On a recent Monday morning, we got the chance to try a new eatery in Tulsa’s Campbell Hotel, Maxxwell’s Restaurant.
One meal convinced us this will be a valuable addition to this historic Route 66 hotel and likely will become a dining destination in its own right.
Maxxwell’s opened a few weeks ago in the west end of the Campbell Hotel building, where antique cars once were on display. Over the summer, the owners transformed the space with dark wooden furniture, tin ceilings, beige walls and Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. over the sound system.
The large windows in the north and west of the restaurant allow a lot of natural lighting to stream in during the daytime. In fact, I shot these photos without a flash.
The walls contain old black-and-white photographs of Tulsa, many from the Beryl Ford Collection.
What also sets apart Maxxwell’s are its unique lighting fixtures. I’m not sure from what era they came, but I’m betting 1920s or ’30s. A close-up of one of the fixtures:
Because the Campbell Hotel initially opened in 1927, this pre-World War II atmosphere seems proper. I’m glad the owners went with it instead of a 1950s decor, which has become almost clichéd on Route 66.
Here’s what I had — the delicious and hearty Standard breakfast. It’s two eggs, choice of bacon, ham or sausage, potatoes, and a biscuit or toast. This dish is complementary if you stay overnight at the hotel, as long as you get down to the restaurant before 10 a.m.
At night, Maxxwell’s stands out with its turquoise neon sign. You can see this at least a mile down Route 66.
The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. It accepts reservations, and it comes with a full bar. You can read the menu here.
For a more comprehensive look at Maxxwell’s eclectic menu, read Tulsa World food critic Scott Cherry’s recent review. He gave it a thumbs-up.
So far, I’ve had all three meals there — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was pleased with all three. The service was perfect in all cases. The food was good, and with a few tweaks will be excellent. My only complaint was the noise level in the high-ceilinged room during the dinner hour, but I’ve experienced worse. I was thrilled to see how busy the place was at dinner, both at the bar and in the dining room. The seared fresh tuna sandwich at the lunch hour was the highlight. The decor is perfect!
Wow, looks and sounds terrific. I’m happy to see a pre-war look as well, actually. Very handsome place we will be keeping in mind for our next trip!