I girl I know was working six blocks away when the blast hit, she had just walked away from a plate glass window to use the rest room when the blast blew the window out.

terrared, that picture took my breath away - I'll never ever forget that picture - I can only imagine how the mother felt seeing that everywhere - a nightmare that you can't wake up from.

Just got back from there. Great food and fun.

I'm going to start/restart a bombing memorial thread. Let's get these stories in one place. They are too important to be in any restaurant thread. Look for it.

Good idea pdjr... I'm off on a tangent, again... :-)

Karried, I'm always on a tangent. Thanks for not misconstruing my intentions. Like T.S. Eliot's poetry, my mind zips from one place to the next. For instance, I was working in Excel and then the next thing I know I have three browsers open, just downloaded a free song from iTunes.com and am changing my Windows desktop. No wonder it takes me so long to do my invoicing/data analysis!

Just got back from there. Great food and fun.




pdjr:

I'll be at Toby's place this coming Saturday (Aug 13th). My DH's band is playing there again. They put on a good show. Hope some of you can make it out!

Thanks for the heads-up, terrared. I love live music. I'll try to make it.

Cool! If you make it, please introduce yourself to me. I'll be the redhead kissin' on the bass player! :)

I shall. So, is what they say true about rockstars in the sack? :gossip:
Just kiddin' ya. I'll try to make it.

I'm VERY happy and we'll leave it at that!!! :) :)

Bump for update.

OK, I'll bite since this has been ressurected. We go to TK's fairly often. We absolutely love the nachos, catfish and ribs. We always sit at the bar or in the bar area where service is a team thing. Always great service that way. I love any live music. I understand the effort a band puts in just to be on a weekend stage and pay bills the rest of the week. All the bands I've heard there I've been very happy with.

The Toby Keith's in Minneapolis was the most mediocre restaurant at which I've ever eaten.
I trust the one closer to home is better than that, yet I wouldn't bank on it.
I will say that we were only there for a small birthday gathering for a bro-in-law
and there was no live music going on in the moment on account of what time it was.

There was a pseudo-Irish pub within strolling distance.
I'm not sure why that wasn't the preferred choice.
At least within the confines of "The Shops at West End".

If I'm not mistaken, the one here in Oklahoma City has an upstairs lounge and Toby hangs out there on a regular basis. I think he lives between Moore and Norman. I am sure people let him know when the service or food quality is slipping.

Keith grew up in Moore and currently lives in NE Norman. He's always been active as a parent to his children and in causes for children, which means far more to me than the unquestionable success he's put together as a writer and performer. I hope everything he touches goes well for him and those he helps.

If I'm not mistaken, the one here in Oklahoma City has an upstairs lounge and Toby hangs out there on a regular basis. I think he lives between Moore and Norman. I am sure people let him know when the service or food quality is slipping.

The upstairs area is just a balcony with some Toby Keith memorabilia. I have only eaten there 2 times but found the food to be pretty good. Maybe it is just me but I am not expecting Ruth Chris food when I go there. For the most part, anything I don't spit back in the plate passes the 'eating out' test for me.

I have only been to this restaurant once a long time ago. I don't remember how the steak was so I guess it wasn't anything to write home about.
However, we visited the one in Winstar and we ordered their nachos and quesadillas (weren't in the mood for steak) and they were very good!! Excellent seasonings and the chicken was great in the quesadillas. If you aren't in the mood for steak, order their appetizers!

The Toby Keith's in Oklahoma are managed by the Hal Smith Restaurant Group. The ones outside of the Oklahoma/Dallas area are managed by another company I believe. I like the food at Toby Keith's ok although I think some of the items are a little pricey.

Bigray in Ok

I've been to Toby Keith's three times, the most recent being in October of last year. It was a Wednesday night and we decided to go to Toby's for dinner because we'd parked at Bass Pro and it was close. The food has always been decent. I think it's just a good place to hang out if you're in that kind of mood.

The upstairs area is just a balcony with some Toby Keith memorabilia. I have only eaten there 2 times but found the food to be pretty good. Maybe it is just me but I am not expecting Ruth Chris food when I go there. For the most part, anything I don't spit back in the plate passes the 'eating out' test for me.
The balcony has a 6 or 8 seat table roped off for Toby and family and another 10 to 12, 4 seat tables for any customers. We used to ask for a balcony table to look down on everyone until we decided we liked sitting at the bar better.

From the article above:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/restaurants-bars/6238d1390233746-toby-keiths-toby15.jpg

I've always enjoyed eating at Toby Keith's when I could. Always went with a nice walk-about Bricktown/Downtown hike. If my heart ever allows it again I look forward to doing many more times.

How do we get TK's to re-engage the canal, and how do we incentivize other canal-fronters to engage and stay engaged with the canal?

People who live in Ski Island, if they front the lake, have to split a maintenance fee with the other owners. Could something like that encourage engagement (e.g. if you're having to pay additional fees to have canal frontage, would you then utilize that frontage since you were paying for it)? How could we frame and implement this legally? Maybe start a "Canal association" as a subset of the Bricktown association?

How do we get TK's to re-engage the canal, and how do we incentivize other canal-fronters to engage and stay engaged with the canal?

People who live in Ski Island, if they front the lake, have to split a maintenance fee with the other owners. Could something like that encourage engagement (e.g. if you're having to pay additional fees to have canal frontage, would you then utilize that frontage since you were paying for it)? How could we frame and implement this legally? Maybe start a "Canal association" as a subset of the Bricktown association?I can't see additional fees and/or being forced to engage the canal being taken well by TKs. The reason they enclosed what was an open patio was a lack of patronage of the patio. You can't make customers use a patio and at TKs there just weren't many that seemed to want to.

Agree it would be difficult if not impossible. Just wanted to get the conversation going. Open to suggestion...

I can't see additional fees and/or being forced to engage the canal being taken well by TKs. The reason they enclosed what was an open patio was a lack of patronage of the patio. You can't make customers use a patio and at TKs there just weren't many that seemed to want to.

Actually the patio was used pretty regularly in good weather. The enclosure was to gain additional year-round indoor seating.