This cozy little restaurant is deeply rooted in the history of Oklahoma City, and will be for a long while with its new outfit as a fantastic up town restaurant. Cheever’s began as a small flower shop at the corner of North Hudson and 23rd, when the property was turned into a storefront in 1938. After the business was sold to Heather and Kieth Paul in 2000, it became a mainstay of the Oklahoma City restaurant scene.

Cheever’s offers a wide range of fine southwestern cuisine. Their special take on dishes from the humble potato chip to their elegant quinoa salad provided a lovely meal at this historic venue. The dishes we sampled are displayed here for your reading (and maybe future tasting) pleasure.

For a starting small dish, we had the Blue Cheese Potato Chips ($9). This may sound a bit odd at first glance, but this is one dish you will want to taste before judging. The potato chips are thin and crispy, and their saltiness pairs wonderfully with the sharpness of the crumbled cheese on top and the creamy “fondue” of cheese that decorates the dish along with a topping of shredded green onions. This elegant little plate of perfection is something I will certainly be coming back for soon.

Although this is not often done, I think that their side dish of bread and butter certainly deserves a mention. The small rolls are permeated by herbs and are light and airy. It comes with a creamy butter that is topped with Hawaiian red sea salt. I could have happily taken my leave of the restaurant having had only their bread rolls.

Next up were the three entrees, all of which were fantastic: The chicken and pepper jack strudel ($11), the quinoa and avocado salad ($12), and the Shrimp and Grits ($10). We will start off with the Chicken Strudel, which I found to be the most surprisingly good dish.

The chicken and pepper jack strudel was delightful with its blend of crunchy vermicelli noodles on top and the soft and mild chicken inside. The pepper jack and caramelized sweet (possibly barbecue) sweet sauce blended throughout played a perfect contrast to the vinaigrette and olive oil sauce served with it.

If you want a mild break from the spicy and sweet flavors offered, look no further than the creamy avocado and quinoa salad. I myself am not much of a quinoa lover, but their slightly crunchy pink quinoa with a smooth and light mayonnaise goes wonderfully with the fresh and creamy avocado served elegantly in sixths around the dish in a pattern reminiscent of a flower. I enjoyed every bite.

The dish I personally ordered (at the behest of Mrs. Taylor, our news staff instructor) was their signature shrimp and grits. While bacon wrapped shrimp is a very hard dish to balance, I believe Cheever’s has done it superbly. The shrimp and bacon were both soft, yet well-cooked, creating a beautiful blend of savory flavors that simply pop in your mouth. The Sriracha and grits can hardly be said to have played second fiddle, having been the most potently flavorful elements of the dish. The sriracha is salty, slightly sweet, and spicy all at the same time. The soft, creamy grits went wonderfully with the sriracha as a side to the shrimp, and it is not a dish I will soon forget.

The last dish we had was their massive ice cream ball ($11), which changes contents depending on which day of the week you have your meal. Their lunch dessert must be spoken for, with its classic salty caramel and warm sweet chocolate sauce drizzled over french vanilla bean ice cream and topped with candied and roasted pecans. This delicious combination of flavors was a magnificent end to an equally wonderful meal.

Any of these dishes comes with my highest recommendation, but be prepared – these dishes are large and it is easy to get lost in the flavors and find yourself too full to continue.

Visiting hours can be found here, and menus for lunch, dinner, and dessert here.

There is a wonderful array of dishes for every palate, and the meal I received will certainly have me coming back for more.

For more information on Cheever’s, you can check our their websites above, or check out the professional review below:

Review from The Lost Ogle (satirical OKC area newsletter)