With a whimsical menu served up by knowledgeable, congenial staff in a laidback-cool atmosphere, the Goose Sandies + Bar has attracted a flock of fans in Oklahoma City and beyond in only its second year in business.
One owner modestly summed up the phenomenon as “sandwiches with a dive bar vibe.” Meanwhile, the menu is full of an array of deli fare with creative sandwich spins that spill over into surprising smash burgers, in-house Wells Beer and draft cocktails. The venue’s vegetarian culinary director ensures that an order of “BTW…I’m Vegan,” a cucumber salad-and-tomato sandwich, is beyond basic and receives the utmost respect and care.
The Goose is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) and with added year-round rooftop seating, customers like to linger at the 42-seat Midtown eatery; you’ll see regulars chatting with friendly bartenders, à la Cheers. The overall Goose experience has become sought-after to the point that people travel from out of state to try out the menu and the venue…and return to savor their favorites. An onsite customer wedding is planned for fall 2027. The ‘Goose’ tie-in? Military veteran and co-owner/operator Nate Roberts’ rescue dog Goose, a Siberian Husky named after Tom Cruise’s Navy wingman in Top Gun.
Most-ordered on the eclectic menu is signature Italian sandie “The Goose,” with capicola, mortadella, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese and lemon-tossed arugula. It’s flavored with Duke’s Mayonnaise, plus oil and vinegar, and constructed between satisfying portions of ciabatta bread.
“We take a lot of pride in slicing our own deli meats and sourcing things from friends and finding local bread,” says Roberts. “In the next few months, we are going to make our own bread. Everything that we do has some sort of underlying theme of: This is Oklahoma. We’re going to get it from Oklahoma and we’re not going to feed you something that you can just buy and make at home.”
The popular “Oklahoma Smashie” is second in sales, and comes with two beef patties, American cheese, grilled onion, pickles and “Goose Sauce” on a potato bun.
“Being a sandwich shop that’s known for a cheeseburger was not on our Bingo card, but here we are,” says Roberts. “I love it.”
When Goose partners sit down for a favorite sandwich-beverage combo, what do they choose?
“We sell our Wells Pale and Amber lagers, and I think a Wells Pale with a ‘Goose’ is really, really hard to beat,” says co-owner Elizabeth Maxwell. Roberts loves the namesake sandwich, too, but doubles down with its enlarged version, “The Mother Goose,” and a Coors Banquet beer with a chilled shot of Malört.
Maxwell says the Goose has the distinction of serving the most Malört in Oklahoma. Describing the hyper-bitter beverage, she says, “it’s truly awful and a big deal in Chicago – that’s where it hails from,” she says. “It’s a wormwood-based liqueur. Give it to somebody for the first time to watch their reaction.”
The Goose hosts competitive “MalÖrmpics” (Malört Olympics), where Oklahoma mixologists use the beverage to make the “best and most palatable cocktail” judged by Malört reps flown in from the Windy City.
Product quality, customer care and neighborhood relationships are paramount to Roberts and Maxwell.
“Our customers range from families with children to industry folks to sandwich enthusiasts to people who enjoy just sitting down with our staff,” says Roberts. “It’s like going to your friend’s house for a good sandwich and a beer.”
Look for that same scenario when a planned second Goose lands in Stillwater.
