The 13 Best Unique Places to Eat in Norman, OK

The 13 Best Unique Places to Eat in Norman, OK

Looking for places to eat in Norman, OK? Here’s 13 of our favorite restaurants in Norman — with addresses, phone numbers, and FB pages — that are calling your name.

Whether you’re visiting Norman to see a show at The Opolis or watching an OU home game, you can always count on one thing:

There are plenty of great and unique choices for dining options in Norman.

While restaurants like Ted’s Cafe Escondido and McNellie’s are perfectly fine staples of Norman’s dining scene, we would like to share some of our favorite unique places to eat in Norman.

Make sure to give them a shot if you ever find yourself in Norman — you’ll be glad you did.

Oh — one more thing — do you have friends or family at OSU or in Stillwater? Check out our list of Stillwater’s 10 best AND unique restaurants and be sure to share it with them!

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Pepe Delgado’s

786 Asp Ave

(405) 321-6232

Kicking off our list of Norman favorites, we’re going to go ahead and mention Pepe Delgado’s. Creating their menu items with fresh ingredients, you’ll have trouble finding better Mexican food south of the Big City.

Offering dishes like rajitas, authentic-style tacos, and enchiladas verdes, Pepe’s menu includes some tasty classics, but with Pepe’s own spin on everything. They also have a few vegetarian selections, too.

The Mont

1300 Classen Blvd

(405) 329-3330

With a patio that simply can’t be beat, The Mont is where you’re going to get your fix if you’re looking to enjoy your food and drink outdoors.

While The Mont does offer several Mexican-influenced dishes, their chili con queso is what you absolutely must try. It is delicious.

Now — while The Mont does offer several Mexican dishes, their menu does not stop there. They have a great selection of burgers, sandwiches, and salads, too.

O Asian Fusion

105 12th Ave SE

(405) 701-8899

Noodles, sushi, crab rangoon, and more!

This isn’t the only Asian joint in town (or on our list, for that matter), but it is one of our favorites.

If you enjoy curry dishes, their Thai family recipe will blow your socks off. Red, green, and yellow curry with a choice of six bases (from vegetables to salmon) make for quite a few combinations.

If you like sushi, treat yourself to a College roll. Shrimp tempura and garlic mayo make this roll simply delectable, while its flavor distances itself from your standard sushi fare.

Blackbird Gastropub

575 S University Blvd

(405) 928-5555

If English fare is your bag, you’ll really like Blackbird. With classic English menu items like shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and bangers and mash, Blackbird’s sets clear expectations for its patrons and it does not miss the mark.

My personal favorite menu item is the pot roast sliders. I assure you that you will not go wrong with them.

Full Moon Sushi

326 E Main St

(405) 701-1800

We really, really like Full Moon Sushi.

While their standard rolls (e.g. California and Philly) are every bit as good as the next sushi place, the magic happens when you get into their specialty rolls at Full Moon. The Jerry roll, the Squidbilly, and the Psycha D are all rolls that we’ve enjoyed on multiple occasions.

Also: if you like sake, you’ll really like their prices.

Library Bar & Grill

607 W Boyd St

(405) 366-7465

Re-opened as The Library in 1997, this Campus Corner hotspot actually offers a lot more than the college bar that it would appear to be on the outside.

My personal favorite menu item is the Classic Combo, but don’t be fooled by its humble name. Pastrami, corned beef, ham, and turkey get coupled with gouda, swiss, and provolone for what can only be described as an act of the sandwich gods.

On top of all this, I would also like to point out that their burgers are also topped liberally with a very heavy shredded cheese. I don’t know if it’s in my head or if it’s legitimate, but this seems add a remarkable amount of the cheese’s flavor to every bite. This is and a special wheat bun make a truly unique burger.

Benvenuti’s Ristorante

105 W Main St

(405) 310-5271

Benvenuti’s isn’t exactly like the other restaurants on this list.

You’re not going to find nacho plates or mozzarella sticks here, but you will find some dishes that are arguably peerless as far as flavor, creativity, and general decadence go.

With menu items like Chilean sea bass, grilled lamb rack, and ciopinno available for dinner (they’re open between 5:00pm and 9:30pm), you won’t find finer foods for sale in Norman.

Das Boot Camp Restaurant & Bar

229 E Main St

(405) 701-3748

Here in Tulsa, we have Margaret’s German Restaurant when we have a gelüste for German food.

When we’re in Norman (and admittedly when we’re in OKC, even), we go to Das Boot Camp.

Specializing in German fare made from scratch, this is just one of those places that more people need to try. While I think that some folks (at least in my circle) may have a slight adversity towards trying foods that they can’t suss out from their names, these poor souls are missing out on some of the best goulash in Oklahoma.

My personal favorite dish at Das Boot Camp is the Jagerschnitzel — a fried pork loin covered in mushroom-bacon gravy and naturally served with spatzle.

Coriander Cafe

323 White St

(405) 801-3958

A healthy spin on classic Vietnamese food with local ingredients? We’ll take it.

Whether banh mi is your thing or you’re ready to get down on some pho, you’re going to enjoy Coriander.

While their menu items are indeed healthy, their portions are strikingly large, making Coriander a great value for the price — which is already quite reasonable before even seeing the dish.

The Garage Burgers And Beer

307 E Main St

(405) 701-7035

Although The Garage has several locations around the state, I want to point out something that I really enjoy about this place:

When I’ve been in the mood for a good burger in Norman, I come here. Not because it’s the only choice for a good burger in Norman and not because I have any one burger that I enjoy from here.

The reason I come to The Garage is because their entire burger list is amazing. Each burger is well-seasoned, juicy, and creatively dressed with whatever toppings that the dish calls for, from BBQ aoli to peanut butter to hatch green chiles. These menu options will not leave you disappointed.

I’m sure there are other great items on the menu here, but I have never strayed from the burger menu and I see no need to in the future.

For a slightly different approach to “south-of-the-border” dining, you’re in for a treat with Tarahumara’s.

With dishes prepared in the authentic style that you would find in the state of Chihuahua, you’re going to get a chance to try some things that you aren’t exactly going to find at Ted’s, Taco Bell, or Chipotle.

Chicken mole, flan, and a salsa verde that is good on anything — all served by attentive, competent staff.

We always come back to Tarahumara’s.

Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ

1514 W Lindsey St

(405) 329-4040

While opinions of BBQ restaurants vary greatly within our state (especially in the bigger cities), I’ve never had any trouble nailing down my favorite spot in Norman.

Opened in 2008 by former Sooner safety/punter and NY Jet Darrol Ray, this smokehouse is hands-down my favorite BBQ place in Norman — nay — the OKC metro.

Do you like brisket? I consider this to be their specialty. Do you like ribs? You need to eat here tomorrow.

The Diner

213 E Main

(405) 329-6642

Appropriately featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives”, The Diner is the quintessential breakfast joint in Norman.

Although they close shop at 2pm, breakfast is the name of the game at The Diner.

Most of their signature platters are egg-based and if that’s your bag, you’re going to be really happy here.

The Eggarito is the one that keeps us coming back to The Diner — a big egg burrito topped with ranchero sauce and cheese.