Jasper's Restaurant (Gone)
Muskogee, OK Photo courtesy Greg West
Check out the neon lettering at Jasper's Restaurant in Muskogee. Simple but classy, the glowing script gave the restaurant plenty of curb appeal and made it a familiar sight for anyone passing by on Okmulgee Avenue.
Jasper's served the Muskogee community for 25 years, earning a loyal following for its steaks, seafood, and other dinner-house favorites. The building itself had an interesting history, housing several restaurants and nightspots before Jasper's called it home. For many locals, though, it was Jasper's that made the location memorable. 08-06
UPDATE: Jasper's Restaurant closed its doors in January 2008 after a 25-year run. The building still stands today but has been remodeled for other commercial uses, and the distinctive neon lettering that once welcomed hungry diners has disappeared from the facade. 06-26
Beverly's Pancake Corner (Gone)
Oklahoma City, OK Photos and info courtesy Tony Craig
Beverly's Pancake Corner represented the last surviving link to Beverly Osborne's once-famous restaurant empire in the Oklahoma City area. While best known in later years for pancakes and hearty breakfasts, its roots stretched back much further through one of Oklahoma's earliest restaurant success stories.
Beverly Osborne and his wife Rubye built a restaurant business that began in the 1920s and later introduced the popular Chicken in the Rough meal in 1936. The concept became one of America's earliest franchised restaurant brands, eventually growing to hundreds of locations across the country. The Pancake Corner carried on that legacy for decades from its Northwest Expressway location, becoming a favorite stop for locals looking for breakfast any time of day.
Sadly, this original location didn't survive. The building was demolished in early 2008 to make way for redevelopment, ending another chapter of Oklahoma City's roadside history. 02-07
Beverly's Interior Photo courtesy Tony Craig
UPDATE: The Beverly's Pancake Corner in Oklahoma City has moved a mile or two west along the NW Expressway. The current building pictured above is to come down Monday January 7, 2008. They took over "Madison's Pancake Place" at NW Expressway & Independence, and are now open 24 hours! However, the iconic pole sign by the street is going to be auctioned off The minimum bid, according to the auctioneer, was $10,000. Renee, Beverly's owner, was forced to move because the owners of the building are tearing it down. According to The Oklahomian, the old site will soon be home to Talbot's, the upscale women's clothing store. Many thanks to Mark Alfred for update. 02-08
UPDATE: Although the original Beverly's Pancake Corner building is gone, the business relocated a short distance away and continues operating today as Beverly's Pancake House. It remains the last surviving restaurant connected to Beverly Osborne's historic Oklahoma City dining empire and still serves the original Chicken in the Rough recipe. 06-26
Ox Yoke Inn (Removed)
Amana, IA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here's the Ox Yoke Inn, located in Amana. The restaurant has been serving guests since 1940 and is well known for its hearty German-American meals and family-style dining. Housed in a historic sandstone building dating to 1856, it's one of the best-known restaurants in the Amana Colonies. 10-08
UPDATE: The Ox Yoke Inn sign was removed in September 2008 to comply with an Amana Colonies sign ordinance adopted in 1996 which forbids neon signs. The Ox Yoke Inn opened in 1940 and then moved to the current site of the restaurant in 1950, a circa 1856 building. The sign dates back to around 1950. 12-08.
UPDATE: Dating from around the same time, the Art Deco neon sign had become a familiar landmark for generations of visitors. Fortunately, the restaurant itself remains in business today, although the sign is no longer on display. The sign was reportedly placed into storage after its removal, but its current condition and exact location could not be independently verified. 06-26
Nelson's Buffeteria
Tulsa, OK Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb
Nelson's Buffeteria was one of Tulsa's best-known downtown landmarks for more than 75 years. Founded in 1929, it earned a loyal following with its home-style cooking, especially its famous chicken-fried steak, and became a lunchtime tradition for generations of Tulsans.
Like many classic downtown restaurants, Nelson's eventually struggled as businesses and shoppers moved away from the city center. The original location closed in 2004, much to the disappointment of its many devoted customers. Fortunately, the story didn't end there. The family reopened as Nelson's Ranch House at the former Debbie's Ranch House on East Third Street, allowing longtime patrons to continue enjoying the same recipes prepared by the same kitchen staff. 11-10
UPDATE: Nelson's Ranch House has since closed, but the story didn't end there either. In 2012, the Rogers family revived the original Nelson's Buffeteria name at a new location on South Memorial Drive, where it continues serving many of the same home-style favorites that made the downtown restaurant a Tulsa institution. 06-26
Beverly's Pancake Corner (Gone)
Beverly's Pancake Corner represented the last surviving link to Beverly Osborne's once-famous restaurant empire in the Oklahoma City area. While best known in later years for pancakes and hearty breakfasts, its roots stretched back much further through one of Oklahoma's earliest restaurant success stories.
Beverly's Interior
Nelson's Buffeteria
