Good food, service, and cocktails. The smoky old fashioned was really good. The place is fixed up very nice.

Warm ranch style setting Helpful and attentive staff Broad menu selection -weekend buffet We were driving through town and stumbled on this gem. read more

See all

A quick on and off from I-40 for some amazing brisket! We enjoyed the lunch special brisket sandwich with beans. They had a lil kick but very delicious. Had a little fomo looking at our neighbors onion rings-but will try next time! 10/10 on service and quality! read more

The Founder - Barbeque Near Me - Okemah, Oklahoma

I live in eastern OK; my sister and I planned a May birthday dinner for our Dad's 57th at The Founder after he saw some fb videos of The Founder's beautiful menu. I tried calf fries once and found them texturally unpleasant. But at The Founder all 5 us enjoyed them. We got all 3 sauce options with the calf fries and we all preferred cocktail sauce with them. Crispy and very well seasoned! We all split multiple entrees/sides and enjoyed everything together. My dad enjoyed his steak and seasoned carrots. My sister enjoyed the chicken fried ribeye with green beans and mashed potatoes. I got the sliced brisket and pork ribs. The brisket was tender and flavorful. The ribs were a bit dry but I still enjoyed the flavor. The sides and bbq sauce were also very enjoyable. I shared a bread pudding dessert with my cousin and it was so warming/comforting. My little sis and I both decided we were anxious to have our birthday dinners at The Founder for sure! read more

We were on the road driving through the state and stopped by for dinner. The restaurant had an upscale ranch theme that matched our western vacation vibe. What a treat! I ordered the loaded baked potato topped with burnt ends. It's been 3 weeks since our return to the East Coast and I keep thinking about this meal. It was delicious! I hope to be passing thru again to return to this restaurant. read more

See all

This place being new but has old school choices. I tried the chicken fried ribeye steak with country gravy. Now this was good. Steak near about filled the whole plate up and then you also get two sides. Whoa!!! I'm chose the baked beans and Cole slaw. Beans were a mixed selection of kidney, baked and I think black beans. Cooked long and slow. Had tastes of the meats juices from the drippings. Cole slaw had a nice semi-sweet taste with a nice crispy crunch. Now the steak - this was pounded out nicely and so tender, I was able to cut it with just my fork. Flavors of well seasoned breading and crispy but not to much to be out of balance. A lot of food on this plate!!! read more

The Founder - Country fried ribeye steak with baked beans and Cole slaw with a slice of Texas toast to soak up any left over gravy. - Barbeque Near Me - Okemah, Oklahoma

This was such a great restaurant. Samantha, our server, was wonderful! She helped us make our choices and our cup was never empty! The food was delicious. My favorite was the fried okra and baked beans but everything was delicious. Our only complaint was that our platter of meats was not very hot and the brisket was a little dry but everything was still flavorful! read more

See all

You must try the Country Fried Ribeye and Okra! Please don't miss it, you will regret ordering anything else, trust me, I did! My best friend ordered it and I envied her every bite!!! Our server Riley was wonderful and friendly too! The atmosphere inside and out is beautiful and welcoming!! read more

The Founder - The exterior entrance/exit! - Barbeque Near Me - Okemah, Oklahoma

See all

Food is AMAZING! We always get the champion platter and it feeds me and my husband plus some leftovers! Service is top notch and the ambiance is so nice! read more

The Ribeye steak was one of the best I have ever had, the taste it just melted in my mouth. I ask for steak sauce but none was needed, I'm from Southern California and I'll travel approximately two hours up to the Central Coast town Nipomo, Ca. There is a steak house called Jocko's. The Founder is on par with them, I was seated at the bar and the bartender was great, the service was great. The owner Joe stop and ask how was the meal, I told him I didn't want to talk about it. I smile and gave him a great compliment , this will be my steak house while I'm visiting Oklahoma my ratting is a ten or five stars. read more

Great service, atmosphere was warm and inviting. Loved the venue and decor. Fireplace was a great added touch. Food was good, would stop by again when we are in the area. read more

See all

Great experience!! We were traveling down I-40 and saw this place from the highway. Beautiful building and grounds. Inside is done in a ranch style setting that is warm and welcoming. I forgot to take pictures before we devoured it but everything was delicious. My husband had a brisket sandwich and said it was the best one he has had in a long time. I had loaded fries off the appetizer menu with jalapeños added and it was great. I think it was called Dirty Ole' Truck Fries but not positive if I have the name right. I have some special dietary needs and had to ask a couple questions. The manager came over to make sure that they understood my allergies and accommodated beautifully. Not all places are so nice and gracious about this. We are already looking forward to our next trip through this area so we can stop again. read more

If you're driving down Interstate 40 near the Okemah exit, you don't want to miss The Founder. You will be surprised when you walk in and see this beautiful restaurant. It would make any OKC or Ft Worth steakhouse envious. Stop at the bar and try one of their signature cocktails or have a cold beer and soak in the ambience. They offer a 16 ounce ribeye or an eight ounce fillet, both are amazing! Don't sleep on the bone in pork chop, juicy and flavorful. They also have a chicken fried ribeye that will leave you speechless- hand battered and served with your choice of white or brown gravy. And if you're in the mood for BBQ, their world champion Oklahoma Joe's BBQ will not disappoint. Another must try is the cherry bread pudding, worth every calorie. They also have an outdoor fire pit area, perfect for a night cap! The service was second to none and our drinks never ran dry! read more

I'm not usually one to leave reviews but after spending $100 for a chicken fried steak, an 8oz ribeye, and one drink I was very disappointed. I will say the ribeye was cooked to perfection for medium rare and looked delicious. But that's where it ended for us. Neither steak had any flavor. Not even the grilled flavor you usually get from a steak like this. We never use salt when we go out to eat but we had to put salt on our steaks and I had to heavily salt and pepper my chicken fry to get some flavor. I expected the breading to be seasoned but I didn't taste any. Table next to us said the same thing about his. "Glazed carrots" were spritzed with butter and maybe brown sugar but were far from glazed. I guess Charlestons has me spoiled. It was a long drive just to be disappointed. Next time we are in the area we'll stop again and try the BBQ to give them another shot. Building is beautiful. read more