Sure, there are many restaurants in the Norman area to review, but, for some reason, I am always led back to Main Street, notably that main drag of old town. It’s there you'll find Bison Witches Bar and Grill, 211 E. Main St., although they have operations in Arizona and Nebraska. Look ‘em up!
I first came to this college dive a couple of months after my stroke, with publisher Patrick at the steering wheel. Concerned with my progress of rehabilitation or lack thereof, after a dish of loaded nachos and an afternoon beer, he seemed alright with my slow recovery, the melted cheese leading the way of progress.
But, sadly, I haven’t been back…except now. Having a lunch date with my old friend Jodie, we met for a sweltering lunch sometime around noon.
True to form, Bison Witches was like I remembered last year. Equally known as a dive bar, the place has a college-roomie atmosphere, but except for posters of sunbathing beauties, a rickety ping-pong table and a tricked-out PS5, we had the less-rickety table with a recent glow of Pine-Sol cleanliness, a couple of menus, and an ice water or two.
After the salutations and greetings, I looked over the menu; although Jodie had a standing order of Chicken Cheese Nachos, I wanted some more deli-style, so I decided on a variable soup and sandwich: Cream of Potato Soup and the mascot of OU substance, the Sooner sandwich.
After a few more minutes of moaning about our lives, our food was served, with Jodie’s steel tray of Chicken Cheese Nachos ($7.00 for a half-portion) to start. To be sure, the recipe still holds true: tortilla chips topped with lettuce, diced chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, and tomatoes, covered with queso, served with a side of sour cream and salsa.
What can you say about the small-time nachos that hasn’t been written about? These are some quality above-average 'chos, ripe for a night-time beer bust or a lunchtime treat. With the sliced and diced chicken meat draped over the veritable selection of hot and cold cheeses, it works well.
For my lunch, I took part in Bison Witches Tuesday Sandwich Special for $13.00, with both a pasta salad and the aforementioned potato soup.
My sandwich was the eponymous Sooner, with thin slices of roast beef and smoked turkey, melted smoked gouda cheese then topped with shredded lettuce, complimented with honey-based spicy Russian mustard. With the cold macaroni salad and hot potato soup on the table, I was ready to go.
The Cream of Potato Soup was filled with thick chunks of potato, creating a cream soup with notable bits of bacon served in a durable bread bowl, like an academic Panera that flunked out of school. Basically, it was allright, with the bread bowl doing most of the heavy lifting.
But the Sooner Sandwich—that was something else! Thin slices of roast beef and smoked turkey are covered with melted smoked gouda cheese and shards of lettuce, topped with their honey-based spicy Russian mustard. Mmmm-mmmm!
With the macaroni salad at the ready, the Sooner sandwich was in the end zone of flavor. Kinda-sorta like a new-wave football-cratic play, the roast beef and smoked turkey are fast friends, with the gouda spiking the ball heartily. But, really, the game-winning play is the tart dressing, which just like my football references, seals the whole deal.
Frivolous touchdown!
Afterwards, I told Jodie I had a good-time but, as I was walking to the car, I realized I had almost reviewed most of the spots on that road. Looking around, I pondered... where do I go now?
Cómpralo ya!
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