8th to what we have now.

The Collective's opening is occuring at the epicenter of this moment in Oklahoma City where high and low-brow cultures are colliding over a patch of long-neglected and undervalued real estate. The place continues this great food experiment in the highest manner, and, along with Mother Road Market in Tulsa, should place Oklahoma City on the map as an international food...

The Collective is an intriguing spot that invites you to experience a little bit of everything. I appreciate the concept, which is becoming increasingly common in urban areas. However, the execution left me with some concerns, particularly when it comes to pricing.

The original idea behind places like this was to create a hub where small businesses could share resources—like utilities and space—thereby reducing waste and lowering costs. The savings, in theory, would be passed on to customers, who could enjoy higher-quality food without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, that ideal seems to have gotten lost along the way.

We sampled a few dishes and admired the space, which is undeniably beautiful. The decor throughout was thoughtfully designed, and the bathrooms were immaculate—kudos for that! However, as we wrapped up our meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the concept is more of a marketing pitch than a reality.

Now, let’s talk about the downsides—some of which extend beyond The Collective itself. Parking, for instance, was a nightmare. I’ll never understand how developers can create a stunning, well-thought-out venue but neglect to provide adequate parking, forcing customers to park blocks away. It’s infuriating and detracts from the overall experience.

As for the food, we dined at two spots. The Hawaiian place served good food, but two dishes for my wife and daughter totaled $37—with no drinks included. My son ordered a burger, which came to $18, including an overpriced fountain drink. Finally, my son and I tried tacos from another vendor—$30 for four small, uninspired tacos and a single drink. Altogether, we spent $78 on what amounted to a collection of small, underwhelming meals.

At least I can say I’ve been there and done that, but I’m not sure I’d be eager to return. While The Collective has charm and potential, the high prices and logistical frustrations make it hard to justify as a regular...

okay, so my daughter and I visited this restaurant Monday. its a nice set up with out door eating options. the decor is swanky and my favorite color, yellow is throwing into the mix, so i really liked that.

upon entering the restaurant you're met by a staff member who gives you details on how to order and youre given a laminated menu that is basically their "drink" menu and a layout of the restaurant. the menu has a barcode that you scan with your phones camera and the restaurants menus appear. there are several restaurants within the collective that you can choose food from. once you choose your food from the online menu you'll be sent a text message confirming your order and when your food is done. you actually go to the restaurant of your choosing and pick up your food.

lastly, its set up for you to pay individually with each order, so if you are with friends or family each of you will need to order from the same device, if one person is paying. if you're eating Dutch, each individual will pay separately on their devices. also, you are made to tip the restaurant of your choosing and your waiter that really isn't your waiter, because everything is self service.

so, in essence my overall view of this restaurant is that its for young tech savvy people. if you aren't tech savy or into the new wave of digital area, this restaurant probably isn't for you. the food was good and the prices...