ENID — I like to eat. And even though I cook at home quite a bit, I do my share of supporting the restaurants in town – just as many as possible. So, when I head Next Door was hanging up their table phones for good, I shed a small tear. Next Door was in full swing when we arrived in Enid in the mid-’70s, and provided a nice family dining experience for our brood. Never mind we spent most of our time there trying to keep the boys from picking up that phone and adding to the order!

Anyway, Next Door’s closing got me thinking about the history of Enid’s eating establishments. I began to jot down a few notes and quickly became disturbed by the fact I know more about local burger joints of the past than any other kind of Enid history.  That says a little too much about my priorities in life.

Keep in mind my memory is subject to the effects of age, exhaustion, a bit of high blood pressure, a few too many fat cells and the usual stresses imposed upon women by the demands of today’s society (I’m mostly just kiddin’ about that last part), so excuse me if I fail to mention an old favorite or two.

Let us take a moment to salute some eateries with staying power. Right off the bat I’d have to mention Tia Juana, Wee Too, Pak-a-Sak, Lot-a-Burger and Lenox Drive-In. I was stunned and delighted to hear Lot-a-Burger and Lenox have been Enid staples since 1952 and 1953, respectively.  Richill’s Cafeteria and The Sage Room provided many decades of eating pleasure, as did the Hendrie House, Holland House and Furr’s.

The downtown area has hosted a variety of cafes over the years, as well as popular lunch counters at Down’s Pharmacy and Woolworth’s. A few blocks west of downtown, stood the Wagon Wheel Restaurant – a true Enid landmark, with a devoted clientele. A couple of OB/GYNs moved into the old Maxwell Pancake House, where, I’m sure, some clever renovations were needed to accommodate the new goings-on there! (Speaking of restaurants that have become medical offices – remember the original Wendy’s locale?  Urgent Care, now. And the first Burger King?  Dr. Kang’s office. And Red Lobster?  A dental office.)

Somewhere between being the Raleigh Bike Store and today’s Pioneer Cellular, that little building on West Garriott housed a popular restaurant called Nathan’s. Costello’s used to be Godfather’s, and the new Godfather’s location used to be home to Garfield Grill and Next Door Restaurant before that. Golden Corral jumped a few blocks west and Fat & Skinnies has been in more places than I can remember.

Midwestern Inn hosted several nice restaurants including The Fig Tree Atrium, Peppers and Toucan Harry’s, while the list of restaurants that previously occupied the building that now houses Callahan’s may be the longest list in town!  

Then, in the midst of this parade of Enid dining pageantry, suddenly, a food court appeared with its own bevy of delightful choices.  In its early days, the Oakwood Mall food court featured Katy’s Pantry, Orange Julius, 1 Potato 2, The Cheese Shoppe, TCBY, Taco Tico, Hot Dog on a Stick, Sbarro’s and The Great American Cookie Co. There was a neat little popcorn shop on the way to Dillard’s and Wyatt’s Cafeteria near JC Penney. For a while there, it was fast food heaven!

Along with the now defunct mall vendors, I have a whole long list of places I truly and sadly will miss until I no longer need food.  These were my faves, in no particular order: Fat & Skinnies (of the old days – they had the potato salad I craved when I was pregnant), JuDon’s (now a parking lot for Stevens Ford’s finest super duty trucks), Sir Victor’s Fish & Chips (really crispy on the outside, tender on the inside), K-Bobs, Dairy Queen, Big Ed’s, Burger Express (because it was the closest to home), The Speckled Hen, Roman Holiday, Sneakers and Pizza Inn – where my boys played Pacman and listened to “Bette Davis Eyes” and “YMCA” on the jukebox.

It’s also a shame about Ken’s Pizza, Grandy’s, Goldies, Hickory Hut, Sandy’s, Denny’s, The Kettle, Sambo’s, the old A & W, Schlotzsky’s, Amarillo Grill, Sirloin Stockade, Bob’s Cone Corner – all gone.  

But, what we have now, is a great downtown scattered with restaurants with exceptional menus. We have at least a dozen restaurants, around town that compare with fine dining anywhere – many of them locally owned, operated and exclusive to Enid. We have a fantastic selection of Mexican restaurants, as is fitting for our part of the country.  Chinese and Italian fare close at hand, as well as some of the best BBQ in the great state of Oklahoma.  We have no shortage of available ribs, wings, burgers and sandwiches in nice family restaurants all over town.  We can sit-down, drive-thru, drive-up or drive-in. That’s a lot of good eating. Only thing missing – a much-loved family restaurant, with a neighborly name, and a phone on every table. It was good to go Next Door.



Peck is a local mother and grandmother who works in Enid Public Schools. She can be reached at peckaroonie@yahoo.com.