TulsaPets Magazine May 2021

38 TulsaPets • May/June 2021 E stablished February 2012, R Bar & Grill has been serving up great cooking with an innovative take on classic American comfort food in the heart of Brookside for over 10 years now. R Bar also offers two pet-friendly patios, one of which is capable of being fully enclosed with air conditioning for the summer and heaters in the winter. “The walls go up and down, so if it’s a nice day, we can put the walls down. If it gets windy or starts to rain, we can raise them back up, and they just look like regular windows!” explains General Manager Jenny Sullivan. Plans are in the works to bring the second patio up to speed with the same amenities as the main patio to accommodate every season. As the website describes, R Bar’s atmosphere is “comfortable and famil- iar, relaxed and easygoing,” where they “greet guests like family,” and that’s exactly what our little lunch group found on a recent outing. Our party consisted of two adults, a 5-year-old, a 1-year-old and a Shih Tzu named Jack. Lunch out with kids and a dog can be tricky. If you want to put wait staff to the test, a group like ours could do it. But Sullivan and our waiter both made us feel welcome and right at home on the pet-friendly patio. Doggie Jack got priority service. Sullivan brought out a bowl of ice wa- ter for him, along with a few pets and scratches, as soon as we were seated. It’s also worth mentioning the other patrons were equally welcoming of our canine companion—friendly faces all around on the R Bar patio. The outdoor atmosphere is truly pet friendly, not just pet tolerant. As co-owner Bill Grant says, at R Bar, they “pamper two- and four-legged dogs alike.” “Being pet friendly is important to us because we believe your pets are a part of your family,” Sullivan says. “There are a lot of places your dog isn’t allowed to go, and we think it’s important to be able to share time outside of the house with your pets, getting them socially acquainted with crowds of people (and other dogs). Our patio allows you and your dog to have a good experience that isn’t just going on a walk or to the dog park.” Regarding pets and families, Sullivan shared that Grant and his wife recently took in a 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel who was in need of a good home since his owner moved into an assisted living center. But back to our meal experience. A bottle of hand sanitizer on each ta- ble to clean your hands before eating is a nice added touch for pet owners who can’t trek indoors to the restroom. I ordered the Baby Wedge Salad with bibb lettuce, port cherries, bleu cheese crumbles, Greer’s bacon, grilled crostini and bleu cheese dressing. Don’t let the name fool you; it’s a large portion and delicious. My 5-year-old date had the kids’ chicken strips and fries. Since R Bar prefers to do as much “in house preparation” as possible, even the kids’ chicken is hand breaded and the fries hand cut. Again, it’s a generous portion, which could easily serve as two meals for him. Our entrees were brought out speedily (much appreciated with hungry kids in tow; howev- er, we were in no way rushed along by staff). The chicken and fries were fresh, hot and crispy. My friend had the Tomato Bisque Soup and Grilled Cheese. But this is no ordinary grilled cheese—it features cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan and red onion jam on marble rye bread. Even the 1-year-old helped herself to half. It was a thumbs (and paw) up from everyone at our table for food, service and atmosphere. By Anna Holton-Dean 5 Paw Review! R B A R & G R I L L Jack and Louis enjoying time on the R Bar patio. Kids’ chicken tenders and fries