Is this Oklahoma's most delicious town?

Last week, my colleagues and I got to attend one of my favorite Oklahoma events of every year: the Oklahoma Arts Conference. Not only does it bring together some of the best creatives in the state, it does so in a way that’s fun, deeply educational, meaningful, and—for attendees anyway—stress-free. This year, the Oklahoma Arts Council held the event in Lawton, so last week, Karlie, Megan, and I made our way to Comanche County to hear what’s new with the state’s arts scene.

This is always such a great event for us to attend, because not only do we get a ton of great story ideas from it, we get to be face-to-face with the artists, administrators, and enthusiastic citizens who keep our state’s creative juices flowing. Seriously—keep an eye on when the next one occurs and plan to attned, even if you’re not an artist. You’ll learn so many new things about your state.

In addition to getting to have face time with some truly incredible Oklahomans, Karlie, Megan, and I got to explore Lawton a little bit. We had a lovely chance to explore the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, which is a fantastic glimpse into an amazing people:

The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton. The painting at left is a work by Johnny Depp. Photo by Nathan Gunter

We also got to wander around the adjacent McMahon Memorial Auditorium and the Museum of the Great Plains. All three are next to Lawton’s gorgeous Elmer Thomas Park, which I’m going to make it a point to walk around in next time I’m in town.

At the Museum of the Great Plains, we got to see a special mini-exhibition of some works by Ola Alice Forbes Wickham, who in 1914 received the first art degree ever given by the University of Oklahoma:

Some collected works by Ola Alice Forbes Wickham at the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton. Photo by Karlie Ybarra

So if you haven’t visited Lawton in awhile, I’d recommend making a point of checking those out. But there’s one more very important reason to visit Lawton: It’s delicious.

In fact, Lawton might be the most delicious city in Oklahoma—it’s at least up there with Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Because Fort Sill is nearby and brings in people from all over the world, Lawton’s culinary scene is not to be beat. There are not one but at least three excellent Korean restaurants; some amazing Tex-Mex; the best birria tacos I’ve ever had; plus Vietnamese, German, Thai, barbecue, Pakistani, greasy-spoon diner, Puerto Rican . . . the list continues ad infinitum.

Since we were only there for two nights, picking a restaurant was a tough choice. On our first night in town, we enjoyed the fantastic Tex-Mex—and excellent service—at Sala’s Urban Cantina. After a second day of conferencing, we found our way to the Silver Spoon, where Karlie had the chicken pot pie. It’s one of the most beautiful dishes I’ve ever seen, and it tasted as good as it looked:

The chicken pot pie at The Silver Spoon in Lawton. Photo by Megan Rossman

The next morning, we had breakfast at Buffalo Grove Coffee Company, a fabulous little coffee shop not far from downtown.

Buffalo Grove Coffee Company in Lawton. Photo by Megan Rossman

The coffee at Buffalo Grove is fantastic—Karlie had a Strawberry Muffin Latte that legitimately tasted like both strawberry and muffin and that comes highly recommended by us all. My breakfast of peanut butter cookie, breakfast-sandwich-on-croissant, and drip coffee with coconut milk was satisfying as well.

At one point during the conversation, I looked up and, almost without thinking, said, “Oh my God, there’s a dog.” Because somehow, I’d missed spotting Lily across the shop:

When we met Lily at Buffalo Grove Coffee Company in Lawton, she became an object of immediate fascination at our table. Photo by Karlie Ybarra

To be honest, I don’t know that, in all my years of living in Oklahoma, I’ve ever had a bad meal in Lawton. It truly might be the most delicious town in the state. But I’d love to know what you think. Shoot me an email and tell me your favorite places to eat in Lawton, your pick for Oklahoma’s most delicious city, or anything else you’d like to know.

Written By

Nathan Gunter

A sixth-generation Oklahoman, Weatherford native, and Westmoore High School graduate, Nathan Gunter is the magazine's editor-in-chief. When he's not editor-in-chiefing, Nate enjoys live music, running, working out, gaming, cooking, and random road trips with no particular destination in mind. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University and the University of Oklahoma. He learned how to perform poetry from Maya Angelou; how to appreciate Italian art from Terisio Pignatti; comedy writing from Doug Marlette; how to make coconut cream pie from his great-grandma; and how not to approach farm dogs from trial and error. A seminary dropout, he lives just off Route 66 in Oklahoma City.