This post will probably make you hungry, and just know that you’re not alone. After leaving Branson, traveling Route 66, and stopping in the most robbed city in America, we found ourselves in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Tulsa was the westernmost destination on our road trip, and the path to get there was absolutely beautiful. The slight, rolling hills give the most beautiful sight lines for miles, and then Tulsa sort of rises up from the earth itself. And right there in the middle of the city is Oklahoma’s first food hall: Mother Road Market. Be sure to check out our video covering this and Tulsa’s Gathering Place, also!

The atmosphere of Mother Road Market was very eclectic. From the moment you arrive, the whole vibe seems very chill, but fun. The layout of the hall was also neat. Families and younger folks were all seated at tables throughout a rectangular concourse, similar to a mall. In the center of the rectangle and along the outside walls, however, sat various eateries from which you could order. After taking in the atmosphere, we started getting an idea of what kind of food we wanted. They have everything from a Japanese ramen booth to Brazilian food to a specialty burger stop and an international french fry restaurant. You could spend a few days at Mother Road Market and never try all the food they have at these wonderfully cultural spots. We gave it our best shot, though!

My personal pick was the ramen bowl, and good lawd it did not disappoint. First off, it was massive, and the pork belly was phenomenal. But each of the added ingredients gave the bowl a unique flavor that combined into one outstanding meal. We also got my all-around favorite food of all time to go with it: a spicy tuna roll. Everything was superb and now my mouth is watering and I want ramen. Dang.

My wife had to check out the “Howdy Burger,” where we got one of their namesake patties with their “rodeo fries.” The fries are essentially their version of loaded fries, and the actual hamburger was near perfect. The bun was slightly moist, the cheese was nicely melted, and the patty was cooked to about as close to medium as I’ve ever seen. Out of all the restaurants, Howdy Burger had the least options, but what they have they create extremely well.

The boys wanted sweets, of course, so they pigged out on the artisan ice cream from the Big Dipper Creamery. There really isn’t much to say here other than it was very tasty. But more importantly, it was at that perfect temperature where ice cream just makes you say “hallelujah,” when it’s not so soft it’s melting but it’s not so frozen that it’s almost dangerous. Honestly, there wasn’t a bad thing to say about any of the food we got in the market. Plus, we jumped on board to try Stubborn Soda, which is an alternate soda brands owned by Pepsi. They pride their drinks on staying away from the artificial sweeteners and colors, plus they have some interesting flavors like Agave Vanilla Cream Soda, Black Cherry Tarragon, and Lemon Berry Acai. Super tasty!

It’s worth noting that Mother Road has both indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar, and a couple of small shops. The outdoor area has a food truck, as well, and it’s covered from the elements. They also have putt-putt, or mini-golf, whatever (I grew up in Georgia where it’s putt-putt) in the covered area. The entire location, while not oversized, has plenty of room throughout for families, group gatherings, solo outings, parties, and everything in between. The building contains so many culinary adventures and we were all incredibly impressed by every single one we tried. The atmosphere was super chill, the food was beyond amazing, and the location in Tulsa is easily accessible. In fact it’s so accessible that as soon as we left we were able to tell a family member who was arriving in Tulsa for a layover a few days later who had time to Uber there from the airport for a bite to eat and make it back with plenty of time to spare. When we find ourselves in Tulsa again, we’ll definitely be back; I want some more ramen!