Ike’s Chili House in Tulsa is moving from Admiral Place — an older alignment of Route 66 — to East 11th Street, a newer alignment of Route 66, in the next few weeks, according to the Tulsa World.
The restaurant, reputedly the oldest in Oklahoma, will moved by the end of the year from 5941 E. Admiral Place to occupy two storefronts at 1503 and 1509 E. 11th St.
Here’s a Google Street View look of Ike’s new site:
Len Wade, one of the restaurant’s operators, said the new space will have larger bathrooms, plus Ike’s will actually own the property it will sit in, instead of leasing. Wade also expressed excitement on moving to an area “on an old part of Route 66 that is coming back to life.”
Indeed, that part of East 11th Street had seen extensive renovations to old Plainsman buildings just west of where Ike’s will move. And with the city wanting to emphasize Route 66 as a tourist attraction, it seems like a good move for Ike’s.
Ike’s had been on Admiral Place since 1966, although it had operated other restaurants in other parts of the city through the years. Ike’s started in 1908 in downtown Tulsa.
This video produced about a year ago delves into Ike’s history:
(A dish of Ike’s chili and spaghetti by Mike Davis via Flickr)