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Best Chicken Fry Sandwich in Oklahoma: Tally's Good Food Café

The Red B Restaurant takes second place

Although the exact origins of the chicken fried steak or country fried steak are impossible to determine, it is almost identical to German schnitzel and was likely introduced by German immigrants to the Hill Country of Texas. It takes an inexpensive cut of meat and turns it into a working man’s staple.  No matter its origin, the state of Oklahoma has claimed it as their own. 

  • Del Rancho
    Norman

    Del Rancho, the self-proclaimed "home of the famous steak sandwich," has been in the Kirkpatrick family since 1977. The Del Rancho Steak Sandwich Supreme starts with a fresh steak hand-breaded and cooked to order every time. Del Rancho also serves a chicken version, and both come with lettuce, tomato and Miracle Whip.
    Photo courtesy of Del Rancho / Facebook

  • Click's Steakhouse
    Pawnee

    Clifton "Click" Nelson opened his Pawnee restaurant, originally called Click's Alamo Club, in 1962, and it's been serving great steaks ever since. The Click's chicken fried steak sandwich features a hand-breaded and deep-fried steak on a sesame seed bun.
    Photo courtesy of Click's Steakhouse

  • The Old Plantation Restaurant
    Medicine Park

    The walls of the three-floor Old Plantation Restaurant are covered in historic photos of Medicine Park, and the original reception desk from when the restaurant was a hotel still remains. While the history is charming, the food is the real highlight; The Old Plantation serves a country fried steak and country fried chicken sandwich. Both come on a bun with fixings on the side.
    Photo courtesy of The Old Plantation Restaurant / Facebook

  • Chuck House Restaurant
    Oklahoma City

    Oklahoma City's Chuck House Restaurant claims to serve "the best chicken fry in the universe." With so many good contenders in the state, we'll let you decide! The chicken fried steak sandwich comes with a quarter-pound slab of beef, hand-breaded, deep-fried and served on a bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. There's also a chicken fried chicken version.
    Photo courtesy of Wesley Fryer / Flickr

  • Bros. Houligan
    Tulsa

    Bros. Houligan has been satisfying Tulsa appetites for nearly three decades with its menu of hearty dishes. Diners can get their chicken fry fill two ways, in an open-faced chicken fry sandwich or a more traditional chicken fried steak sandwich, which earns rave reviews.
    Photo courtesy of Bros. Houligan / Facebook

  • Rockin H Land & Cattle Co. Steakhouse & Saloon
    Temple

    Situated in downtown Temple, Rockin H Land & Cattle Co. serves cowboy-style fare in a cozy, rustic environment. Portions are generous, especially for those who order the chicken fried steak sandwich, which comes topped with Swiss cheese, bacon, mayo and sticky-sweet caramelized onions.
    Photo courtesy of Rockin H Land & Cattle Co. / Facebook

  • Clanton's Cafe
    Vinita

    Clanton's Cafe is the oldest continuously family-owned restaurant along Route 66 and an Oklahoma chicken fry institution. The sandwich menu at Clanton's features chicken fried chicken and steak options. The former comes on a toasted ciabatta bun while the later is on Texas toast. Both come topped with lettuce, tomato and mayo.
    Photo courtesy of Clanton's Cafe / Facebook

  • Kendall's Restaurant
    Noble

    Kendall's is famous for their Chicken Fry Challenge, where hungry diners attempt to consume a giant chicken fried steak, salad, mashed potatoes or fries, a biscuit, green beans and cinnamon rolls before the clock strikes 7. Smaller appetites and less ambitious eaters can sample Kendall's famous chicken fried steak in sandwich form instead, served with lettuce, tomato and mayo.
    Photo courtesy of Kendall's Restaurant / Facebook

  • The Red B Restaurant
    Idabel

    An off-the-beaten-path gem in the town of Idabel, The Red B Restaurant is known for its hearty three-course meals of made-from-scratch food. The chicken fry earns rave reviews and the steak is tender enough to cut with a fork, or your teeth if you're going the sandwich route. The crust is light and the sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato in a big, soft bun.
    Photo courtesy of The Red B Restaurant / Facebook

  • Tally's Good Food Café
    Tulsa

    While Tally's Good Food Café has won awards for its breakfast fare, particularly its cinnamon rolls, the rest of the menu is well worth a look. Tally’s Famous Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich comes in a bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo, and unlike many renditions of the sandwich, this one comes with a side of gravy as well.
    Photo courtesy of Tally's Good Food Café

How serious are Sooners about their chicken fried steak and chicken? In 1988 the Oklahoma state legislature included chicken fried steak in the official Oklahoma State Meal along with fried okra, cornbread, black-eyed peas and pecan pie.  It starts with a piece of beef or chicken straight off an Oklahoma ranch that is tenderized, breaded in a special blend of seasonings and fried. A healthy topping off creamed gravy finishes this delicious meal. Many Sooners will judge an establishment on their chicken fry and if that doesn’t pass muster, they won’t try other dishes. 

How do you make a chicken fried piece of meat better? Put it on a bun, creating a delicious portable version of this American classic.

The top 10 winners in the category Best Chicken Fry Sandwich in Oklahoma are as follows:

  1. Tally's Good Food Café - Tulsa
  2. The Red B Restaurant - Idabel
  3. Kendall's Restaurant - Noble
  4. Clanton's Cafe - Vinita
  5. Rockin H Land & Cattle Co. Steakhouse & Saloon - Temple
  6. Bros. Houligan - Tulsa
  7. Chuck House Restaurant - Oklahoma City
  8. The Old Plantation Restaurant - Medicine Park
  9. Click's Steakhouse - Pawnee
  10. Del Rancho - Norman

A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Katie Johnstonbaugh (Dishin & Dishes) and Jennifer Daskevich (Sandwich America) were chosen based on their knowledge of this American sandwich.

Other nominees in the category included Ann's Chicken Fry House in Oklahoma City, Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City, Cheever's Cafe in Oklahoma City, Classen Grill in Oklahoma City, The Hungry Frog Diner in Oklahoma City, Jimmy's Round-Up Cafe & Fried Pies in Oklahoma City, Nic's Grill in Oklahoma City, Noble House Bed and Breakfast in Watonga, Rooster's Cafe in Jones and Soda Pops in Oklahoma City.

Congratulations to all our winning sandwiches!

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AlertThe Experts

Katie Johnstonbaugh

Katie Johnstonbaugh is the author at Dishin & Dishes, a popular Oklahoma food blog that features recipes and restaurant reviews. She is also is the author of The Food Lovers’ Guide to Oklahoma. Katie resides in Oklahoma City with her husband Mr. Wonderful and their children.

Jennifer Daskevich

Jennifer Daskevich

After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Terry French

Terry French

Terry French, The World’s Extreme Chef, has cooked in 86 countries and traveled around the world 8 times. His global-to-local cuisine perspective and belief that “ hand-held ” food is the carrier of food culture may seem in stark contrast to his being born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. But diversity and uncommon is Terry defined. Winning Food Network’s World Extreme Chef in 2012 celebrated his amazing and adventurous life and his “French’s KISS” belief to food – Keeping it simple and sustainable. From Ice fishing with his father and cooking with his mother as a boy to hosting Taste Asia in Times Square, Terry French makes every meal a cuisine adventure. Terry believes that “Hand-held foods and sandwiches are the global cuisine language. From Thai street food to Philly cheese steaks – the world eats with our hands for centuries and now more than ever”. Follow Terry’s Extreme Chef adventures on Facebook and Instagram .