The Pump Bar Tulsa — Restaurant in Tulsa

I visited on Sunday, July 14 (2024) and I have mixed feelings! It was around 1:15pm when my friend and I arrived. The bar/restaurant was hosting some type of gardening pop-up with different organic vendors with tents on their patio, some vendors were also inside. I didn’t think it was such a big deal, there were plenty of patio seats available, until we went inside. Indoors was way fuller with not as much floor space. People were standing “in line” to order, every seat (the bar stools, high-tops, and booth seats) were occupied and you couldn’t tell who, if anyone, was servicing the guests. While we waited “in line,” we searched the bar for an open table but there were none clear and clean. I eventually sat at a four-table high-top with leftover food still on it while my friend stayed “in line.” After 10mins, my friend eventually made it to the bar to order. Someone eventually cleaned the table we were sitting at so I sat while my friend proceeded to order. She ordered the kids chicken nuggets & the cucumber cocktail and, as I got up to relay my order, someone stole the seat(s) that we were just at! I then ordered the chicken cutlet, tater tots and attempted to order the “Hatorade” but they were out (?) so I ordered the Peach Flamingo. I walked around one more time while we waited for our food then we settled for on an outside table. The food didn’t take long but I had to go back inside to retrieve it. There’s a station where you get napkins and any additional item (salt & pepper, ketchup, silverware, etc.) which felt very much like a sports stadium self-service instead of a bar/restaurant.

The drink was okay: decent appearance, a well-balanced cocktail. The Chicken Cutlet sandwich looked appetizing: it was large, divided in two, had texture, melted cheese, I was excited. After two bites, I was dissatisfied with what I was eating. The sandwich was terribly bland. The chicken breast itself, though the breading had sprinkles of seasoning and the meat was juicy, it lacked any type of flavor. The cheese tasted like empty calories. The best part of the meal was the bread because it was soft (but not buttered) and the tots! My friend’s chicken nuggets were satisfying for what they were, very Chik-Fil-A-esque. Otherwise, I was not content with the sandwich, I couldn’t even finish the other half of it (which is off because I’m not a picky eater and that was the first time I ate that day).

The positives are that the design of the bar is pretty innovative. It mixes a classic Oklahoma diner feel with modern fixtures. The menu and drinks are all interesting enough to spark your curiosity, you’ll be tempted to order more than one thing. But unfortunately, there are more cons than pros. The lack of seating during a hot, lunch time. The slow service and attention to the demand. There’s not a host or servers on the floor. It’s not even an actual place to order you just have to get the attention of one of the 3 bartenders who already have/had a full seated bar. The fact that you get your own food (potentially risking your seating). They don’t have honey mustard. Lastly, and most importantly, the food was...

Been hearing the hype. Also I live in the neighborhood so I was able to see it from start to finish. I had high expectations going in based on what I had heard. Let’s start with the pros. The place was definitely nice looking. Inside is nice & roomy. Patio looks great. The aioli tater tot’s with bacon jam were really good. I wish I could say more good things, but unfortunately that’s where it ended. The cons, I asked for blue moon or shock top. I was told they were out of blue moon & don’t carry shock top. I asked for something comparable, but what ended up getting was definitely NOT comparable. I like blue moon and shock top because they have a smooth taste with that hint of orange. Something comparable would at least be smooth, but ok no problem we got over it. The bigger issue came with the food. Everything seemed to be a little on the expensive end, which made our expectations higher. The menu said they had crinkle fries and the person I was with was craving crinkle fries after seeing it on the menu. They ordered the smash burger with crinkle fries. Also everything was a la carte. For the price I’d have expected a side to come with the burger. I ordered the brisket sandwich with the aioli tots. When the food came out there was no crinkle fries and instead we got shoe string fries and the burger was a tiny burger that was way more expensive than it should have been. The brisket sandwInch came out with the bread burnt and hardly any bbq sauce which made the meat a little dry. I’ve had better bbq brisket for less at other places and bread that wasn’t burnt. When we complained all we got was a sorry we have 2 menus out and you got the old one. That was it. No one offered to remove the fries from the tab, no one offered a discount, nothing was done to make anything right. The fries didn’t get eaten so at the very least I would expect was a refund for the fries. The bartender seemed to not care. She gave the excuse about the two menus floating around and the walked off.

I know this is not everyone’s experience. Unfortunately it was ours and it was enough to not want to come back again. Overpriced subpar food isn’t an experience...

Everything about this place is impeccable. The intention behind the entire concept is clear. The food was excellent! I had a sampler of the chicken nuggets and tator tots. The drinks are affordable and so delicious! Recommendations are the Betty Black and Velvet Elvis! I tried my friend’s Old Fashioned and it was so tasty as well! Huge props to the bartender who was incredibly sweet and took great care of our party. This is a must see in Tulsa for sure! I also had a few bites of the pineapple whip and will be dreaming of the day I return and order a whole one for myself! It was perfect for the hot June days! Thank you to the amazing staff for making a party of 10 feel like guests and not a burden to the wait staff! Y’all are the best! I will be bringing everyone I know by!

Side note: The women’s bathrooms were so cute and clean! The speakers were playing the audiobook to Harry Potter which was just another affirmation that the customer experience is at the forefront of the owner’s mind. I love good branding and good follow through on the brand and they are doing an exceptional job at both!

Thanks for making the time spent...