I always say that there are two things that I like best about living in Tulsa: the friendly people and the architecture, and the former proved to be true once more when my family and I took a walk through the Mother Road Market this weekend and were greeted by the friendliest of vendors!
When you walk into Mother Road, you can tell that it’s not just about the local food and shops, although the food alone would be enough to shout about, but it’s also about the culture of Route 66, celebrated with various kinds of artwork. When you walk in through the front, if you’re lucky enough to find front parking, you are welcomed with a larger-than-life Route 66 mural created by local artists Yatika Starr Fields and Janet Fadler Davie.
Once inside, visitors have a number of interesting vendors to choose from, and when you stroll through and arrive at the opposite side of the building, you can enjoy a cheery wall painting depicting some key Route 66 destinations.
When we were there, there were also First Nations musicians and dancers whose sounds and movements filled the entire marketplace and really brought the place to life!
The Market has a wide variety of local food offerings, including everything from a bakery to an ice cream stand to Tulsa’s beloved Andolini’s Pizza to some newer and very intriguing vendors like Umami Fries and Chicken and the Wolf.
My daughter, Natasha, and I love Asian flavors so we had to try the Thai Tacos and Gogi Pork Fries from Umami Fries. We got both items for just over $23, which was worth it for the quality and the generous portions. Both items were incredibly flavorful and delicious and we were very happy with our choices!
My daughter’s boyfriend, Austin, got the “Nashville” chicken sandwich from Chicken and the Wolf, which was a hearty piece of fried chicken served on a toasted bun, and topped with a special sauce. Be warned, he ordered it on the mild side of the scale and it was quite hot. They did tell us that their spice levels were higher than usual, and they weren’t kidding! The sandwich was served with their homemade coleslaw on the side.
I was very interested in their entrée salad that comes with an amazing-sounding lemon dill buttermilk dressing, but was too full from Umami Fries to try anything else today.
Oh, and did you notice the Shasta Tiki Punch in the photo? This was exciting. It’s not just anywhere that you can get Tiki Punch!
Outside, when the weather is nice you can sit on their lovely patio and even enjoy a game of mini golf, which is comprised of super cute renditions of notable Route 66 stops.
After visiting the Mother Road Market, we knew that we needed to take on more Route 66 adventures, and decided to make this an ongoing project. So please stay tuned for more Route 66 stops, and send us any suggestions of Route 66 places to visit in the comment box, too!
