Cheever's Cafe — Restaurant in Tulsa

Atmosphere

Cheever’s boasts a refined eclectic atmosphere, seamlessly blending modern industrial design with touches of 90s nostalgia and a hint of 1930s flair. The space is adorned with cooler tones of black, brown, gray, and cream, complemented by vintage floral prints that add character to the walls. The elegant, well-lit bar serves as a centerpiece, transitioning gracefully as the restaurant moves from afternoon to evening service.

Service

We started the evening at the bar, where Jacob provided straightforward service, keeping our water glasses filled and ensuring our needs were met. The manager, Stacy, stopped by for a brief chat; her familiar face reminded me of a previous visit to Sisserou’s. Later, we moved to a table, and Kevin took over as our server. He was polite and attentive, refilling our water and checking in on us periodically.

Food:

“Roasted Chicken & Pepper Jack Strudel,” roasted chicken breast, green chilies, pepper jack cheese, balsamic, curry oil

One of Cheever’s signature appetizers, the overall flavor falls flat. The appetizer offers mild notes of chicken and cheese, but lacks complexity or depth, leaving the overall taste somewhat bland. While the tangy balsamic glaze adds a hint of brightness, it doesn’t do enough to elevate the dish. The crisp phyllo dough provides a nice textural contrast, but the promised curry oil was virtually undetectable, leaving the dish feeling one-dimensional.

“Cheever’s Chicken Fried Steak,” jalapeño cream gravy and garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes

An iconic Cheever’s classic, the chicken-fried steak features a crisp exterior and tender beef that isn’t overly tough. However, the jalapeño gravy features a monotonal flavor, offering only the faintest hint of jalapeño and no detectable heat. The crust, unfortunately, separated from the steak, creating a disjointed eating experience where bites were either all beef or all crust. The mashed potatoes were smooth and feature notes of salt and butter, which compliments the dish well.

“Tortilla Crusted Alaskan Halibut,” spicy shrimp risotto, cilantro-lime broth

The dish is dominated by an overwhelming lime flavor that overshadows every other element. The risotto, while not mushy, was overcooked and lacked the creamy yet slightly firm texture characteristic of a classic preparation. The halibut suffered from overcooking, resulting in dryness and a muted flavor profile.

“Italian Sausage Rigatoni,”

The pasta offered a simple flavor profile, starting with creamy and cheesy notes that transitioned to the mild flavors of Italian sausage. Any bite containing sun-dried tomato completely overpowered the palate, shifting abruptly from creamy to tangy-sweet. The sausage was notably mild, contributing little to the overall dish, and the inclusion of basil failed to enhance or elevate the flavors further.

“Filet,”

The filet was cooked to perfection, showcasing a beautiful smoky char in every bite. Succulent and juicy, it stood out as the highlight of the evening. The mashed potatoes offered a smooth texture with subtle notes of salt and butter, complementing the dish well. However, the green beans were overcooked. They featured a sweet and tangy flavor profile from red pepper and a light sauce.

“Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball,”

This dessert is massive. The exterior of the dessert ball offers a delightful blend of slightly salty, subtly sweet, and nutty flavors from the chocolate syrup and brown sugar-roasted pecans. A red chili adds a little kick at the end of each bite. This combination creates a pleasing balance of salty, sweet, and gentle heat. However, the ice cream at the center was bland, dominated by simple sugar and milk flavors, which detracted from the overall experience. After a few bites, the dish’s flavor profile became one-dimensional, losing its initial appeal.

“Chocolate Layer Cake,”

The chocolate cake was one-dimensional, offering only rich and sweet notes of chocolate. Its texture and flavor were reminiscent of a store-bought cake, though presented in a generous portion suitable...

I was super excited to take my boyfriend here for his bday it was nice and cute and a low romantic feel I wanted him to feel special and try something different. At first everything was fine although the waiter did take forever to take our order, but the complimentary beard was so delicious warm, soft it was perfect so far so good, the tortilla soup was also very yummy the queso was not bad but it was okay. The drinks were good but that’s when things went down hill the food took forever to come out it was like an hour the waiter did not really come and check on us at all he wasn’t even on our side most of the night even the people next to our table were saying how long it took. When he finally came along I asked how long it was going to take because we needed to go. At that point I honestly did not want my food anymore he didn’t even say anything and trust me I was not rude just asking and he said oh and walked away. Somehow our food came out right after and we were more disappointed on the wait because the food was not good not worth the wait. The chicken fired stake plate was salty and the chicken tart was not good. Basically we waited for our main meals and didn’t even eat them we left them. Also even my water was watered down lol, but the time I got my meal and my boyfriends coke. Our waiter didn’t even come ask if we needed a refill anything. Another waiter in the section next to us he was tall skinny with glasses he I guess saw my cup and came to refill it so thank you to him ! I actually saw him more all night in his section then our waiter. Anyways then the waiter came to give us the check didn’t say a word all serious made us feel like he was upset for us asking anything and we left. I was very...

This place has such a great atmosphere and we had a good business lunch. First time trying here but parking was a bit of a challenge at the lunch hour.

To be honest we did have a few mishaps with some of our options but the Manager (Stacy) was kind and gracious and made the situation right!

We tried Juan’s Queso Chihuahua - it was the consensus of the table it just wasn’t my favorite!

My selection was the Turkey Club Sandwich w/fries. The sandwich was tasty and if you like a Club I would recommend. The fries definitely did not come out right and when the manager came to check on our table I did mention that they were not good. She offered to make them again or replace but I opted not to.

The others at my table enjoyed the Caesar Salad, Prime Rib Sandwich & Chicken Enchilada’s. Each enjoyed their selection!

We shared the desserts which were incredible! The Giant Carrot Cake is definitely a dessert for two or more!

The Pecan Roasted Ice Cream Ball is an absolute must to try! Highly doubt one person will eat this after a meal so it’s a good dessert to share! You won’t be disappointed!

My personal thanks to Stacy for making our dining experience better! Not sure when I’ll be back in Tulsa to try out again but I’ve got a Cheever’s right...