Stonehorse Cafe — Restaurant in Tulsa

My son was flying out early afternoon back home to New York City, which left us time for an early lunch at Stonehorse. He usually has his favorite haunts but this was what he wanted and so, off we went! We got a great table at the banquette, and the restaurant was relatively quiet as it was still pretty early. (Here is where I deduct one star because it was absolutely freezing in the restaurant. I'm sure part of that's that once they get crowded it heats up, but we were not there yet.) My son ordered a prerequisite Bloody Mary which came tall and spiced appropriately and cold and delicious.

We ordered the crab cake to start. It was perfection! It was perfectly crisp and golden and buttery on the outside and filled with rich crab and delicate spices on the inside. It was served with the perfect vinaigrette and mixed green salad and an interesting mango ketchup. All three of us gobbled it up!

My son ordered a yogurt parfait to begin, thinking it would be about the size of a pudding cup. I confess, I thought the same. What came was a gigantic bowl of fresh yogurt, crunchy granola, and a variety of fresh and sweet fruits. My mother and he had a time sharing it. Both marveled at the portion size. (And we took more home!) He ordered a ham and leek omelette for his main, and while I didn't try it, it looked just as you would want an omelette to look and the fact he devoured it let me know he enjoyed it.

Weird server interlude: It seems worth noting here that my mother seeing my son's Bloody Mary requested a virgin one. When the server came by to pick up the crab cake plate, I ordered a Virgin Mary for my mother. At which point, the waitperson asked if we were sure she didn't want alcohol because she would be happy to add it. Now, this is another reason I deducted a star. I understand about upselling and alcohol and all the metrics of a restaurant. But when someone asks you for a virgin drink it's usually for a specific reason and for you to offer alcohol to someone who may be maintaining their sobriety, seems to me to be an error in your server responsibility. Maybe that's just me. Onward.

My mother ordered the Steak Tartare for her lunch and was very pleased. It was the first time that she had been to a restaurant where they had not mixed the tartare at the table, and she had to do it herself which was a joy to watch. Truly. She enjoyed it immensely. And again, the portion was insane. We had them box it up and we put it on ice, and she ate the rest for dinner stating that it was even more delicious the second time around. And she is very picky about her Steak Tartare.

I ordered a safe, traditional, good bet: a half of a Caesar salad and a crock of French Onion soup. The Caesar was everything that you want a Caesar to be. The dressing was thick and hearty with enough anchovy to be pertinent but not pressing. The delicate buttery crumbled crouton crunch found in every bite with the tanginess of the parm lending the perfect rapport. (Yeah, I have a thing for good Caesar salads.) My soup came bubbling hot with crusty delicious cheese covering the top and steam rising from the sides of the vessel. When I broke the seal, the broth I found underneath was a deep, nutty brown and looked amazing! However, when I tasted my first bite I discovered that the liquor in the soup had not been cooked off enough and left a too- sweet reminder in the aftertaste. That rich broth and the molten cheese almost made up for it, almost.

The server was great except for the mishap with the Bloody Mary. She was attentive and quick, kind and helpful. Our water and drink glasses were never empty, she checked in on us during our meal, and packed our to-go things carefully and efficiently.

The price was exceptional for what we received. Again, we had two more meals out of what was left over. Our food was made using fresh ingredients and care, that much was obvious. So for me, those two things are a win-win.

It was a lovely way to send off my son back home to the Big Apple, it is a good memory, and I'm sure we will be...

Please note: There are a lot of unethical and legal issues concerning this restaurant at this time.

Final Score: 62/100; Average

Intro: Stonehorse Cafe in Tulsa's Utica Square epitomizes the Oklahoma dining trend where quantity often overshadows quality. Owned by Chef Tim Inman, this well-known establishment has been a Tulsa institution for years.

The ambiance at Stonehorse Cafe was confusing and slightly uncomfortable. Upon entering, I was greeted by a mix of seafood aroma, char, and an unidentifiable scent. The dark decor, close-set tables, and loud environment detracted from the dining experience. The restaurant was cold enough to give me goosebumps that lingered throughout much of the meal. The vibe felt confusing, with dark tones, a dark carpeted floor, black walls, and some off-white accents.

Average service. While the initial enthusiasm was notable, service gaps became evident as the evening progressed. Our party felt neglected at times, despite the restaurant being less than half full. Some dishes were explained in detail, while others were not.

Food: Stonehorse's extensive menu includes nearly 50 offerings. We opted for a blind tasting: Italian Cheese Bread: Massive with good texture contrast, served with refreshing pesto and butter. The bread is massive, with cheese baked into the center. It has a good textural contrast between the crust and the center. Jump Gulf Shrimp: Well-cooked shrimp with a tangy, sweet cocktail sauce featuring diced cucumber for added freshness. The shrimp were cooked well, and the cocktail sauce had a tangy, sweet flavor profile. Wood-Roasted Medjool Dates: Sweet dates with smoky chorizo and undercooked bacon, resulting in a chewy texture. The dish features significantly sweet initial notes from the date that can overpower the other components. The bacon was undercooked in some areas, resulting in a chewy texture in some bites. Spicy Lobster Bisque: Velvety with rich, salty seafood notes, butter, cream, and sweet sherry. The bisque had a velvety texture with small chunks of lobster throughout. 50/50 Pizza (BBQ Chicken and Chicken Basil Pesto): Crust had good crunch, but the pizza was topping-heavy and soggy in the middle. The crust had a good crunch at the back end with a nice char. There are some critiques of the pizza. First, the ratio of crust-to-topping is topping-heavy, causing the toppings to fall off each slice. Second, the pizza's texture was soggy and wet in the middle, caused by the serving dish and the pocket of air that formed, allowing the juices to soak into the crust.

Scottish King Salmon: Beautifully cooked with fingerling potatoes, lump crab, and tangy béarnaise sauce. This is a well-composed, beautiful dish. The salmon is cooked to perfection with an excellent sear, as are the fingerling potatoes.

Creekstone Beef Tenderloin: Rare beef with roasted goat cheese that overpowered the delicate flavor. Bland vegetables and decent potatoes. The beef tenderloin was cooked to a beautiful rare and rested upon chunky grilled red onion. The roasted goat cheese is tangy and can overpower the delicate flavor of the beef.

Maple-Glazed Carrots and Pecans: Fork-tender carrots with a nutty, sweet flavor, though the syrup ratio drowned out the carrot taste. One critique is that a considerable amount of syrup formed at the bottom of the dish. When it congealed, the ratio of sauce-to-carrot drowned out the carrot flavor.

Mexican Sweet Corn: Al dente corn with smoky chipotle and cotija, though the chipotle flavor dominated. The corn was cooked al dente and had a crisp texture.

Overall: Stonehorse Cafe remains true to its roots, prioritizing quantity over quality. While nothing was particularly bad, dishes like shrimp cocktail and bread were merely average. The extensive menu aims to please a broad audience but lacks mastery. Stonehorse is akin to an upscale Charleston's or Chili's, catering to those who prefer portion size over culinary finesse. It will likely remain a staple in Utica Square, appealing to the tastes of...

I’ve let this sit for a week to really decide if I wanted to write this, however as a customer having eaten here for years this past experience was the first time I’ve actually ever experienced this in my life. We had invited guests from out of town to eat here. We were sat quickly, wait staff has always been pleasant. We placed our orders and the waiter did not write them down (not everyone needs to) however when the food came out, they had forgotten an entire entrée and blamed it on the kitchen, however I highly doubt that that was the case as I know the kitchen staff and how meticulous they are. After our meal we signed our tickets and were still chatting, still had food on the table, when the waiter came to collect the tickets he seemed confused and asked if something was wrong which we replied no? He said that we tipped less than 10% but after we did the math, we had in fact tipped 15% which I believe is more than enough for less than 5 minutes of time spent at our table. He picked up our guests ticket and said “oh wow”. We all looked at each other again, confused. He then put on his mink coat and went outside for a time, leaving us. We were still eating our food when he came back and took away the food, didn’t offer to box it or anything. Guess we didn’t deserve to eat the food we payed for since he thought he deserved to be paid more in 5 minutes then what any of us make at our jobs (nurses/lawyer). I’ve worked in the food industry prior to my career and WOULD NEVER act this way and trust me I know what it is to be stiffed. This was not it and I go out of my to tip well. After being incredibly disrespected I said yanno if he really needs the money that bad, sure so we left an extra 20 dollars on top of the FIFTEEN percent we already tipped. We won’t be eating here again, I hope the waiter is able to buy many more fur coats and hey yanno maybe I’ll quit my job and start waiting tables again if I can make over 50...