It’s been said that good food is not just fuel for the body, but also the soul — and Oklahoma chef and entrepreneur Dequayon Server, 28, takes that belief to heart.
“Cooking is my passion,” says Server, affectionately known as Chef Dee. “Sometimes people are like ‘Bro, I can see the love, the passion you put into your food.’ And they can feel that – versus a person that just wants to get paid for cooking. It’s like soul food.”
As the owner of Chef Dee’s Creations, Server offers Creole and Cajun cuisine from a brick and mortar location at 2739 N.W. 36th St. in Oklahoma City, as well as two food trucks that travel throughout the city.
On the menu, diners will find Southern comfort food like fried catfish, hot chicken sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, grits — all with a Creole-seasoned twist, of course. And he likes to change things up with the seasons.
“I’m always changing my menu,” confirms Server. “I’ll always have my top sellers on the menu. But with winter coming, you’re going to see warm things, like shrimp and grits, gumbo, étouffée, and red beans and rice on the menu.”
Those aforementioned top sellers include loaded fries smothered with Chef Dee’s secret sauce; pastalaya, which includes pasta loaded with shrimp, bacon, cheese and chicken with a savory Alfredo sauce; and chicken wings served with a sauce of your choice, plus a side of fries.
Server got his start cooking and experimenting with food all on his own. While attending culinary school at Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City, Server got hired at the now-closed Brielle’s Bistro in Del City, where he was able to hone his skills.
“I just always loved to cook,” he said. “I tried to grow and learn as much as I could.”
Then, Server decided to go out on his own. He got his business up and running two days before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, which shut down restaurants and businesses around the country. Server, however, found a silver lining in the grim situation.
“When COVID came, honestly, I was booming,” Server says. “Businesses were failing – but I never did. I tried to think differently. I was doing a lot of delivery, pick up, DoorDashing – and I also focused on customer service.”
He quickly adapted to the circumstances, taking special care to provide people with the best food and service he could, all in a safe environment: taking orders, cooking and delivering all by himself. And his hard work paid off.
“I kept staying consistent, reliable and focused,” he says. “It got to a point where I was doing food out of a flea market. And then a few months later, I had a food truck. And then another few months later, I had another food truck.”
Four years, several locations and many employees later, Server says he still takes pride in being the one in the kitchen, and actually prefers it that way, because people expect a certain level of deliciousness that only Server can provide.
When he’s not working over a hot stove, Server enjoys spending time with his three kids, going to the gym, playing basketball and giving back to the community. Last year, he was recognized by First Fidelity Bank’s ‘Pay It Forward’ program for feeding the homeless on Sundays, as well as for providing a job and mentoring a high school student who was experiencing a challenging time.
Chef Dee’s Creations is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and his food truck locations can be found weekly on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
