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    Nelson's Buffeteria

    4.5 (141 reviews)
    InexpensiveBreakfast & Brunch
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    NELSON'S BUFFETERIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Salisbury steak green beans, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and yeast roll
    Penny M.

    Amazing as usual had a Salisbury steak today mashed potatoes, green bean and a big yeast roll. Yum. Service was quick efficient we got our food sat down. They waited on this immediately. Great food great service family environment.!

    Nelson's iconic sign
    Daniel T.

    The only thing I'm upset about.... Is that it took me so long to go try out this Tulsa staple!! Some co workers and I decided to stop here for lunch and I'm so glad it was recommended because I will be going back. The atmosphere was lively and busy as you were greeted by a small band at the front door. After moving through the line, I was up to order. I had to go with a classic and what I heard Nelson's was known for, their chicken fried steak. The chicken fried steak was massive and delicious! Topped with some white gravy, I honestly wouldn't recommend going here with your mother because you might end up slapping her it's so good! I had the coleslaw which was a little sweeter to my liking, but still pretty good along with their rolls. I can't say enough about this place.... Go check it out... preferably without your momma!!

    Dr Keebler ..

    Server She didn't say her name. I wish servers would tell visitors their name, so we know whom provided the service. Ambiance Old time diner Food So far pretty tasty. The ham is a bit fatty. The eggs tasted fresh, the gravy was good. Overall Its a quite little hole in the wall diner. Good food, polite service. Military Nope

    Full Nelson.
    Glenn P.

    A rare find in this era of corporate chain restaurants. Nelson's reminds me of the coffee shops and cafes I went to with my parents and grandparents. Still family owned, Nelson's has a classic vibe and the food lives up to what you'd hope for in a classic cafe. I understand the lunch buffet is the big draw here. Service, food and coffee fill ups were perfect. Why 5 stars? This isn't a 5 star restaurant, but it meets every expectation you'd have of a cafe. Clean, attentive staff, simple yet perfectly prepared food. So, 5 stars for being exceptional at what it is, an old school. Family owned cafe.

    Awesome chicken fried chicken
    Wayne G.

    Super awesome historic restaurant since 1929! Loved the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes gravy corn green beans and rolls! Awesome service by Savannah! 10 stars bravo!

    Biscuit and gravy
    Dan C.

    Excellent breakfast. Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, biscuit and gravy. Need to come back and try their lunch buffet. It looks pretty good. Your basic diner atmosphere. Prompt service. Reasonable prices.a

    Giant pancakes
    Ray N.

    This is the quintessential dirty and equally awesome diner you want for breakfast. I have only been in here once but I want to go back. It has this feel like a legit monster, the mail man, a steel mill operator and a state senator could all be eating scrambled eggs at the same time and at the same place 2 tables apart. It's rare in this day and age a spot draws all classes and delivers this filling and awesome breakfast to everyone. The day I came in I'm fairly certain my server was "medicated" but she still did very well. I'm not at all trying to be judgey but it's the vibe I got. Like I said she did a fine job but ya know, it fit the environment and I'm not even mad. My drink was never empty, my order came out as requested and I left full and a worthy tip was added to my bill, Any way, come in, eat, join a room full of others as they fuel up to tackle the day and enjoy being a part of dining with the folks that make it all happen every day.

    Sharon C.

    Stepping into Nelson's was like stepping into the past. That is except for the prices. It looked just like the diners I remember when I was a child. It was decorated with pictures of Nelson's in its early days. It's a very fun setting to dine in. It's called a buffeteria but the breakfast was just table service. We both got eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a huge biscuit and gravy. The food was delicious and plentiful. The service couldn't have better. Our server, Red, took excellent care of us. The other servers and manager also asked us if we needed anything. It's been years since I've been in a restaurant where servers not assigned to our table volunteered to do anything for us except tell our server. So often, I can't find my server and tell a server I need something. The response is always, "I will tell your server." At Nelson's I didn't have to even ask. The servers were asking all the tables if they needed anything. I left my glasses on the table. When I went back, I didn't even have to go in. As I stepped out of the car, Red ran out with my glasses. Can't wait to try their chicken fried steak for lunch.

    Spike S.

    Our timing today was perfect. We opened the front door to Nelson's Buffeteria at 11:00 on the money. The lunch buffet was out and the friendly personnel were ready to fill plates. We were in our booth eating at 11:05. The classic Oklahoma's favorite meal for me; Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy and fried okra. My wife substituted mac and cheese for the okra. Both excellent meals. One of the top chicken fried steaks in Oklahoma. The restaurant is not fancy. It is functional and comfortable. The staff is friendly and hustles. Parking is a bitch. If you aren't is a spot by 11:30 "No Chicken Fried Steak for You!" Try again tomorrow. When we left it was tough to even get out. The lot was full, with cars circling bumper to bumper, competing for a spot.

    Full Nelson breakfast!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is very comforting. Such wonderful flavor.The service is nice. Everyone is such a warm soul.

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    3 years ago

    Hello Great Food! You'll understand once you've been. Parking is fun and the Strolling Bones play on Friday

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    2 years ago

    Food was excellent. Service was great. Don't shy away because of location or atmosphere. A pleasant surprise.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Yumm! Need to get back there! The pandemic put a stop to buffets but they are back open!

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    6 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I love the fried chicken served on Wednesdays as well as the mashed potatoes/gravy and green beans. Extremely good.

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    4 years ago

    Becky was amazing. Best bacon in town. I love this place. Tulsa classic. Tell Becky I sent you.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Old school cafeteria vibes - great home cooking food. Can't go wrong with Nelson's!!!

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Hands down the best CFS in Tulsa. Friendly people, very clean and great atmosphere. If you leave hungry, that's your fault

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    3 years ago

    Very good home style cooking. They're famous for their dinner rolls. You'll enjoy this place.

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    Page 2 of 4

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    Bramble - 3 Sirens Restaurant Group - Huevos Rancheros was mindblowing delicious

    Bramble - 3 Sirens Restaurant Group

    4.1(291 reviews)
    5.5 miCherry Street
    $$

    Specialty drinks were amazing. Loved the thick sliced bacon, and fluffy pancakes. Kelsie was a…read morefabulous waitress. Great ambiance!

    Dude, where do I start? From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with smiles, friendliness,…read morerespect and ENERGY. Our server, I can remember her name but I think she was the only one with the pink hair that day, she was so good. My friend and I both, after she first came to our table, decided she was going to get a little extra too. The place is large, much larger than it looks from the street. There's a covered outdoor patio adjacent to the sidewalk on 15th but it was WAY TOO humid and hot to attempt that. When we left though, I did notice it was full of people. I guess that means everyone feels the same way I do about this place. There were so many good items on the menu we were in a quandary. Our pink haired server came to our rescue! We told her about our dilemma and she jumped right into which were her favorites from our list. She was spot on, we each enjoyed our food. We ordered: Gluten Free pumpkin pan cakes (it's a stack of 4 large pancakes!!!) - my friend said it's the best GF pancakes she's had yet. The spiced pecans, pumpkin cream cheese spread and maple bourbon syrup were SO GOOD! Side of Biscuits & White Gravy - the biscuit was good. Soft in the middle and evenly crisp/toasted on the outside. I might've like a little more flavor to my gravy. Maybe more sausage fat (for real, just trying to keep it real here!) or Tabasco. Country Fried Steak & Eggs - this was a HEARTY sized chicken friend steak. It was definitely made fresh. The batter was a little heavy, not thick per se, but extremely crispy. That probably works to its advantage as it doesn't get soggy too fast due to the gravy. Parking on the street for a Saturday wasn't good bad. We did drive around the block once...maybe 1.5x, but that could have been our fault. We're not from here and aren't used to the norms and standards her. I'm highly recommending this spot. We would've come back again the next morning if we didn't have to leave so early in the morning to get on the !

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    Cool vibes

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    French toast

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    Dilly Diner - BREAKFAST TACOS*

    Dilly Diner

    4.1(663 reviews)
    6.9 miDowntown
    $$

    My wife, sister-in-law, and a friend of the family stopped in here for breakfast. Oddly enough,…read moreonly one of us actually ordered breakfast. French toast. Looked delicious! My wife had a salad and egg salad sandwich, her sister had a Caesar salad and both said that they enjoyed their choice.I had a French dip sandwich, as recommended by our server who was friendly and made good recommendations, also keeping the refills on coffee coming regularly, which is appreciated. The French dip was very good, but the bread/baguette, was incredibly good! Really special! I really liked the coffee as well, apparently a local supplier,, although I forgot the name. Place was not overly crowded on arrival but had a wait of 20 people or so by the time we finished. Highly recommend! Wonderful throwback to yesterday year atmosphere.

    I think a 4 1/2 rating is more appropriate! We had a…read morewonderful breakfast Saturday morning at the Dilly diner. Turns out that the night before we ate at McNellie's, which is a part of the restaurant chain that owns the diner. Our server at McNellie's was terrific and they knew her. We were seated promptly with a nice view of the door. We started our breakfast with coffee, which was strong and very good. I decided to pack on the carbos with a short stack of pancakes topped with caramel sauce, bananas, and walnuts. Wow, they call this a short stack! I am quite certain I could never eat a tall stack! My wife ordered the breakfast tacos, which looked quite small compared to my pancakes, but she loved the flavor--a nice mix of scrambled eggs, avocado, and cajito cheese! More coffee! We rolled out of the place very satisfied and pleased with the service, ambience, and food! We highly recommend the Dilly diner!

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    Dilly Diner
    Dilly Diner - HUEVOS RANCHEROS* with fruit

    HUEVOS RANCHEROS* with fruit

    Dilly Diner - Perfect retro dinner door

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    Perfect retro dinner door

    Maple Ridge Grocer - Roast beef

    Maple Ridge Grocer

    4.3(135 reviews)
    6.0 miMaple Ridge
    $$

    as i continue to come to maple ridge grocer and try something different every time, i'm going to…read moregive an overall 5-stars. this time around, they presented some new menu items and one of them were fried pickles that were a medley that also included fried okra. that was ordered along with the biscoff butter panna cotta. i'm big on fried pickles, so if a place serves them, more than likely i'm going to try them. they were so good, the tikka aioli was gold. i wanted more of it. the fried okra was a nice addition, never had them that way before. it's an appetizer that's sharable or something i can have all to myself (they were shared). the biscoff butter panna cotta was a last minute thing as we originally was going to order 2 appetizers. i love biscoff anything so add this to the list. the blueberry compote, i couldn't get enough of. the peanut butter mousse when well with the biscoff. again, i need to do better with recognizing the servers. she did a very very good job. she checked on us consistently that wasn't annoying. she also did that with others in her section so the consistency went outside of our table. as for the many times i've been here, the experiences get better and better.

    My husband and I visited Maple Ridge on a Sunday afternoon. I had enjoyed my visit a few years ago…read moreand he hadn't yet been. Sadly, I won't be able to convince him to return. My husband ordered the roast beef and fries. The first order of the roast beef sandwich hardly had any onions but the worst part was the hair discovered on the fries. Upon the second delivery of the same meal, we discovered a SECOND hair. Listen, we've both been in the service industry so we try to have grace toward servers and kitchens. However, the worst part was that our server indicated they had just switched kitchen staff and yet this occurred on the same dish. Secondly, my husband had the view into kitchen and saw a kitchen staff member look out the window into the restaurant and roll his eyes at our table, ostensibly for returning the meal. First time is a mistake. Second time, completely different hair thickness - felt intentional. Food is your typical brunch and diner fare. If you go, be sure to thoroughly check your food prior to eating.

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    Maple Ridge Grocer
    Maple Ridge Grocer - Mmmmmm maple bars.

    Mmmmmm maple bars.

    Maple Ridge Grocer - Vino

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    The Avery - Shrimp Carbonara

    The Avery

    4.0(66 reviews)
    7.0 miDowntown
    $$

    Tonight I dined solo and late. Service was excellent even after 9 pm. Ordered The Cyrus Burger…read morewhich was supposed to be layered with pickles, fried onions, and mustard. The pickles were very good, but the onions were super thin and long strings that slung the mustard, which there was WAY too much of all over the place every time you took a bite as I wasn't able to cut them easy with my bite. Opted for the onion rings which were superb!! Easy bite through that was clean and didn't pull out the onion like you might find with sonic onion rings.

    I sat at the bar which was comfortable and clean. The bartender was very friendly and helpful when…read moreI asked a few questions about the menu. She kept my fountain drink full! I'm a keto dieter, and I will say that there are several tasty options to choose from. I will often get a burger with no bun, which is what I was craving today. This one went beyond my expectations! It was a hand-formed 8oz patty, and the chef was able to make it a perfect medium rare. It was delectably juicy, seasoned just right, and the cheese, peppers, onions and tomatoes topped it off perfectly. My salad had nice big slices of Parmesan cheese on top, and the lettuce was fresh and crisp, the dressing just right. Removing croutons is never a problem, but I appreciated that they happily left them off when they prepared the salad. If you're looking for keto options, you'll find many good choices here!

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    Decor

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    Cocktail

    The Avery - (her Britney Spears Dirty) martini

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    (her Britney Spears Dirty) martini

    Antoinette Baking - Ice Cream/Coffee bar

    Antoinette Baking

    4.1(288 reviews)
    7.3 miDowntown
    $$

    Spectacular, I'm in love with this delightful bakery. Everything we tried from the French Macarons,…read moreto the cupcake and the Crack Bar was delectable! I'm a bit of a macaron enthusiast and I struggle to find a good one that truly has the taste, texture and flavors of a truly well made macaron. Antoinette Bakery has the best I've ever had. Additionally, the other treats we tried were sweet but not overly so in which I appreciated. The staff was helpful when we were looking for suggestions and had questions and the whole place had this modern French bakery feel that I adored. I cannot wait to go back and try more items like a loaf of fresh sourdough bread.

    Went fairly early on a First Friday (around 6:15ish) and it wasn't crowded at all, didn't even have…read moreto stand in line. We split a slice of the passion fruit chocolate pie along with a couple of regular drip coffees. (Of course, we had to get some of the orange-chocolate chip cookies to go.) I liked the pie. Interesting flavors. The chocolate chips did not overpower the subtle passion fruit cream. It was served a bit haphazard though (but that's just me being picky). My biggest complaint was with the coffee and some of the service. I guess I will order an Americano or something next time because the drip coffee was luke warm at best. We were bussing our own table and one of the staff didn't even seem to know what to do with our dishes. Nobody was overly friendly. Maybe they were just prepping for the onslaught of First Friday-ers. Just off night perhaps.

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    The Interior

    Nelson's Buffeteria - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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