March radness

Beers, burgers, and basketball in Tulsa

Spring has sprung and the madness has begun. Winter weather is finally behind us—maybe?—and it’s time to shake off that cabin fever. While locals thaw out and rediscover our city, we’ll be joined by college basketball fans in town to catch first and second round March Madness games at BOK Center. Whether you’re in Tulsa for the first time or a native looking for an excuse to visit another part of town, use this guide to go hard in the paint in Tulsa.

Downtown scoot-seeing tour

Like many cities lately, electric scooters are all over downtown Tulsa and the surrounding areas. If you’re spending the weekend watching basketball at the BOK Center, here are some sightseeing highlights that are all just a short scoot away.

Deco District
Possibly the most fun place to scoot around, downtown’s Deco District is a living history of architecture. The mid-century Ponca City Savings and Loan building at 7th Street & Boston Avenue houses the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. A block north, you’ll find H.A. Chapman Centennial Green, home to Patrick Dougherty’s “Prairie Schooners,” a larger-than-life installation made of thousands of woven branches.

The Tulsa Arts District
Take a look around the district’s galleries, including ahha, 108 Contemporary, and Living Arts. Snap a selfie by the historic Cain’s Ballroom sign, and pay a visit to Guthrie Green if the weather is nice to get a slice of life in Tulsa. Across the street you’ll find the Woody Guthrie Center, a museum and educational center dedicated to teaching and preserving music history. And don’t forget the Center of the Universe, a tourist favorite.

Blue Dome District
A good place to start is at the titular Blue Dome, a former filling station on 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue that serves as the district’s central landmark. From there, you can crash some pins across the street at Dust Bowl, game hard at The Max, and eat and drink at any of the numerous bars and restaurants in the area.

Greenwood
The Greenwood Cultural Center collects and maintains educational resources about Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, including its destruction in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Take a walk down Black Wall Street and notice the plaques that represent businesses destroyed. Down the road, John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park is a beautiful place to reflect. See works by local artists at the Black Wall Street Art Gallery. If you just can’t get enough sports, there’s a soccer game at OneOK Field on March 23. Tulsa Roughnecks face off with the Seattle Sounders.

SoBo/Terwilleger Heights
The historic Council Oak Tree is where Tulsa began, but its roots stretch deeper than that. After years on the Trail of Tears, the Locvpokv Muscogee Creeks placed their ashes from ancestral fires at the base of the tree. Today the tree is the namesake for a nearby elementary school. After the history lesson, why not scoot on down to our new mega-park Gathering Place via Riverside or the Midland Valley Trail?  

Tulsa taproom tour

The craft brewing scene is booming in Tulsa. Each local brewery has carved out its own niche and each one is worth a visit for a pint or to fill a growler—particularly in the spring months, when several breweries’ patios and outdoor areas shine. To boot, many local beermakers are just a short stroll away from each other in some of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods.

Downtown

American Solera SoBo, 108 E. 18th St.
Rated the Best New Brewery in the U.S. in 2016, American Solera will soon open a new location next door to Cabin Boys Brewery.

Elgin Park, 325 E. Reconciliation Way
The pre-/post-game spot for ONEOK Field events.

New Era: Fine Fermentations, 321 S. Frankfort Ave.
Gluten-free options abound, brewed using cutting-edge processes.

Prairie Brewpub, 233 N. Main St.
Oklahoma’s favorite purveyor of stouts and saisons incorporates their beer into several menu items.

Welltown Brewing, 114 W. Archer St.
The rooftop patio under the skyline is a great downtown escape. The brewery’s Cloudy Dreams IPA and Caribbean Queen Tropical Stout are the Yin and Yang for springtime flavors, whether your tastes skew light or dark.

Pearl District

Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing, 1004 E. 4th St.
Dead Armadillo’s patio, “The Boneyard,” is a great place to enjoy new brews and live tunes.

Pearl Beach Brew Pub, 418 S. Peoria Ave.
The newest addition to the scene recently opened in the former taproom of The Willows Family Ales (whose beers are still available in stores and bars around town).

Nothing’s Left Brewing Co., 1502 E. 6th St.
Located in an old Texaco station, Nothing’s Left opened their taproom last year after three years working their way up through regional beer festivals.

Kendall Whittier

Cabin Boys Brewery, 1717 E. 7th St.
The Cabin Boys are as dedicated to traditional European brewing processes as they are to fun; the brewery regularly hosts all kinds of events.

Heirloom Rustic Ales, 2113 E. Admiral Blvd.
Heirloom’s communal ambience is the perfect setting for sharing and comparing their inventive, small-batch brews.

Local Cider & Angry Bear Mead, 1724 E. 7th St
Oklahoma’s first cidery will celebrate its grand opening on Sat., March 23.

Marshall Brewing Company, 1742 E. 6th St.
The pioneers of Tulsa’s craft brewing scene recently expanded their taproom.

Renaissance Brewing Co., 1197 S. Lewis Ave.
The neighborhood brewery hosts open mic comedy and yoga classes.

Other Areas

Broken Arrow Brewing Co., 333 W. Dallas St., Broken Arrow
BA’s first brewery is one of few Native American-owned breweries in the country.

High Gravity Brewing Company
6808 S. Memorial Dr.
In addition to serving their own beers in Pippin’s Taproom, High Gravity also carries fermentation supplies for homebrewers.

Tulsa burger tour

Throw a stone in Tulsa and there’s a decent chance you’ll hit a world-class burger joint. The city has a smorgasbord of options, so here’s our shortlist of can’t-miss Tulsa ‘burgs. (And remember, if you want to do it like a true Okie, have the onions fried-in.)

Bill’s Jumbo Burgers
2002 E. Admiral Blvd.
True to its name, Bill’s burgers range from the 1/3 lb. “Big Daddy” to the 2 lb. “Double Okie.”

Billy’s on the Square
424 N. Main St.; also has a stand inside BOK Center
These charburgers are a downtown lunch staple and the go-to concession item at BOK Center events.

Brownie’s Hamburger Stand
2130 S. Harvard Ave., 6577 E. 71st St.
One of Tulsa’s oldest hamburger joints. Sit at the counter and be sure to have a homemade root beer and slice of pie.

Claud’s Hamburgers
3834 S. Peoria Ave.
This 65-year institution grinds its meat in-house daily and the dedication shows; the joint’s cozy 14-seat bar is nearly always full.

Fat Guy’s Burger Bar
140 N. Greenwood Ave., 7945 S. Memorial Dr.
For the adventurous, Fat Guy’s burgers—including the standout Thai Style Peanut Butter Bacon Burger and cheese-filled Fat and Juicy—are endlessly customizable.

Flo’s Burger Diner
2604 E. 11th St., 19322 E. Admiral Pl.
An order at Flo’s is incomplete without a side of “fat fries” piled with fried jalapenos slices, cheese, and bacon.

Freddie’s Hamburgers
802 S. Lewis Ave.
Another T-Town classic, the folks at Freddie’s have been doing it right since 1954.

Goldie’s Patio Grill
4401 E. 31st St., 5200 S. Lewis Ave., 6121 E. 61st St.
Serving Tulsa with three locations, Goldie’s old-school charbroiled burgers get the job done.

Hank’s Hamburgers
8933 E. Admiral Pl.
This cozy joint has been serving up burgers, fries, and milkshakes since 1949.

Harden’s Hamburgers
432 S. Sheridan Rd.
Whether you go for the double, or something “lighter,” you definitely don’t want to pass up Harden’s chocolate shake and curly fries.

J.J.’s Gourmet Burgers
647 S. Peoria Ave.
It’s open for lunch just four days a week, has a simple-but-delicious menu, and a membership program (though you don’t need to be a member to eat there); J.J.’s is well worth its one-of-a-kind experience.

Lot-a-Burger Six
locations in Tulsa
TTV contributor Mitch Gilliam crowned the 1208 N. Mingo Rd. location as the reining Lot-a-Burger champ but we recommend doing your own research.

MAD Eats
201 S. Main St., Owasso
The Impossible Burger features a plant-based burger patty, sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and veggies, smothered in MAD burger sauce and topped with a brioche bun. This impossibly tasty ‘burg can’t really be vegetarian—can it?

Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili
Eight locations in and around Tulsa
Ron’s claim-to-fame half-beef, half-sausage burgers are taken deliciously over-the-top when smothered in chili.

Smitty’s Garage
7104 S. Sheridan Rd., 9718 Riverside Pkwy.
The Norman-based joint’s classic and inventive burgers are welcome additions to Tulsa’s stacked burger scene.

SMOKE.
Tulsa: 1542 E. 15th St., Owasso: 201 S. Main St.
Go for lunch and grab the fresh-ground Black Angus burger featuring a delectable blend of ribeye, tenderloin, sirloin and brisket—or drop by for the open-faced green chili burger special on Wednesdays.

Society Burger
1419 E. 15th St.
One of the newer players on the burger scene, Society has quickly become a staple of Tulsa’s Cherry Street District.

The Tavern
201 N. Main St.
Not as casual as the rest of the list, The Tavern’s mushroom cognac cream and stilton-covered burger earned its place among the best thanks to its daily late-nite price cut.

Ted’s Hamburgers
2901 W. Edison St.
Cherry limeades, homespun malts, and old-fashioned root beer make Ted’s a can’t-miss spot for classic diner grub.

Ty’s Hamburgers
1534 S. Harvard Ave.
Ty’s has been slinging classic burgers and sides in Tulsa for more than 30 years.

Weber's Superior Root Beer Drive-in
3817 S. Peoria Ave.
The name says it all. A nostalgic cruise down Brookside’s “Restless Ribbon” is incomplete without a root beer float from Weber’s.

Where to watch March Madness

There’s no shortage of bars in Tulsa where the beer flows and the hi-def TVs are perched at every angle. We’ve highlighted spots around town that don’t play around when it comes to the spectator sports.

Bleacher Bums Sports Bar, 5073 E. 51st St.

Blue Rose Cafe, 1924 Riverside Dr.

Bricktown Brewery, 3301 S. Peoria Ave., 9409 E. 71st St.

The Brook, 3401 S. Peoria Ave., 7725 E. 91st St.

Elgin Park, 325 E. Reconciliation Way

Empire, 1516 S. Peoria Ave.

Fassler Hall, 304 S. Elgin Ave.

Fuel 66, 2439 E. 11th St.

Fox & Hound, 7001 S Garnett Rd.

Hideaway Pizza, seven locations in the Tulsa metro

Lefty’s on Greenwood, 10 N. Greenwood Ave.

Louie’s Bar & Grill, Tulsa: 6310 E. 101st St., Jenks: 813 E. A St., Broken Arrow: 1640 N. 9th St.

No Place Sports Bar, 11730 E. Admiral Pl.

R Bar & Grill, 3421 S. Peoria Ave.

Roosevelt’s, 1551 E. 15th St.

Smitty’s Garage, 7104 S. Sheridan Rd., 9718 Riverside Pkwy.

Society Burger, 1419 E. 15th St.

The Stumbling Monkey Bar & Grill, 8921 S Yale Ave.