You don’t visit a restaurant called Ann’s Chicken Fry House for the esoteric or exotic fusion; you go for the straightforward promise of hearty comfort food. It’s what’s in a name. What had been an Oklahoma City gas station along Route 66 in the 1940s became a steakhouse in the 1960s. After it was purchased in 1971 by Al Burchett and his brother, it was given its present name after Al’s wife and took on a new life dishing out home-style sandwiches, beans and cornbread, burgers, catfish, fried okra, meatloaf, onion rings and, of course, fried chicken and chicken fried steak, a specialty and favorite of this house. To travelers, Ann’s is a beacon of comfort and abundant hospitality; to OKC residents, Ann’s is a treat reminiscent of the simplicity of good cooking and hours spent around the table at grandma’s house. From the ‘50s décor – complete with retro-faced jukebox, neon, music memorabilia – to the vintage pink Cadillac parked in front, Ann’s gets points for nostalgia but wins on its service and what’s on the fork. 4106 N.W. 39th St., Oklahoma City. 405.943.8915
