TLO Restaurant Review: The Standard

Over the past couple of weeks, I've had many breakthroughs for complete healing being reasonably crippled, for the most part.

From the KATT Record Fair to the FAM Indigenous Pop Expo to planning to attend the Psychedelic Furs show in May, I'm getting back out into the world again, but the one thing I have been looking forward to (and equally dreading) is dating.

Already an anxious enough experience, it's even harder than I remember with my innate traits of common speech and walking dwindling. But, either way, I had a casual date for dinner—by the way, I can’t drive—at The Standard, 315 E. Gray in Norman.  

Feeling like a dog park without any dogs, there is a quiet stillness to the beer-focused Standard that was roughed up by the ensuing five o’clock crowd.

I placed our orders and scanned the clean benches and the tables, most of which were outside, and marveled at the simple and welcoming utilitarian forge of the eatery.

Naturally, I started my meal in reverse with a simple Vanilla Shake ($5.00).

As far as vanilla milkshakes go, it was pretty vanilla. There was nothing really spectacular about it, which is okay, because as I quickly learned, you don't go the Standard for the milkshakes.

For my appetizer, we went with The Biscuit Party ($7.00) – a buttery mixer that anyone should stop by.

Simply put, it was one of the best biscuit parties I have ever attended; a true master class in the very Oklahoman craft of biscuit making.

With records playing on the spindle, the dolloped biscuits came out rocking in full force. Pattering them with a smear of both butter and very Kool-Aid-ish strawberry jam that should be bottled and sold in stores, it was a delicious treat that brought out comfortable splashes of flavor. The biscuits were so flakey and so crusty, I considered grabbing my date and making a homemade biscuit conga line.

While the biscuits took up most of the gelatinous room of my swollen belly, the Okie-Style Onion Burger ($11.00) quickly filled up the rest.

Featuring a 6 oz. hamburger with shaved onions, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and tomato, well as a side of good ol’ fried okra, this was an amazing burger.

Mouthwatering, meaty, and very fabulous, this onion burger is hard to top. You got the big patty, the slice of cheese, the string grilled onions, the fixings, and the well-crafted bun…it is one of the best burgers around!

Dinner complete, and with the scent of beef and onions matters still lingering, I turned my attention to a new eternal problem: how to pull off a goodnight kiss.

Cómpralo ya!

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Follow Louis on Twitter at @LouisFowler and Instagram at @louisfowler78.