Tulsa::History: October 2020 Archives

The Last Lebanese Steakhouse in Tulsa | Saveur

Nice piece on the history of Lebanese steakhouses in and around Tulsa, with links to recipes and memories of beloved restaurants long gone (e.g., The Phoenicia, Eddy's), and an account of some of the rough patches Jamil's has gone through since the restaurant was forced to move by I-44 widening.

"At Jamil's, third-generation owner Jennifer Alcott's feathery blonde hair floats around her face as she checks on diners with a gravelly, worn voice. Her grandfather, Jamil Elias, opened the original Tulsa location in 1946. It has moved three times since then, most recently in 2008 to a nondescript brick building just off I-44 in the southern part of the city. Inside, the faded floral booths, low lights, and endless array of old photos telegraph its age far better than its exterior. But to locals, it's what's on the tables that best evokes nostalgia. They come set with butter and crackers, and soon the hummus will arrive, along with tabbouleh, pita, and a refreshing and retro relish tray of pickles and crudités topped with ice cubes. The warm appetizers follow: barbecue sauce spiced with za'atar and sharp with vinegar and mint comes to the table in a metal creamer jar, and a basket with rib tips and smoked bologna arrives alongside cinnamon-scented cabbage rolls in a pool of tomato-tinged butter. It's a cultural wormhole connecting Beirut and Tulsa. Finally, the entrée arrives--a thick hunk of beef, medium-rare, unadorned, with a foil-wrapped baked potato."