The sound of Chef Dexter chopping potatoes for his homemade french fries, the smell of sizzling burgers on the grill or the sight of grinning customers eating fresh baked buttery biscuits are all things you may experience when you first walk into Open Kitchen Restaurant (OKR). OKR is the restaurant that took over the Jailbird Bar location at 4022 Shelby St. I took a friend and headed to grab dinner at OKR one Thursday evening.
When we first walked in we were greeted by a cheerful hostess ready to seat us. She sat us at a small table near the back of the compact restaurant. My first thought was, “This table is really small, the food portions must not be large.” I would soon find out that I was mistaken. We ordered the bacon barbecue burger and the 10th street chicken sandwich. While we eagerly waited, we were brought out freshly baked buttery biscuits for us to enjoy. After about 25 minutes our food was in front of us, ready to be devoured. Our meals came with dill pickle spheres and freshly cut homemade french fries, perfectly seasoned. The portion sizes were large enough that I took half of my sandwich home in a box.
A unique feature of the menu was that it was broken up between breakfast, lunch, appetizers, early dine and dinner. Depending on what time of the day you visit, you’re looking at a meal anywhere between $10 and $35. The menu offered a wide range of drinks that featured beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails. Our waitress also talked about how OKR will be having karaoke on Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and they are eager to have more students from the University of Indianapolis pay them a visit.
My experience dining at the OKR was exquisite. When I take into account the proficient service, great atmosphere and impressive food, I rate it a five star experience! The only drawbacks are that the restaurant and tables are a tight squeeze, and the menu is a bit pricey for college aged students. Regardless of the hefty prices and the small space, I’ll be back to enjoy some karaoke and homemade french fries.
