I finally found it: the ultimate greasy spoon diner in Oklahoma City.
It’s a restaurant where the ham, the grits, and biscuits and gravy are the lifeblood of a whole breakfast industry, offering goods to both limousine liberals and conservative rednecks with enough bread to break with others, including a couple of extra slices of toast.
The diner is OK Country Café, 6072 S. Western Ave. and I consider this breakfast dive to be one of the great culinary treasures of south Oklahoma City, far away from the bright working lights, well-maintained walkways, and freshly polished ceiling fixtures found in the fancy northside of town.
It has around eleven or so in the morning when I stopped by. I had just finished multiple doctor visits, so I was reasonably hungry. And I'm not talking “OnCue coffee and a muffin” hungry, but pretty damn famished.
Turning the corner, OK Country Café was standing there, like a menthol cigarette dangling in the proverbial waitress's mouth.
As a homeless woman stood outside the door packing her breakfast in a container, I walked inside. It was obviously a no-frills place—and that was okay. It was the food I was looking for, and as I would soon learn, OK Country has some of the best around!
Our orders were quickly taken and received. My guest went with the Mexican Three Eggs Omelet ($9.99) – a humongous stuffed vegetarian omelet, bulging with onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese, and topped with OK Country’s own personalized salsa.
I was told they sell it by the bottle if you want some.
As far as omelets go, it was more than good. With the grits and toast, my guest slathered on extra salsa and went to town. The eggs and cheese were plentiful, and the omelet was absolutely packed with a bushel of the spiciest vegetables around. She was floored with her selection and wanted another one.
But for me, I had the works: the bone-in Big Ham Steak ($13.99).
Filling all the required hallmarks of a big breakfast, it came with sunny-side-up eggs, stacked hash browns, celebratory biscuits and gravy, and, best of all, the biggest ham steak in the damn world.
Before I could say even the most rudimentary hog-tied blessing, I immediately went to the meat!
With every slash of my dull knife, it was the hammy goodness I desperately wanted inside me. Normally, I find ham too salty, but here, it was fully measured with dripping satisfaction, while the slaps of the warm biscuits and lavish gravy filled me with every measure of greasy carb-loaded goodness.
The eggs were okay, and so were the hash browns, but I got to say again—every bite of the ham was really a true joy to behold. The way OK Country makes an outré breakfast platter like this is a mind-blowing work of pure orgiastic fulfillment.
As I paid my bill, I asked about the server with the woman outside with food containers outside. I was told with all the homeless in the area, sometimes they have a little extra that they like to give back.
Not only does OK Country Café have a great breakfast, but a real heart too. Cómpralo ya!
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