Zio's Italian Kitchen

Last date I was here: 05/09/2009

Restaurant: Zio's Italian Kitchen (http://www.zios.com/oklahoma.asp)

Location: Bricktown, Oklahoma City, OK

Total Rating: 3.2
Food: 3, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 3

Summary: Zio's Italian Kitchen is a chain restaurant that offers signature dishes from scratch, right when you order it. With an open kitchen designed for patrons to enjoy not only the fresh and delicious food that comes from it, but the show that process generates as well, the dining room is buzzing with people. Zio's provides a casual and comfortable, open-air Italian piazza atmosphere that is designed to provide a fun and entertaining place for parties, informal get-togethers, and evenings out with family and friends.

I went with a co-worker on a Saturday evening - and it was packed with large parties who were trying to eat before the baseball game and the highschool prom. We were initially told the wait would be 45 minutes for our table of two, but ended up waiting more like an hour and 15 minutes. The girls at the front were unorganized and frazzled, causing many parties to wait longer than needed when there were plenty of open tables. I would have rated lower on Service, but once seated, our waitress was expedient and attentive. The food was average - typcial classic meals like Spaghetti and Meatballs and Chicken Alfredo. My boss enjoyed her meal though - she had the Spicy Chicken Alfredo made with sliced sautéed chicken breast tossed with linguine, bacon, Roma tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and spicy tomato-Alfredo sauce; topped with tricolor tortilla strips. Also one note I had to mention - the "italain dipping oil" that they serve with the bread is in fact canola oil with seasoning in it (yuck!). We immediately told the waitress we did not want her to pour that all over our bread and asked her to bring some plain balsamic vinegar instead. All in all, with the crowd it was an ok meal. I probably would not come back again.

What I ate:

Cheese Ravioli on a Nest of Pasta

Cheese-stuffed pasta served on a bed of linguine with your choice of tomato sauce, Alfredo sauce or both.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill

Last date I was here: 05/08/2009

Restaurant: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (http://www.tobykeithsbar.com/)

Location: Bricktown, Oklahoma City, OK

Total Rating: 3.85

Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 3

Summary: Leave it to country music legend Toby Keith to create a restaurant that offers great food and the best live music in Oklahoma City. Named after Toby’s hit single “I Love This Bar,” this exciting venue offers a real down-home experience. With 12,000 square feet and seating for 450 guests, the restaurant’s emphasis will be on great home-style food. Chef Brad Johnson has assembled a true down home menu that is sure to leave you adjusting your belt buckle. Decorated with over 100 pieces of Toby Keith memorabilia including signed guitars, platinum records and clothing Keith wore in videos, this restaurant provides a fun atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.

I tried this place with some co-workers as we were in town for a conference. Since they do not take reservations, we had to wait 45 minutes for a table, but were able to sit at the bar and order a drink while we waited. We were then seated upstairs in one of the “Redneck Loveseats” that had a prime view of the musical stage. The band that night was pretty good - Brandon Clark Band - and we were seated just as their set began. Patio seating was also available outside. The food was fairly proced for the large portions and tasted pretty good. My chicken was cooked perfectly - seasoned right and juicy. They had many confort food items on the menu as well as a decent selection of beers. In addition to live music, big screen televisons were scattered throughout for those sports fans. Overall, I enjoyed this place and was neat to try some Oklahoma cooking.

What I ate:

Grilled Chicken Breast

An 8 oz. grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, ham, BBQ sauce and Monterey Jack cheese.

Served with Mashed potatoes - made with Red skin potatoes, sour cream, butter, roasted garlic, green onion, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper; Sauteed Mushrooms with shallots and butter; and jalapeno corn bread.